New Public: “Last June, our Co-Director Eli Pariser laid out a bold new direction for New_ Public in this newsletter: “You may not think of this as social media, but most towns in America have some sort of general-purpose, locals-only digital forum: a Facebook group, a Google group, a Nextdoor neighborhood. These groups mostly run below the radar — they seem quotidian, maybe even boring. But according to Pew, “about half of US adults say they get their local news from online groups or forums,” more even than from newspapers. If they were strengthened into resilient, flourishing spaces, they could be crucial to reinforcing American democracy. That’s why we’re going to make them a major focus of our work at New_ Public.”
Since then, we’ve deeply explored local digital spaces, including Front Porch Forum’s inspiring example of what’s possible, and grim reminders of how the status quo is not sufficient with platforms like Nextdoor….
The main thing to know, maybe the most important thing, is that this is not just another social media app. Roundabout is a community space, built from the ground up with community leaders and neighbors.
We’re so excited to share more about Roundabout in the coming months, and we’re determined to grow and learn in public, along with you. Here’s a preview:
- Roundabout is for building real relationships with people who actually live, work, and play in your community through trusted information sharing, genuine conversations, and mutual support, not posts competing for likes and virality.
- Users can quickly find what they’re looking for via content that’s organized into topic-based channels, with a separate calendar to find events and a Guides section to find more evergreen resources.
- Local stewards are supported and empowered. Each community will have its own vibes and culture.
The big platforms, some several decades old now, were built for profit — every decision, every design, optimized for uncontrolled growth and extraction. We’re doing something different.
As a project incubated within New_ Public, a nonprofit, Roundabout will grow incrementally, sustained by a diverse and balanced set of revenue sources. With business incentives aligned towards utility and everyday value, instead of engagement and relentless scale, we’re designing Roundabout to be shielded from the cycle of enshittification. The ultimate goal is to build for social trust — every decision, every design, optimized to build bonds and increase belonging…(More)”.
