Community Facebook Pages Get 'Thumbs Up'

Judging by how many followers have ‘liked’ local Facebook community groups, these services have proved overwhelmingly successful. In fact, in Glenferrie Hawthorn, digital micro communities are thriving with locals connecting, sharing and informing by the hundreds every day from their keyboards.

On the web, communities form around innumerable common interests where people from every corner of the globe, or locally, can find like-minded pals who share their interest, no matter how specific. Notoriously, these forums can often prompt ‘enthusiastic participation’ that does require an administrator to moderate and keep things friendly. The Glenferrie Times peeked into the busy world of administrating for two local community Facebook pages, and asked "just who are these moderating overlords who keep these pages running and what is involved?”

Jennie and Catherine from Boroondara Hard Rubbish Rehome Facebook Page

Facebook Page: Boroondara Hard Rubbish Rehome

Jennie and Catherine spent many happy years rummaging through hard rubbish piles, before launching their passion onto cyberspace, only to discover a huge number of locals shared their interest. The two friends co-founded their hard rubbish rehoming focused page two years ago, driven by a strong sense of ethics around how reusable waste is managed. Presently, Boroondara households are entitled to book two annual hard rubbish collections through council. Hard rubbish can generally be defined as large items that do not fit in regular waste bins such as furniture, BBQs, household electronics (e-waste), cookware, large toys and bikes.

While booking rubbish collection is a responsible disposal method, many items are non-recyclable and go into landfill. Alongside awareness of the importance of reducing waste, a growing number of people in the community view hard rubbish as a valuable resource. In their joint roles, Jennie and Catherine have been privy to this trend. With over 11,000 members and over 100 posts per day, the dedicated pair are kept busy committing “more than full-time hours” to their Facebook page.

Taking inspiration from the Darebin Hard Rubbish Page, Jennie and Catherine saw its value and decided to create one for Boroondara. Describing what they do as ‘rehoming’, Jennie explained, “the page is about rehoming unwanted items, but it is not just about free stuff, it is about creating a more sustainable environment and a safe group with a strong community feeling.” The basic rules of the page include ‘no selling’ and ‘no hoarding’. To keep it fair, Jennie explains that when an item is listed for collection, first in ain’t always best dressed. Some users are not always online to instantly express their interest in items, therefore users are asked to award the items randomly to those interested.

“Some people who use the service assist others who are doing it tough by collecting items on their behalf, or notifying us that they know someone who would best benefit from an item.” Similarly, with broken items or e-waste, some locals have been known to use the page to find a repairs expert willing to donate their skills. Another unexpected benefit, Catherine said, is assisting international students who often have limited budgets and short-term leases.

The reward for the women’s hard work has been manifold, including Boroondara Council approval, star status within the rehoming community, media interest and inspiring other, similar movements. Most of all Jennie and Catherine take pride in seeing how their page has brought people together. “We love receiving messages about how happy people are with their new treasures and that the site has such a great community feeling and has even created many new friendships.”

John from Auburn and Hawthorn Community Facebook Page

Facebook Page: Auburn and Hawthorn Community

Billed as a “space to share information about the Auburn and Hawthorn community”, locals regularly use the page to notify each other of lost pets, rooms to rent, job offers, lost and found items, upcoming events, recommendations for activities and so much more. The page also welcomes ‘not for profit' or community groups to promote their work and offers local businesses a once-per-month deal to share something they are doing which locals may be interested in. A ‘one stop shop’ for community engagement.

The page was launched in 2017 and has over 14,000 followers. Over time, and considering the enormity of the role, administrators pass the baton from time-to-time. The current Auburn and Hawthorn Community Facebook page administrator, John, learned of the community page via administrating web forums for music festivals and events. He has administered the page for 15 months now, bringing his business experience of building connected communities online and off.

He says of the role, “I love doing it as I can give back a little to the community of Hawthorn, plus I really want to see small businesses grow as well as learn about the local area.” In his experience, John has seen the value of this service increase over time. “People use it to source validated information on local traders or restaurants etc. plus it's an outlet for people to learn about the area. What’s most rewarding though is when the community assist in finding a missing item or pet.”

The challenges of the job include verifying businesses, John explained, “we have a lot of bots/scammers trying to sell stuff on the page so I need to verify what is legitimate and that there is no criminal activity associated with posts. We probably deny 3-15 spam posts per day. We are pretty easy going otherwise. If you are a local business, we encourage you to interact with your locals.”