“In a project that involved our team of journalists, our IT consultant Claudinei Matos and designer/programmer Marlus Araujo, our art director Victor Gruzman drew up our news portal from scratch to fundamentally improve communication between GRACIEMAG and the thousands of readers who access the locale on a daily basis.
Beyond being merely a place to become informed, the objective is for GRACIEMAG.com to be a meeting place for everyone involved in Jiu-Jitsu. An enormous round table for discussion, at which information propagates, interacts and ultimately doesn’t just further everyone’s knowledge regarding Jiu-Jitsu, but expands Jiu-Jitsu itself.
“We know this is no modest objective. But there are several factors contributing to our accomplishing it:
“To start, we took advantage of the most advanced technology available so the site would be nimble, easy to navigate and search through, attend to all the interactive demands of what experts call Web 2.0, and mainly so it would ride on a platform permitting adaptation to any new directions the online world may head. And, beyond that, that it be visually pleasant and attractive to behold.
“Of course technology, platform and design don’t get you anywhere without content. To lead this new phase of the portal we called on Marcelo Dunlop, former editor-in-chief of the GRACIEMAG magazine in print, who has been polishing up his knowledge of journalism and Jiu-Jitsu with us since 2002. His e-mail:mdunlop@graciemag.com.
“Rafael Werneck, who has in his charge NOCAUTE magazine as editor-in-chief, passed on the torch he carried for five years of brave toil at GRACIEMAG.com’s helm, and now goes on to assume other functions in the company.
“And, last but most important of all, for us to achieve our lofty goals we count on the participation of you, the thousands upon thousands of readers and Jiu-Jitsu practitioners.
In the technological world, the end of this decade was marked by the “Open Source” movement, which is guaranteed to move forth through the collaboration of people from all over the world, building knowledge on top of knowledge. As the example most present in the lives of the majority, the content of Wikipedia follows this trend. In much the same way, the content of GRACIEMAG.com 2.0 also counts on this complex, collective participation. The comments on it will set up this knowledge structure we aspire to.
Full class at our GMA associated Evolve in Singapore, South Asia. Jiu-Jitsu is exploding everywhere, and GRACIEMAG wants to be the community meeting place.
“You have a great weapon in your hands. Use it wisely and we will build the greatest Jiu-Jitsu information bank ever to exist, perpetuating this marvelous art of ours. Use it with prejudice and disrespect and, unfortunately, we will be forced to mediate and refuse access to those who so behave.
“The rules we follow are basically the same ones we learn in the academy: respect, hierarchy, discipline, humility. In a nutshell, etiquette universally approved of by us practitioners.
“Enjoy.”
Luca Atalla, GRACIEMAG.com founder