____________________________Creating and Using Web Interactive Databases

• On-line Communities
  • What are they?
    • On-line communities exist on the Internet and include the people you e-mail and who e-mail you back, distribution lists on your e-mail client, forums and chat rooms, workgroups that share information, and many others.
    • On-line communities share many of the characteristics of traditional communities, but they also possess unique characteristics.
  • Problems
    • Penetration is the degree to which the Internet has been incorporated into a community. Colleges and Universities are highly penetrated and poor, rural households are not. Estimates of Internet penetration in SW Arkansas range from 15 to 35 percent penetration. In contrast, penetration in cities like San Francisco may exceed 60 percent.
    • The digital divide is a relatively new metaphor describing the growing distance between technological haves and have-nots. As technology becomes more important in daily life, that distance will either shrink or disappear, or a polarized society will emerge.
    • Getting the on-line habit is another problem. Even long-time users of the Internet are often lax about checking or answering their e-mail. Before an on-line community can work effectively, its members must be experienced in the use of technology and willing to use it.
    • Older methods may, in fact, be better sometimes. Before going to an on-line community approach, you should evaluate the older ways of accomplishing the same goals. Distribution of xerox copies by mail, telephoning, or simply publishing a want ad may all be more efficient and cheaper methods for distributing information and creating community. Do not assume that the Internet is always the best way.
  • Solutions?
    • Assess your local situation. What is the degree of penetration? What other methods might work better?
    • If you decide to use an on-line method, should it be static or dynamic? Also, will interactivity be an issue? If so, how will you deal with it?
    • Where will you set the technology threshold for use of your system?
  • Academic Communities
    • While academic communities are typically well penetrated, a great deal of variation exists among its members in their technological expertise and willingness to use technology.
    • Students are now the group most willing to use technology. Also, because of the structure of the academy, they can be easily required to use it.
    • Administrators are also relatively willing and able users of technology because of the longer history of technology in the administration and management of colleges and universities.
    • Faculty show the most diversity in the use of technology. Some are enthusiastic adopters and users, a few refuse technology nearly in its entirety, and most are capable but not expert users of technology.
    • In the examples to follow, a FileMaker Pro database solution applicable to each of these communities will be demonstrated and discussed.

Back to Main Page_____________________________________________________