These changes were always anticipated with such a trial and error process...especially seeing as neither of us had ANY experience in digital space development!
The initial design of a forum on the YouthworX website was a bit impossible with our talents (or lack thereof in this department). So that was sidelined in favour of putting the forum on an external site and linking to it from the homepage. The first forum I set up was on a free forum page. This space was ideal! And through some programming i altered the look to suit my wants :D i added buttons and graphics and colour and everything! Only invited members could join, so the privacy problem was countered.It was set to be perfect....UNTIL! I sent the link to Amanda at YouthworX and she made the valid point that it was still rather confusing..even after i simplified it all...and seeing as our main idea was to make this as easy and user friendly as possible something needed to change.
Amanda told us of the social networking site called Ning. This is a marvelous site where you can set up your own private social network. You create a main site which can have a blog and forum included. The layout is as easy as bebo to use (if not easier) and no one i showed it to had trouble using it first time, including my mum!! which is a minor miracle XD. Also, this site means that the organisations can create their own profile and add contact information, events, mission statement and any other information they want. This means that the database of information idea that was proposed at the beginning but had to be sidelined due to time can come into effect anyway! So all in all this is the BEST, EASIEST and SUPERLATIVE site to use to achieve the goals we set out to achieve....
wow...and JUST in time ;D
away i go to alter, prettify and finish off what i started!
TIM
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