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Why yourorganisation.org is no longer a luxury in today's world
Frederick Noronha
In today's world, everyone needs one. We're talking about a
'web presence' here. While corporates and those with big
budgets can simply go ahead and buy one, those who work in an
alternative world need to find the ways to create one without
huge expenses or time-loss.
In this context, the Indian computer magazine Digit's
September 2005 issue -- which, as every month, contains a lot
of ideas packed in between unfortunate plastic covers --
includes an interesting and informative little book. It's
titled 'Fast Track to Your Web Presence'. And what it
promises to drill you about include the benefits of being
online, hosting and designing a web site, blogs, and forums.
In Digit's characteristic style, the content is neither
haphazard nor shoddy. Spread across 202 unpretentious
(newsprint-based) pages, this booklet is packed with useful
information. Team Digit, which put it together, says in the
introduction:
Like in the real world, the internet also provides
you various platforms to express yourself,
interact, argue and learn. Some of these places can
be found easily, others need you to be part of a
network that is possible only after spending
substantial amount of time with members of such
networks. The advantages here are enormous.
It promises that both your personal and professional life can
"receive a major filip with a good web presence". Some good
practical advice even when you're just writing email, here:
Never use abusive words while writing e-mails. (They're as
disguisting as in real life.) Do not lower your prestige on
the Net. Get a POP3 email account and write your mails in
less-of-a-rush offline. Take all the precautions you take
while writing a real life letter. Greet people. Remember to
sign-off with your name and be polite.
Besides focussing on Netiquette (the ethics of the Net), this
booklet looks at the personal gains of being online, and
online social networking. Maybe it might be a little crass to
get onto the Net just because there are "personal gains" in
doing so. What about all the pioneers who created and
extended the Net, just because they were keen to give back
more than they received? While drawing newbies to the Net,
it's also important to ensure we build on this culture. Or
isn't it?
Next, we move on to online businesses, online options for
small businesses, telecommuting, having a "global office" in
cyberspace, and what exactly you need to host a website.
Building the Free Software-based PHPNuke sites, designing a
site, avoiding frames, and design tools are also touched on.
Later in this title we go to that next great fashion --
blogs. Are these more than just a fashion? One wonders why
they haven't caught on adequately in India yet. (Even as we
write this, things are changing fast. One blogger has been
pressurised out of his job, and everyone's asking
questions....)
To begin with basics, what's a blog? "Simply put, a blog is a
compilation of thoughts, ideas, facts, news or whatever you
will that someone has decided to put online. Called posts,
each article on a blog can be connected with the previous or
not. That's the thing. There are no rules and there are no
restrictions. It's your playground to experiment." Sounds
interesting...
'Your Web Presence' tells you what the 'elements of success'
that goes into a successful blog. It offers some how-tos to
set up blogs, and then move on to forums.
"Forums are simple to understand, and are, in
certain respects, very close to communities in real
life. The fact that they are very easy to use also
increases their popularity -- anyone who can manage
to connect to the Internet, open a browser and type
in a URL will find it easy to click on a link to a
forum, and then register and post their thoughts."
There are thoughts on 'troublemakers' in cyberspace, and how
to gain respect. Tip: In order to enhance your skill and
knowledge, you need to gain respect and be polite. Treat a
forum and its members like you would if all this was
happening in the real world
>From page 97 onwards, the booklet moves into 'whitepapers'.
These are texts on a variety of subjects -- business
networking, blogging, general Netiquette, e-mail Netiquette
-- that are put across in the form of (sometimes)
free-to-reproduce backrounders available online.
Ina O'Murchu et al's paper on online social and business
networking communities appears interesting. One would wish
that we had more such work dealing specifically with the
alternate not-for-profit world. Is anyone out there taking
note?
Brian Sullivan's quick study on netiquette also has some very
interesting pointers. For instance, don't lie about who you
are. Know when to shut up. Know when it's okay to talk.
And: Check your grammar. Don't ask about e-mail you just
sent. Follow threads you start. Don't use instant messaging
for long messages. Send a message before you drop in to meet
someone. Log off instant messaging when you're not using it.
Never send an e-mail you wouldn't read in public. Think twice
before forwarding e-mail; incidentally, the jury remains out
as to whether forwarding messages is acceptable.
On the other hand, the paper 'make your site more interactive
with Microsoft FrontPage 2002' sucks. More so if you dislike
Microsoft, believe in freedom in computing (and Free
Software... okay, you know where my biases lie), think that
the products of this corporation are far from efficient or
overpriced or both. Or even if you have any other reason for
not using Microsoft FrontPage 2002.
At the end comes a useful bibliography that links us to books
on managing email, making business e-mail effective,
netiquette, web-site design, web hosting, practical advice on
creating your own blog, and more. Needless to say, we living
in the non-affluent world will have to wait for sometime to
access these books... if at all low-cost editions come out
here.
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