For the past couple of years I’ve been a customer of Web Crossing, which is a provider of online community/collaboration systems. This entry describes what it’s like to develop online communities using their technology.
Designing an online community platform using Web Crossing, in some ways, is like building a house.
For the novice builder, the platform provides the equivalent of manufactured homes- the platform provides a nice number of configurations and options from which the builder can choose without driving a single nail.
Further, there are “plug-ins�? that can be downloaded that offer the ability to add a hot tub, a new deck, a flower garden or central vacuum. Programming is not required.
However, the true power of Web Crossing lies in its ability to support virtually any idea a builder or designer can imagine. This is because Web Crossing makes the building materials available for customers to use. This means that the tools, designs, foundations and blueprints that are used to create the “manufactured homes�? are also available for individual builders to use to create custom, one-of-a-kind homes. The builder is never forced to limit designs to what Web Crossing provides.
Here’s what I mean…
When you start working with Web Crossing, you see the way that they have designed starter houses. You can see a number floor plans and where Web Crossing suggests you install light switches, plumbing and electrical. You can pick from a palette of colors and styles they think is appropriate. Plus, you can add rooms and amenities with the click of a button.
However, you can also change things completely. They give you a normal home and you can make it into a skyscraper or a tee-pee. You can move the light switches to where your users will find them. You can build a water slide in the backyard or a roof made of thatch. You can use their tools and building materials to create a home to your exact specifications. The possibilities are seemingly limitless.
Because there are so many possibilities, it’s impossible for Web Crossing to anticipate every need. Further, when an organization gets started with Web Crossing, it can be daunting to make design decisions or build new tools without prior experience or context. This is a niche Common Craft is filling.
I’ve managed communities for three years and I’ve customized Web Crossing for two. This experience is helping me to create my own version of the platform that’s one-of-a-kind, a house for my customers that provides them a starting point farther down the design curve… a model that can help them see new opportunties that they won't see elsewhere.
My house is the "Workspace" on this site and it's getting closer to being livable all the time.