In the past two weeks, I’ve launched several websites. Here’s a quick summary.
North American Interfraternal Foundation
Description: The North American Interfraternal Foundation exists to promote and support leadership, educational, and research initiatives that advance the North American college fraternal experience by giving scholarships, grants and recognition.
Tools: I coded most of this one by hand. I’m am using the handy FormMail PHP script to help me process those lengthy applications.
Third Goal
Description: Third Goal provides Peace Corps volunteers an easy and independent way to promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of all Americans. Peace Corps volunteers may register for a free blog and online journal.
Tools: WordPress is the CRM that drives the site.
Kip Zurcher
Description: A blog for boss and friend Kip Zurcher. Kip is wanting to use a blog to communicate with the board and other audiences.
Tools: WordPress is the CRM that drives the site.
Kipedia
Description: A wiki for boss and friend Kip Zurcher. The wiki may be used by many to flesh out ideas and projects.
Tools: MediaWiki is the wiki that drives the site.
Frankly, I’m most excited about Third Goal. I created the site to provide Peace Corps volunteers a free, easy, and independent way to share their stories with the rest of the world; something I was deprived of doing when I was a volunteer.
By offering a consolidated venue for all Peace Corps volunteers, the public receives a concentrated resource of first-person experiences from worlds very different than their own and the volunteers receive protection in numbers. If the site grows to 50, 100, or even 1,000 users; is the Peace Corps going to kick them all out?
Actually, I think the Peace Corps has eased up on its policy of stripping its volunteers of their First Amendment rights. Though I still receive several emails and phone calls a month about Peace Corps issues from volunteers and parents, it’s been a long time since someone has reported conflicts with website content, email, or blogs.
Now that Third Goal is built, only time will tell if volunteers will come and use it.