Community-based Interactive Tools Alison Connor Elizabeth Koerber Carrie Snesko

Project 6 - Assignment Develop an IORP for presenting community-based interactive communication and information-sharing interactive tools on the DiscoverET.org website.  Perform a Case-study of the existing interactive communication and information-sharing tools used on the DiscoverET.org website.  Suggest forms of emerging tools that should be incorporated in the future.  Provide examples of websites using the various community- based interactive communication and information-sharing tools and evaluate the forms of interaction taking place via the different tools in the different settings.  Present the pros and cons based upon your analysis while you make recommendations for the DiscoverET.org website.

Relationship to 520 Coursework Information System Development “An interconnected set of information resources under the same direct management control that shares common functionality. Includes hardware, software, information, data, applications, communications, and people.”  Develop structure/framework Unite the various interactive tools  Interface between the system and people User-centered design

Relationship to 520, continued Subject-Access/Cross-Referencing  Determining “aboutness”  Organizing topics in a meaningful way that allows users to easily access their desired information Classification of Topics  Establishing a hierarchical and associative structure

Philosophical Basis – The “Public Sphere” (Jurgen Habermas) Presents communication opportunities in a broad sense, where people can interact Allows people to enter “spaces” without undue hindrance (i.e., race, ethnicity, economic status) ; spaces are visible; discussions are open Mediates between people and institutions, between the powerless and powerful

Community Networks “…free online environment[s] designed to promote and favor communication, cooperation, and the exchange of services among citizens and all the public and private members of a local community (nonprofit organization, government institutions, and companies)…” (Shaping the Network Society, p. 199)

Interactive Tools Wikis Blogs Listservs/ s Interactive Calendars Discussion Boards

Wikis A wiki is a group of Web pages that allows users to add content, as on an internet forum, but also permits others (often completely unrestricted) to edit the content. The term wiki also refers to the collaborative software (wiki engine) used to create such a website. Wikis are a true hypertext medium, with non-linear navigational structures. Each page typically contains a large number of links to other pages. Hierarchical navigation pages often exist in larger wikis, often a consequence of the original page creation process, but they do not have to be used.

Blogs Abbreviated form of “weblog” A blog is a website for which an individual or a group generates text, photographs, video, audio files, and/or links, typically but not always on a daily or otherwise regular basis.

Listservs/ s Electronic mailing lists are a special usage of that allows for widespread distribution of information to many internet users. Software is installed on a server which processes incoming messages, and, depending on their content, either acts on them internally or distributes the message to all users subscribed to the mailing list. Today, mailing lists are most often used for collaboration on various projects and as a way of distributing current news and other such information. Sometimes these take the form of what is termed a "discussion list": a subscriber uses the mailing list to send messages to all the other subscribers, who may answer in similar fashion. Thus actual discussion and information exchanges can happen. Mailing lists of this type are usually topic-oriented

Interactive Calendars While interactive calendars vary widely in format, they all provide an opportunity for users to enter and view upcoming events.

Discussion Boards A discussion board is a general term for any online "bulletin board" where you can leave and expect to see responses to messages you have left.

DiscoverET.org Case Study

Existing DiscoverET.org Resources Calendar Blog Links Discussion Group Links Mailing Lists

DiscoverET.org Calendar

Begins on current day Lists events chronologically Each event has a title and short description  “Details” link Search Features  Date, county, organization, list of categories  Keyword search Add an Event / Submit an Event Help Features

DiscoverET.org Blogs

Rocky Top Brigade Blog Station Brian’s Blog Camp4u Instapundit.com Keep Knoxville Beautiful We’re Screwed

DiscoverET.org Discussion Groups

Open Discussion for the Town of Jellico, TN Digital Divide Discussion Group Civil Liberties Alliance K2k Knoxnet knoxville Based Yahoo Groups Oak Ridge Based Yahoo Groups KORRnet.org Hosted Listservs

DiscoverET.org Mailing Lists

41 Lists available  Click list name Description of the list How to subscribe/unsubscribe List archives

Case Studies of Similar Sites

Example Sites Wiki = SeattleWiki  Blog = Gothamist  Listserv/ = Vancouver Community Network  www2.vcn.bc.ca www2.vcn.bc.ca Calendar = Littleton Community Network  Discussion Board = Davis Community Network  forums.dcn.org/goals forums.dcn.org/goals

SeattleWiki.org

Gothamist.com

Vancouver Community Network

Littleton.org Calendar

DCN - Davis Community Network

Group Recommendations Wikis  Open Source Software: TWiki, Kwiki, MediaWiki, PmWiki, MoinMoin…TWikiKwikiMediaWikiPmWikiMoinMoin Blogs Listservs/ s Calendars  CalendarScript - $85 for typical license ownership; $50 for not-for-profits; free trial CalendarScript Discussion Boards  Ezboard.com – “free” Ezboard.com  vBulletin – one year lease $85; license ownership $160 vBulletin

Group Recommendations Overall design for community-interaction and information-sharing pages  More fully integrated, under a single header  Header = “Communication & Media”

References CalendarScript 3.2. [ Davis Community Network [ DiscoverET.org. [ ezboard. [ Fish, Shlomi. “Which open source wiki works for you?” ONLamp.com. [ Gothamist. [ Habermas, Jurgen. The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere: An Inquiry into a Category of Bourgois Society. Boston: MIT Press, Littleton Community Network [ SeattleWiki. [ Schuler, Douglas and Peter Day. Shaping the Network Society. Boston: MIT Press, Vancouver Community Network [www2.vcn.bc.ca]www2.vcn.bc.ca vBulletin. [

Thank you