G-Sync – Google, Are You Ready For GR?

In my estimation, the Google Fiber for Grand Rapids initiative is the first time that the city of Grand Rapids and the public have worked together so seamlessly in such a short period of time toward a common goal.  And no matter the result, our city will be changed forever.

But this is not to say that without social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, this type of organizing could not happen here.  Far from it, since the very principles of community organizing is what has made Grand Rapids one of the bright spots in the state of Michigan.

Over the years, our neighborhoods, the very fabric of a city, have worked diligently over time to create fertile ground from which to sow the innovation we now reap freely.

A direct result of these efforts is seen along our neighborhood streets where instead of boarded-up windows, new industry and housing has moved in.  

If we did not have the stabilizing voice of the community, we simply would be just another post-industrial town struggling to survive the battering ram of the recession.

As a member of the Google Fiber for Grand Rapids initiative, it has been a privilege to work with so many people in our city these past two weeks, many of whom have never worked on a community organizing project before in their lives.  

What's been accomplished is not simply luck, but nothing short of pure talent at work with the new tools of the age.  All the groups who have labored on this project deserve some recognition for the expanse and reach that these instruments of the 'net can provide.

And this brings me to my point, while we have spent the last two weeks asking Google to look at us (and we have heard from our sources that Grand Rapids has indeed captured their attention with our record number of supporters and city-wide business endorsements) the real question is not "Is Grand Rapids ready for Google Fiber," but rather "Is Google ready for Grand Rapids?"


The Future Needs All of Us (to be community organizers)

Tommy Allen, Lifestyle Editor

Email:  [email protected]
Twitter Feed: @TommyGSync

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Photo provide by Terry Johnston


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