So, what is this website? In a nutshell, it's a network which can contain a limitless amount of individual communities, enabling Rinpoche's students to communicate, work together and share things much as they are already doing on facebook. It's like a private Facebook, in a way. Except its just used for Bodhicharya things, there's no ads, junk messages and its much more powerful.
You can actually work together on projects/tasks/events within it. This can be done in a public or private way. So instead of endless cc'ed group emails that get longer and longer, you just make a community and write your message once in there. That message will then appear on the "wall" of all those who are members of that community.
The system works similar to Facebook and Twitter where you choose what and who you wish to follow or see on your "wall" ("My Page" is effectively your wall). Therefore, the content you see on your "My Page" will be different to what others see. It all depends on what, and who, you have decided to follow. If you follow Rinpoche, you will see his messages on your own page. This is key. If you don't join or follow people or communities, then you won't see much. If you have an idea for a community, just create one! It can be public or private.
We hope that this flexibility will allow communities to be created around different activities, locations and languages. For example, lots of study groups are popping up around the Online Shedra. This will allow those groups to make individual communities so that they can communicate (in their own language) around the Shedra material.
This is very much an experiment, for everyone. Like Facebook, it is intuitive. There's no manual and no support. We just have to experiment and help each other. The best thing to do is just to start using it. Its like dancing. You just do it.
To join in, just click on the link and "sign up". This will bring you into the main Network page. From there you can view your own page, see other members and follow them (or not!) and see the current communities that have been created. You can also invite new members to join also.
For more details information, click on the Help button in the top right corner of the page. Also see our Website Help Files.
