In today's edition of the Richmond Palladium-Item, there's an article by Andrew Wyder featuring RichmondBrainstorm.com:

"A local business owner has launched a Web site that allows residents to share thoughts and ideas that could make Richmond a better place to live.

Chris Hardie, co-owner of local Web site development company Summersault, created Richmond Brainstorm.com in March as a hub for ideas that could improve living in the city.

We recently received the great news that a class of students at Earlham College are going to take on some of the ideas listed on Richmond Brainstorm in the Fall semester of 2009.  Professor of History Carol Hunter will be using the information on the site in her Peace and Global Studies course, to provide students with an opportunity to apply what they're learning about methods of peacemaking in the Richmond community.

A few people have noted that the voting system on RichmondBrainstorm.com is a little mysterious, so I thought I'd try to break it down for you.

If you've used social bookmarking sites like Digg, then you'll be very familiar with how voting works on this site, because the software we're using was originally created to implement Digg-like sites.  But we've modified it and rearranged it some, so it's still worth getting into the details:

One of the recurring pieces of feedback we've gotten in the first few days of the site's operation is appreciation for having an online brainstorming space that is positive and forward-looking in its tone.  This was intentional - RichmondBrainstorm.com is meant to be a place for creative energy and inspiration.  We know that as we talk about the future of our community, there certainly is a place for expressing our concerns, fears, disappointments and frustrations, and we know that some of the ideas posted here will even arise out of some sense of frustration with the cur

One question that will inevitably come up for the ideas submitted at RichmondBrainstorm.com is "what's next?"  So, how do we turn these ideas into action?

Welcome to the newly launched RichmondBrainstorm.com!  As is described on the "About" page, RichmondBrainstorm.com was created to hold all of the great ideas out there for making Richmond and Wayne County, Indiana a better place to live, work and play.

The site is ready for your ideas and discussion, but we're still putting some finishing touches on it too, so please let us know if you run into any problems or anything that you think could be improved.

RichmondBrainstorm.com was created to hold all of the great ideas out there for making Richmond and Wayne County, Indiana a better place to live, work and play.  We try to connect you with projects and other people who will help you live out YOUR vision for the best Richmond can be.