Communities Internet is a not for profit
company and a registered Scottish charity. It started in 1996 in a
village called Bishopton. Bishopton on the Web was one of the first
real community web sites created in the UK. Our aim is to provide
communities and groups within the communities access to the Internet
and the benefits that come from this technology.
Web Sites
We now manage over 42 community web sites and provide support to
community groups looking for a web presence. All in all we manage
another 200 web sites through our own servers.
We're a voluntary organisation. Volunteers make up a local web team, from this a
web contact is
chosen. The Web Contact is the point of contact for that community web
site and, usually, our first point of contact with the community.
The Web Sites
All the web sites follow rules and guidelines to ensure that they do
their jobs, these are;
- The web sites must positively promote the community it
represents, no negative aspects are placed on the web site. It is
there to show the efforts of the community!
- No photo specifically showing an individual or private property
will be allowed on the web site without permission. These are web
sites by consent, even after consent is given the individual can ask
for the entry to be removed at any time!
- The web site is free for the use of the community, no one should
be charged for any entry or link on the web site if they work or
reside in the community.
- No third party advertising is allowed on any web site as this
could conceivably take away trade from local business.
- Each web site has the same directory structure, though these can
be altered to take into account the community, the directories are
split into two sections:
Constantly Updating
We review all our web sites on a regular basis and even if there is
no web contact we can bring the power of the Internet to the screens
of the community. It's a never ending process. This way we can keep
step with the ever shifting technology or changes in the community.
Us and the Community
We are committed to the community. @CI has run workshops and spoken to
a variety of groups on the power of the Internet and its related
technology. We have run workshops on "Sustainable Community Web Sites"
for
NGFL Scotland's Connecting Communities Conference and a
similar workshop for the
Wired up Communities Conference in Manchester. We have
worked on a variety internet based projects to help kids use this
technology like the
Art Game in Paisley, where we also designed the web site
for the project.
We have been the key note speakers at a variety of functions and
write the newspaper column for the Barrhead News, Renfrewshire Gazette
and the Dumbarton Reporter where we answer questions and keep the
readers informed about the benefits and dangers of the Internet.
We are committed to the benefits communities can gain from the
Internet and the technology surrounding it. We have aimed our service
around ensuring that we remove any barrier, within our power, to
facilitate community engagement, using the Internet as a communication
tool, by providing facilities of a web site dedicated to the community
and free web sites for community groups.
Why do we do this?
This has an easy answer. Communities were at risk from
exploitation from marketing companies. Community groups were left
behind because there was no profit to be had. We thought that was
wrong, so we developed a simple philosophy to our web sites, they’re
free to everyone and they reflect the community they serve. The right
thing to do for the right reasons and it's a lot of fun!
|
