CHOOSING A PLATFORM
I am not a very decisive person. Even before any of these blog posts started, it took me an a good hour of messing around and forming hypothetical possibilities in my head, looking back on what previous students had done, just to choose between Wix and Wordpress.
Ironically, I've come to choose Wordpress to be the website platform on which to create my social network. It only took 2 days so really, a complete win in my books.
Here are my top 5 reasons why a locally hosted Wordpress is the best place to create a website proof-of-concept:
It is (mostly) free! Would it be morally wrong to spend real money for a uni assignment? Probably not, especially when it's for justified usage of licensed software and not paying someone to write my essay. Would it feel weird? A little maybe. Do I have hundreds of dollars to spend? Perhaps but I want to buy a flute.
You don't need to know any coding. If you're like me and 'if' statements are about as far into coding a you'll ever get, then worry not, Wordpress allows huge functionality through installable plugins and themes that the more tech-wizzy individuals of the world have created.
It's so customisable. Through those plugins etc. you can make your website into pretty much whatever you want. Frankenstein the hell out of it.
BuddyPress. This plugin transforms your website into a social network with profiles, groups, instant messaging...all the good stuff.
The online support is extensive. Wordpress has its own FAQ pages and tutorials for installation in case you get stuck. But there are also a bunch of up-to-date tutorials online to guide you to where you want your website to be. Thanks to Jay McCormack for helping me install Wordpress through MAMP. Here's his tutorial, with complementary Australian accent:
So admittedly, this list is somewhat hypothetical so far. I have had little chance to play with much of the functions. What have been able to do though is create a locally hosted website. and install the BuddyPress plugin.
Here's my very basic profile page:
The next step will be trying to come up with a list of essential capabilities of the website and the design I want it to have. Might need to bring out the old pencil and paper and do some schematic drawings .
Fingers crossed this turns out decent ish