Comments on: Online Public Participation: Wave of the More Creative, More Democratic Future http://prairieroots.org/2009/07/13/online-public-participation-wave-of-the-future/ “There are no meanings apart from roots.” --Walter Brueggemann Thu, 02 Feb 2012 04:28:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Mike http://prairieroots.org/2009/07/13/online-public-participation-wave-of-the-future/#comment-1730 Fri, 17 Jul 2009 20:17:14 +0000 http://prairieroots.wordpress.com/?p=393#comment-1730 Erin,
I couldn’t agree more: Social media offers tremendous potential for citizen participation. We created the ReImagine Rural blog to encourage conversation about the future of rural communities. In our first ten months, we’ve talked about and heard from a lot of smart people with great ideas about future of rural places.

We’ve also been exploring how to use other tools like Flickr and Facebook within local communities. For instance, we’ve worked with Briana Hoffman over in Deuel County set up both a blog and Facebook account for her community. If you haven’t seen them, I highly recommend you check them out. (see links below)

But what you hit on with the Baltimore example is a level up in participation. That’s where we need to go. Engaging, inviting, and creative. Thanks for sharing.

http://deuelco.wordpress.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Clear-Lake-SD/Deuel-Area-Development/50898847892?ref=ts

]]> By: Steph http://prairieroots.org/2009/07/13/online-public-participation-wave-of-the-future/#comment-1728 Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:47:56 +0000 http://prairieroots.wordpress.com/?p=393#comment-1728 Erin, I am intrigued by this! I think so often the average citizen feels disenfranchised from the direction and planning for their own community. We’re good at lament, but have few outlets for creative problem solving. Wouldn’t it be incredible if the kind of thing happening in Baltimore was the “pattern” for how community leadership and community action worked?

In tinier towns like where I am living now, there is a common perception that the average Joe’s ideas can be heard, and you can have definite impact, but there is little or no money to make much happen. I think the opposite happens in larger communities…money is available but only the few get the say. How do we combine the best of both worlds?

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