Guest post by Paul Reynolds organizor of the social media and our community Junction meeting this Wednesday.
The Junction is a fantastic Toronto neighbourhood. There’s a growing and diversifying main strip on Dundas St W, great historic buildings, a rich history of being the wild west of Toronto, and the area is populated by creative, passionate and socially engaged residents. I love the Junction and have been glad to call it my home since moving here a year ago.
Another thing that is great about the Junction is how active the area is online. Countless local bloggers contribute through their own sites or here on this very community portal, and community groups and movements are organizing through their own dedicated sites or established social networks. The online voice of our community is as rich and engaged as our community is outside the reaches of the interweb.
Over the last year, much of that discussion has shifted to the micro-blogging portal Twitter <http://twitter.com> — through the winter was when the explosion of interest for this tool really began to occur. Twitter represents a microcosm of the complexity of our lives and communities, and over the last several months the strength of our neighbourhood began to shine through in ways unparallelled by other Toronto communities.
The Junction is definitely ahead of the curve when it comes to online organizing. Many residents, businesses and community groups are already starting to understand the possibilities in this sphere and to make use of the tools available. That makes this moment the right time to talk about our efforts, to get the pulse of our neighbourhood and share our stories, our successes and to support each other through the challenges.
This Wednesday evening from 7-8pm (come early for networking) at Crema Coffee Co. <http://cremacoffee.ca>, 3040 Dundas St W at Quebec Ave, Totally Spun will be hosting a workshop and discussion on the web, social media and our community. The main intention is to introduce ourselves and set some momentum and direction to future meetings. There will also be a short workshop on Twitter, something for you to take away from the evening and apply to your personal, business or community projects immediately. Please come with your ideas, questions and curiosity.
Paul Reynolds
Creative Director, Totally Spun <http://totallyspun.com>
