When Alpha McPherson learned that an insect exterminator wanted to store pesticides near his home on Georgia Avenue in Washington, he wanted to fight the move, but didn't know how. Within 24 hours, McPherson's online neighbors provided him with compelling information on the toxic chemicals in question, tips on how to lodge a protest with the city's bureaucracy and offers to help. McPherson and his neighbors mobilized so quickly and effectively that the District government, not known for its efficiency, denied the exterminator's application in no time flat. Granted, these mostly home-grown, informal initiatives are still in their infancy. It's anybody's guess as to whether they will grow into powerful social forces and spawn a more participatory democracy.
Some people still think that communication over the computer is too impersonal.
But my experience tells me that they are wrong. The Internet is more than just another organizing tool, more than a telephone or a photocopier. It's not just happening here. More than 130 U.S. communities have created some form of electronic village, according to the Association for Community Networking. Spreading the word primarily by the Internet and the force of his personality, Nahay and his cohorts gather to clean up neighborhoods, then meet afterward to socialize over a meal.