Your Neighbors Facebook Application

What is the “Your Neighbors” Facebook Application?

Your Neighbors allows you to see which Facebook users live in your neighborhood and in your vicinity. This allows you to network and make friends with local people who live near you. Within this network you can meet people, start groups, and post messages about local issues.

Pros

• This is a great app, and really maximizes what Facebook is all about-social networking. Widen your social circle, and foster a sense of community right where you live. Helps facilitate friendships, romances, and neighborhood groups based on common interests.

• Allows you to share local information. Post messages about local issues like crime or neighborhood initiatives. Ask questions, like where is the best pizza place around here? Post announcements about things like garage sales.

• Allows you to plan local activities. Trade services (“I’ll change your oil, if you make me dinner”), share belongings (why not share a neighborhood lawn mower?), start activist groups, organize a neighborhood clean-up, throw a block party…the options are many!

Cons

• While your actual address remains completely confidential, the app will tell users how many miles or even feet you are from someone else. There is something rather creepy about a stranger knowing your name, what you look like, and that you perhaps live in the same apartment complex. You can participate anonymously (without revealing your name, picture, or Facebook ID), but still, people should use caution and common sense when using this app.

• You can only see Facebook users who have also signed up for “Your Neighbors.” It will take awhile to build up the network enough to really get things going (there were only 3 people within 5 miles of me).

• Occasionally while trying to display a page, an error message would appear. But the creators of the app are ironing out the problems.