Hello World!
Well, after over a year of planning and working here we are with the launch of the Baha’i Nine Project! I know you have lots of questions, so below is a list of FAQs about this website.
I should note, though, that none of these questions have actually been asked, given that we’ve just launched the site. So perhaps more accurate than Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) would have been Questions I Anticipated Will Be Asked Frequently (QIAWBAFs). I digress.
FAQs
Q1: What exactly is the Baha’i Nine Project?
A: Excellent question. Baha’i Nine is a website that acts a portal for you to find interesting content created by Baha’is from around the world. All over the globe Baha’is are writing about their spiritual experiences on their blogs, taking pictures of core activities, and creating videos of community events. Baha’i Nine is a place you can find it all.
Q2: What does the name ‘Baha’i Nine’ mean?
A: Another great question. On the site’s front page are blog posts in five categories, as well as pictures and videos. The top nine entries from each category are always displayed. So it’s like a Top Ten list, but instead it’s a Top Nine list. Get it? The content of these lists is always changing, largely based on the votes of you, the user. Our goal is to always bring you the freshest and most interesting stuff out there.
Q3: What are the categories of blog posts on the front page?
A: Wow, the good questions keep coming with you. There are currently five categories of blog posts on the front page. ‘News’ is current events from around the Baha’i world, as well as discussions of current events. ‘Core Activities’ are stories about Ruhi courses, children’s classes, and devotional gatherings. ‘Reflections’ are posts by Bahai’s meditating on their own spiritual path. ‘Music and Culture’ are entries about the arts and other aspects of the emerging Baha’i culture. Finally, the category ‘Life’ contains general musings about everyday aspects of Baha’i life.
Q4: How do you decide which blog posts end up on the front page?
A: Interestingly enough, we don’t decide that, you do. Baha’i Nine is both ‘dynamic’ and ‘community based.’ It is ‘dynamic’ because we are constantly gathering new content (blogs, pictures, videos) from all over the web. In contrast to the ’static’ pages you may be used to, every time you come back there will be new links for you to see. It is ‘community based’ because it is the community of users who decide which blog entries should be on the front page of the website. In the ‘new stories’ box you can see the most recent content being put up on the web. People can vote on which of these items deserves to be on the front page of the site. Once on the front page, the items can be voted up or down the Top Nine list. The voting system means that every time you visit Baha’i Nine you should see the most popular new content we can find.
Q5: What about pictures and videos?
A: Pictures and videos work a bit different. Flickr and Youtube have internal systems for ranking pictures and videos, based largely on the number of views. What you see on the front page of Baha’i Nine are the nine top-ranked pictures and videos that people have tagged ‘Baha’i.’ Tagging is a very important part of how our system works. If you don’t know what tagging is, read this description.
Q6: Are there any other features I should know about?
A: So glad you asked that. A couple of other things you might find useful: Baha’i Nine has a search feature you can find in the upper right hand corner of the webpage. Here you can search all the blogs we have indexed using any keyword you want. Another nice feature is our Google map of all the blogs that have registered with us, which you can see here. Click on each icon and you will see the web address for each site.
Q7: Not to toot my own horn, but I am a skilled programmer/designer/writer/cat wrangler. How can I help?
A: This project is built on a vision of long-term sustainability, which means we want it not to be dependent just on its creators. If you’d like to lend a hand, big or small, please contact us at team@bahainine.com. Much of the help we need involves site moderation, something that requires minimal time investment or technical skills. Mostly it means rating the blog feeds that pull from the internet. The more people who help out with this, the more successful the site will be.
Q8: Um, so who exactly are you guys and does the Baha’i Administration know what you’re up to?
A: You can read short biographies of the Baha’i Nine team members here. This site is the result of our own individual initiatives, but the Universal House of Justice appointed Baha’i Internet Agency (BIA) is aware and fully supportive of this project. You can read a BIA prepared documented encouraging Baha’i blogging here. So what are you waiting for? Start your blog and register it with us.
Q9: I didn’t bother you too much with all these questions, did I?
A: No, not at all – nine questions, perfect number. Happy to answer and hopefully we’ll see you around here, reading the interesting blog stories, voting on your favorites – and maybe even writing some of your own. Keep checking back on this blog because we’ll tell you about features we’ll be adding to make your experience here even better!