Many argue that the speed in which we live life and our focus on technology has led us to become less familiar with our communities, our political representatives and our neighbors. Thankfully, these criticisms of technology have not gone unheard. Web developers, now more than ever, are focusing their efforts at utilizing technology to improve communication.
SeeClickFix
SeeClickFix is a free service that “encourages active citizenship, by offering a variety of platforms to report your [non-emergency] concerns.” Citizens can report issues in a variety of platforms, including the website, mobile applications and voice mail.
After a report is filed, an email is automatically generated and sent to 10 city officials/deparments, including the City of Topeka Call Center, Topeka Public Works and the Topeka Governing Body. SeeClickFix has proven effective in getting storm drains and potholes repaired in our area.
Home Elephant
Home Elephant is a “social media platform that allows for collaborative neighborhood organization through Facebook, a web browser, and /or your smart phone.” According to the Home Elephant website, the application was developed as a tool to help improve neighborhood watch. The service is free and relatively new to our area.
Once signed up, a neighbor can add various “alerts” including Crime, Neighborhood Watch, Lost & Found, and General Notices that populate onto a interactive Google Map of your area. The application also allows for the managing of a neighborhood events calendar and “Neighborhood Chat” including news, garage sale and a general forums.
The Randolph Neighborhood is logged under “Randolph” within the application.
Twitter is a micro-blogging platform (uses 140 characters – to include spaces – per post). Initially the flow of tweets (Twitter posts) are overwhelming. However, the application allows users to filter out the information they want the most. The visible tweets range from everything every one of your followers (Twitter friends) posts to tweets about your community/neighborhood and can get as selective as tweets about your cousin Sol’s Bar Mitzvah.
Although Twitter was not primarily developed to aid in neighborhood awareness, it has in Topeka, become vital to “being in the know.” City Officials, City Departments, local radio/television/print news organizations and a large population of Topekans (young and not so young) utilize the service to communicate concerns, ideas and to spread awareness about local events.
Twitter is a little like the Wild West. There aren’t a lot of rules. Everyone uses Twitter differently and that’s perfectly OK. However, the service can really improve communication from one-on-one to the city-wide level, if you “do it right.” For more information about Twitter you should visit the website and sign-up (there’s no better way to learn than doing). For more information on how to “do Twitter right,” try this How-To article: Bare Bones Guide to Twitter.
We used to say if you’re bored in Topeka, YOU’re a boring person, but we were wrong. If you’re bored in Topeka, you aren’t on Twitter.
Last and certainly not least, is Facebook. Facebook is a free social networking service with over 600 million active users worldwide. This alone makes it a great communication tool as it’s likely our neighbors are already utilizing the service. Facebook lets you connect with your friends all over the world (or all over the neighborhood) and share information about yourself (birthdays, anniversaries, etc.), personal and local events, and photos.
Facebook developers have recently added functions and applications that allow for improving communication among selected groups of people. Not only can individuals have personal pages, but organizations (such as Neighborhood Associations) can have pages and dedicated discussion groups as well. These pages and groups can be utilized to share photos of neighborhood events, links to pertinent articles, hold online discussions, and upload and share documents (ex: a flyer for an upcoming neighborhood garage sale).
For more information on setting up a personal Facebook Account, watch this YouTube video: How to Set Up A Facebook Account (via keithd17)
These web/smartphone applications coupled with good-ole-fashioned face-to-face discussion will greatly enhance how we communicate with one another. Increased communication will not only lead to safer neighborhoods, but to improved personal relationships. We encourage all our neighbors, Randolph or not, to take some time to try these applications and start communicating. In the digital age, there is no reason or excuse to be a stranger.
