Most Agree Facebook Would Be Useful for Portsmouth

The results from an informal poll on Portsmouth Patch as well as comments to my earlier blog question indicates that most responders think a Portsmouth Facebook page would be a useful way for the town to communicate information to its residents.

Out of 70 votes in the Patch poll, 62% voted "yes" and 37% voted "no" to the basic question "Does the Town Need a Facebook Page?" Of interest, none of those voting "no" appeared to offer a reason in the comments section, so I don't understand why anyone would not want to enhance our public communications abilities using services, like Facebook and Twitter, that are free.

The next step will be for our town officials to review their public communications plans for both emergency and non-emergency situations. This needs to be done before the next winter storm or other town emergency event - such as a missing person. On this issue, I'm greatly encouraged by new Town Administrator John Klimm's recent posting on Patch. To the best of my knowledge, he is the first Portsmouth Official to actually take the initiative to communicate with the public on Patch. He seems open to suggestions and shows a good understanding of how public media, including social media, can enhance our town's quality of life.