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@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