What's RIPPLE
RIPPLE is an online community for rural people and advocates living in the Pacific Northwest. We bring underrepresented rural voices to the Web and provide a place for them to share information, find material, exchange ideas, and speak about issues that affect their lives.
To this end, RIPPLE offers:
- Dynamic blog and rural stories: The RIPPLE Blog and Community Stories deliver unique content for, and by, rural audiences in the Pacific Northwest and beyond! The blogs showcase the latest individual thinking and perspectives on key rural topics, while community stories showcase photo, text, audio, and video narratives that aim to inform and inspire.
- A comprehensive database of resources: Rural Resources is a “one-stop” shop that gathers a wealth of information and tools to support rural communities. People can post resources via a robust Submit a Resource form as well as sort and filter by Topic, Type, Location and Keyword to find the exact resource they need.
- Membership via MyRipple: This feature allows you to share your story, promote your experience and expertise, and network with others. You can also bookmark RIPPLE content, push notifications of latest blogs and resources, and participate in moderated “working groups.”
- RSS feeds of rural blogs and newspapers: The Feed Bag aggregates some of the latest thinking from key blogs in Oregon, the Pacific Northwest, and beyond!
- RIPPLE Groups: Available to you as a member, RIPPLE Groups are designed to encourage people to network with each other via focused discussions around particular topics. Do you need input or have an idea for an issue under discussion? Participate in a discussion!
In 2010, RIPPLE won a Webvisionary Award in the “Information/Education” category.
Who's on RIPPLE
Everyone on RIPPLE shares these common values: A love for all things rural and a desire to help rural communities thrive.
RIPPLE brings together community leaders, entrepreneurs, farmers, ranchers, Peace Corps volunteers, writers, students, restaurant owners, foundation officers, policy makers, recent retirees, and more. We even have someone from as far afield as Thailand, sharing his perspective on rural life in the Pacific Northwest! Everyone is welcome.
We hope RIPPLE users will talk to each other across geographical, political, and social boundaries, so they can do more for their rural communities. We also hope that folks who visit the site will gain a better understanding of rural life and a sense of the unique opportunities rural communities have to offer.
Site Credits
Front Page Editor and RIPPLE Community Leader — Alison Cassin
Blog Contributors — Lily Brislen, Blaire Buergler, Gary Carl, Az Carmen PhD, Shaun Daniel, Kathi Jaworski, Sarah Hackney, Teri Hansen, Cylvia Hayes, Spencer Masterson, Bill Mintiens, Shawn Morford, Carla Nelson, Teresa Roark, Bruce Sorte, Joanne Steele, Roopika Subramanian, Betse Thielman, Thawipham Wiban, and Cassie Wieden.
Website Strategy, Design, and Development — Upswell
