Here we go for the ultimate online language networking experience!
- Back in April last year (2024), at the last big Language Network online meeting, there was a discussion between members who wanted a way of being able to chat between us without having to resort to e-mailing or creating a separate Facebook or Whatsapp group.
- Later in June, we built a basic online member community using a website networking tool in the shape of ‘BuddyPress‘, which is a simple, free-of-charge, open source software application, or ‘plugin’.
- Many thanks to the fourteen members who registered for this community project:
Alison, Clare, Claudia, Chloé, Janna, Kate, Kathleen, Katie, Lynda, Margherita, Marie, Marjorie, Peter, and Sally, as well as Ian. - However, it was clear that activity and frequentation was pretty low, and it has to be said that the very basic structure and design of the BuddyPress tool make it little attractive and not the most convivial to use.
- I was looking into the idea of moving up to ‘BuddyBoss‘, which is a much more action-packed online community plugin, and also a ‘fork‘, based on the open-source ‘BuddyPress‘.
However, its pricing is restrictive, and this higher-level application is heavy to operate and to administer on top of the website. - Now just two months ago, a new, super-lightweight, but very complete community networking tool came onto the market, at a competitive price, and with very promising levels of operation and admin. and I couldn’t resist seizing this great opportunity to breathe some fresh air into our website community networking.
- It’s called fluentCommunity (no, it’s not specifically a language thing, though you could be forgiven for thinking so!) but you can go there right now by clicking on the button and see for yourselves what it has to offer.
- Please take just a couple of minutes to sign up, as access to the community will soon become limited to logged-in members.
All the available features can be used to offer valuable online activity to our members, and the social-media-style layout and dynamics make for a convivial community tool.
Well, the opportunity was too good to miss, and right now you can sign up to see and join our new Language Network Fluent Community by simply clicking on the button:
Looking forward to seeing you there…
ian, webmaster