Exciting Shift

Something wonderful happened today on The Garden City: the people took over.

A challenge that I've always felt with blogging is how to get the community engaged. I can write interesting and provocative things on this blog until my fingers bleed, but at the end of the day it's still MY blog, it doesn't belong to anyone else. I am the ultimate arbiter of the direction, the topics and what appears on the main page. Despite the discussion that does go on, this remains a "one-to-many" experience.

But over on the Garden City, things are a little different. I never wanted it to be "Chuck's Blog" or "Kristine's blog" and I find myself cringing when people refer to it as such in conversations. It's about the people and the power they have to share information with their neighbors.

Today three different people created posts, one announcing a meeting and two others asking questions about the city. The best part? The community responded, providing insight and information!

Yes, I know that if you give people the power they'll use it, it's just so satisfying to plant a seed and then see it grow.