User Tools

Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

Link to this comparison view

Both sides previous revisionPrevious revision
Next revision		Previous revision
use_cases_for_digital_town_squares [2025/10/26 18:22] – sarahuse_cases_for_digital_town_squares [2025/10/26 20:56] (current) – [Use cases: In an emergency] sarah
Line 1: Line 1:
 +====== Use Cases ======
 +
 +
 +The following use cases ("user stories") have been drafted (by Sarah, Oct 2025) to help us compare alternative platforms and understand how well they might need Merri-bek's needs for digital spaces. 
 +
 +**Suggestion**: select a couple of use cases, one simple and one more complex, and work through them while you try out a candidate platform. Make notes about how the use case is met, any limitations and challenges, any other notes. You can use the 3 questions to organise your notes, but you can also think more broadly. 
 +
 +Consider also: **What additional use cases should we consider for emergencies, and for business-as-usual?** 
 +
 ===== Use cases: In an emergency ===== ===== Use cases: In an emergency =====
 +
 +How might our digital spaces be used in the case of state-wide rolling blackouts, extreme floods that impact mainstream utilities and services, or other disaster scenarios? 
  
 **Community emergency announcements.**  **Community emergency announcements.** 
-As a SES representative, I want to post announcements highly visible to all users (e.g. a “pinned” / sticky post) so that everyone sees important safety information - e.g. “don’t drink the water” 
  
-  * How this can be achieved +// As a SES representative, I want to post announcements highly visible to all users (e.g. a “pinned” / sticky post) so that everyone sees important safety information - e.g. “don’t drink the water//” 
 + 
 +  * How this can be achieved: 
   * Ease of use for average FB user:    * Ease of use for average FB user: 
   * Limitations and things to consider:   * Limitations and things to consider:
  
 **Coordinating volunteers**  **Coordinating volunteers** 
-As a coordinator of a community organisation, I want to be able to post jobs that I need volunteers to do, see their responses re. availability and assign jobs, so that I can coordinate volunteers for existing services (e.g. our food bank) and// emergency response (e.g. distributing food and material aid) 
  
-  * How this can be achieved +//As a coordinator of a community organisation, I want to be able to post jobs that I need volunteers to do, see their responses re. availability and assign jobs, so that I can coordinate volunteers for existing services (e.g. our food bank) and emergency response (e.g. distributing food and material aid)// 
 + 
 +  * How this can be achieved: 
   * Ease of use for average FB user:    * Ease of use for average FB user: 
   * Limitations and things to consider:   * Limitations and things to consider:
  
 **Requesting and offering assistance**  **Requesting and offering assistance** 
-As a citizen, I want to be able to request or offer loans and donations of essential items, and help with e.g. repairs or transport in my local neighbourhood, (e.g. my street or <0.3km radius), so that I can be useful and get help that I need. 
  
-  * How this can be achieved +//As a citizen, I want to be able to request or offer loans and donations of essential items, and help with e.g. repairs or transport in my local neighbourhood, (e.g. my street or <0.3km radius), so that I can be useful and get help that I need.// 
 + 
 +  * How this can be achieved:
   * Ease of use for average FB user:    * Ease of use for average FB user: 
   * Limitations and things to consider:   * Limitations and things to consider:
-  *  + 
- Business as Usual+=====  Business as Usual =====
  
 Being used regularly as part of everyday community activities will mean that the platform is familiar and useful to many in an emergency / blackout scenario. Being used regularly as part of everyday community activities will mean that the platform is familiar and useful to many in an emergency / blackout scenario.
  
-**Advertising community group activities** %%//%%As leaders of a local community organisation, we want to be able to advertise our events, fundraisers and projects to the local community, to expand awareness and broaden participation beyond existing supporters%%//%% - How this can be achieved: - Ease of use for average FB user: - Limitations and things to consider: %%//%%Consider how leaders can share and handover responsibilities; risks of having only one person who can post / respond on behalf of the organisation%%//%%+**Advertising community group activities** 
  
-**Offering and requesting items per e.g. Freecycle / Hard Rubbish Groups** %%//%%As a citizen, I want to be able to offer and request unwanted household items, (including e.g. food and clothes) so that useful items don’t go to waste and I can get things I need.%%//%% - How this can be achieved: - Ease of use for average FB user: - Limitations and things to consider:+//As leaders of a local community organisation, we want to be able to advertise our events, fundraisers and projects to the local community, to expand awareness and broaden participation beyond existing supporters.// 
  
-**Sharing information with my neighbours and wider networks** %%//%%As a citizen, I want to share important and interesting information with my neighbours, friends and community network, to contribute to success of activities and causes I support%%//%% - How this can be achieved: - Ease of use for average FB user: - Limitations and things to consider:+  * How this can be achieved: 
 +  * Ease of use for average FB user:  
 +  * Limitations and things to consider:
  
-**Moderating and dealing with bad behaviour** %%//%%As a citizen, I want online misinformation, trolling, scams and other bad actors to be minimised and removed, so that digital spaces are safe and trusted, and contribute to thriving communities%%//%% - How this can be achieved: - Ease of use for average FB user: - Limitations and things to consider: *Consider the who as well as the how. 
  
