Choose the appropriate medium
I see by my cell phone this must be Beijing.
Recently we pitched a multinational company for the design and development of a global community website for teens and young adults. As the RFP described it, the site would be mirrored and localized to various languages and cultures. The ultimate goal was to create a place where people could communicate; share ideas, music, pictures, video-- anything. In theory this seems like a virtuous and doable idea. In practice it is quite another matter-- possible, but maybe not practical.
For many people around the world a website is not the first thing they think of when they think of communication or sharing. In western nations, with the installed cable infrastructure and the increasing ubiquity of high-speed internet access, PCs are the accepted means of communication. However, the West has lagged behind most emerging countries in the adoption of the cellular phone and Wi-Fi and WAP technology. Most people in suburban and rural locales around the globe communicate primarily through cell phones.
Perhaps a community-based website is a good idea in the U.S. market. But instead of duplicating what works as community in the United States, consider what is the most popular and effective medium of communication in a given region and plan and develop for it. Examples are a branded WAP application to access existing communities, or a WAP site to mirror whatever you create online.
