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Remember when I used to be a community manager for an online web hosting company? The concept was great but the goal (making money) was not very reachable. All the ideas we had about bringing people to places online where they could share ideas and information and meet other people with the same interests — all valid. And the need for people to connect that way is great. Harder and harder to do in these days of commuting workers and families always on the run. People barely know their neighbors let alone go to meetings.

People like myself who pursue something other than the thing which puts bread on the table are a little outside the norm of many workplaces. You know the conversations: what did you do last night – mowed the lawn (or worked out), ate some dinner, had a beer, watched TV, went to bed.

OK, this isn’t about that, but rather about what may be the next generation of internet use. It could be said to harken back to the day of bulletin boards. Oh my. Brewed Fresh Daily that bastion of entrepreneurial wifi community development, posts an interesting report about

The question … whether it’s possible to build an online community oriented to a town or neighborhood — one where citizens share information and make connections that aren’t being fostered by metropolitan newspapers or local TV.

So – if we don’t always meet face to face, do enough people have internet access in your neighborhood to make information sharing on the web the way to go? OK, could I have couple volunteers please?