Front Porch Forum (FPF)

Americans move more often, live alone more, work more hours, solo car-commute more, and spend more time with electronic devices than ever before. And the toll is evident in many of our local communities. Where are the people? Where are the neighbors?

In 2006, Michael and Valerie Wood-Lewis launched Front Porch Forum to provide a simple way for neighborhood connections to begin. Front Porch Forum aims to grab a couple minutes of people's attention each day where they already are (online!) for town chatter. This daily dose of neighborhood news adds up over time and changes people's perception of the place where they live. Every posting comes from a clearly identified nearby neighbor. A place to live becomes "my town." In fact 93% of survey respondents reported increased civic engagement after signing up with Front Porch Forum.

People use the service to find lost cats, report car break-ins, give away strollers, debate speed bumps, rally volunteers for park clean-ups, and more. While "safe" postings about pets and babysitting are common, the more successful areas grow into more challenging topics: from school budget debates to addressing drug-related crime to supporting a terminally ill neighbor, all while maintaining a civil and constructive tone.

Every town participating in the e-Vermont Community Broadband Project has their own Front Porch Forum. Simply go to the “Join” section of http://frontporchforum.com/

The e-Vermont communities are joining a network of online neighborhood forums that blankets 40 Vermont towns, and 20,000 households subscribe already. In dozens of neighborhoods and small towns, more than 40% of households participate in their local forum. Messages posted total more than 100,000 over the past four years. At the same time, every forum is rooted in a particular place, retaining the neighbor-to-neighbor connections that move conversations from online to the sidewalk, general store, town meeting, or any other place where neighbors cross paths.

Attracting and keeping a crowd full of vitality is a real challenge. Front Porch Forum has learned that towns with steady subscriptions eventually reach a tipping point when the forum takes off and a large percentage of households participate. You can bring your new forum closer to that point by subscribing today and spreading the word. Tell your friends, co-workers, and neighbors to join at FrontPorchForum.com