Magazine

How neighbourhood social networks can help communities and local businesses thrive

22 mayo 2019 Mridhula Raghavan

In the small state of Vermont, residents log on to Front Porch Forum, an online service, to ask for recommendations for a plumber, or to borrow a ladder, or to discuss the school budget. Unlike other social media, however, postings are aggregated and sent as a digest typically once a day. So members read postings from their neighbors only after they have been reviewed first by Front Porch Forum’s team of moderators. Michael Wood-Lewis, a founder of Front Porch Forum, spoke to Ouishare about the platform’s role in building community, increasing social capital, and, most recently, its take on Big Tech.