Purpose
The purpose of this tutorial is to help explain how promoting "online collaboration" through the use of WIKIs may help reduce volunteer workload, and build a customized online database for church volunteering and operational activities that not only can be used to share with the Westminster congregation and the Orangeville community, but with the entire World...
This tutorial will focus on the possibilities and advantages of collaborating over the Internet with the most effective tools.
The Importance of Collaborating Online
YouTube Video
- If you want to see the visual steps for "Powering Up Computer Lab", here is a link to a customized YouTube video: N/A
Written Concepts
- Below are the written concepts (in case you prefer to have a printout of these procedures):
A Little History and Perspective
- The concept of collaborating on-line is not new. Even the predecessor to the Internet (ARPAnet) was developed by the U.S. military in the 60's to make it harder for an adversary to eliminate all nuclear missile site, thus creating the MAD doctrine (Mutually Assured Destruction). In the 70s and 80s, there was a need for nuclear and rocket scientist to collaborate to advance nuclear missile research (since each department needed to see the "big picture" as opposed to only their particular contribution. It just happened to be that these scientists worked in research organizations, universities and colleges, allowing instructors and students to start using those tools such as e-mail, and web-browsers accessing the World Wide Web.
- Ironically, the mechanism that developed from the "fear of war", developed into an infrastructure to help to promote peace and helping to "bring people together".
- That is what would I call an unexpected but highly pleasant side-effect! :)
- Computer programmers, since the 70s, connected via computer networks to collaborate when creating software application, with very quick and efficient results. If the new catch-phrase "Working in the Cloud" applies to storing documents and editing them in "cyberspace", then this author has been "Working in the Cloud" since 1998 (long before this term was invented)...
- This need to "connect" has now extended from educational institutions into our homes and our everyday lives:
- Smart phones, Blackberries, tablet computers, etc
- Checking e-mail on a daily basis
- Checking weather conditions or school cancellations on web-pages
- Expectation (no longer luxery) of wireless connectivity in public places (eg. McDonalds has now gone wireless)
- Feeling of "disconnection from World" if Internet service is down
- This need to connect is further validated by the quick growth of social media applications such as:
- Myspace
- Angies List
- This trend will not only continue, but rather accelerate as our increased need for purposeful "connection" grows.
The "Chains of Perception" that Unfortunately Bind
- To be completed ...
A Matter of Opportunity Costs
- To be completed ...
Break The Chains: Collaborate Online
- To be completed ...
Barriers to Success
- To be completed ...
Water Seeks its Own Level
- To be completed ...
Where Do We Go From Here?
- To be completed ...
Additional Resources
- Here are some resources to assist the user using WIKIs: