Nascent Dynamics ( ) The Company on Ning

[Nascent Dynamics ( )]

One of the things that brings me to social networking is research and development for my business. In fact, I have been studying Ning as an organization and platform for some while now. Another thing that brings me to Ning is it essentially represents a place where I can interface with people based on my preferences, as well as to demonstrate some of my consulting skills. I'm inclined to step up and say I want to make Area Light the best social networking site in the world. However, I also acknowledge that all such networks are part of the larger network that is Ning...from users, creators, developers, and so on.

The central underlying idea that inspired Ning was the notion that people would enjoy building their own social networks. Prior to that, what you might have seen on Linkedin, Facebook, or Myspace was simply a matter of people using "someone else's" social network. Now you can create and build out your own. Typically these center on the person or some specific line of interest. Sometimes the networks are full fledged enterprise concepts looking to do business. Let's not forget then you have everybody in between- as a member of Ning as soon as you sign up for any Ning site, you simply select the Ning hyperlink (if shown) and you are directed to your own profile as a Ning end-user. From there you are just a couple clicks away from making your own site- for free.

Here's some interesting material I found on the RSS Feed I currently have set up for this group. I changed it a while back to a blog I encountered when Googling Ning. It was a very insightful article, and now I am starting to get very excited about the potential resource I've discovered for my own research and development. They mention a professional network that I think will make for a great Area Light Explorer segment. However, for now, I just have to get my hands on this platform developer team description...

Someone to organize the work effort, track progress, coordinate the backlog with business stakeholders, make stuff happen, and keep the big picture. This is typically a Project Manager.

Someone to lay out information architecture and interaction design in the form of wireframes. This is typically the job of an Information Architect or an Interaction Designer, however, I’ve seen Business Analysts perform this role.

Someone to create visual design comps which incorporate the font, color palette, iconography and image assets. This is typically a Visual Designer.

Someone to write user stories and acceptance criteria. This is typically a Business Analyst, but sometimes falls to the job of a Project Manager or IA.

Someone to slice up the visual comps and churn out image assets. This is a typically a Visual Designer.

Someone to create the CSS. This is typically a Visual Designer

Someone to incorporate the image assets into a .fla which can be imported into a Flex project. Typically this is a Flex developer, unless you have a Designer that is highly comfortable bridging creative and technical. Next year, when Flex 4 (aka “Gumbo”) and Flash Catalyst are released, the Designer-to-Developer hand-off will become more streamlined. In the meantime, this hand-off can be a clunky affair depending on the skills of the players involved.

Someone to lay out the base UI structure in MXML. This is a Developer well versed with the out-of-the-box components and their features/constraints.

Someone to architect the overall design of the presentation tier. Most teams will use one of the popular Flex frameworks like Cairngorm or PureMVC to streamline this process. For large projects, I’ve seen this responsibility fall to the Architect. For small teams with 2-3 really sharp Developers, they will share architectural responsibilities.

Someone to architect the messaging layer between the presentation tier and the back-end. At some point, a decision will be made as to whether the team will use HTTPRequest, JSON, XML, AMF, BlazeDS, LCDS, etc. The contents, format and periodicity of the API will need to be specified. This typically falls to whomever is architecting the back-end, in conjunction with the Flex architect.

Someone who loves to create custom components, manage state, and write business logic using Actionscript. This is usually done by a Senior Developer or Architect who has been around the Flex for awhile and has a deep understanding of OOP from a past life (e.g., converted Java or .NET studs).

Someone who knows how to use animations, transitions and maintain visual integrity during a browser window resize. This requires a Senior Developer with experience with Flash and Flex.

Someone to code back-end functionality, implement the physical data model, and other server-side “stuff”. For simplicity’s sake, I’ve lumped these together into a generic category because there will many nuances based on your back-end technology choice.

Someone to test implemented features. This could be a dedicated QA Analyst, a Business Analyst, or Project Manager.

This seems like a wonderful outline for considering what an Area Light Developer Team Might consist of. Nascent Dynamics ( ) is developing a themed segment we refer to as F11- Full-Spectrum Dominance in Intelligent Search and Customizable Interfaces. For kicks, I think I'll stop back here and break down this outline into something like Area Light. We may create these positions and proactively seek to network with people who have these technical capacities to help us excell in this kind of project.

I think you will also find interesting, how I see being associated with Ning already connects me to a product of such resources. So many aspects of this outline are evident in the Ning platform. It's as if you are receiving services that a business would normally have to pay for. Now, with the playing field leveled, practically anyone can create a very successful social networking enterprise. What is going to set you apart, is how intelligently you use the tools to support your business. Some of what impressed me about this outline is the functions those team members served in managing the project, the concept, the look, and interface usability, etc. Those are still areas of professional interest to the site creator.

Should be fun!

Best,

Anthony Reardon
Nascent Dynamics ( ) Modern Business for the Modern Environment

[Nascent Dynamics ( )]

F11 is a shortcut function key that changes your browser window from tool and address bars to a simple full-screen header and scroll bar. I find it a preferrable form of web browsing, especially on a Ning platform such as Area Light. I had done some research into designing web-usability and one of the simple concepts I learned was people look at clicking as an "effort". One click, and if they don't find what they are looking for, then they usually click off. So what you see with Ning is a long page browsing view where the first page you see actually has at least two or three pages worth of content. Scrolling is a little easier because while it does require mouse work, there's no real delay like you see when switching pages.

