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WOW! “Pushbutton” Websites September 6, 2011 Version

WOW! “Pushbutton” Websites September 6, 2011 Version. Bill Pritchard  Steve Johnson Information Technology. What You Will Hear Today. Brand-identity Goals for unit websites Content-driven websites vs. code-driven The WOW project: “pushbutton” websites A WOW II walkthrough

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WOW! “Pushbutton” Websites September 6, 2011 Version

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  1. WOW!“Pushbutton” WebsitesSeptember 6, 2011 Version Bill PritchardSteve Johnson Information Technology

  2. What You Will Hear Today • Brand-identity Goals for unit websites • Content-driven websites vs. code-driven • The WOW project: “pushbutton” websites • A WOW II walkthrough • Caveats/Restrictions/Limitations • What to do next

  3. WOW Target Audience • Units without FSO-CS/SO-CS • Units with no Website • Units with neglected Websites • FSO-CS/SO-CS without Web experience • Experienced Website designers with no time

  4. Reasons to Have a Unit Website? • Attract new members  a “touchstone” for candidates. • Attract students to Public Education events • Share information among unit members • Unit pride • Many more…

  5. Reasons to Not Have a Unit Website? • Programming is arcane, difficult to do well • Easy to do a bad job; hard to do a good one • Bad website is worse than none • Makes the unit look bad; discourages visitors • Makes the Auxiliary look bad • Neglected website worse than a bad one • Tells the world “you don’t care”

  6. Website Status in August 2011 • 16 Districts • All have websites • 171 Divisions • 146 have websites (85%) • 25 do not (15%) • 974 Flotillas • 646 have known websites (66%) • 328 do not (34%) • Many of the 646 are neglected… We can change this significantly with little effort…

  7. Auxiliary Quality/Brand Identity Goals • Have all 974 Flotillas, 171 divisions, 16 districts look part of the same organization • Meet a minimum standard of website quality • Visual appeal • “Modernity” • Ease of navigation • Standardized “templates” helped many…

  8. The Great Dilemma: Separating Website Program from Content • Obsolete model (Early Internet, current AUX) • Programmer = writer/editor = graphic designer • Dead for 10+ years; alive and well in the Auxiliary • Modern Website model: Three specialists • Program/platform (software and database tools) • Content (words, pictures; what the site says…) • Graphics (layout, composition, look and feel)

  9. Ideal Site: Content Driven

  10. The Great Dilemma: Separating Website Program from Content • Obsolete model (Early Internet, current AUX) • Programmer = writer/editor = graphic designer • Dead for 10+ years; alive and well in the Auxiliary • Modern Website model: Three specialists • Program/platform (software and database tools) • Graphics (layout, composition, look and feel) • Content (words, pictures; what the site says…)

  11. The Great Dilemma: Separating Website Program from Content • Obsolete model (Early Internet, current AUX) • Programmer = writer/editor = graphic designer • Dead for 10+ years; alive and well in the Auxiliary • A New Aux Website model: “n”non-specialists • Program/platform (software and database tools) Canned • Graphics (layout, composition, look and feel) Included • Content (words, pictures; what the site says…) Whomever

  12. The WOW Project “PUSHBUTTON”wEBSITES

  13. The WOW Project:“Pushbutton” Websites • Any unit: an instant site • Personalized to your unit • Staff Listing • Contact and meeting info • Public Education Course • Calendar • Zip Code Course Finder • Instant “Flyer” • Stop now, add more later…

  14. How “Instant”? • Open a web browser • Type wow.uscgaux.info • Enter your Aux credentials • Enter your unit • Press “Log In” Elapsed time: 15 seconds

  15. Very “Instant”… • Click “Configure Site” • Click “Enable Site”

  16. And were done… HOME PAGE: About the Auxiliary UNIT’S STAFF LIST CONTACT & MEETING INFO PE COURSE LIST BY ZIP CODE Elapsed time: 25 seconds

  17. But wait! There’s more… 1st 25 Seconds: • Home page • Flotilla meeting & contact info • Current staff list • Public Education Course Finder • Links to • Division Site • District Site • National Site • Log on for staff contact info Every 5 Minutes: • Unit calendars • Rolling announcements • Members Only (passwd) • Unlimited Custom Pages • External links • Feeds • AIS • Weather • Twitter • Anything else • Prospective Member Program Form (coming) • Much, much more…

  18. Bottom line – WOW Websites • Basic site in 25 seconds • No excuse for any flotilla or division to not have a basic, always up-to-date Web presence. • Trivial to expand site with no computer skills • So easy, unit’s elected officers can do  • Help fill your PE classes, attract members Aux-04 Website C-School being streamlined; students want only WOW. CHDIRAUX has approved.

