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Our Mission Statement To help small communities self-organize, save $$$ and CO2, and become stronger. |
| About |
Frequently Asked Questions |
Founding Philosophy |
Rurality |
Member Guide |
Commons Demo |
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The Commons Communities platform lets small rural microregions have a local online infrastructure -- “information plumbing” -- to help its members self-organize, to save time, money, and energy. An online Commons means a place to share community information: For Sale classifieds, local small Businesses and Services, Local Lendables, Carpools to nearby larger towns, and other things that make up a community. The creative potential of small connected communities to put the Web to productive use has been largely untapped. The Commons Communities Suite is trying to change that. Everyone in our community shops at the same grocery stores, visits the same distant doctors and dentists' offices, spends at the same far-away malls, drives half an hour to the same musical performances... and we all live near each other, in a shared home territory. We like living where we live. That nearness can be used to good advantage -- to save money, to save CO2, and to live an even better life -- with a little help from our local Commons. Members have a variety of useful site tools, all free to Members to use. The easiest way to save $$$ and CO2 is to use the Commons Carpool tool, which lets us self-organize shared trips to the larger nearby towns, with other members of our community. With a little planning and coordination, those travel costs can be cut in half or more. If some of us commute to those towns, the Commons Carpool can help us find others who also commute. Savings can be significant! The Commons Classifieds can help you find or offer local services, or borrow or rent a neighbor's machines, tools, or time. Want a music lesson, or to give away your piano? Post in the Classifieds! Planning a garage or yard sale? Post in the Classifieds! These listings are not only searchable, but are interactive: the Commons Communication tools let us send messages, questions, answers, and notifications directly to other Members ("Really? I can get your piano just by picking it up from you??"). Our locally-run businesses -- like local bakers, egg producers, CSAs, and other primary producers nearby -- can list their services and products. It's like the old local phone books' Yellow Pages, but now they're searchable by any local Commons member. Musical and theater performances, weekly gatherings, and upcoming Special Events of all kinds can be posted to the Commons Calendar of Events, by any Member of the Commons. And you control your own Commons identity, sharing as much or as little as you choose with the other Members of the Commons community. Every Commons has a local Administrator, who is the coordinator, and cheerleader, and "Site Admin," keeping things kind, and solving any data or site issues that arise. The possibilities for clever efficiencies within a community, once we can all easily connect and coordinate, are immense. At the start of 2024, we will be testing the full system in four very diverse small communities: two in the US (Ferdinand, Indiana, and Bluff, Utah), and at least two in Canada's Nova Scotia (Tatamagouche's TataCommons.com, and soon River John). If you are NOT from those places, please do NOT sign up in any of them (we aren't unfriendly, just local). Instead, try the Demo to see how this platform works, and then consider if you want to figure out how to initiate a Commons Communities site for your village. Starting one up requires some time and effort, and isn't for everyone, but if you're interested in exploring being an early Admin in your own small community (ideally of more than 300, and less than 3000), then enter your information into our Yes! I'm interested! list. We hope to be deciding next steps and next communities in March, 2024. Michael Jensen Founder, mwmwm llc, and mwmwm inc. Founder, commonscommunities.com Admin, TataCommons.com, RiverJohnCommons.com, and WallaceCommons.com | |||
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| Copyright 2023 mwmwm, llc and 2023 mwmwm, inc. |
