Neighborhood Forums Online

1. Neighborhood ForumsOnline Creating inclusive neighborhood forums – grant proposal update

2. Agenda • 1. Meet and Greet • 2. Quick Overview • Digital Justice Grant, securing community partners – Kris Nelson • 3. Small Groups – What is your vision of inclusive neighborhood forums online? • 4. Report Back • Creating “our” vision • 5. Outreach Interviews to Diverse Communities – Mahi Palanisami • 6. Presentation • Learning from the best forums, what’s next – Steven Clift

3. Quick Overview • Digital Justice Grant • Drafting in progress • Gathering input • Seeking commitments for community partners • See: http://e-democracy.org/nf

4. Small Group Questions • 1. What words come to mind when you hear “neighborhood forum online”? • 2. How might you or those you know use such a forum? • 3. What would make a neighborhood forum attractive or useful to immigrants, low income residents, or communities of color? • 4. What is your small groups vision for a successful and inclusive neighborhood forum? • To present

5. Outreach Interviews • Online survey ~45 responses • Contact list developed, 40 people - emphasis on immigrant produced digital content and Internet access or training centers reaching low income • Invited to this meeting and … • Up to 10 in-person interviews on proposal/idea of neighborhood forums • Interview highlights from diverse communities

6. Learning from leading online neighborhood forums?

7. What are neighborhood forums online? • Based on geographic placewhere people live Source: Cleveland-Park, DC NHood Forum Source: Highland Park Community, Pittsburg

8. How do they work? • E-mail discussion lists mostly • Some web forums • E-mail newsletters are not forums, good starting point • Most failed forums lack participation, e-mail is key for success

9. City Hall Local Media Coverage Personal Networks “Secondary Networks”e-mail forwards NHood Org Visualizing neighborhood forums Neighbor #1 Arts Group City Councilor NHood Paper Renter Neighbor #2 New Resident NHood Forum GroupServer e-mails posts web view Neighbors Local Biz Subscribe once Commitment secured Post via e-mail/web Librarian Neighbor #200 City Staff Neighborhood Leader Police Forum Manager

10. Examples • Two major varieties • Neighborhood “life” - larger • includes coffee shop bulletin board style announcements • “who can recommend a good local plumber?” • along with “my house was broken into last night” and local development/involvement discussions • Neighborhood organization agenda/politics • “charter” restricted to more formal neighborhood planning and development issues • Our vision - Local “charters” can say what is in/out and blend models as desired

11. Cleveland Park, DC • Format: YahooGroups • Members: 4400+ • Posts: ~20/day • Recent topics (24 hours): • Coin sorting bank • Mover recommendations • Volunteer request • Tutors • New deli review • Local candidates • Road work update • Bus public safety incident • Mugging prevention • Curfew questions • Notes: The largest and most active neighborhood forum in the world. Acts like a combination of Craigslist, Freecycle, and an E-Democracy style “Issues Forum”

12. Highland Park, Pittsburg • Format: Mailman E-mail List • Members: Not sure • Posts: ~100 posts/month • Recent topics: • Stuff for sale • Cleaning help • Burglary update • Plumber • Car windows smashed • Jazz event • Found keys • Looking for daycare • Suicide prevention speaker • Notes: Good charter, “Messages must be about Highland Park, including its residents, organizations, businesses, and the park; or of specific interest to its residents, including issues relating to surrounding/connected communities such as the redevelopment in East Liberty.” • Explains volunteer forum management process

13. Dimond NHood, Oakland • Format: Web Forum (PHPBB) • Members: 107 registered • Posts: Lower volume, can see “views” • Recent topics: • Neighborhood events • NHood Meeting Agenda • NHood super clean-up • Earth Day photos • Local elementary schools • Notes: Shows web forum format. They also host e-mail list. When registered can see what’s new to you.

14. Lessons from others • Extremely local aspects of Craigslist, Freecyle • Nhoods are more green-friendly, local economy boosting • Donation/pledge idea to local community groups

15. Start One • 1. You – A leader • 2. Team – 2 – 5 people in the neighborhood to help promote • 3. Charter – What’s in/out of scope • 4. Technology – Set up on http://forums.e-democracy.org • “open source” GroupServer tool combines e-mail list and web forums

16. Start One • 5. Partners – Formal/Informal • Diverse community groups, neighborhood associations, etc. • 6. Promotion - Online • 7. Recruitment – In-person, 1 by 1 • 8. Outreach – Group by group • 9. OPEN with 100+ founding members • 10. Facilitate - Seed, feed and weed

17. GroupServer – E-mail/web • Easy to find • Next to Mpls Issues Forum, other Nhoods • E-mail or web- your choice • Technology enhancements • Share through open source • Proposal to add “Publicness” options

18. Sample Forum Entering reply here

19. Sample Forum – E-mail View

20. Grant Drafting - Edit this page • We are using a wiki to collaboratively edit our grant proposal – join us.

21. What’s Next • Secure community partner commitments • Finalize “Digital Justice” ~30-40K grant proposal – Coming weeks • Explore more grant opportunities • Start forums now where volunteers step forward • See: http://e-democracy.org/nf