Web 2.0
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Saturday, 17 March 07 - 10:53 PM (GMT) By Justin Dean in Terapad |
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For those who didn't realise there was a Web 1.0 let alone a Web 2.0 this inspirational video sums up the whole thing in 5 minutes. Can you see where Terapad fits in?
Of course whilst the rest of the world is undergoing these huge changes in the way we communicate with each other, there will always be some who have different ideas.
So what is Terapad?
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Monday, 12 February 07 - 04:23 PM (GMT) By Justin Dean in Terapad |
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It’s a question I am being asked more and more, and it’s a difficult one to answer, I know what Terapad means to me, but it means different things to different people.
The thing is, that Terapad has been developed with the end user in mind. We are a small organisation and not motivated by the market forces that drive the faceless corporate giants behind websites like blogger.com or myspace.com. In stark contrast, when our users want to see a feature, they make a request, and it (usually) gets developed. So ultimately I guess the answer is that Terapad is whatever YOU want it to be.
For starters there is the blogging platform. Many people have moved their blogs from the conventional blogging sites to Terapad, and despite only being operational for a small time Terapad now hosts thousands of blogs from 123 different countries, in a variety languages, on a vast array of subjects.
Some examples include:
Ozcomments , Kosovo , Koine , Kedarguru , Nlm , UKs Best , Adamarketing , Julie Bois , Mobile News , CoolHandLuke , Rolu .
They all have their reasons for moving to Terapad, but on the whole it seems that what they have in common is that they believe that Terapad is truly beyond blogging. The content management editor is more advanced than most, but what’s different about Terapad is that it isn't just blogging, there are lots of other very important modules:
Shop, Forums, Image Gallery, Web Pages, Streaming Video, News Feeds, Google Analytics
It’s these features that I believe make Terapad so useful for so many people, and what makes it stand out from the crowd. Any individual, anywhere, can have their own website set up and running in a matter of minutes. They don’t need to blog, they don’t even need to know what a blog is, but they have the option of making use of the Internet in any way they see fit, and peoples imagination is way better than mine:
Residents Communities: Chesterfield New Jersey
Military Associations: Seavixen
Scout Groups: BSA Troup 848
Fishermen: Cybercarp
Sports Clubs: Kyudo , Ball above all , Broad US Youth
Youth groups: SCBC Youth , Fusion
Religion: Light of Islam, Krishna
Dance Clubs: Icaro Dance
Personal development: CinqueTibetani , MSO Voice
Families: Sreeja
Reunions: Elhacedor
Family Trees: Jacquie Dean
Memorials: James Rourke
Gaming Clans: Horde Brotherhood , Dios Clan
Small Business Shops: CotCovers , Wyanne
Other Small Businesses: Herbamelayu
Individuals: Mark Moore , Corry Ruller
Travelers: Manu Risse
Migration: Sandy
Only a rare few manage to make use of all of Terapad's features, take HinttWorld , a great site using Shop, Forums, Events Diary, Blog, WebPages, Image Gallery and Careers Tool. Well worth a visit if you're looking for inspiration (or indeed an exotic equine experience).
This is just a brief cross section which I have taken from the Terapad community webpage , but there are thousands more.
I believe what Terapad is doing for these guys is great. All the latest web features are available, streaming video direct from the web page, uploading pictures direct from their digital cameras, creating webpages about their families and communities, documenting their interests, and keeping in touch with friends both old and new. It’s like the 21st century version of the annual Christmas card, only this one is being written to the whole world and it doesn’t cost a penny.
One big difference is how easy Terapad is to use. We all know how the kids seem to know more about computers than their parents or grandparents, but those same parents and grandparents are now on Terapad setting up and creating their own websites! There are complete computer novices that are now finding out that they are the website administrator for a community of people fascinated in their subject matter. It’s great to get the feedback from these guys who have done such a good job, brushing of their computer gremlins and trying it out.
It will be interesting to see in which direction Terapad goes. I know there are new features regularly coming out (right now the development team are working on some very exciting social networking features, keep an eye on Stephan's blog for more information), but whether or not we can make this global community a success will depend entirely on the people that are using it, their thoughts, their opinions and how well we listen to their feedback.
Terapad is really all about giving the Internet back to the people, and I am proud to be part of it. Good luck to all the Terapaders out there, and I look forward to hearing more of your success stories.
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