Student: Thomas Harder
Instructor: Prof. Gazan
Introduction
Part of my project includes an overview of features of the more popular open source software packages available to create social networking sites. One of the most popular open source packages referenced in the popular literature is Elgg. Elgg is a Curverrider project. The project was started in 2004 and is now up to version 1.5. A variety of sites have adopted Elgg, and a small list is shown after this paper. As such this paper doesn’t adhere to the letter of the assignment, but I did try to make it adhere to the spirit.
Part of my project includes an overview of features of the more popular open source software packages available to create social networking sites. One of the most popular open source packages referenced in the popular literature is Elgg. Elgg is a Curverrider project. The project was started in 2004 and is now up to version 1.5. A variety of sites have adopted Elgg, and a small list is shown after this paper. As such this paper doesn’t adhere to the letter of the assignment, but I did try to make it adhere to the spirit.
Elgg has a variety of features that promote online identity. The two major aspects of online identity include the user profile and the avatar. Elgg provides both components in a standard modular form. Being modular allows the site developers to modify or replace the standard modular with a more customized version if desired. However, the standard modular should work nicely in most cases, with just a few tweaks. The standard Elgg profile is shown below.
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As is shown there is a host of information that is made available about a user. This data is grouped into six categories, User profile details, current status, recent bookmarks, message board, friends and group membership. Again, Elgg allows for this plug-in to be modified or replaced by another plug-in by the site developer, thus creating a unique site identity. Please keep this in mind while browsing the sites powered by Elgg.
The other major software feature of an online profile is an avatar. With Elgg the avatar is more than just a picture representing the user. The avatar includes a context sensitive menu. This menu allows site visitors to perform actions on the user to whom the avatar belongs such as adding the user as a friend, sending an internal message to the user and more. Additional plug-ins can add to this context sensitive menu to expand functionality and developers can add unique features to their site. The example below, from Elgg’s site show an avatar with an image cropping feature.
User avatar cropping
So Elgg allows the site developers to provide tools necessary to allow the users to create their own unique online identities. It is possible to allow users to customize their profiles, addint and subtracting or editing widgets, to present their image “just so”.
For examples of use I choose to use the Elgg Community site as it is powered by Elgg. The site is dedicated to the use and development of Elgg software and sites, and so is more limited in the types of conversation then sites such as AnswerBag. A likely scenario is a developer coming to find information on themes in Elgg. The user could login and then enter a key word or phrase in the search textbox. Once the phrase has been entered the user will press the go button and a search will be made of the group and discussion topics for an appropriate discussion thread.
User avatar cropping
So Elgg allows the site developers to provide tools necessary to allow the users to create their own unique online identities. It is possible to allow users to customize their profiles, addint and subtracting or editing widgets, to present their image “just so”.
For examples of use I choose to use the Elgg Community site as it is powered by Elgg. The site is dedicated to the use and development of Elgg software and sites, and so is more limited in the types of conversation then sites such as AnswerBag. A likely scenario is a developer coming to find information on themes in Elgg. The user could login and then enter a key word or phrase in the search textbox. Once the phrase has been entered the user will press the go button and a search will be made of the group and discussion topics for an appropriate discussion thread.
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The user will then be presented with a list of documents found about themes on the Elgg site.
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Themes are quite a popular issue on sites, as the theme helps create an identity. Elgg keeps themes in a separate menu in the menu bar. So the user could go to Tools->Plugins & Themes and the select a theme to apply. Some of the themes will show you what the end result may look like. From here the user can download and install the theme.
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The goal of this community is straight forward and that is to aid in the development of Elgg powered web sites. The Community is pretty close knit and small. Users cannot rate comments or posted tools formally, but they can comment to comments. And there is also a page hit or post hit counter which could be used as a gauge of popularity. Users can feedback directly to a developer and these comments are the lack there of could be used to bolster community belonging.
Sites powered by Elgg
Budokin Uniting Martial Arts
TGV REZO
Fem Pallars Sobira
The Brighton Gallery The Brighton Gallery is a free, simple, user friendly online community for creative individuals in the Brighton area to show their work, blog their thoughts, network, promote exhibitions and events, chat and have fun!
eJump
Unionbook
http://community.brighton.ac.uk/ This site is running Elgg v0.8 and is home to 40,000 students.
UHI Communities This site is running v0.9 of Elgg.
Swatch the Club This is a heavily modified version of Elgg.
UnLtdWorld UnLtdWorld is a social network aimed at connecting social entrepreneurs, social innovators and socially-minded people.
Eduspaces The first and largest social networking site dedicated to education and educational technology. With over 20,000 active users, Eduspaces is promoting the importance of Education, worldwide. This site is powered by Elgg v0.9
Rucku Rucku is the web's largest social network dedicated to rugby. This site is a bespoke development powered by Elgg.
