As user-interactive websites such as YouTube, Facebook, and Flickr ride a nationwide wave of popularity, Vernon Thommeret ’10 seeks to bring the same concept to campus with his new website, WesWiki.
Modeled after the online editable encyclopedia wikipedia.org, WesWiki bills itself as a student-oriented website aimed at promoting the free flow of knowledge and information. Thommeret hopes that the site will create an easily accessible collection of campus-related information written by the community, for the community.
Thommeret was inspired to create WesWiki earlier this year out of a sense that there was a lack of information about the University available to the student body.
“As a freshman, what bothered and confused me was the lack of a collected and organized compendium of information,” Thommeret said. “I did not know where to live. I did not know what classes to take. Should I buy my books from the bookstore or online? The answers to these questions were around and floating, but they were hard to find.”
Thommeret began working on WesWiki in October and completed the website in March. Currently, WesWiki has information on topics ranging from restaurants in Middletown to on-campus housing options.
Thommeret hopes that in years to come, WesWiki will play an important role in campus life.
“I see it as empowering students to record their own history,” he said.
“Eventually, I would like to help people realize that they have knowledge and experience that no one else has, whether it is the best way to get a free lunch on campus, or what they think of Clark [Hall].”
Thommeret is not the only student on campus who sees WesWiki as a helpful tool.
“With its catchy name, I think this WesWiki is a great idea and will become a key resource for prospective students as well as current students,” said Caitlyn McCann ’09.
McCann is one of many students intrigued by the website, Thommeret said.
“So far, the response has been very positive, and I have gotten a lot of encouragement,” he said.
Thommeret has some previous experience creating websites. Earlier this semester, he participated in a website design contest.
“In one project, I worked with the president of Paper.com to re-design their e-commerce website,” he said. “Two weeks later, I found out that my composition won out.”
Aside from WesWiki, Thommeret is currently working on two other campus-related projects, one for Google Earth and the other for the University’s website. The goal of the Google Earth project is to create a three-dimentional model of the University’s campus for Google’s site.
“I am working with a team of four talented students, and we hope to come up with a real contender come June,” he said.
Thommeret encourages all members of the campus community to contribute to WesWiki, at www.weswiki.com.
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