[imc-sheffield] community website

[John Henderson]

Hi
 
I am new here and have tried to submit an article on our new website
www.whosyourneighbour.co.uk <http://www.whosyourneighbour.co.uk/> 
 
We are just 2 friends working full time and had an idea to help social
interaction locally.  I want to tell people about the site, but it is
proving rather difficult.  
 
I enclose the article I have typed up on this site, but doesn't seem to
have gone through.
 
Thanks
John
 
In 2005 two friends from Yorkshire (York and Bradford) thought a website
might help people to get to know the neighbours a bit better.  The idea
developed and eventually they put hand to keyboard in their spare time
and in January 2007 www.whosyourneighbour.co.uk
<http://www.whosyourneighbour.co.uk/>  was born.
 
Similar to the social networks Facebook and Bebo, Who's your neighbour
differs because it is trying to build up local networks where people
live, not across a whole country.  All a user has to do is submit a
username for the household, an email address and a postcode.  This gives
each household their own profile whereby they can write a small
introduction about themselves or equally nothing at all.
 
The site has many different sections to offer the user.  In the
discussion section you can chat about health issues, schools, or
organise yourselves into school run groups.  There are sections for the
silver surfer (oap's), mums and dads, and kids and teens so they can get
together to organise local football games or parties, for example.
 
There is also a section called "share the knowledge" which is hoped will
become a place for people to go and ask everyday questions about local
life and equally help out on these posed questions.  For example,
someone may want to find out the cheapest place to buy flag stones or
what the local aqua aerobic sessions are like.  We all have little
questions we would like answering from time to time and this is the
place to pose them.
 
There is a lost & found forum to allow photos to be posted up on our
lost pets (or found), a car share section, car boot section to sell or
give away your items and an odd jobs section for teens to register their
availability to do lawn mowing, car washing etc.
 
The site is all based around sharing local knowledge and we thought it
would be helpful to tap into what residents think about their local
trades people.  So "find a tradesman" is where users can list the trades
people they could recommend and because the site has its own internal
email, members can ask other members exactly why they recommended Mr X
builder.
 
The site also allows members to host their own groups on the system free
of charge in "micro groups".  Say you run your own walking group, well
it can be placed on the system and you will have access to your own
private chat board to arrange meetings and days out etc.  Another
advantage for the group will be free advertising that you exist and so
will attract more members.
 
As well as households, the site allows schools, community groups, sports
clubs, and neighbourhood watch schemes to join and develop a profile.
This will give them an outlet to all the residents in their area about
contact details, meeting times or links to websites.  It will also allow
them to us the "notices & events" board to inform of up and coming
events.
 
It is hoped the website catches the imagination, but we know it will
take a few years to actually get going properly.  So please to not be
deterred if there is not much going on in your area and join.  All data
is protected under data protection and you have full control over your
own profile, to be deleted or hidden as you wish.
 
 
 
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