Negative comment has come in to Bay Life about the change from Streetlife, a community neighbourhood platform that began in Pevensey Bay in late 2015, to another platform that is named Nextdoor—Bay Life, 16 February 2016
The local platform, Streetlife, which appeared all over the country, began well in Pevensey Bay. Leaflets were dropped all over the community part of a roll out, this was an approach targeted in a number of communities
Part Facebook, part community noticeboard and part an opportunity for people to sound off about their neighbours with concerns about men in white vans stealing dogs (a story that did the rounds right across the country with the same number plate appearing simultaneously in multiple locations on the same day), the platform failed to take off to any real degree. After initial excitement, interest ebbed.
Nonetheless, there was some kind of loyal following in Pevensey Bay and the platform was utilised for example to promote local clubs.
Streetlife was developed by IT expert Matt Boyes, after his sister’s new London home had been burgled in 2008 and she had found it awkward to get in contact with her neighbours, the platform grew over a number of years.
The story of Streelife is an interesting one and the root of the thinking behind the platform demonstrates that the profile had some kind of potential social value.
Sadly the platform was sold to a company that has a somewhat checkered past, although you will not find this fact profiled in the ‘union’ that is being promoted in the change.
Streetlife claimed in 2015 to have 1 million members (doubling in size over the first six months of the year) and covering 4,000 communities in the UK.
This month Streetlife was taken over by US firm Nextdoor. The company has a different privacy policy, which has provoked fierce anger amongst former loyal Streetlife users.
This anger became palpable in Pevensey Bay within days of the company takeover.
One regular user found that she had lost vital phone numbers stored inside Streelife. This led to further questions put out about the change which provoked further negative comment.
Yesterday (15 February), this reached some kind of small crescendo, with one regular local user pouring scorn on the change, ending a diatribe with the comment “i am off out of here”.
Nextdoor was launched in the United States in October 2011 and ‘allows users to connect with people who live in their own and nearby neighborhoods”.
What is not to like? The company, was funded by venture capital. Author Pendarvis Harashaw accused Nextdoor’s members of engaging in racial profiling: “While Nextdoor’s ability to assist in crime-spotting has been celebrated as its ‘killer feature’ by tech pundits, the app is also facilitating some of the same racial profiling we see playing out in cities across the country”.
The comments based on what is happening in the United States with the Nextdoor platform appear to have resonated somewhat with the local audience in Pevensey Bay, perhaps appearing in some instinctive way with a consensus view that something about the platform ‘is not quite right’.
Rather than bridging gaps between neighbours, Nextdoor in the United States is recorded in Wiki with words that send something of a chill to any browser “Next Door can become a forum for paranoid racialism—the equivalent of the nosy Neighborhood Watch appointee in a gated community.”
Sam Levin of the East Bay Express did a detailed story on the harm caused by racial profiling and problems with moderators on Nextdoor in Oakland, California.
Nextdoor argues that it has guidelines against postings that are discriminatory or engage in profiling, saying, “it’s inappropriate to report suspicious activity in a way that focuses primarily on the appearance of those involved rather than their actions.”
Would it be unfair to point out that there are already negative daily comments coming in to Bay Life about the Next Door platform that has taken over Streetlife?
“I am off out of here”. is the comment we received yesterday, which sent out something of an alarm bell.
Bay Life would be interested in hearing from any local people who feel that the change from Streetlife to Nextdoor has been a positive user experience.
The company has posted a message “We’re delighted you’re here! Learn more about the differences between Nextdoor and Streetlife in this FAQ, to give potential members the opportunity to judge for themselves the difference between the two platforms.