So because of this platform feature, I find it prudent to promote the idea of F11 web browsing. There's this curve that comes with encountering it. Some people actually expect to find a site with links and to make a decision from there. So canvassing more options beyond the field of view is actually their concern. What you see in a normal web browser view is only part of what the page is alluding to if the end-user continues to scroll. Now if they were viewing in full-screen, then that much more in the end-user's field of vision may be the difference between them deciding to continue on or navigate away.

Of course, there are some interesting tools built into browsers. I tend to use those features when i am working, so I F11 again to return to my work window. There I can pull up browsing history and go where I want to go and so on. However, when it comes to Area Light, I'm hoping the links are so attractive, and what people find sustains their interests so much, that they actually want to make Area Light their home page and look forward to an internet experience starting from here.

This is one of the fields I think you need to be in if you want to compete as a modern business. People, being the creatures of habit they are, will continue to Google their way around the internet, so SEO will remain a value...for a while. However, search engines lack a most essential quality in intelligent choice, as well as source profiling. What is it an intelligent search does to deliver what someone want better and to the mutual satisfaction of both parties? Well, for one, you can say a lot of enterprises out there are going out of their way to make it into your browser window. Maybe paid advertisement on some sites is the way to go, but if you are constantly on someone's browser window, that's like getting a million hits from every user. Personally, I can't stand most advertisement options that come on toolbar add ons. However, I even see Microsoft plugging their own platforms through their browser windows and tab default pages.

Currently, on the main Welcome page here on Area Light, I've added a silent video of the Microsoft feature Heroes Happen Here. I think this would make for an interesting exploration, because what you are seeing is the promotion of one of Microsofts commercial grade applications. Can you believe, using their software, you can create a virtual experience web interface on your site? I was actually looking to find a virtual world presentation I had experienced from AMD. It seems the link to that virtual experience and platform download has been defaulted to the company's web site. No kidding, because that must have used a whole lot of bandwidth! It was terrific!

So I see being able to customize the interface people use to surf the web as a main competitive area, and I find the discussions at that level very stimulating. At the same time, what you are seeing is a culture shift from contemporary static site interaction to actual social interaction. So however cool you make the browser, don't underestimate the fact that people are going to be looking for interaction.

That brings me here to Area Light. As I said, social networks are the platform more people are crowding to. The rules for competing in that environment have yet to be written. Due to the volume of members joining, using, and even creating ning networks, and the fact there is some great quality and usability built into the platform, even if you are just an entrepreneur, I would think you'd want to start familiarizing with it. I like to think I'm becoming somewhat of a resident expert, lol! I know this is not the end all be all. My internet assets are distributed across a variety of platforms on the web. Among those, Area Light is turning out to be the best I have to offer as the face of my business. I have a static web page too, but I still want it to come across as a full-screen media event.

Anyways, F11 is also good for me because I chose black as the primary background color across most of my platforms. It's kind of hard to look at in a normal browser window. However, when you F11, then the experience becomes a lot smoother and I actually think reading is easier on the eyes. So that's why on the main Welcome page we start off by saying, "Best if viewed in Full-Screen (F11)" or something to that effect. We're serious!

Best,

Anthony Reardon
Nascent Dynamics ( ) Modern Business for the Modern Environment

[Nascent Dynamics ( )]

I am really starting to enjoy the experience of developing an entire social network to my preferences. The project I am working on now, Nascent Dynamics ( ) The Quickening, is a perfect example. I am producing an entertainment segment that may be a lead in to my business vision. No other network can I imagine presenting such an ambitious vision with that kind of imagination. Not to mention I am doing it alongside some serious professional and organizational interest networking. Yet, because of Ning coming up with this idea of empowering people to make their own social networks, I can now do that. I have control!

Best,

Anthony Reardon
Nascent Dynamics ( ) Modern Business for the Modern Environment

[Nascent Dynamics ( )]

I don't know what is up with this Enablus blog I've RSS'ed onto this group, but I continue to be increasingly impressed by the content. Certainly this should tie into the theme of this group, don't you think? Well I can tie it in. I just wanted to step back for a moment and just note how interesting I find it. I think it is great you can find content and feed it into a social network. I just posted some videos i found offsite into a group and was thinking that is the kind of thing that could really add some quality and vitality to some of these group concepts I have. I have a lot of vision for Area Light including using it for an online social networking magazine, a blog community (active), and a place to find interesting content and media fed in. Not to mention the service to help people optimize their online social networking experience. I want to go so far as to become the home page for many of our members. That would imply we have some special value for them to do that.


So back to this recent Enablus entry about the video monitoring software. Holy moly I think that totally relates to some of my professional and organizational interests. In fact, I have a meeting coming up with a lighting technician expert, a soccer facility-based business, and if you could imagine these software guys...what Area Light stands for now could be taken to a whole other level! So using their blog totally inspires me on the possibilities. I also think someday i'm going to get in good with some of these emerging business concepts and really take off by helping them to break-through with some innovation.

I like the video feed embedded here. Imagine having to give a five minute pitch on Area Light. I have a lot of work to do before I can deliver as clear of a message. However, when I've met with people, I've managed to keep it simple and clear. Since I'm not selling anything, I haven't done much in terms of delivering a value message, but I may need to start getting into that mode. I think good practice would be using the idea of promoting Area Light as a home page, the who full-screen browsing, customized interfacing, and intelligent searching all seems to come into the right place when I capture a view of this vision just right sometimes.

Best,

Anthony reardon
Nascent Dynamics ( ) Modern Business for the Modern Environment