Happy anniversary Franklin Matters! Goodbye Facebook!
Let’s celebrate your readership (and growing numbers of readers) as we enter November 2021.
It was only in November 2007 that FranklinMatters.org came into existence. I had started reporting on Franklin about two years prior, and as the override vote became a reality, during 2007 my reporting increased to cover it. There had been talk of getting it on the ballot and then all the informational meetings began to prepare for the vote when it was set for May 22, 2007.
After the vote passed, I continued to report on what was happening and my ‘regular’ readers began complaining about ‘this Franklin stuff’ that was taking me away from other topics I had been writing about. Hence, plans began for a new page. As the 2007 local election was also scheduled for November, I decided to make the switch after the election and begin preparing the new page for that introduction.
The Facebook page was added in 2010 and will be deleted at the end of November 2021. There was life before Facebook, and there will be life after the Franklin Matters page goes away from Facebook.
So to be clear, while the Franklin Matters feed to Facebook will go away, Franklin Matters will not.
My commitment will continue to be providing timely and accurate information to all interested. I will continue to ‘follow the money’ focusing on the School Committee, Finance Committee, and Town Council meetings. In my current retirement lifestyle, some of the extra time I have, can then be applied to expanding my reporting to include the quality of life items that ‘following the money’ provides for us.
The content will continue to be text based with appropriate links to the supporting or source documents. Audio will be made available when practical. Photos will be shared. Multiple social media channels will help spread the information to where you can find it. Except that Facebook will not be part of our journey forward.
Email is the best source. One email daily with all that matters.
Twitter will continue to be used for sharing the individual items as well as for capturing my notes during meetings or events. The podcast will share the audio files of meetings and interviews.
Integration with Franklin TV and Franklin Public Radio will continue. Someday, not too far away, there will be one page with three views to “Watch, Listen, and Read” all of Franklin’s information.
Franklin TV and the three channels will be the “Watch” view
Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) will be the “Listen”
last but not least, to help tie them all together will be Franklin Matters as the “Read’ view
It does take two to tango, so you have a role to play as we take this journey together to keep informed on what matters in Franklin. What do you need to do? I am glad you asked.
If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors
If you don't like something here, please let me know
Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for reading, listening, and asking questions.
My ‘radar’ is pretty good but not perfect. So if you want to know something, don’t be bashful. Ask. Send me an email, or use Twitter. You can also use Facebook messenger. I will still participate on Facebook primarily to keep up with family connections so you can use that if you choose.
I also host a monthly “Franklin Matters QandA” event. It is usually hybrid. I’ll be in person at the Senior Center with a Zoom link to enable remote participation. It provides some time for a quick overview of what’s current and time for in depth QandA to answer your questions.
Let me close with this is my public service effort for Franklin because I believe Franklin matters. If you do too, then we are on this journey together.
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