Blog #3 – Technology for Community

At Savor South Madison I found a small, passionate community base but struggling economic participation. Sheri and Arvin, the SMPC organizers, were a fabulous unifying force for all of the individuals who came to the event, greeting each visitor who came by and directing the day’s events. Their outgoing nature was matched by other booth organizers, like the young woman at the Urban League booth or the woman from the South Madison library reading books to the visiting children. Both women were quick to show their passion for their respective organizations and demonstrate their dedication either through years of service or level of involvement.

The aspect of the event that was lacking, especially for our class, was the absence of local food vendors. Pizza Hut, Famous Dave’s and even JD’s were a sad commentary for South Madison. It lead to much speculation amongst the class about whether the vendors didn’t want to go through the effort, didn’t feel safe, weren’t invited, etc. Had more local vendors been there it would have been easier for us to promote the event day-of on social media and may have gotten people driving by to stop and spend some time at the event, even if just to grab a bite to eat.

I think one way that technology could help the residents of South Madison, especially with regards to food vendors, is to get the word out about these vendors by creating a bridge through our personal reviews via social media. We can use our social connections to lend credibility to these restaurants and, beyond that, use the link to campus (our course) to lend a sense of legitimacy to our advertisements. Now, an association with a course may in fact lead our social networks to believe that we are only endorsing these restaurants because we must. However I think that if we utilize video, where we show through our actions that we’ve gone to these restaurants, met the owners, and ate great food, that concern will dissipate. In addition, if we can partner with people like Sheri and Arvin, who share our passion and lend credibility to our mission, we will build a bridge for our audiences in South Madison and campus. As a part of this bridging, it would be great if we could encourage our followers to make their own videos, thus encouraging an online community that transcends the physical boundaries of the various Madison neighborhoods.

If we can in fact encourage more enthusiasm for these restaurants both on campus and in South Madison, this increased interest may encourage the restaurant owners to come local events like Celebrate South Madison, knowing their customers will stop by. The in-person participation will hopefully help to build stronger bonds between South Madison and campus, turning around the poor reputation of the area and give students a better understanding of the broader Madison community.