Community Eats organization will be connected to an online platform for public awareness and engagement. Primary objective is to raise visibility of non-monetary value flows within the regional food system - beginning with the Leader Labs / Community Eats program. This should include a means of:

 

mapping by location of contributor

planning by event (calendar)

viewing by activity (stream)

connecting via reputation

 

More advanced developments will be oriented towards visual gift flow interface, and peer feedback mechanisms.

 

 

Possible Description of Software Platform [Jacki]

 

A social network that encourages people to share physical property, goods, services, and event invitations with people in their community. Each individual creates personalized sharing circles that they allow people into based on relationships and reputation. The circles are individualized like Google+ circles, not membership based like Google+ communities. Individuals can choose which properties, goods, services, or events they share with each circle. When something new is posted it goes out to the people in that circle as a notification. Posts might have an expiration date, or they may stay in the system and people can search for items that they need and only see the ones that have been shared to a circle they belong to. Individuals or organization's profile pages include personal or organizational information; a list of interests, skills, and experiences; a metamap visualization of how much they have gifted/bartered and how much positive or negative feedback they have gotten from others in the network; and reviews that other people have written of their contributions, personal interactions, etc.

 

 

Use Case 1:

 

Briarberry Farm needs help building a website for their farm. They get on the Local Asset Engine and do a search for “web design” and see that three people have shared their web design skill with a circle that Briarberry Farm is in. Briarberry looks at the profiles of each person and sees that two of the web designers have shared a lot with the community, but one of them has gotten more positive feedback and has a really good review from having helped someone restore a crashed computer. Briarberry sends a message to this person through the Local Asset Engine, let's call her Jill, and Jill gets the message as an email in her regular inbox. Jill replies and sets up a date to help them with their website. Afterward, Briarberry sends Jill home with some delicious veggies. One week after sending the initial message through LAE, both Briarberry and Jill receive an email from LAE asking them to rate their experiences and write a review. Both of them write positive reviews.

 

 

 

Use Case 2:

 

Jack needs a chainsaw to cut up a fallen tree in his yard. He searches on LAE for chainsaw and finds six people who have chainsaws that they have shared with circles that Jack is in. Jack picks the first person on the list and sends a message asking if he can borrow the chainsaw. Mary receives the email and tells Jack he can come get the chainsaw on Monday morning. Jack borrows the chainsaw, but does not bring it back when promised. Mary has to email him back several times before Jack finally returns the chainsaw, with a broken chain. LAE has been sending one email per week asking both of them to rate and review their experiences. When Mary finally gets the chainsaw back she rates Jack lowly and writes a scathing review. Jack decides to not allow the review to be posted on his profile, but the negative rating lowers Jack's overall rating. Jack decides to be more responsible with his borrowing in the future.

 

 

 

Use Case 3:

 

Lovely Lacey's Dance Studio is having a private performance of their children's tap and jazz classes and want to invite people in the community who have been supportive of the studio. Lovely creates an event invitation in LAE and posts it to a circle called “volunteers” and another called “food and material donors”. These people receive the invitation in their emails and several come to the performance, and bring with them flowers to give to the dancers.