Activating Communities

[ysabetwordsmith]

tarlanx challenged people to participate in Dreamwidth communities, and especially to reactivate dormant ones.

EDIT 1/30/22 -- Several other people have posted community-related challenges, so hopefully this will build momentum.


I run allbingo and crowdfunding so that covers the basics. allbingo runs a new fest each month; next up will be my Valentines Bingo in February. crowdfunding hosts a Creative Jam mid-month; next up will be February 19-20 on "Hopefulness" organized by nsfwords.

However, I've also been thinking about reviving some inactive communities for a while now. I listed some promising ones in my earlier post about improving community in fandom, so that's the list I'll work with. You-all can help by making your own posts in these communities.


I have posted in:

add_a_writer with a description of my blog and writing.
EDIT 1/30/22 -- there are new post by siberian_skys and tarlanx now.

aroworlds with an invitation to come explore allbingo as an aromantic-friendly community. This post is in the moderation queue.

art with resources for limited palettes in various media.

dark_agenda with a recommendation for The Steamsmith.

eid_ka_chand with a recommendation for the Aquariana thread of Polychrome Heroics.

fanfics with a recommendation of Love Is For Children.
EDIT 1/31/22 -- there is a new post by tarlanx now.

lgbtqiapluswriters with an invitation to come explore allbingo as an queer-friendly community.

rainbow_lounge with a description of my blog and writing that details my QUILTBAG stuff.

theslashpile with a recommendation for Walking the Beat. This post is in the moderation queue.

where_no_woman with a recommendation for "Black and White."

EDIT 1/30/22 -- I posted on gardening where I was already a member, after seeing a challenge by sixbeforelunch that mentioned it.


I also sent messages to several people who had made the most recent posts on three_weeks_for_dw in hopes of reviving that community.

EDIT 1/30/22 -- This has started a lively discussion among several people about how to revive this community. We've identified that there is currently one Administrator, who does not seem active. One option would be to petition Dreamwidth to add a new Administrator. Another would be simply running the community without one, as regular members, since anyone can post there. If you're interested in this project, let me know.


EDIT 2/1/22 -- I got in touch with jjhunter about reactivating followfriday and that's totally doable.  We just need to wait for the next Friday; posting to the community is open and the tag-based feed is automatic.  I've made a post in my blog about how that community works.

EDIT 2/3/22 -- There was a bug affecting who could post in followfriday that has now been fixed.  This may occur in other older communities too.


Have you done anything to revive a dormant community?

Comments

Re: Thoughts

[siberian_skys]

I'm 2 out of 3 now with that endings community. I'm sure I can find something else.

Re: Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

Yay!

I posted in gardening. I had forgotten all about it until I saw someone else mention it.

I'm thinking that I might start looking through my list of subscribed communities and trying to post more in them. Mostly my community activity has been focused on the two that I moderate.

Re: Thoughts

[siberian_skys]

I think I saw the gardening the same place as I saw the ending I do not have a green thumb.

Re: Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

In my gardening challenge, I said that people without a place to grow things could play by sending a donation to a conservation charity.

Re: Thoughts

[siberian_skys]

That's a really good idea.

Re: Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

Thanks.

When I make challenges like this, I try to imagine different opportunities and barriers that people might have. Then I suggest variations. One could plant a wildlife garden, put a container garden and a birdbath on a balcony, use a community garden, or support a wildlife refuge. They all help in different ways. Heck, you could hand a few bucks to a broke gardener friend and let them do the work! "Here, buy a bee plant on me."

Actually, there's an idea -- you don't need a green thumb to put out inert resources. All you need is a small amount of outdoor space. A birdbath, a basking stone, a salt lick, a rotten log, a brush or leaf pile, a rock pile, a hibernaculum, a birdhouse, a birdfeeder, a dust bath, a butterfly puddling area, etc. Of those, water is the most valuable in most areas, but do what's convenient for you. Yeah, I need to copy that to the challenge.

Re: Thoughts

[siberian_skys]

My neighborhood frustrates me to know end and the plant committee or whatever its called don't have a lick of sense and they refuse to listen. We're required to keep a certain type of grass in our yards which isn't appropriate for Florida It wastes water, it's hard to keep alive in this climate. It is the stupidest thing. They plant flowers that aren't appropriate for Florida either. I have a neighbor that used to be on the committee that tried to explain this to her fellow committee members, but they just liked how it looked and refused to listen. The HOA also wants that same grass that is a waste of water. I keep wondering what it is that I could do to put a stop to this. If they wouldn't listen to a person who grew-up on her family's nursery, they sure aren't going to listen to me. I keep thinking that the best thing I can do is make sure where I move isn't the same

Re: Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

>>I keep wondering what it is that I could do to put a stop to this. If they wouldn't listen to a person who grew-up on her family's nursery, they sure aren't going to listen to me. I keep thinking that the best thing I can do is make sure where I move isn't the same<<

Yes, you can work on this.

Strong Towns is all about neighborhoods and community improvement.

HOA's are a blight on freedom and a leading blockade to climate change solutions. They ban gardening, native species, natural lawns, wildlife habitat, birdfeeders, clotheslines, compost piles, xeriscaping, etc. They also murder some people every year with requirements to shovel snow that lack accommodations for disabilities or doctor admonitions that certain people should not do it. So people die of heart attacks because they can't afford fines.

Check for state resources, conservation organizations, etc. regarding things like water use and suitable species. I know Florida has water issues because draining the wetlands leads to saltwater creeping inland. It also has invasive species problems so check if the required grass is on a "don't use" list. Collect references.

Contact organizations to complain about the HOA making people do wrong things when some homeowners know better. Attach together the organization's guidelines, the HOA guidelines, highlight the conflicts, and explain you'd like to follow their wise advice but these people won't let you. Hopefully someone will decide to pick on the HOA for being an obstacle. If your town has water conservation or species guidelines, start there, because they are quite likely to stomp to anyone who is coercing other people to waste water or plant wrong species.

Network with your neighbors who oppose the foolish requirements. Hand out flyers about water conservation, native species, and xeriscaping. Encourage people to run for the HOA. One person can't change it, but several probably can.

https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornamentals/native-plants.html

https://floridadep.gov/water-policy/water-policy/content/water-conservation

https://www.earthwiseyards.com/services-wall/xeriscaping

https://www.pgtwindows.com/blog/xeriscaping-guide-florida/

If your HOA has neighborhood meetings, nag them. Quickly list the water-wasting requirements, how those conflict with water conservation, how water shortages harm your neighborhood (e.g. salinification, high water bills) and then demand that they justify wasting all that water. Get your other supportive neighbors to take turns nagging them in every neighborhood event until they fucking cringe when they see you coming.

You might also collect and share pictures of gorgeous native-landscaped lawns. Florida has some of the nation's greatest diversity of awesome plants. You can make a jungle if you want to. And they're sticking you guys with ... sad grass. Make people jealous of nicer landscapes and they will pick on the HOA.

Look at real estate sites that service your area. Some of these have a rating system. Some of those rating systems have a way to comment if you live in the area. So if you say the HOA forces people to waste water and plant wrong things, this can ding their ratings, which reduces buyer interest. Similarly you can talk to real estate agents and complain about the HOA, hoping they will direct buyers elsewhere -- or also pick on the HOA.

Nip and pester, harry and herd. Make them spend time and energy dealing with you and your allies. Eventually it will just not be worth the bother to maintain those rules.