Monday, November 21, 2022
For Immediate Release
Contact: Kristian Connolly, FrontPorchFlimflam.com founder, FrontPorchFlimflam@gmail.com
New website FrontPorchFlimflam.com tells a local story
MONTPELIER, Vt. – A newly launched website, FrontPorchFlimflam.com, went live earlier this month in order to share the story of two Vermont residents, Kristian and Deborah Connolly, who were recently banished from lauded and praised Vermont social media network and online community Front Porch Forum.
Led by co-founder and CEO Michael Wood-Lewis, and self-described as "essential civic infrastructure in Vermont," the for-profit, donor-supported-and-funded corporation also known as FPF has unjustly prohibited both Vermonters from using their voices and staying informed in their community.
FrontPorchFlimflam.com tells the story in full, including the entire related history of communications and events concerning the two members of the Montpelier community and Front Porch Forum.
"I used FPF to discuss important, if also uncomfortable, issues in my community," said FrontPorchFlimflam.com founder Kristian Connolly. "FPF published those posts, and people were grateful – including those in our community who were hesitant to put themselves out there like I had.
"I also used FPF to challenge dominant narratives to try to make our community more aware, and help foster community conversation. And then FPF's own dominant narrative became one to challenge, and to make people aware of. I think the story of what has happened to me, and my wife by her association with me, should be shared. That is all we are trying to do. We are asking nothing of anyone but to hear the story. What happens after that, for each individual who has heard the story, is not up to us, nor do we wish it to be up to us."
Mr. Wood-Lewis recently gave an interview in which he said FPF sees "ourselves as a starting point and a catalyst for community conversations." In that same interview, Wood-Lewis added: "As long as people keep it relatively civil and neighborly and don’t stray into personal attacks, racists rants, or spread disinformation that endangers public health or local democracies, it’s historically been anything goes."
Neither Kristian or Deborah Connolly had ever done any of those things. In fact, Kristian's additions to conversations or conversation starters in his community had always been published by FPF before FPF abruptly first put a block on him being able to post, and then terminated both Kristian and Deborah's accounts a week later. FrontPorchFlimflam.com was a result of this oppression.
Even though it is NOT a nonprofit, Front Porch Forum markets itself in nonprofit-like ways, and generates revenue via hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations from thousands of individual citizens (even using its donors to fundraise on FPF's behalf in individual neighborhood forums), as well as from paid advertising by "mostly Vermont small businesses, nonprofits, government agencies and political campaigns." It receives foundation grants, as well as taxpayer money – from the federal government, state government, and local governments in Vermont.
About a week after the launch of FrontPorchFlimflam.com, Front Porch Forum chief of staff Jason Van Driesche announced his candidacy for the Burlington City Council.
Said Kristian Connolly: "Based on our experience with Front Porch Forum, if Mr. Van Driesche is campaigning on the ideals of listening to everyone's voice, and believing that all opinions deserve to be heard, while at the same time he has an executive role for FPF that might be involved in the oppression of voices in communities across Vermont, then there are fair and relevant questions for Burlington's South District voters to ask as they consider Mr. Van Driesche's fitness to be their voice on the City Council."
For the full story of Kristian and Deborah's experience with Front Porch Forum, please visit FrontPorchFlimflam.com.
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November 22, 2022 at 01:18AM
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New website FrontPorchFlimflam.com tells a local story - vtdigger.org
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