Research Paper On World Affairs

The websites Change By Us Philadelphia (URL: http://philly.changeby.us/#start) and Speak Up Austin (URL: http://speakupaustin.org/ideas) are examples of community forums. A community forum is defined as a group of knowledgeable internet users that share and discuss issues relevant to a group. The discussion happens online. Community forums are normally open to the public and require a simple registration process for access. Of course, there are rules and regulations to be followed and the operators of the forum normally reserve the right to moderate the discussion (i.e. deleting inappropriate messages, forming new topics, etc.). These community forums in Philadelphia and Austin seem to be good examples of community-based interaction, with many successful stories coming out of the interaction of the citizens of each area. In Philadelphia, there is the “”Greening Our School” retro-fitted environmental school in the city. Already, there are many respondents waiting to participate in this program. In Austin, there is talk about a human-powered eco-gym, supposedly to make energy available for lighting use from the power generated during spinning classes, etc. These are all novel ideas that may work and the effort poured in by the community members seems to be limitless and infectious.
There are many similar community forums in the United States, with a lot of them being located in the top most populated cities in America. In New York, there is Wired New York (URL: http://wirednewyork.com/forum/forum.php?s=cf0a34997536a744048a7e52135cd89e) a community forum that provides guidance on going around New York and some social issues and participation programs. In Los Angeles, there is the Los Angeles Neighbourhood Initiative forum (URL: http://www.lani.org/forum.htm) which seeks to rebuild Los Angeles “one block at a time”. This site invites residents of Los Angeles to participate in revitalizing sites in the city that are not as progressive as others. In Texas there is the Whyle View forum (URL: http://www.wylieview.com/) that seeks to help build better community relationships between users. In Washington, there is the Community Forums Network (URL: http://www.communityforumsnetwork.org/) a site that discusses issues regarding the United States and Washington and helps seek consensus from members of the community.