Facebook Group Presents Opportunities and Challenges
Mike Mondy is more than just a familiar face around town. The amiable realtor is a frequent volunteer and supporter of all things Laurel, whether they be City-sponsored activities or informal community meetups that happen organically. Mondy enjoys meeting new people and helping out wherever he can.
It’s that attitude that may have inspired him to create “Laurel MD Connect!”—a Facebook group he founded in October 2020 during the height of the pandemic. The group’s mission statement reads, “Our vision is to provide the Laurel community with a fun place to social network. If you’re looking to make a recommendation, ask a question, or share something interesting about our local community, you’ve come to the right place! WELCOME and please help us grow by inviting other members of the Laurel community!”
And grow it has, with a staggering 11,000 members and counting. By comparison, the City’s official Facebook page, which has been around for a full decade, currently has 14,000 followers.
The group has been instrumental in welcoming new residents and encouraging others to try out local businesses they might have otherwise missed. The page is consistently full of helpful hints for everything from restaurant recommendations to trustworthy mechanics and has even spawned a few group meetups where locals have gotten together in person to enjoy a meal or get some exercise by walking around Laurel Lake. Mondy has also shared some spectacular photos he’s taken of the lake recently during his own early morning walks.
Laying Some Ground Rules
A group of this size can’t exist without a few growing pains, however, and Mondy does a terrific job of gently policing the page when it becomes necessary. There have been a few occasions where a provocative post had to be deleted, or negative comments in a thread threatened to derail an otherwise constructive conversation. In such cases, Mondy typically interjects with a disarming good humor, almost in a “don’t make me turn this car around, kids” tone that likely prompts the offending posters rethink their approach and do better next time.
Mondy recently developed a few ground rules designed to help steer members away from the potentially troublesome posts that every popular Facebook group has to deal with at one time or another. Treating everyone with respect and kindness is at the top of the list. He’s also taken steps to curb would-be romantics from directly soliciting members for dates, has asked restaurant reviewers to be more mindful when outwardly criticizing local businesses, and is ensuring that self-promotion and advertising remains relevant to Laurel and doesn’t become repetitive spam. A full description of the rules can be found under the “About” tab in the Facebook group.
Amigos Fever
In November, the group suddenly found itself inundated with reviews, comments, and conversations about the new Amigos Mexican Grill, which had just enjoyed a wildly successful soft opening in South Laurel. The sheer number of posts on the topic became a topic unto itself—with meme-worthy responses that included some who “marked themselves safe from yet another Amigos review.” Most took it in good stride, and the restaurant probably couldn’t have benefitted more from the publicity if they’d paid for it. It’s the kind of lightning-in-a-bottle fervor that only happens in the best Facebook groups, and now every new restaurant in Laurel will undoubtedly hope to catch even a fraction of that same Amigos Fever.
It’s entirely fitting that it was a business named “Amigos” that became such a hit in the Laurel MD Connect! group, as countless friendships are being formed through its membership ranks—friendships with founder Mike Mondy, new Laurel residents, local business owners, and many more.
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