By Stephanie Nguyen
The world outside of home, school and work can be a dark, lonely thing sometimes. What else could anyone know about what’s out there? We can forget that the faces we see everyday aren’t the only ones around us. Sometimes, the world is a bit too small.
Nextdoor is meant to fix that. Launched in the United States in 2011, the app is designed to connect people within local communities to each other. Similar to Facebook and X, users can post about a variety of topics for people within their neighborhood to see. These neighborhoods are like subreddits but for a specific area. However, it’s quite practical, unlike other social media apps.
Need a plumber or electrician?
Supporting local businesses is a win-win situation. Trips are easier, customer service is better and the money goes to their families — not a CEO’s pocket — but Yelp isn’t doing any favors. Fortunately, there are few, if not zero, bots on Nextdoor due to the registration process (more on that later!). Ask away and expect real locals to put in their two cents on the best gardeners, painters and dentists in town!
Looking for deals?
At the bottom of the For You page is the “For Sale” tab. Clicking on it takes the user from the main feed to a selling platform similar to Facebook Marketplace, or an online garage sale.. Whether it’s a quaint knick-knack or a new coffee table, Nextdoor’s got you covered. If selling rather than shopping is a priority, users can put up a new listing with the tap of a button.
Entrepreneurs and job-seekers can advertise their services and products to customers as long as they don’t spam. Guidelines differ depending on the community, so it’s recommended to ask neighborhood leads for more information.
Is a beloved pet missing?
Many users alert their neighbors of missing animals, and they’ve been posted so often on the main feed that some have suggested piling them into one page. Considering that most pets stay close to home, it’s not a bad idea, especially since posting online is faster than putting up posters and reaches a wider audience. Nextdoor can’t guarantee success, but in situations where time is of the essence, it’s worth a try.
Concerned about your neighborhood’s safety?
Although Nextdoor isn’t meant to be an alternative to the police, the main feed is rife with warnings about local crimes and issues regarding safety. For example, there were complaints within the Fountain Valley-Huntington Beach area about e-bikes. Allegedly, kids were going too fast without following traffic rules, risking injury to themselves. Such posts are a way for neighbors to look out for each other.
But before hopping onto the app, potential users should be aware of a couple of things.
How are neighborhoods monitored?
Nextdoor rarely looks at posts. Instead, they’re checked by leads and a team of review members. According to Nextdoor’s Frequently Asked Questions page, these users are volunteers akin to Reddit’s moderators. However, they can’t work independently. All members have to vote before taking any action against reported activity. Nextdoor invites users at random if they are active and have a clean record.
Leads, on the other hand, are usually the founders of the neighborhood. This means they were the ones who created the space on Nextdoor for their community. Besides being able to post welcome messages in their neighborhoods, they have the same roles as review team members. Leads are easily identified by a tree icon next to their profile picture.
To keep them in check, they can be reported by other users to Nextdoor itself. However, if one of their posts is reported, that post will be reviewed by the review team. Nextdoor will only take a look at cases where the user is reported, not posts.
The registration process
Neighbors are either invited to the app or signed up for a new account. Either way, the user must provide their address and name. This makes sure only real neighbors are using the app, eliminating bots from the main feed. Once the information is verified by a lead, the user is accepted into the app.
Miscellaneous
Users aren’t restricted to their neighborhood. A user in Fountain Valley can still see and interact with posts from Huntington Beach, Costa Mesa and other nearby cities. In addition to the main feed, there are groups to join as well, much like Facebook groups.
There are an estimated 11,000-13,000 users from Fountain Valley, many of them from the western side of the city. Neighborhoods typically range from 8-20 posts a week.
Whether you want to give back to the community or meet new people, you might want to look for it Nextdoor.
