WebDB Project Ideas

The following ideas are not exhaustive. Experience tells me that students can be far more creative than I am, so if there's an idea you have for a database-backed web site, by all means talk to me and develop it. I would love to see some other projects.

• A database for Wellesley CS Alumnae. This would allow graduates of our department to network with one another and with current undergraduates, particularly seniors looking for jobs. A good solution to this project is something that the department is looking for, and we would probably want to use your site, lock, stock and barrel. Some criteria:
  • It should be possible for them to keep their information protected from random web surfers. Thus, everyone should be required to authenticate themselves before seeing the information.
  • It should be possible to record more than just their current job. If someone used to work at XYZ, they may still be a good networking source for someone interested in XYZ.
• An on-line auction site, like Ebay.com. People list items for sale, customers bid on them, sales are finalized, and so forth.
• A gift registry site, where people can list ideas for gifts and others search them and can decide to buy them.
• Social networking site, not unlike Facebook. (FacePamphlet?) Maintain friend lists, allow people to link to each other, update their profiles, post pictures, even create walls for people to write on.
• A blog site, where people can write weblog entries and their friends can read their entries.
• A movie database, based on our WMDB example.
• A customized website of RSS feeds, such as "MyYahoo!" where the database stores preferences and subscriptions and supplies content.
• A game server, where whenever you visit, it gives you a new Sudoku puzzle or something like that.
• Here's a nifty idea due to my friend Dave Reed at Creighton State. Scroll down to the version for web programming.
• A threaded discussion forum, maybe with sub-forums. Authenticate to post, etc. Not unlike the web interface to FirstClass, but the conferences, not the email.
• A controlled sociology experiment where each visitor gets a random but similar page. Record data for analysis.
• A questionnaire site, like https://www.surveymonkey.com/, where someone can create a survey or take a survey that someone has created.
• other ideas?