FESers Help GET Get Linked
by Ayesha
Ahmed
Ayesha
Ahmed, MES II, did an
internship with Green
Enterprise Toronto (GET), Toronto’s local living economy network, during the
summer of 2007. Part of her work
involved helping GET begin a business/products/services directory that can
simultaneously help green people’s purchases and support
local/sustainable business. Keith Brooks, another FESer interested in the power of new networking tools in
community transformation, also worked on the GET project. In addition to being a BALLE affiliate,
GET is headquartered at the Centre for
Social Innovation, at 215 Spadina. This innovative green retrofit, home to many
Green
The website is attractively designed
– thanks to TikiWiki which enables users to design
and upload images in a user-friendly and hassle-free manner. Currently, the
main theme color is a pleasant shade of blue as the background, with black
color for the font. As with most software applications, the font size and
various other visual effects can be effected by
modifying the syntax (jargon for programming code). If the above seems very
tech - heavy, no fear! Tiki Wiki
is so easy and thanks to Michael
Pilling – the dynamic Project Leader – just a simple double
click of any page on the website allows the user to view the syntax ( TikiWiki code ) that brings alive a webpage on the website.
Other notable features include icons
atop every page that allow users to monitor the number of page edits and also
the users who made those edits. The site is very public – meaning that
the entire history of the evolution of each page can viewed on the ‘Last
Page Changes’ section. If you are familiar with Wiki
software or are used to Wiki on any other websites to
voice your opinions/thoughts or to add content, you will be pleased to know
that this website, as the most famous ‘Wikipedia’
website, also allows users to view successive edits. It is being debated as to
who should be allowed to make edits or add content on the website – so as
to maintain some degree of privacy and also for ethical considerations. It is
hoped that the community themselves protect the commons and preserve the
purposeful nature and high-quality of the website and help grow it into a
destination for anybody interested in obtaining information about
establishments that sell or grow green products, green produce, etc. It is also being debated by the GET
Advisory Committee as to whether all Green Enterprise Toronto members should
automatically become members of the GETWiki website
or whether only those members that meet certain criteria should be given
membership and be featured on the site. Another point of debate is whether a
fee should be charged for membership.
Apart from the above, another
attractive feature of the website is that a Google map is displayed on every
page – that pinpoints the business location along with a description of
the business. As with most Google Maps, it allows the user to view the area
surrounding the business in satellite, plain map view as well as hybrid modes.
The Google Map is very user-friendly and allows the user to drag the map around
as far as Google allows (which is a very substantial area around each business)
so that the user can exactly locate the directions to the desired business
establishment from his location. If one hasn’t used Google maps already,
you will be pleased to know that by adjusting a bar embedded in the map (or by
even holding down the mouse button and scrolling) you can adjust the view of
the map – either close up or an overall long distance high-altitude view
( as from a airplane or satellite).
The address of each business
establishment is entered as input in fields (spaces) provided below the Google
map (where it says ‘Enter Address location’) and this autopopulates (again, tech jargon for ‘automatically
popping up’) the latitude and longitudinal co-ordinates for the business
establishment. Thus, Google Maps – as in any application that they have
been used in – being after all ‘Google’ – have proved
an enormously invaluable addition to the website.
The directory is still a ways from
going public, as GET explores possibilities for co-sponsorship with interested
groups. While work so far has been
carried out largely by volunteer efforts, funding possibilities are being
explored. Meanwhile the project
continues and The Project Team welcomes anybody who’s interested to
collaborate and work on it. There are several dimensions that one can work on
– such as TikiWiki coding, or writing about
each business, or research, or even just thoughts/views/opinions on
Sustainability Indicators, criteria for membership, project direction,
etc. Internships for summer
2008 seem likely.
The gettoronto.ca site requires a
login name and password to access information on the site as it has not yet
been formally launched, but the Project Team is tentatively projecting a late
2008 launch. Overall, the project is extremely promising and serves as a great
avenue for anyone interested in developing skills in software, website design
or who is interested in working/learning about Green Business and how a local
community can thrive happily using and buying locally made, green, organic
products. A major goal of Green
Hope to see your input on the site
soon!