Does social media have to be toxic and chaotic? Front Porch Forum, a homegrown, family-owned platform in Vermont, may be a powerful and informative exception.
Public-friendly digital spaces where people feel welcome, make connections, build understanding, and work together can seem elusive. This work builds on our Civic Signals, a collaboration between the Center for Media Engagement and New_ Public. We found that, with few exceptions, many popular platforms did not live up to the ideals of public-friendly digital space in the eyes of their users. In this report, we investigate how members of Vermont’s Front Porch Forum perceive the platform. Front Porch Forum is a network of town-specific, proactively moderated online forums that help neighbors connect with each other to buy and sell goods, offer and request help and recommendations, and discuss local issues.