The Glasgow Southside community website
Posted by: Richard in Glasgow, Internet, Media, Politics, Scotland, UKI came across the G41 Community website a while back, but not until this weekend did I take a proper look, set myself up as a user and even post my own event detail (a plug for the half-marathon next month).
Update 29/Aug/07- As this article comes up the search engine results about the G41 service I should say that too have noticed that the website is not currently working. More details below, but it’s hopefully just an oversight by the site admin, who I have contacted, and am hoping to hear back from soon.
It’s a great innovation, and there’s more about the efforts and plans here: It’s run by the not-for-profit Southside Media who are the first Community Interest Company in Scotland, and are hoping to be able to expand the model out in due course. Here’s their plug:
Southside Media was set up with the aim of creating strong, sustainable, independent, local media. Southside Media believes in strong communities and we think that the people who live and work in a place are most likely to know what’s best for their community. But we know that for them to get active, get organised and make changes for the better, they need to get good local news and information
The concept is superb, and the website great: It’s crammed full of local events for the area I live in: Dumbreck, Pollokshields, Strathbungo, Crossmyloof, Shawlands and Langside. More detail, events and services are being added all the time as people (like me) discover it and start to make use of it. As my website sometimes has a habit of showing up in Glasgow search engine queries, I figure the link-love/plug is the very least I can do to help them along.
I’ve felt for a while that there’s a need for such ‘local’ internet presences to help people living in communities to find out about what’s on, what’s important and who else shares their concerns. I suppose I’d expected it to come out of Government, but Government based sites seem painfully static (more broadcast than anything else), and cumbersome. A community driven site like this really might encourage local people to get a bit more involved, as well as – perhaps – some of the local politicians to actually speak up a bit more about what they’re doing on our behalf.
On a related note, I also came across fixmystreet.com via G41, from the inventive folk at mysociety, who are behind the excellent theyworkforyou.com site for understanding what our representatives actually do once they’ve taken our votes.
Perhaps it’s worth seeing if there are any local websites in your area similar to this? I’ve also just come across the Southsidehappenings blog! Amazing what you come across when you start looking!
Links
Update
- 29/Aug/07 – As this article comes up the search engine results about the G41 service I should say that too have noticed that the website is not currently working. This is because the DNS details have expired and not been renewed. I’ve e-mailed the owner of the domain, and hope it’s simply an oversight. I’ve offered to help (given I do this sort of thing for a living), and will update this page as I find out any more.
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