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Get Community Web for your Area

Get Community Web for your Area image For the technically minded, www.southwilts.com is actually the world's most advanced Content Management System (CMS) running on a state-of-the-art Unisys Cool Ice database.

So, if HTML isn't your thing (and for over 95% of the population that holds true) and you're planning a website with lots of content, what do you do? Either you shell out a fortune for a web designer to put your content on a website - and then pay monthly for hosting and maintenance or you look to use a Content Management System. If the latter sounds easier, Community Web and Neighbourhood Web (TM) is ideal for you. With CMS, content is stored in a database away from the site's templates, which makes it impossible to destroy the design structure of the site when editing.

CMS systems allow anyone to edit his or her website, regardless of technical skill level. Pages can be added or changed easily without knowing any intricate coding. South Wiltshire Community Web is designed as a portal, serving both as a content management system and as a signposting service for the local community - in fact it is more of a Virtual Community than a portal.

Unlike other CMS systems, the Neighbourhood Web is free for all users. It allows images, documents, diaries, news releases, advertisements, jobs and mailing lists to be uploaded and managed by users at no cost. It was developed with Government funding and is now run by the community for the community - it is and will remain free of the usual commercial motivations.

If you are considering CMS for your local community, then Neighbourhood Web is the product for you. When you buy the system you become part of a community - a forum of CMS users all over the country, who meet together to develop and improve the Neighbourhood Web. Future-proof and sustainable, it's a winner all round.

The technology that makes this site work is now available for use in other areas. We will not compromise our principles - the Community Web is, and will remain essentially a not- for- profit initiative - but we can sell the module to other councils, public sector organisations or charities

We would prefer it to be used by Local Strategic Partnerships in the same way that we are using it here in South Wiltshire, but we are prepared to consider expressions of interest from any local authority, public body or charity.

Not all of the benefits may be obvious. Of course, it creates a virtual online community and allows community groups to put information online - but it does much more than that. One of the most powerful aspects of the community web is that it is a consultation and participation tool enabling the LSP to consult and engage with an online community of thousands of local people. By conducting online surveys, creating discussion forums and creating feedback pages the LSP can engage directly with its local community.

The South Wiltshire Strategic Alliance has developed the site with public funding - so why should you have to go to that expense? The site is available to you net of the development costs! [i]Too good to be true? Not a bit!

Sounds good? Then why not get your very own communty web! Visit the website: www.neighbourhoodweb.com for more information