Hello Sheffield Forum.

I am a research student in the Department of Geography at The University of Sheffield. I am currently undertaking research into the use of the internet by local communities. In particular, how information communication technologies have the potential to rejuvenate civic life and create more integrated communities.

I am seeking participants who use the Sheffield Forum website on a regular basis to partake in my study. I am seeking participants who would be willing to give an in-depth interview about their experiences of Sheffield Forum. I am also looking to set up a focus group where users of the Sheffield Forum could come together and discuss the website and online life in Sheffield. I am interested in exploring how people use the forum and how this usage intersects and interacts with everyday offline spaces in the city of Sheffield.

If anybody is interested in participating in the study they can email me at ggp03db@sheffield.ac.uk. I will be able to provide more details about the research project.

Regards

Daniel Brooker,

Department of Geography
University of Sheffield

I am also interested in hearing from anybody who is familiar with the Gleadless Valley Online Community or the South Sheffield City Learning Centre.

Regards

Daniel Brooker,

Department of Geography
University of Sheffield

Why not come along to the next 'meet' at the Classic Rock Bar? You can get a load of us together then. Sunday 27th June from 3-4pm.

Thankyou for the reply.

What happens at the average Sheffield Forum 'meet' and how often are they?
Also, is it the Sheffield Forum that brings people together in meetings or did everybody know one another socially before?

Do you think that people would be prepared to discuss the forum and give interviews about their use of the internet?


Regards,

Daniel Brooker

Pretty much every month, towards the end of the month. People get together and discuss issues that have been mentioned in the forum - some know each other from previous meets, others are new. I'm sure they'll be happy to talk about it. Check out the thread in the 'Going out' and 'notices and event's part of the site.

Originally posted by ggp03db
I am also interested in hearing from anybody who is familiar with the Gleadless Valley Online Community or the South Sheffield City Learning Centre.

Regards

Daniel Brooker,

Department of Geography
University of Sheffield

You mean the one at Newfield school?

Check out the artwork hanging up, some of it's mine :D

Ummm... maybe I am missing the point, but surely this thread is the ideal place to ask those questions as the 9.983 different topics and tens of thousands of posts will indicate!

Also, go here (http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/misc/about.php) for info about the establishment of SF.

Yes Tony of course, but if you read the original thread there's mention of a focus group which tends to be a face to face discussion with a number of people.

I'm sure the researcher will have been reading through posts about the Forum anyway.

Err.. is it a focus group? It doesn't have any association with SF. On the other hand, maybe I am deliberately missing the point to be deliberately grumpy. :P

I think I have my Victor Meldrew head on today. I will withdraw from this thread (dis)gracefully... bahhh!

;)

I invite people to respond to the questions outlined in my opening statement. Essentially, I am looking to conduct face-to-face research with users of Sheffield Forum.

Firstly, I am looking to undertake in-depth interviews (30-45 minutes) with users to discuss the forum, their use of it and more broadly how they use information communication technologies (ICT) in everyday life.
Secondly, I want to set-up a focus-group composed of regular Sheffield Forum users to discuss the Forum. I anticipate meeting one or two times where discussion could be generated.

This is a unique opportunity for people in Sheffield to discuss how our lives our technologically mediated through ICT, how we are engaged in computer-mediated communications and how this impacts upon daily life in the city. E.g. Does Sheffield Forum increase the sense of community amongst Sheffield residents? Do online interactions between users supplement offline interactions ?

Regarding the query about the South Sheffield City Learning Centre. Yes, I am talking about the one at Newfield School. I am interested in talking with people who have used the facility. Also people who are familiar with the Gleadless Valley Online community.

Regards,

Daniel Brooker
Department of Geography
University of Sheffield
Email: ggp03db@sheffield.ac.uk

Hello Sheffield Forum,


Unfortunately I am unable to attend the monthly 'forum meeting' this Sunday. This is unfortunate as it would have been an ideal opportunity to meet some users in person and discuss my research in more depth. I am hoping that the research project will come up in discussion. I am looking for 4-5 volunteers who would be prepared to form a focus grouop to meet at the University to discuss the Sheffield Forum and internet use. I anticipate that as a follow-up to these discussions I will conduct in-depth interviews with each participant to go through some issues in more detail.

Perhaps somebody who is attending the meeting on sunday will raise this issue?

Daniel Brooker
ggp03db@sheffield.ac.uk

Dept. of Geography,
University of Sheffield