-**Facilitating and supporting volunteer engagement** %%//%%As leaders of a local community organisation, we want to enable discussion and information sharing between our members / volunteers (without other members of the public), to support engagement and social involvement.%%//%% - How this can be achieved: - Ease of use for average FB user: - Limitations and things to consider: *Consider how leaders can help non-tech savvy volunteers who might struggle with e.g. creating user accounts; typing passwords, remembering or resetting passwords; mobile-only users. Can closed groups be created?+**Offering and requesting items per e.g. Freecycle / Hard Rubbish Groups** 
  
-**Providing information to volunteers and supporting volunteer engagement** %%//%%As leaders of a local community organisation, we want to provide highly visible information-only posts to our volunteers, to share important information where discussion is not needed%%//%% - How this can be achieved: - Ease of use for average FB user: - Limitations and things to consider:+// As a citizen, I want to be able to offer and request unwanted household items, (including e.g. food and clothes) so that useful items don’t go to waste and I can get things I need.//
  
-**Moderating closed group conversations** %%//%%As leaders of a local community organsiation, we want to moderate online conversations between our members / volunteers, to avoid inaccurate information and minimise tensions.%%//%% - How this can be achieved: - Ease of use for average FB user: - Limitations and things to consider:+  * How this can be achieved: 
 +  * Ease of use for average FB user:  
 +  * Limitations and things to consider:
  
-**Moderating closed group conversations** %%//%%As leaders of a local community organsiation, we want to be able to remove or permanently ban members who repeatedly misbehave, to ensure that our online group is safe for our members%%//%%. - How this can be achieved: - Ease of use for average FB user: - Limitations and things to consider:+**Sharing information with my neighbours and wider networks** 
  
-**Requesting advice and recommendations per e.g. Good Karma Groups** _As a citizen, I want to be able to request advice and recommendations regarding local businesses so that I can get the goods and services that meet my needs and preferences - How this can be achieved: - Ease of use for average FB user: - Limitations and things to consider: See also: %%%%**%%%%Requesting and offering assistance – see In an emergency+//As a citizen, I want to share important and interesting information with my neighbours, friends and community network, to contribute to success of activities and causes I support // 
 + 
 +  * How this can be achieved: 
 +  * Ease of use for average FB user:  
 +  * Limitations and things to consider: 
 + 
 + 
 +**Moderating and dealing with bad behaviour**  
 + 
 +//As a citizen, I want online misinformation, trolling, scams and other bad actors to be minimised and removed, so that digital spaces are safe and trusted, and contribute to thriving communities// 
 + 
 +  * How this can be achieved: //Consider the who as well as the how - perhaps different roles for different types of users, moderators, admins?// 
 +  * Ease of use for average FB user:  
 +  * Limitations and things to consider: 
 + 
 +**Facilitating and supporting volunteer engagement**. 
 + 
 +//As leaders of a local community organisation, we want to enable discussion and information sharing between our members / volunteers (without other members of the public), to support engagement and social involvement.// 
 + 
 +  * How this can be achieved: //Can closed groups be created?//  
 +  * Ease of use for average FB user:  
 +  * Limitations and things to consider: //Consider how leaders can help non-tech savvy volunteers who might struggle with e.g. creating user accounts; typing passwords, remembering or resetting passwords; mobile-only users.//  
 + 
 +**Information for volunteers **  
 + 
 +//As leaders of a local community organisation, we want to provide highly visible information-only posts to our volunteers, to share important information where discussion is not needed.// 
 +  
 +  * How this can be achieved: 
 +  * Ease of use for average FB user:  
 +  * Limitations and things to consider: 
 + 
 +**Moderating closed group conversations**  
 + 
 +//As leaders of a local community organsiation, we want to moderate online conversations between our members / volunteers, to avoid inaccurate information and minimise tensions.// 
 + 
 +  * How this can be achieved: 
 +  * Ease of use for average FB user:  
 +  * Limitations and things to consider: 
 + 
 +**Moderating closed group conversations**  
 + 
 +//As leaders of a local community organsiation, we want to be able to remove or permanently ban members who repeatedly misbehave, to ensure that our online group is safe for our members.// 
 + 
 +  * How this can be achieved: 
 +  * Ease of use for average FB user:  
 +  * Limitations and things to consider: 
 + 
 +**Requesting advice and recommendations per e.g. Good Karma Groups**  
 + 
 +//As a citizen, I want to be able to request advice and recommendations regarding local businesses so that I can get the goods and services that meet my needs and preferences.// 
 + 
 +  * How this can be achieved: 
 +  * Ease of use for average FB user:  
 +  * Limitations and things to consider: 
 + 
 +See also //In an emergency - Requesting and offering assistance//  
 + 
 +**Seeking social activities and connections**  
 + 
 +//As a citizen, I want to be able to find others in my local neighbourhood with similar interests, so that I can build social connections and friendships.// 
 + 
 +  * How this can be achieved: 
 +  * Ease of use for average FB user:  
 +  * Limitations and things to consider:
  
-**Seeking social activities and connections** _As a citizen, I want to be able to f 

This website uses cookies. By using the website, you agree with storing cookies on your computer. Also, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please leave the website.

More information