Nextdoor is a private social networking app and website designed for local neighborhoods and communities. Here are some key things about Nextdoor:
- It allows residents of a specific geographic area to connect with their neighbors through online message boards, groups, event listings, classifieds, and more.
- To join, users must verify their address to be granted access to their neighborhood’s private Nextdoor network.
- The goal is to foster community interaction, share local news/updates, find trusted service providers, sell items, and discuss neighborhood issues or events.
- Users can join “Nearby Neighborhoods” to see posts from surrounding areas as well.
- While neighbors remain anonymous by real names not being displayed, there are strict policies against misconduct.
- Nextdoor has been criticized for enabling racial profiling, but has added tools to combat this.
- As of 2023, Nextdoor is used in over 285,000 neighborhoods across 11 countries.
- The company makes money through local business advertising and sponsored posts within neighborhood feeds.
- During emergencies or crises, Nextdoor has emerged as an important communication channel between residents and public agencies.
- The app aims to revive a sense of community and connectedness between neighbors in an online format.
So in essence, Nextdoor provides geographically specific private social networks for real-world communities as a modern take on the traditional neighborhood watch or bulletin board concept.