COAP:COAP-2100/week1

Week 1 COAP 2100

Topics Covered

• Using the World Classroom (if needed)
• Using Web 2.0 services to create web sites and web contents
  • Creating web sites with "Social" software services
  • Creating web sites with various online services
  • Web Widgets and using widget code
  • Reading and managing news feeds (RSS)

Teaching materials

Tutorials

• Creating websites with online services. This short tutorial covers various online web site creation services we will use.
• Using web widgets. A short introduction on how to use web widgets.
• Browser extensions. A list of useful Firefox extensions.
• * RSS and News feed aggregator (short introduction to the format and clients)

(1) Webtop

• http://netvibes.com/ (use this one)
• http://www.pageflakes.com/ (a popular alternative

(2) Social networking creation services

• http://www.mixxt.org/
• http://www.spruz.com/
• http://www.socialgo.com/
• http://webs.com/
• http://www.amazee.com/
• http://www.ning.com/ (commercial only)

(3) Content management services

• http://sites.google.com/ (web site generator)
• https://www.blogger.com/ (blogger service)

(4) Web widget sites (some)

• Google gadgets
• Top 10 Web Widgets (a list made on readwrite web)
• http://www.widgetbox.com/
• http://www.widgipedia.com/
• http://www.labpixies.com/

Optional reading (background information): Social software, weblog, webtop

Classroom activities

Monday

• We shall start explore webtops and various social computing services (if time) and introduce the concept of web widgets and RSS news feeds.

Wednesday

• Create an account with Google (if don't already own one, e.g. a g-mail address):

http://google.com/accounts

Make sure to remember your login (gmail address) and password

• We shall explore Google sites and Blogger
• We will insert widget code in one or both of these on-line content creation services
• If time left: Further exploration of social networking creation services

Homework

Homework 1 summary

Objective: Create a web site with one of the four visited online services

Requirements:

1. The web site must have a clear objective (of your choice). A user should "feel" its identity.
2. The site must be available to the public (so that other students and myself can have a look at it). Of course, you also can create private pages within the same environment.
3. You should explicitly state the website's purpose in some place (e.g. with a little text widget, a welcome message, etc.)
4. The website must include some minimal contents. However, except for the small message about its purpose, you don't need to create the contents by yourself. E.g. You just could add various web widgets or other similar constructs that pull in data from other sources. It is up to to you to decide how many pages you need. E.g. one webtop page would be enough, one single Goggle sites page or blog entry is not (You may reuse some copyright free content is you like). Pages are not a relevant criteria for a social networking website.
5. Optional (for a top grade): Try to adapt the look and feel to your objectives. Make it (almost) operational

Submission:

• Deadline: Wednesday, week 2 before the start of class. Unjustified late submission will get you a lesser grade (see the syllabus)
• Procedure: Connect to the worldclassroom, click on "Homework 1 upload" and simply type the URL in the "Submission" form. Then hit the "submit" button.

Remarks:

• You may use your real identity or not. That's up to you. All I need is a URL I can connect to.
• Grading criteria: see the homework submission form
• This exercise can evolve into a term project (but must not).

Teaching materials:

• Creating websites with online services. This short tutorial covers various online web site creation services we will use.
• Using web widgets. A short introduction on how to use web widgets.
• Else please consult the help of the service you are interested in. These tools are made for non-technical people and you can figure out yourself how to use them ....

Term project start

Topic: Configure a web2.0 application such as a webtop or a private social network (style, menus, layout and contents). In other words: homework 1 can get you started.