I have tallied the results for Community Radar's first 8 months (April - December 2008) ... over 1.2 million hits, over 21 thousand visits, and over 57 thousand page views. Hundreds of our neighbors are better informed than they were in 2007 and because of the Community Radar process, we accomplished this with little extra effort.

Below is a list of the top 30 items published in the community's first eight months. Be sure to look over these items and notice the diversity of sources and the relative high quality of the content. From die-hard bloggers like David at inDecatur, Nick at Decatur Metro, and Bruce at Brookhaven Fields Civic Association, to active civic portal sites run by the folks at CHCA, to individual posters like Ian Marshall and Jen Bowman, to advocacy groups like Stand-Up DeKalb, Community Radar members and sources are amplifying the civic awareness of their neighbors more than ever.

I have tallied the results for Community Radar's first 8 months (April - December 2008) ... over 1.2 million hits, over 21 thousand visits, and over 57 thousand page views. Hundreds of our neighbors are better informed than they were in 2007 and because of the Community Radar process, we accomplished this with little extra effort.

Below is a list of the top 30 items published in the community's first eight months. Be sure to look over these items and notice the diversity of sources and the relative high quality of the content. From die-hard bloggers like David at inDecatur, Nick at Decatur Metro, and Bruce at Brookhaven Fields Civic Association, to active civic portal sites run by the folks at CHCA, to individual posters like Ian Marshall and Jen Bowman, to advocacy groups like Stand-Up DeKalb, Community Radar members and sources are amplifying the civic awareness of their neighbors more than ever.

The most exciting part of the results for 2008 was the upward trend throughout the year. This acceleration seems to be carrying over into 2009 due to word-of-mouth. With Community Radar service now available to all of your friends and neighbors through Facebook (http://apps.facebook.com/communityradar), it is easier than ever to stay informed of civic matters. The more you share this service with  your neighbors, the more we all benefit.

2009 and Beyond - It's Up to You

A key to the growing value of Community Radar as a civic service is the community-based publishing. Items only reach the home page of our site (and thereby synidcation)  if they are deemed relevant by members and receive enough votes from readers. This natural editorial process limits the "noise" that our members have to put up with to stay informed and also ensures the most critical information is always at members' fingertips.

To encourage even greater participation in the community publishing process in 2009, we have initiated an award program for our members. Simply stated, the top contributors of content in the community will receive cash awards each quarter and at year-end. The community will determine who the top contributors are by reading and voting for posted articles. Members will also determine the award amounts (see full details here).