Online Networking Tools

Te Tiaki Mahinga Kai aims to support a national network of Māori and Pākehā environmental mangers by employing a set of online network tools, including website, magazine, e-mail listservers, and others.

This website is built using Plone, an open source Content Management System (CMS) that allows anyone in our network around the country to add and edit content, participate in forums, and update shared resources such as online databases or events calendars, all from their own computer with no software and no expense. Resources and guidelines for website editors and managers are available.

Such network tools are intended to place ownership of the project at the flaxroots. Ideally, each mātaitai/taiāpure committee will maintain their own pages within the site, and a robust community of contributors will build and maintain research databases and monitor community forums and discussion lists. Initial feedback from the network is very positive.

Research Questions: Looking for IT or Computer Studies student to help!

However, big questions remain about uptake of technology and what types of communication and resources are appropriate for online tools, and which are not. Online networking tools will by no means replace the importance of hui and face to face meetings, but the research team wish to explore how to facilitate information sharing and dialogue across a network limited by distance, time, and funding. 

To do this effectively, we’re looking to develop a research topic around technology tools for community networking. If you are interested in contributing to the development, deployment and analysis of technology for community networking, please contact us.