There's an idea in there ...

[ysengrin]

I think there's a parallel to the broken windows theory here. Broken Windows asserts that in cities with small acts of vandalism and unrepaired facades, crime goes up. The Christmas Light corollary might be that in towns (or online communities) where there's a higher rate of profit-free community contribution, happiness and productivity go up as well. -- Seth Godin

Maybe, maybe ...

Comments

[spikedpunch.livejournal.com]

I have always found the broken window thing to be really questionable and too nebulous to say that it does work or not. What about the neighborhoods that see an increase in the theft of Christmas lights during this time of the year compared to other seasons?

[ysengrin.livejournal.com]

Missing the point - the linked article asks the question "why bother with non-economic contributions," using Christmas lights as an example.

While an anecdote doesn't by itself offer proof, I can absolutely say that back at Verdun, if you didn't quickly repair vandalism (in a matter of minutes on a busy night), you would rapidly see more vandalism in the immediate area. Broken windows may not apply to all crime, but it certainly applies to additional vandalism.