Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Community Networks and Websites?

Posted by michael on from the potluck dept.

brendano writes "I've been doing some research into the fascinating world of community networks and websites -- online places that can inform and connect people of a real-life community. They typically provide news, discussion forums, and email for local residents. There are some quite successful ones (such as the nonprofit Seattle Community Network or the Blacksburg Electronic Village), but also also ghost town-like failures that show how hard it is to get a community network/website rolling. In addition, many struggle with questions of how to get funding; whether they can be for-profit while serving the community, or be non-profit with enough money to keep going. Unlike the wireless community networks we hear about so much, these types of community networks go beyond just internet access and try to provide access to the community itself. Some, even, are being done to help build up disenfranchised communities, such as one in a housing project, or the three of HP's Digital Village project (one of whose projects I'm researching for.) I was wondering if members of the Slashdot community know of more examples of community networks, and what people think of these projects. Can real-life communities succeed in the online environment as well? How so?"

7 of 155 comments (clear)

  1. Re:not the first post! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    did the parent make any sense to you?

    I know it seemed rambly to me

  2. nagoobalhu by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    fp

  3. Other examples abound... by 2nd+Post! · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Like my own! But I hesitate to mention it for fear of the Slashdot effect.

    Heh, right, security through obscurity. But it isn't a secret, either.

    --

    GPL Deconstructed
  4. Re:This Post!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    tell me about it. As a bonus for meeting some goal for the focus-of-the-month, my manager is taking my entire dept. out to see Attack of the Clones (aka Titanic in space) on opening day. I told him "No thanks, I'd rather work".

  5. Re:Slashdot is my community by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    I just got back from watching "Monster balls". It's a movie about some guy with a huge pair of nuts, or something. Anyhow, he has some jungle fever action with Halle Berry. I know who I'm gonna think about tonight hen I jack off!

    It's allright, though, because she's half white. I just hope I can get that image of Billy Boc Thorton's ass out of my head!

  6. naykid furor's homepage(s) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    don't forget to visit this NYT Forum where billy's paid2post ?pr? ?community? ?members? prattle on 24/7/365 about the advantages of PayPer LieSense FUDgePacking, over anything else that moves IT.

  7. There are two sides to every story... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic
    and there are two sides to the story of the Censorware Project.

    Sig: What REALLY Happened to the Censorware Project