Week 3 - Blog Posting #6 - Communities of Practice

I’m the Webmaster of my church. A few years ago I wanted to turn our website into a social networking platform that our members, regular attendees, and guests can log into and see just what our church is about. I wish I could say I finished the project, but unfortunately it was just too much work for myself. However, the idea is still there and now these other social networking sites, such as Facebook, would make it easier to implement their technology so our church can use it. A good example is Fan Pages. We can make a Facebook Fan Page of my church and spread the word that way. Another way we can spread the word is to advertise. The two most commonly used social networking sites, in my opinion, is Facebook and MySpace, with LinkedIn trailing third. Other tools that I can use to make an independent social networking site for my church are Google’s tools that they offer for free. I can use Google APIs to implement photo albums using Picasa, add blog support, etc. Finally, if I really had the time, money, and manpower, I can go with my original idea and make a completely independent church social networking site.

As a Web Developer, I’m learning new ways of doing things. It wasn’t until I signed up with Full Sail that I realized the full potential of these tools out there, and I know it’s only the tip of the iceberg. As an Educator, I’d like to create a mini-social network for my kids to go to. The idea is out there and I’m still contemplating it, and who knows, maybe I’ll expand and create the next big platform. Haha, maybe not. But in this life, anything is possible.