Vol. 3, No. 4 Contents
Headline Back Issues
Fall 1999
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Fundy Forum Web site fosters exchange of news and viewsBy Suzy Fried, Editor Bay of Fundy - Fundy Forum, an Internet site devoted to cultivating open discussion of Bay of Fundy issues, recently marked one year online. Organizers cite an increasing frequency of hits and a growing user list, but want to reach even more people. A joint project sponsored by the Atlantic Coastal Zone Information Steering Committee (ACZISC), which hosts the Web site; the Integrated Coastal Planning Project at DalTech, Dalhousie University; and the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), the Fundy Forum describes its mission as supporting and encouraging "dialogue, information sharing, partnering opportunities, and activities from all walks of life that benefit the health of the Bay of Fundy and its coastal communities." According to Bob Rutherford of DFO's Oceans Act Coordination Office, "The Bay of Fundy is a hotbed of activity, with more than 80 citizens groups and numerous government organizations active around the Bay. When we looked at what could be done to help the groups to achieve their goals it was obvious that the groups needed a tool they could use to communicate and discuss issues on a level playing field." Webmaster Maxine Westhead began working on the Intemet site in 1998 at DFO's Oceans Act Coordination Office and at Dalhousie University through the Canadian governmenes "Career Edge" internship program. After spending six months researching what potential users would want from a Web site devoted to Bay of Fundy issues, she launched the first incarnation of the Fundy Forum in September 1998. Now working full-time for Dalhousie and the Oceans Act Coordination Office, Westhead, with Fundy Forum Outreach Coordinator Nanette Richards, recently celebrated the Fundy Forums first birthday by giving it a facelift. Accessible in English with access to translation software for other languages, the site emphasizes that it belongs to its users, urging them to E-mail comments and contributions. It features community profiles of people and organizations; a user's contact list; a page on meeting, research, and conference reports; an events calendar; a What's New page; and links to other relevant sites. Fundy Forum organizers consider the site's quarterly Timed Discussions to be its pulse. In advance of each 10-day-long, on-line discussion, Westhead distributes the discussion dates, topic, and reference material to the list server. "We try to coordinate [the topics] with things going on in the Bay of Fundy," she said. On the Current Topic Page, visitors can record their own responses to the discussion, and can also view the archives of previous discussions. In the relatively short time since it has been established, the Fundy Forum has managed to engage its subscribers. in informed discussions on critical coastal issues," said Michael Butler of ACZISC and the Oceans Institute of Canada. "It has also become a readily accessible and current source of information on Bay of Fundy activities, issues, and people." According to Alison Evans of Dalhousie University's Integrated Coastal Planning Project. "Voices that, for various reasons, havedt felt 'linked' into the activities of the Bay, or that couldn't afford, either due to staffing, time, or money, to initiate their own Web site for their own outreach now can be heard," she said. But, Evans added, the Fundy Forum will be able to consider itself more successful as its use increases. Evans said the Fundy Forums development will be guided in part by the search for answers to specific questions such as what is the best way to structure a list serve, what constitutes success, how should a project like Fundy Forum be run, and by whom. Westhead added that Fundy Forum is not following a rigid agenda, asserting that the site must adapt to evolving user needs. "It's hard to think about where you want to be in the future if used needs are changing," she said, noting that organizers monitor user sentiment with online surveys, as weft as by phone and E-mail. Visit the Fundy Forum at http://is.dal.ca/aczisc/fundy/forum. |
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