[Air-L] Neighbors Online - May 7 in DC, US Democracy Online Exchange Community of Practice

[Steven Clift]

If you are in the DC area next Wednesday and are interested in how 
people at the neighborhood level are engaging (or can engage) online, 
join us. See below.

Also the new Local-State-National US Democracy Online Exchange for 
practitioners involved with non-partisan online media, government, and 
civic participation/election information/open government projects is now 
open: http://groups.dowire.org/groups/us

Cheers,
Steven Clift
E-Democracy.Org


Links from:
http://www.dowire.org/notes/?p=405


What: Event - Connecting Neighbors, Strengthening Neighborhoods Online -
Washington DC

When: Wednesday, May 7, 2008 - 9-11 a.m.

Where: RSVP by May 2nd for location: clift at publicus.net
** Put "Neighbors Online RSVP" in subject.

Who: A discussion with 10-15 really interesting people. Space is limited.

We have room for a few more people. I am particularly interested in 
gathering
more people who are well networked with local communities and neighborhoods
around the country.

In addition to sharing the story about the exciting launch of the
Neighborhood Issues Forum where I live - http://e-democracy.org/se - I’d
like to discuss Vermont’s Front Porch Forum, i-Neighbors (academic
project), the Facebook Neighborhoods application, Outside.In and Topix’s
approach to zipcode based forums (lots of virtual ghost towns),
Everyblock.Com, and DC’s exceptionally vibrant neighborhood e-mail list
network (check out Cleveland Park with over 6,000 members). I am also
interested in gathering ideas on block-level tools to support more
secure networking among neighbors and how to extend the summer idea of
National Night Out to a winter Local Night Online. We will even take a
look at the sad Rotten Neighbor site.

Please come in discussion mode - think "surf and talk" not present and
digest.

Two discussion questions to think about:

1. What would you like to see neighbors across the country be able to do
online to connect with those who live near them.
2. What questions do we have that need answering before one aggressively
pursues activities in this area? (I have one - What percentage of
Americans say they belong or are aware of an online neighborhood forum,
blog, or discussion e-mail list today?)



Thanks!

Steven Clift
E-Democracy.Org