Emily Badger has produced a thoroughly researched article on "The 20 Characters You'll Meet on Every Neighborhood Email List." We think you might recognize a few of these folks.
According to Badger the neighborhood email list provides a form of civic participation that offers a way for, "people who have never previously been involved in their communities...to do so without having to leave home, or put on pants."
Examples of common characters, found in neighborhoods from suburban Atlanta to downtown Seattle, include:
The moderator: "This is the person who, if such email groups didn't exist, would be organizing your neighborhood speed bump petition."
The loose canon: "This person is liable at any moment to pepper the email chain with profanity, personal attacks, or links to NSFW YouTube videos wholly unrelated to anything going on in the neighborhood."
The longtime resident: "No matter how long you've lived in your neighborhood, this person has lived there longer, and will remind you of that fact every chance he or she gets."
The dog-poop vigilante: "Before email was invented, this person would just have to mutter to himself while walking down the street, "why can't people pick up after their dogs?!" But now he can broadcast this sentiment to all of his neighbors in a matter of seconds. And he does. IN ALL CAPS."
FULL STORY: The 20 Characters You'll Meet on Every Neighborhood Email List
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