Snippr Snippr is a custom social networking site built on a heavily customised Elgg.
diveXit This community is for Skydivers or people interested in Skydiving.
Dogs24 Hier geht es um Hunde. Und deren Futterknechte, Kumpels, Freunde, Besitzer - also um Dich! Mach mit und tausche Dich mit anderen aus.
Socialtrak A social network that allows you to create mutiple profiles and access groups.
i-Bondage We created this website out of our clear passion for a united BDSM community, a place to educate and connect.
Schools in Middle East
Social eCommerce This is a place to collaborate, learn and share anything eCommerce.
Entre Pares
Addicted to kicks
EnterpriseAmbassadors The UK's national enterprise movement
My Life Thinking
A mort la malbouffe
Moopz
Oakpages
Facebook for kids
Tickerheads Share your stock, option, future, and currency trades with others and receive immediate feedback
Hedgehogs The space for the investment community.
Chukkest
Themes are quite a popular issue on sites, as the theme helps create an identity. Elgg keeps themes in a separate menu in the menu bar. So the user could go to Tools->Plugins & Themes and the select a theme to apply. Some of the themes will show you what the end result may look like. From here the user can download and install the theme.
The goal of this community is straight forward and that is to aid in the development of Elgg powered web sites. The Community is pretty close knit and small. Users cannot rate comments or posted tools formally, but they can comment to comments. And there is also a page hit or post hit counter which could be used as a gauge of popularity. Users can feedback directly to a developer and these comments are the lack there of could be used to bolster community belonging.
Sites powered by Elgg
Budokin Uniting Martial Arts
TGV REZO
Fem Pallars Sobira
The Brighton Gallery The Brighton Gallery is a free, simple, user friendly online community for creative individuals in the Brighton area to show their work, blog their thoughts, network, promote exhibitions and events, chat and have fun!
eJump
Unionbook
http://community.brighton.ac.uk/ This site is running Elgg v0.8 and is home to 40,000 students.
UHI Communities This site is running v0.9 of Elgg.
Swatch the Club This is a heavily modified version of Elgg.
UnLtdWorld UnLtdWorld is a social network aimed at connecting social entrepreneurs, social innovators and socially-minded people.
Eduspaces The first and largest social networking site dedicated to education and educational technology. With over 20,000 active users, Eduspaces is promoting the importance of Education, worldwide. This site is powered by Elgg v0.9
Rucku Rucku is the web's largest social network dedicated to rugby. This site is a bespoke development powered by Elgg.
Snippr Snippr is a custom social networking site built on a heavily customised Elgg.
diveXit This community is for Skydivers or people interested in Skydiving.
Dogs24 Hier geht es um Hunde. Und deren Futterknechte, Kumpels, Freunde, Besitzer - also um Dich! Mach mit und tausche Dich mit anderen aus.
Socialtrak A social network that allows you to create mutiple profiles and access groups.
i-Bondage We created this website out of our clear passion for a united BDSM community, a place to educate and connect.
Schools in Middle East
Social eCommerce This is a place to collaborate, learn and share anything eCommerce.
Entre Pares
Addicted to kicks
EnterpriseAmbassadors The UK's national enterprise movement
My Life Thinking
A mort la malbouffe
Moopz
Oakpages
Facebook for kids
Tickerheads Share your stock, option, future, and currency trades with others and receive immediate feedback
Hedgehogs The space for the investment community.
Chukkest
References
Elgg Website
Posts
It was very interesting looking at those list of sites you posted. Lots of them are very passion-centric. It is much like the reading by Ploderer that explored a community of bodybuilders. The list has sites for everything from Swatch watch lovers to people who love their polo ponies. I think that these types of communities link the online and offline lives of people and make life so much more integrated. I would argue that for many of these passion-centric sites, online identity might more heavily emphasize people's passions than happens in offline life. This is to be expected though since the entire community revolves around a certain topic.
ReplyDeleteVery good to explain how Elgg allows users to create their own online identities. Even though I am not familiar with Elgg, it’s very easy to understand what the site looks like. Since Elgg offers various options or themes to users to create profiles, I guess there is a difficulty to track one’s identity. Are there many people choose different options than the standard one? Also, what’s is your working definition of online identity for this site?
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments after review it does appear I missed the definition of online identity.
ReplyDeleteI suppose online identity for this software would be considered the avatar, the personal description, the friends one establishes and the groups one joins. The online identity would also include the way the user projects himself, but this more a function of the user than the software.
Keep in mind that this is a review of a SNS software package and that any particular site could vary the features and change the feel.
Perhaps, instead of reviewing several packages it would be better to review just 1 and look at the different features that are used most often.
Regards, Tom