E-Democracy.org is working up an evaluation of our "rural voices" and diverse communities Issues Forum efforts. With rural voices we launched four new online town hall "Issues Forums" and in two low income, high immigrant neighborhoods we launched some new "neighbor" Issues Forums. Way back in 2002 (time moves fast!), Jakob Linaa Jensen surveyed a sample of our forum participants - http://www.e-democracy.org/research/surveyquestions.html - back when we served just three local communities in Minnesota. Now we serve 15 communities with 25 Issues Forums across three countries. Anyway, I am picking a set of questions for an online survey that we will run on at least six of our forums and I'd like your input on current semi-standard questions asked of online participants so we can do some comparison. I am also interested in additional questions you'd like to see asked. So what should we ask? The 2002 questions are here: http://www.e-democracy.org/research/surveyquestions.html Please cc: clift@e-democracy.org so I am sure to see your replies on my main e-mail account. For background, here are some links: http://e-democracy.org/if - Issues Forum Training http://blog.e-democracy.org/posts/536 - Recent volunteer Forum Manager interviews - rural voices http://blog.e-democracy.org/posts/509 - Video comments from Cass Lake participant (majority Native American area) http://blog.e-democracy.org/posts/412 - Frogtown outreach (large SE Asian population neighborhood) http://blog.e-democracy.org/posts/189 - Rural voices launch notes http://blog.e-democracy.org/posts/172 - Outreach in Cedar Riverside (large East African population) In this case we are evaluating the outreach/launch process more heavily than just the participation experience. We do unique things like sign people up on paper for the online experience, etc. Also, I am interested in learning about other research on the use of social media in highly diverse/low income areas. As far as we can tell, folks are still stuck on access and basic skill training in such areas and are leaving the "public life" online civic engagement/social media/"we media" content action to the middle and upper classes. In our view, all communities should have a real voice online and connect with each other in public life with their neighbors not just with private life with friends and family which seems to happen on its own. Sincerely, Steven Clift, E-Democracy.org