Flats - collective communication

NeilCr

Red-Squirrel wrote: »

What problems require communication between every single resident to get sorted?

I would never have wanted to join any sort of group like that when I lived in flats, I just wanted to live there with whatever privacy was possible!

If anybody ever wanted to pass a message to another resident or to everybody, they pinned a notice up in the entrance hall, what's wrong with that!

Well OP said it was a large block of flats. And, in my experience, quite a lot of residents ignore, don't see, whatever notices in an entrance hall.

The sort of things that can be discussed in a group off the top of my head.

Common problems with the freeholder, anyone having a problem with Sky, anyone got any idea whose car that is parked there, anyone seen a delivery that has gone missing, shall we have a barbecue etc

From a director's POV it's a good way of updating people with what's going on - and trying to get them to do things properly - don't get me going about bins!

I understand how you feel about privacy. I am much the same - particularly was in the smallish block of flats I used to live in. But it is also nice to be up to date about what is going on

Hermia

Red-Squirrel wrote: »

What problems require communication between every single resident to get sorted?

I would never have wanted to join any sort of group like that when I lived in flats, I just wanted to live there with whatever privacy was possible!

If anybody ever wanted to pass a message to another resident or to everybody, they pinned a notice up in the entrance hall, what's wrong with that!

Ours is used to discuss general issues and especially issues with the management company. The problem with pinning up a notice is that if the issue requires a discussion it's not an ideal method.

With our group you can dip in and out when you want and no one will turn up on your doorstep so no one is having their privacy invaded. There are 35 flats in our block so maybe it would seem more invasive if there were just a few flats. I used to live in a block of four flats and a facebook group would have seemed like overkill in that situation!

Others things our group is used for.

- tracking down stray parcels without having to knock on everyone's door.

- helping people out. It's been a real godsend with the snow. A neighbour who is a nurse needed help getting to work and ten minutes after posting on our Facebook she had help.

- giving stuff away. A lot less hassle than using freecycle.

- discussing issues in the local area. We are located in an area that is pretty much being rebuilt so being able to discuss these issues and have a voice as a group has been so useful.

- just generally being able to share information and offer/request help.

I love it because we have the best of being part of a community, but without anyone invading your space. Whether it works probably depends on what sort of people live in the block. We are all young-ish professionals so we all have the same issues and all want our privacy. I can imagine it would be more difficult if there was a neighbour who was a gossip with a lot of time on their hands!

Red-Squirrel_2

Hermia wrote: »

Ours is used to discuss general issues and especially issues with the management company. The problem with pinning up a notice is that if the issue requires a discussion it's not an ideal method.

With our group you can dip in and out when you want and no one will turn up on your doorstep so no one is having their privacy invaded. There are 35 flats in our block so maybe it would seem more invasive if there were just a few flats. I used to live in a block of four flats and a facebook group would have seemed like overkill in that situation!

Others things our group is used for.

- tracking down stray parcels without having to knock on everyone's door.

- helping people out. It's been a real godsend with the snow. A neighbour who is a nurse needed help getting to work and ten minutes after posting on our Facebook she had help.

- giving stuff away. A lot less hassle than using freecycle.

- discussing issues in the local area. We are located in an area that is pretty much being rebuilt so being able to discuss these issues and have a voice as a group has been so useful.

- just generally being able to share information and offer/request help.

I love it because we have the best of being part of a community, but without anyone invading your space. Whether it works probably depends on what sort of people live in the block. We are all young-ish professionals so we all have the same issues and all want our privacy. I can imagine it would be more difficult if there was a neighbour who was a gossip with a lot of time on their hands!

I don't know, I lived in a block of 55 and we managed all that with notices and notes! I found a key in the park across the road once that was heavily used by residents with dogs, put a note up saying 'if you've lost a key ring this number', key was reunited with owner about an hour later. Similar experiences with parcels, giving away bits of furniture etc.

If there was a facebook group I wouldn't have joined, and I bet lots of others wouldn't either so if you really did want to reach everybody with something, you'd have to put a notice up/notes in mailboxes anyway.

There's no harm in it for the ones who want it of course.

silvercar

Depends on the age of the occupiers.

For our holiday home overseas we have an email group, as quite a few owners would describe themselves as too old for Facebook. Someone has set it up so that an email to the group gmail address forwards to everyone in the group.