Neighbor.be specification

Back to Neighborly

This is detailed draft Neighbor.be specification. It summarizes input from four in-person hackathons and the online working group.

That's the best anwesr of all time! JMHO

Registration

Neighbor Directory

Group Communication

Message Delivery

Local Online Groups Directory

Geo-Relevant Links and Content Aggregation

Facebook Integration

Block Leader Services

"Sparks" or electronic block leaders ...

Business Model

Syndication Partners

Outreach and Inclusion

Safety Online

Identity Verification

Previous Notes

A proposal was submitted into the Knight News Challenge which made it into round two. We used our wiki to draft our submission - Knight News Challenge Neighborly Submission - the proposal emphasized some of the more "news sharing" related aspects of the idea per the contests scope.'

• Summary
  • You enter your name and address. You share information and links (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, blog) about yourself with your nearest neighbors. You select the number of nearest neighbors in our system for a reciprocal connection (default 100). You may dynamically exchange announcements and discussions semi-privately (not in Google) with those in your dynamic "neighbors directory." Participants will receive a customizable e-mail digest of neighbor posts as well as posts from related "public" neighborhood/community Issues Forums, and other local aggregated content.

• Purpose
  • Help people be neighborly.

• Goals
  • Connect people online to the nearest neighbors they know and those they do not yet know.
  • Help neighbors communicate quickly and easily as a group.
  • Help neighbors organize:
    • toy and/or tool sharing
    • block parties,
    • crime watch,
    • reuse - free stuff (re-using furniture/appliances that would otherwise be thrown out),
    • activities for youth
    • help neighbors in need
    • meet new neighbors
    • share birth, death, and other major announcements
  • Support block leaders in their communication with as many neighbors as possible.
  • Help neighbors collectively monitor hyper-local news, information, and government data sources.
  • Develop a business model that ensures the sustainability of the network.

• Principles
  • Build trust among participants through real names and familiarity.
  • Promote self-governance and accountability for actions online.
  • Respect participants desire to be part of community public life while not being overexposed online when interacting with their nearest neighbors.
  • Clearly demonstrate reciprocity and promote awareness of online safety particularly as it relates to those physically near each other.
  • Open source, volunteer-engaged, non-profit, and creative commons connected to the greatest extent possible.

• Online Experience Outline - Speculative
  • Coming soon.

Stay tuned. For now read the rough neighborly query from mid-2009 outlining the idea and the Knight round one submission.