The past 7 days have been frantic and full of fun and excitement for this site, its staff and of course its users. The first proper week of gaining users and forming a somewhat impressive user base. For such a new community forum it is really picking up at an almost alarming rate.
Of course, no new forum of such magnitude can go unnoticed, so as expected there were a couple of hiccups along the way, least of which was the local poster campaign which appeared to irritate some local residents. Naturally corrective action was taken, and we move on from it having learned a lesson and grown from the experience.
Hopefully, from the perspective of the site and its staff, things have blown over now, and we can continue to grown, and offer what the community demands and deserves of a forum which wishes to be an online hub for the local community. Given the growth of conversation, exchanges of interest, help offered and connections made, I would have to say it’s off to a good start.
So, the past week has seen some tweaks on categories, following the flow of the forum, and how topics have developed, Streetscape has been added and tweaked to allow for anything regarding local infrastructure, building, street furniture, reports of dumping and anything else the community can get behind to be resolved, all under one roof.
The decision to allow and even encourage chit-chat has proven to be a worthy one. Realising that as a new community comes together, there are other more important things to talk about other than local issues. Strictly, Great British Bake Off, talent shows, Top Gear, F1 and so much more.
Some of the threads that have been started have really taken off, and encouraged a lot of engagement from all areas of the members.
Favourite mobile apps really got people talking, and I must say, I added a few new apps thanks to that thread. The energy behind the next community meet up is also right up there, so it would be great to see more users turn up, verified or not, all are welcome.
Unsurprisingly food and drink ranked quite high in importance too, with some great recommendations for places to try out. Of course this means I will have to get out and about more and see what all the fuss is about, but if the pictures are anything to go by, it will be worth every second and penny.
Coffee also featured quite highly. For someone who is happy with a cup of instant, I an yet to understand the fuss, but have to say it is great to see that our very own postcode has some great choices when it comes to ground beans and hot water.
It was really nice to see people just talking about their plans for the weekend as the bank holiday arrived, from taking time out, to travelling far and wide, it makes you realise what a diverse bunch we really are, and refreshing to see that there are so many options.
It was also the week that we officially launched the se23.life Instagram account. We would really love to share some of your favourite images of the area, both old and new. As well as other fun pictures, taken by our very own community members. Feel free to follow https://www.instagram.com/se23.life/ on Instagram. If you want a picture shared, please use #se23life and we will take a look.
For myself, it was lovely to see dog owners engaging with each other, even leading to my two dogs getting to make new friends. Seems the community very firmly includes dogs. Hope to see more and more join in that conversation.
Another launch was the SE23.life Strava group for cycling. Which strangely enough all started out with a simple thread asking about bikes, turning into our very own Chris Beach and his better half Liz showing interest in a new bike, and subsequently them purchasing a new bike EACH ! Congrats on the purchases guys. Naturally this led to the Strava group being set up. If you wish to join it, feel free to at http://www.strava.com/clubs/se23life
There have been many more fantastic threads over the last week, so please take the time to have a dig through and see what you might have missed. Please also feel free to share links to any of the threads on your Facebook or Twitter accounts. Remember also to give us a follow too
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/se23life/
Twitter https://twitter.com/SE23Life
Well, that’s about it for my first attempt at a weekly summary for SE23.life .
Here’s to more growth, loads more conversation, and the next evolution of the site, directed by YOU the community members.
Remember to watch out for the time and date for the next meet up, and hope to see you there.
Thank you all for being part of the beginning for an exciting new adventure for our postcode, and beyond.
Thanks