I think KEEP SLS is interesting and convenient to let people to demonstrate their social technology site. Also, the way KEEP SLS shows the website is very clear and easy to let visitors to know what the exactly website look like because of the snapshot. That is to say, I think it is very suitable to integrate this into CCO(Elgg), Wuala or SemanticScuttle, because it provides different  kinds of view to let user to show their websites to the people who are interested their web page.

 

 On the other hand, although, the purpose and function is good, part of its function still need to be improved. For example, I think  the way it moves the box position should be changed into mouse drag instead of press direction button. I think it will let user feel more friendly to customize its page’s look and feel.

 

The advantages of KEEP SLS is that allows students to create snapshots that can contain messages and links to other sites of interests that allows visitors to make comments on what they see on their snapshot. In addition, blog posts are permitted on KEEP SLS that allows for further discussion of particular topics of interests besides just making comments. A snapshot could be created for each class the student is registered for and opens the snapshot up to his/her classmates for further colloboration outside the class.  

The disadvantages of KEEP SLS are that it’s limited by not allowing to edit existing comments that are made by users and doesn’t allow for additional widgets to be installed to increase its functionality.

KEEP SLS should be integrated with other social technologies since it itself is a social technology and can only benefit from other social technology sites with its features that it has to offer where KEEP SLS lacks.

Waula is great online storage technology that allows you to also socialize with other online users who share their sites. This is different than facebook, as facebook doesn't offer to store your hard drives data onto their system and neither does Google docs or WordPress. However, they do relate with one another as they allow users of their sites to post comments on existing content, such as recent posts (text, articles, videos, etc...). WordPress is limited to only message posts, but does offer a number of cool widgets that can be installed on its site. Waula on the other hand doesn't have much else other than storing content and allowing message posts of that stored content.

I think that Waula is a very powerful social software. It is different from Google docs, Facebook  and any other social software we use before. When I login into Waula, it opens another windows like our computers' hard drive. There are a lot of folders in this new window. We can also join the other group to share our file and get the file sharing by the other people.

 

  I think the appropriate moment to use the Waula is to store big files to let people to download. Waula's advantage is just like the using the FTP server, but it is more convenient to share the file and to leave a message on the file. However, it doesn't have the file browser like Google doc, and photo viewing, photo tag, and the other small game like Facebook.  It means that if Waula want to be different and successful in the future, I think it should enhance the function of file handling in order to add differentiation from the other social software, or it is hard to attract users to use it like Facebook and Google docs.

The Waula application is a social on line storage which allows for a way to store pictures or other items.  The application provides a key on your local computer, after being invited to join a thread.  This allows for group to have access to pictures, etc without others being able to access the data without being in the same group (shared key).  This is a good application for genealogy online among family members.  Family members are invited to join, a key stored onto the member's PC.  Without the key on the PC the data is not viewable/reachable.  Data is encrypted and decrypted for use.  This allows family members to conduct research which is encrypted/decrypted.  This also allows for multiple copies of pictures to family members.  Again, the data stored on the online storage is encrypted and required to be decrypted using a key.  Thus your user name and password must have a key from your PC to access data on the online storage.  There is a public folder in which others may view.

Modification for phpBB3:

 

  1. Added BBcode for view youtube videos.

      login to ACP in POSTING tab for BBcodes (left side bar)

      add to

BBCode usage

[youtube]{TEXT}[/youtube]

 

HTML replacement<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/{TEXT}" wmode="transparent" style="width:400px; height:326px;" id="VideoPlayback" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" flashvars="">

 

Help line

This field contains the mouse over text of the BBCode.

Help line text

Settings

Display on posting page

 

 

2.  Google Search Box

        http://www.phpbb.com/mods/db/index.php?i=misc&mode=display&contrib_id=11615

 3. No Avatar - Provide a default avatar to user

      http://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=69&t=1098

4.  Add snow to your forum
     http://www.phpbb.com/mods/db/index.php?i=misc&mode=display&contrib_id=11495

5. Karma Mod having problems with this one.

I have included below my 5 modifications that I have recently setup on my phpBB3 site. In addition, I have included below the additional modification that I got from Yernur that I also chose to setup on my phpBB3 site. 

