[RP TownTalk] Gazette shines the light on community listservs and wikis

[Dwight Holmes]

Where the neighbors know virtually everything
Residents turn to the Web to strengthen communities

by Maya T. Prabhu | Staff Writer


http://www.gazette.net/stories/110807/hyatnew183937_32359.shtml

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Looking for a plumber? A nice, local restaurant? A babysitter? Want to
know where the camel crickets in the basement are coming from? Just go
online and ask your neighbors, and expect that several people will
have suggestions.

Hyattsville, Riverdale Park, Mount Rainier and Brentwood all have
Yahoo groups residents can join to ask questions and learn about their
neighborhoods. Hyattsville has had a wiki page since June 2006 and
Riverdale Park's wiki page became available to the public in
September. A wiki is a Web site where any user can edit the content.

''[The Mount Rainier list serve is] a good place for people to sound
off about different issues," said Charlene Howard, who co-moderates
the Mount Rainier list serve. ''New residents who don't know where to
go for different services can find out [on the list serve]."

Chris Condayan, who created the Hyattsville wiki page, said he started
the page as a way to spread information and get people to stay on
topic, something that isn't always seen through regular Yahoo group
list serves.

''A lot of times the [Hyattsville] list serve conversations are all
over the place," he said. ''For example, recently someone asked the
question about if you could open a store and then in the middle of
that people are asking about plumbers. ... So the wiki is a place to
have an uninterrupted conversation."

But even with the interruptions, Jim Groves, who moderates the
Hyattsville Organization for a Positive Environment list serve, said
the Yahoo group has been able to make changes in the community.

Groves said the H.O.P.E. list serve helped to get a gate constructed
along East West Highway between the Prince George's Plaza Metro
station and the Mall at Prince George's.

''Even though there was a pedestrian bridge there, people were
crossing in the [middle of the block] and eventually someone was going
to get hit," he said.

After an e-mail exchange on the H.O.P.E. list serve, Groves said U.S.
Sen. Paul Pinskey (D-Dist. 22) of University Park posted to the group
saying a barrier fence would be built to get people to cross at the
intersections or use the bridge.

''Because we did that, I personally think it saved a life," he said.

And because residents are interacting online, many of the list serve
moderators and wiki creators think Internet communities enhance
relationships between residents.

''We can all find an example of when it substitutes instead of adding
to [real-life relationships]," said Dwight Holmes, creator of the
Riverdale Park wiki page. ''But it expands your world within our small
town. It brings us together around a certain topic."

Howard said she thinks the list serve even enhances the face-to-face
relationships with people in the city.

''You know people's names through the list and you feel like you know
them based on their online personality," she said, adding that posts
to the list serve often invite neighbors to get-togethers. ''It gets
people to go places and that wouldn't necessarily happen as much
otherwise."

Meet yourneighbors online

Many area municipalities have online communities residents can join to
navigate their way around the area:

Hyattsville wiki: http:⁄⁄hyattsville.wetpaint.com

City of Hyattsville list serve: http:⁄⁄groups.yahoo.com⁄group⁄hyattsville

H.O.P.E. list serve: http:⁄⁄groups.yahoo.com⁄group⁄HOPE_in_Hyattsville

Riverdale Park wiki: http:⁄⁄rpwiki.wetpaint.com

Brentwood list serve: http:⁄⁄groups.yahoo.com⁄group⁄BrentwoodMD

Mount Rainier list serve: http:⁄⁄groups.yahoo.com⁄group⁄MountRainierMD

To join any of the Riverdale Park list serves, visit the town Web site
at http:⁄⁄www.ci.riverdale-park.md.us.

-- 
Riverdale Park Community Wiki
"Build it -- and stay awhile"
http://rpwiki.wetpaint.com/