It’s been a while since EveryBlock was removed from the Internet. Shortly after its removal, I put together a Github repository on what it would take to take the open source code and get it to the shape it was on that crisp February day.
Now here’s some thoughts on what the product ended up being and what I think can still exist, for any enterprising developers with a community organizing/ civic engagement bent.
The People on the Site Should Retain Their Offline Characteristics
EveryBlock maintained a Neighborhood Honors system that rewarded users for posting to the site. This problem with systems that rely wholly on on-site activities (posting, thanking, commenting) ignores reality. We all know people who really matter in neighborhoods– the long-time landlord, the old lady who knows everything, the block club leader. Rather than creating an artificial, incomplete system (Active Neighbors), it seems the thing to do would be to mimic the real world online.
Real-world titles that people hold (Alderman, Mayor, Building Owner. Business Manager, Doorman, etc.) These titles convey real power and responsibilities.
It’s nice to have a post about land use for a particular building. But some people’s opinions matter more than others.
We tried this out on EveryBlock with the Aldermanic Candidate Badges. The idea was that if you took certain official steps (gathering signatures,
Facts Matter More Than Opinions
Lots of people have opinions about the road resurfacing project that is affecting their daily commute and how they think the project is going. Their opinions are less important than the general contractor and the reports they provide to the City.