IonBarbados Local Social Networking Website
Sometime ago BU family member ROK made some reference as to why Caribbean people couldn’t invent their own messenger system like MSN or Yahoo. Some family members wondered why Caribbean people have to flock to social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace and Hi5. Don’ t Caribbean people have the ability to create for ourselves? We normally are very selective in the websites we highlight on BU but we feel the young Barbadian who has started this social networking website called IonBarbados should be given all encouragement.
But then again we have a long history of not supporting our own!
For those who are interested, an online social networking site is a place where friends, family and others can meet and exchange information, pictures, play games etc as well as sample ‘goodies’ which the social networking website has on offer. For example if we joined IonBarbados and we had a friend or family member in St. Lucia where the St. Lucia Jazz Festival is currently being hosted, the St. Lucian member would be able to post pictures and chat with others about the Amy Winehouse disaster which occurred if they had snapped a few pics with their camera :-).
We wish the Bajan social networking site all the best!
Barbados Underground 
Not to take away from these guys thunder, and I’m really hoping their site takes off, I’m heading over to sign up to support them.
I’m about to launch a Barbados site as well
http://www.thingstodoBarbados.com
It’s just coming out of the design stages so hopefully you guys will show some love when we launch in a month from now.
Peace
Is it the BU household or is Amy Winehouse missing a few screws?
Well done BU for helping this young person with his project. As you indicated, far too often we as a people are far too envious, slovenly, indifferent or simply too stupid to help our fellow people with what often are very good ideas which could reap great rewards given half a chance!! I, for example, have been waiting for one black person to assist me with a business undertaking which if it succeeded would benefit all of us – I think I might die before she actually gets round to doing what I requested, if she ever does! Sometimes our people are quite pathetic! I trust that you did n’t encounter similar obstacles with getting this site publicised in its early days!! Best wishes too to ROK, on what seems to be a wholly worthwhile undertaking!!
What is happening to Amy is a great Ioss to music. I first saw her when she was onIy 18 it was so exciting. Now she has just Iost it to substance abuse. She won’t be the first; Janice JopIin, Hendrix, CoItrane, BiIIie, MiIes, the Iist is Iong and strangeIy comprehensive.
The reason why these things never spring up in the Caribbean is because we are not the kinds of people to examine ourselves and to talk about ourselves with any depth or regularity.
How many people int he Caribbean have chosen to blog and tell the story of their lives in pictures etc?
We are not a diary-keeping people.
Even our history is left to rot.
For example, the best footage of old Trinidad is found on Youtube and put there by foreigners–or people living abroad.
Why does the government not have footage available in the National Archives?
So no; it won’t take off because Caribbean people are not used to baring their souls.
why would i use yet another social networking set when established ones like facebook exist and already have my social network on them
I’m all for Caribbean people doing things..
but re-inventing the wheel then calling for support isnt the way to do it imo
@tiffjane
That’s the way the developed world stays developed. They hook you and it’s over. Now we feel we have to buy their clothes, use their systems etc because it is the comfortable thing to do.
@ David…..
It is this mentality that keeps us down.
I went to the site and joined up…did any of these people who only have negative vibes do the same …I doubt it.
We never see the true potential of our selves.
what does this website improve upon? honestly?
and WHO wants to connect with solely barbadians – esp. when everybody is already on fbook, what is the incentive to move over?
these sites tend to be patronized by old and cold people like ‘david’ who give it an all too creepy feel.
i agree with poster above about reinventing the wheel. there were sites like these already. and now there’s twitter.
anyway that said, all the best.
i agree with tiffjane..
if anything, a live chat would be better. but the social networking horse has LONG left the stable any way you spin it, and especially with regard to region specific targetting. hi5.. myspace.. and the behemoths facebook & now twitter have that sewn up, no question.
if the owner of the site is reading this.. recommend you add a live chat element to your page, you could use a normal java chat applet, or you can use jirc and allow persons to chat directly on the page or via their own irc means. mIRC etc.
/$0.02
I just want to wish you the best in your launch and i will support your social network as much as possible.
I have signed up!
I recall both negative and constructive criticisms were made on BFP when BU blog was launched. Now, it’s about 3 years later and BU is holding its own, and seems to be doing quite well when compared to BFP and all other Barbadian and Caribbean blogs. It would be great if we as Barbadians and Caribbean people could support our own for a change. I hope that the administrator of the new Social Network is taking heed to what is posted here.
On another note, if we think of the phrase, “what’s in a name” I think it might be in the best interest of the administrator of the new (IonBarbados) Network to consider changing its name. Instead of using Barbados which could send a signal that it is primarily for barbadians, it might be in his or her best interest to replace Barbados with Caribbean, now that the site is fresh. It might send a different feeling to its viewers that the site is meant to encompass all island people and is not targeted to bajans only.
tiffjane,
All due respect, but let us be positive. We as a people should always be seeking out different perspectives on many today topics and issues facing us today.
I encourage and welcome different points of view from my networking fellow Barbadians and other Caribbean brothers and sisters and it is indeed refreshing I must add.
I think it is safe to say, that we are indeed living in a global village and social networking is key.
I have joined and I see the promise of this new forum.
Good Luck