"Localocracy is coming to South Hadley"

Friday, June 11, 2010
 
Localocracy is coming to South Hadley. The online website, which provides a public forum for residents to discuss issues facing their hometown, was recently endorsed by the Selectboard and is in the process of trying to gather enough participants to launch a test site before opening operations to the entire community.

The website, founded by Conor White-Sullivan and Aaron Soules, both students at the University of Massachusetts, was launched earlier this year in Amherst after the pair received a $10,000 Innovation Challenge grant from the university. The group's expansion into South Hadley comes after the duo received a second Innovation Challenge grant - this time totaling $12,500.

"Localocracy is a site where registered voters can vote on real issues and rank the best reasons for supporting their side," White-Sullivan said. "It is a platform for the entire community where everyone can see both sides of the issue."

The organization decided to establish a South Hadley site at the request of the town, which was looking for a way to promote respectful dialogue following the suicide of South Hadley High School freshman Phoebe Prince in January, White-Sullivan said.

"I was attracted to the feature that requires each person to identify themselves by name," Selectboard Vice Chairman Bob Judge said. He argued that websites and blogs where readers can post anonymous comments have poisoned debate in South Hadley.

"Anybody who is going to put their name out there, I would hope, will think about what they say: Do I want to call someone stupid or lay blame, for instance."

Localocracy is looking for 50 members of the community to participate in a test site that will help determine how the South Hadley site will be run, White-Sullivan said. Once that process is complete, a public site will be established for the entire community.

On the organization's Amherst site, a particular subject of debate is posted. Users then write their comments about that issue, and other users rank those comments according to how much they agree with them. The most popular comments appear at the top of the page.

"This is just another vehicle of communication, and the more vehicles the better," said Judge.
Individuals interested in participating in the project can contact contact@localocracy.org or selectboard@southhadley.org. The organization is online at www.localocracy.org.

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