BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – During an era when other social media companies are accused of imperiling democracy, Front Porch Forum stands out as a rare social network capable of strengthening communities and real-life relationships. Nationally, the site has gained a reputation among academics studying digital spaces as a rare example of the internet gone right.
The online community bulletin board is now available in every Vermont town. In the 24 years since its founding in Burlington, FPF has become a Green Mountain institution, its email bulletins — unique to each town or neighborhood — opened each day by thousands of householders eager to learn what their fellow residents have to say.
Darren Perron spoke with Seven Days’ Colin Flanders, who wrote in this week’s issue about the company and its plans for the future.