Modification Name: Create users
URL: http://www.phpbb.com/mods/db/index.php?i=misc&mode=display&contrib_id=2964
Description: Allows you to create users to your phpBB3 site without having them directly register to your site by creating the user ids themselves. This was an easy to follow modification.

Modification Name: Google Search Box
URL: http://www.phpbb.com/mods/db/index.php?i=misc&mode=display&contrib_id=11615
Description: Places a checkbox underneath the search box of the main page that allows you to also search using the Google search engine. This was a straight forward installation.

Modification Name: Add snow to your forum
URL: http://www.phpbb.com/mods/db/index.php?i=misc&mode=display&contrib_id=11495
Description. Adds a snow effect to your phpBB3 site. This was a fun and cool modification to add the site without much effort.

Modification Name: Prime Login Return
URL: http://www.phpbb.com/mods/db/index.php?i=misc&mode=display&contrib_id=12155
Description: Returns the user to their previous known location on your phpBB3 site after he/she has successfully logged into your site.

Modification Name: Karma
URL: http://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=70&t=559069
Description: Add Karma rating widget to your phpBB3 site in the forum message posts that are made by users. You can give positive or negative karma based on posted comments. This was the most tedious and longest (+2 hours) modification from all the modifications that I have done so far.

Modification Name: Expand Categories
URL: http://www.phpbb.com/mods/db/index.php?i=misc&mode=display&contrib_id=9215
Description: Allows the user to expand and collapse categories if there are too many to navigate through. I got this modification from Yernur.

Here are the five modifications which be installed in my phpBB, and one extra modification I install via Arthur’s suggestion

 

1.Activity Stats MOD

This one is easy to install, and add the information to user that the activity for the phpBB within 24 hours, and it is easy to install

http://www.phpbb.com/mods/db/index.php?i=misc&mode=display&contrib_id=5015

2.Login After Register

This one is also very useful, because it can let user directly login after they register, and it is easy to install, too

http://www.phpbb.com/mods/db/index.php?i=misc&mode=display&contrib_id=12305

3. Poll Vote Reminder

   This one is useful when I want to notice people there are a new poll, and I hope they can offer their opinion. When install this modification, we have to very careful about copy the file to the exactly location.

http://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=69&t=1795175&start=0

        

4.coloured username for bump information 

This one is easy to install, just add two lines simple code in the viewtopic.php file, and upload it.

http://www.phpbb.com/mods/db/index.php?i=misc&mode=display&contrib_id=8265

5.Karma mod

 This one is very tricky, because it takes a lot of time to install, and also we have to notice that there is an error in the instruction about the file path. When finish all the edit and copy step, we also have to switch the theme to the “prosilver” in order to make it works.

 

http://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=70&t=559069 

 

Modification from Arthur

Google Search Box –

This one is cool, because it includes the google search in my phpBB, but unfortunately it doesn’t works in the theme I choose, so I change the theme to prosilver.

http://www.phpbb.com/mods/db/index.php?i=misc&mode=display&contrib_id=11615

 

 

 

 

 

The installation of phpBB3 was easy to follow, as long as read the instructions (forgot to rename the install file after ftp’ing).   I updated the style template which fits into a forum which handles many of the functions which are user friendly.  Create several forums and assigned members to each forum.  If a user/visitor has not been register on the site they can only register is if is open for registration for new members.  Added BBcode to include youtube videos.  This application works well for creating genealogy information.  Members can actual collaborate among themselves to look for others who might be a member of their family tree.  Tried using the Google search modification download but the ‘template’ file I am using does not support the design being used in the download.  The downloads can be modified by updating the BBcode.  Actually, the BBcode appears to be more interesting, since you can create your own modifications. 

The experience about installing phpBB is very interesting for me, because I think it is just like the Wiki and Wordpress which we just install during the class until now. It is a totally different kind of social technology platform for us to use for communication. I think bulletin board system is a very convenient tool for group discussion, so I am very exciting to have the chance to learn how to use it. Basically, I can understand most of the description in the admin panel, but it still takes time to know how to customize my own phpBB. For example, when I want to create a new category, I create it in the admin panel, but it doesn't show in the index page. After looking for the information on the Internet, I realize that I have to also add forum in the category, and then they can show up in the index page.

 Also, I set different permission in different forums for different user has different permission. It is useful when we want every user has different right in different forums.