  19. The WOW Project ONLINE PE CALENDAR DATABASE

  20. National PE Calendar Database What is it? • Central database with (potentially) all PE courses in the country • Maintained by PE officers at the flotilla level • Entered courses show up on all WOW websites (unit or Zip Code searches) • “Instant” Course flyer with time, date, details • Entry generates an electronic “Notice of Intent to Teach” form (7023), emails to District

  21. How does it work? A WOW Website is not required to participate PE Dashboard URL: http://wow.uscgaux.info/PE_signin.php

  22. DSO-PE

  23. Zip Code Class Search – Any WOW Site

  24. “Instant” Printable Color Flyer Meeting Details and Contact Info Zoomable location map Course Syllabus

  25. Bottom Line – National PE Course Database – Flotilla Perspective • Fill out your 7023 Form online, and you’re in. • Generates the District paperwork and sends via email. You’re done. • If you don’t use it, nearby flotillas who do will siphon away some of your students due to the Zip code search. • Paper 7023’s can be entered for you by an SO or DSO, but…how last Century… • IT Group will convert and load any district databases in existence – one time

  26. WOW Takeaway • It’s to your advantage for your unit to have a modern Website that is current. • Those without can have one in less than a minute. • WOW sites are important as public portals into your PE course offerings

  27. The WOW Project:“Pushbutton” Websites • NOT a template… • A true, data-driven (content-driven) site • The website is already built – • The unit just puts in the content (words, occasional images)

  28. Demo (to follow) • Logging onto the WOW website • “Enabling” the site • Reviewing your default site • Logged in versus logged out • Adding a public education page • Adding a PE course • Viewing a PE flyer • Creating a members only “Blog” • Converting from WOW-I: a division site • Link to another site

  29. Live Demo Site

  30. What Else Can You Do? • Links to other Websites • Custom Pages (unlimited) • Re-order the menu items • Announcements/items that expire • Upload photographs/artwork (within reason) • Upload documents to link/serve

  31. What about images? • Images are uploaded to WOW • Stored on WOW server “in the cloud” • Folder for each unit is supported • Photos are “bit reduced” when uploaded • Be prudent: Use images to sweeten web pages only. • Put “photo galleries” on commercial sites • Embed with an iframe tag We reserve the right to limit photos at any time.

  32. What if You Know HTML? • Use it on any page • Accomplish any fine-grained task Except for workarounds, not recommended, because you will not always be the CS officer

  33. Public Access to Your WOW Site http://axxxyyzz.wow.uscgaux.info http://a1141204.wow.uscgaux.info

  34. Under the Hood VIRTUAL SERVER wow.uscgaux.info WOW DASHBOARD WOW II Application WOW Application UNIT TABLES DOCUMENTS & IMAGES http://axxxyyzz.wow.uscgaux.info

  35. Early returns… “You enabled me to create a website for my flotilla... Thank you so much. I am truly grateful….” Marti Bright-Jordan, Flotilla CommanderFlotilla 11-10 11SR Palm Desert "As SO-CS for the San Diego Division, I gained sufficient knowledge during a single WOW seminar to quickly create and customize websites for three flotillas that have never had one.” Randy Houk, SO-CSDivision 1 11SR San Diego

  36. Summary • WOW-II offers an immediate Web presence to units without Websites or webmasters; • WOW sites are built around content, not around computer coding; Ordinary mortals such as Flotilla Commanders can maintain; • WOW sites can be tailored easily by such mortals to the unit’s specific needs.

  37. Suggestions to DSO’s for Promoting WOW • Give this presentation at Division Meetings • Reason: All Flotilla Commanders are there • Invite FSO-CSs to join; make it a “big deal” • Tailor statistics and demos herein for your District • Appoint an ADSO-CS/UW (Unit Websites) • One job only: “100% of flotillas have websites by 2012” • OK, one other job: analyze other flotillas for “stinkers”;gently move to WOW (Website GAR) • Use the SO-CS’s • They are often under utilized… OMG! Some-thing to DO! SO

  38. Prototype Disclaimer • WOW is a project of the National Information Technology Computer Software and Systems (IC) group, who are volunteers just like you. • “We make your job easier…”

  39. Questions?

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