PmWiki | EAO / BosconetStory

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'''BOSCONET''' is the name given to the first Salesian website to come into existence on the worldwide web - back in 1992. It was already in 'beta' form before that, in 1991. The Australian Provincial at the time created the site at Oakleigh, Melbourne.

'''BOSCONET''' began as '''BOSCONET-AUSTRALIA''', but the subsequent change in the Salesian geography of the region (Australia became attached to the region of Asia-Australia) suggested that it become '''BOSCONET-AUSTRALASIA''' and endeavour to provide a link between Salesian activities throughout the Asia Pacific area. Subsequently the region became known as East Asia-Oceania and altered its configuration. By this time, also, an Australian Province website had come into existence.

'''BOSCONET''' returned to its simpler form, '''BOSCONET''' in 1997 and by then was developing into a web resource centre for Salesian documentation, especially that which can be found in English. This resource purpose has grown, especially with much stronger links now existing in other parts of the Salesian world. The Web Portal (Rome) is one such link.

In 1997, the webmaster attended a meeting in the Philippines of Salesians interested in communications. As a result a rapid news exchange called ''austra'''L'''asia'' (the 'L' stands for 'link') became an associated service of Bosconet. The purpose of ''austra'''L'''asia'' has been to maintain an exchange of news between provinces in the geographical region (which includes the Provinces of India although they belong to the Asia South region in Salesian terms).

In 2005, given the existence since 2002 of the East Asia-Oceania Region, '''BOSCONET''' took up the challenge of being a regional website, building, in fact, on the success that its 'associated service', ''austra'''L'''asia'', has had since 1997.

In 2006, '''BOSCONET''' introduced a page using wiki technology. Wiki is a term which covers a range of web sites written in code which enables them to be written to interactively. The single page, called '''BosconetWiki''', enabled readers of austraLasia to make comments on news items.

At the close of 2007, given the success of the BoscoWiki offering, '''BOSCONET_WIKI''' (though it will really continue to be known simply as '''BOSCONET''') became the basis for the entire site, effectively turning it into a Content Management System or CMS. In theory any page could be written to by any authorised person. The 'wiki' code is simple to follow, even for the uninitiated, and now to make changes on the site, it takes but a minute or two compared to the half hour or more previously to introduce major changes to pages.(:nl:)