Host for .gov Domain

[A.Member]

That $480 could send 2-3+ cadets to an encampment, or an NSCA scholarship, or heck a big pizza party,
vs. being flushed for no reason.

The flip side is that it could also be used to host a quality, professional, updated site that serves as an effective sales brochure for potential partner agencies as well as a recruiting tool that brings in the quality members we're after.

[A.Member]

If <$500 annually breaks a Wing level budget, then you've got bigger issues than a website.  Paying for a good host to get the right site can be money well spent in this scenario.

Waste is waste.  National already has a very fancy recruiting site.  Hyperlinks to it are free.

No.  National has a hodge podge of stuff thrown together on a webpage...it's a mess.  And adding hyperlinks to a page is not recruiting.

Anyone so inclined can over-complicate Google Sites to the same level you can over-complicate any other CMS.

An external site should not be over complicated...that's the point.  It should be elegant and get the message across clearly and succinctly.  It's more about the visual design; it's marketing.

$500 is more then the annual budgets of a lot of squadrons.

Again, at a Wing level, if $500 for a website is causing you issues, you have larger issues to be concerned with.

[Eclipse]

No.  National has a hodge podge of stuff thrown together on a webpage...it's a mess.  And adding hyperlinks to a page is not recruiting.

Actually, if you are depending on your web page for anything but contact information, and unit news, you're cooked.

Websites are not recruiting, and if you're creating "elegant content" that exceeds what NHQ is doing, you are wasting your and CAP's time.

NHQ may not have a coherent internet strategy end-to-end, but there's nothing wrong with the main site from an external perspective.

Again, at a Wing level, if $500 for a website is causing you issues, you have larger issues to be concerned with.

Done a wing budget lately? 

$500 is decidely an issue in many wings these days.  The fact that anyone would think spending $500 of
corporate money when they don't have to is textbook FWA.

[A.Member]

No.  National has a hodge podge of stuff thrown together on a webpage...it's a mess.  And adding hyperlinks to a page is not recruiting.

Actually, if you are depending on your web page for anything but contact information, and unit news, you're cooked.

Websites are not recruiting, and if you're creating "elegant content" that exceeds what NHQ is doing, you are wasting your and CAP's time.

NHQ may not have a coherent internet strategy end-to-end, but there's nothing wrong with the main site from an external perspective.

Says you.  Opinions differ...over 80% of our new members find CAP through the web.  But I guess that's not recruiting. 

Again, at a Wing level, if $500 for a website is causing you issues, you have larger issues to be concerned with.

Done a wing budget lately?

All the time.

$500 is decidely an issue in many wings these days.  The fact that anyone would think spending $500 of
corporate money when they don't have to is textbook FWA.

See my previous comment on the matter.  It stands.

[Eclipse]

...over 80% of our new members find CAP through the web.

Cite please.

Your unit?  Maybe.  Hard to prove.

Nationally?  No way.

[JeffDG]

I don't understand spending $500 and then saying "Well, it's just as good as..." when the "Good as" is free.

For $0, I get a decent website, with a PAO-proof WYSIWYG editor.  I get unit announcements.  I get unit shared calendars, including units being able to pull Group or Wing level events and display them on their unit sites.  I get 30 GB per member of storage and e-mail.  I get video conferencing and live-streaming events.  I get e-mail lists of members, broken down 10 ways from Sunday (Wanna send an e-mail to all Incident Commanders in West Tennessee?  I've got a list for that)

Did I mention I get all of this for $0?

http://tn128.tncap.us

[A.Member]

...over 80% of our new members find CAP through the web.

Cite please.

Your unit?  Maybe.  Hard to prove.

Nationally?  No way.

Our units (not National) per new member survey.  We can draw correlations via our web traffic stats as well.   That anecdotal evidence suggests successful squadrons have an "above average" web presence.   Struggling squadrons have a web presence that mirrors their performance.

I can't speak to what National does.

[A.Member]

I don't understand spending $500 and then saying "Well, it's just as good as..." when the "Good as" is free.

For $0, I get a decent website, with a PAO-proof WYSIWYG editor.  I get unit announcements.  I get unit shared calendars, including units being able to pull Group or Wing level events and display them on their unit sites.  I get 30 GB per member of storage and e-mail.  I get video conferencing and live-streaming events.  I get e-mail lists of members, broken down 10 ways from Sunday (Wanna send an e-mail to all Incident Commanders in West Tennessee?  I've got a list for that)

Did I mention I get all of this for $0?

http://tn128.tncap.us

Yes, agreed....it's an excellent intranet site.  Different audience, different purpose.

[Eclipse]

Yes, agreed....it's an excellent intranet site.  Different audience, different purpose.

And zero need at the unit level to build two separate entities in the way you are using the terminology.

I'm sure we would all be excited to see a unit web site which is not an "intranet" that you would hold up as an example of "do".

[Tim Day]

$500 is decidely an issue in many wings these days.  The fact that anyone would think spending $500 of
corporate money when they don't have to is textbook FWA.

Really, that meets the textbook definition of FWA? Cite Please.

Anyway, for those who are looking into the span of available solutions, be aware that there are several alternatives as well as cost/benefits to be considered. If your Wing budget for web ops is 0$, then sites is the way to go. For something a little nicer / more professional looking, WordPress will cost you a bit more (and it's just as PAO proof - plus your web team will be gaining a marketable skill / experience).

In fact, WordPress is the solution GSA is choosing as a CMS platform for government websites (though their service will start at $5k per month when they start charging). See http://sites.usa.gov/

[Eclipse]

$500 is decidely an issue in many wings these days.  The fact that anyone would think spending $500 of
corporate money when they don't have to is textbook FWA.

Really, that meets the textbook definition of FWA? Cite Please.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/waste
waste  [weyst] 
verb (used with object), wast·ed, wast·ing.
1. to consume, spend, or employ uselessly or without adequate return; use to no avail or profit; squander: to waste money; to waste words.

[Tim Day]

$500 is decidely an issue in many wings these days.  The fact that anyone would think spending $500 of
corporate money when they don't have to is textbook FWA.

Really, that meets the textbook definition of FWA? Cite Please.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/waste
waste  [weyst] 
verb (used with object), wast·ed, wast·ing.
1. to consume, spend, or employ uselessly or without adequate return; use to no avail or profit; squander: to waste money; to waste words.

Thank you. Since we get an adequate return for our $40 per month, the expenditure does not consitute FWA.