By Mashaun D. Simon
Insight Staff Writer

The National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association's Online/Print Student Project has a new web address: nlgjaconvention.org.  

In past years, the site was hosted on the organization's Web site. This year, the student project purchased a domain name through the same company the national office uses.

Michelle Johnson, online project leader.

"We wanted to have our own server space, for one," she said. "But in addition, it was time for us to grow up, in a sense, and have our own name."

Other groups, such as the National Association of Black Journalists and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, have student projects with their own web domains.

Having a separate domain name and server space has allowed Johnson to participate in the project from her home in Boston this week. She was not able to be at the convention this year because of work obligations, so she set up a content management system (CMS) on the server that allows users to run the site from anywhere.

Johnson has been communicating with Caroline Hauser, the editor of the print edition, and the students who are on-site in San Diego. "With instant messaging, email and our cell phones, staying in contact isn't difficult," Johnson said. "It's like a virtual newsroom."

The CMS that is being used to produce the site this year is similar to what many publication and communication companies use today, Johnson said. "Using this kind of software is great training for the students. This year's project prepared them more for what they will be doing in their careers."

Student Project online editor Matthew Leung, a student at Vassar College, said the process was a new and unique experience for him.

"Michelle not being here presented some challenges. She was not here physically to help me work through some applications," Leung said.

"Through the use of cell phones and e-mails, we were able to get to know each other and work. She was able to mentor me even though we were not face-to-face. But it shows the advancement of technology, that she could be away and be as effective."