High Tech Meets High Touch:

Using New Technology for

Community Building

Steven CliftExecutive DirectorE-Democracy.org

The “default” local online news discussion experience is …

Most people see, expect public conflict.

Sharp contrast with private social networking.

Unlocking community …

Connecting people who live near one another.

Growing community…

Opening “organic” hot topic on Standish Ericsson Neighbors Forum in Dec. 2008: http://e-democracy.org/se

Dear Neighbors, My name is Michael and I'm interested in establishing a community garden in our neighborhood.

Dozens of messages, offers to help, and a call for a meeting.

Radical idea!? Local people online can meet in-person.

500 members, 10%+ of households in May 2010

This month the Southside Star Community Garden opened!

IntroductionHi, I am Steven Clift

Executive Director, E-Democracy.orghttp://e-democracy.org http://stevenclift.com

Created world’s first election information website in 1994

Spoken across 26 countries, 27th with Libya in two weeks

30+ Issues Forums serve 15 communities in 3 countries

Ford Foundation funded “Participation 3.0” start-up - includes two lower income, high immigrant neighborhood forums. http://e-democracy.org/p3

Ashoka Fellow

Presentation Outline

Two-Way Tools Assumption:

“Community building” not just informing

CC: e-mail E-mail Discussion Lists “Place” Blogs Facebook Groups/Pages Ning Social Networks Video and Photo Sharing Twitter Local #hashtags Interesting meta-sites More Issues Forums

Many Purposes Meet Communicate Socialize Share Information,

Contacts, Advice Support Neighbors Exchange Opinions Community News Announce/Invite Organize Collaborate Problem-solving Building bridges/Inclusion

But first, Locals Online

Connecting a movement that doesn’t know it is one

New online community, 40+ introductions last week

Join here, links:http://e-democracy.org/locals

Related - Two one hour on-demand webinars – Local citizen media, and Issues Forums:http://e-democracy.org/webinars

Different flavors and approaches now coalescing

Community builders

Citizen news

Single block, neighborhood, community-wide

“Local everywhere”

Online-based promoting in-person

Off-line model moving online

General versus specific niche

First Secret

It is not about technology.

It is not about waiting for the new new idea.

It is about desire, outreach, and execution

If you have the desire, with community building intent, then your technology choices will matter.

CC:, E-Lists, Placeblogs

CC: E-mail The simple sheet of paper passed around at National Night Out saves

a stray dog from the frigid cold months later.

E-mail Discussion Lists 8 million American adults or 4% are members of nhood discussion lists

or forums – Pew Internet and American Life Project 2008, K. Hampton Google/YahooGroups, DC nhoods, Brooklyn parents Hard to find, below the radar, stunningly powerful

Placeblogs Cornerstone of “citizen journalism” online, sometimes “watch dog”

protest sites Highly interactive examples

http://locallygrownnorthfield.org – Real comment community http://westseattleblog.com – Excellent forums too

Facebook Pages and Groups

Facebook Pages and Groups Publicizing “private life” is NOT

building “public life” online

Neighbors who are “friends” are connecting

Some blocks, nhoods use Facebook Groups, often private

Some neighborhood associations and gov’ts create Facebook Pages, “Walls” allow place-based interactivity Useful “gov” reports:

http://bit.ly/socmedgov

Ning Social NetworksNing (and Drupal too) have made better looking sites easier to create

Foster more two-way user content

The “there there” needs critical mass, lead “host”who animates exchange

Some leading sites Boston –

http://neighborsforneighbors.com

Harringay (UK) - http://harringayonline.com

Video, Pics, TweetsUse of video and pictures on the rise

Many leverage YouTube, Flickr, etc.

Don’t let pretty pictures obscure analysis of “there there”

Use of place-based Twitter hashtags like #nempls support real-time organic groups

Interesting sites …Connecting “folks”

Front Porch Forum (VT biz) i-Neighbors (Univ-based) ToolzDo (biz) GoodNeighbors (np) E-Democracy.org (np) MN Idea Open (np)

And many many more – “Social media in local public life” link on the right at:http://e-democracy.org/locals

Connecting “builders” Locals Online Democracies Online OurBlocks.net Blog Neighbourhoods Blog UK Networked Nhoods UK Leaders for Communitie

s ABCD in Action Comm-Org E-List Nat Co Dialogue Delib Talk About Local UK

Researchers too … Keith Hampton’s Blog

Neighbor Issues Forums StoriesMore Stories from our Neighbor Issues Forum

Somali community – 20 missing youth to crosswalks

“Little Mekong” and BoaLee’s lessons

Powderhorn Cinco de Mayoviolence

Chickens in Bemidji

Leech Lake Native American majority rural forum

Inclusion evaluation in progress:http://e-democracy.org/inclusion

Secret SauceKey Lessons

Civility and real names builds trust, real community

Outreach matters – Use paper!

Real inclusion is “work”

Multi-tech - Reach people where they are online – E-mail, web, FB, Twitter – we syndicate content

E-mail “reply” publishing is key to inclusion

Secret Sauce 2Key Lessons

Facebook increasingly used by immigrant communities

Elected officials participate with their voters

People LOVE neighbor forums

37 Blog posts sharing Lessons

Missing gap at block/building/township level? – http://neighbor.be opportunity

Many Purposes Reflections

Meet

Communicate

Socialize

Share Information, Contacts, Advice

Support Neighbors

Exchange Opinions

Community News

Announce/Invite

Organize

Collaborate

Problem-solving

Building bridges/Inclusion

Advice for Funders

Promote online community building idea

Find and encourage good local examples, counter terrible online news commenting trend

Convene and seed new efforts

Get lessons to local “hosts” – increase success rate

Real inclusion will NOT happen without initiative

Advice for Funders 2Don’t wait - technology and models will NEVER stabilize – constant evolution and opportunity to learn

Create two-way online connections among grantees with “host” e-facilitators

Consider options to connect people (the “builders”) across different cities looking for great ideas and lessons to apply locally

Pool resources - help people find (or create) local online spaces from national look-ups – Why not 8%, then 16% of Americans?

Further InformationSteven Clift

clift@e-democracy.org @democracy on Twitter 612-234-7072

Join Locals Online: http://e-democracy.org/locals

More Links http://blog.e-democracy.org http://e-democracy.org/nf http://e-democracy.org/p3 http://stevenclift.com

Slides also available from: http://www.slideshare.net/netclift

As part of Participation 3.0 we are:

Convening and working to “move the field”

Plotting a “Locals Online” roll call webinar

Working with League of Women Voters on “Sunshine 2.0” guide for local evaluation of govs online support for democracy

Working with OpenPlans.org on “DemocracyMap”

Really pushing inclusion in online civic engagement

Developing next generation partnership proposals by 4Q