CAP Portal? / My.CAP.gov

[Pylon]

The LDAP thru CAPNHQ.gov discussion got me thinking about the possibilities of an improved and expanded, but centralized, electronic portal for CAP members. 

The Army has continually expanded the Army Knowledge Online (AKO) system to include everything from access to publications to army.mil email addresses, interactive tools, their version of our Knowledgebase, and many other things all falling under one login/password.

Imagine being able to login to one portal and have access to what we now have under E-Services, WMIRS, WMU, MIMS, the Knowledgebase, a CAP email address (perhaps such as firstname.lastname@members.cap.gov), electronic testing, etc.  NIN had some great ideas for this in his post from the aforementioned thread.

Also, notices with links like "Since your last visit, 2 new policy letters have been posted" or "1 new draft regulation has been put up for commenting" - much in the way that MySpace, Facebook and other networking sites simply alert returning users of such events that have happened since they personally last logged in.  Along with alerts for awaiting approvals, membership renewal almost due, and other quick notices that could easily be organized on a "portal-style" home page for each user.

I know this would require a serious investment in time, technology, and of course - money, but I think the benefits of much higher organization, ease of use, access to the appropriate information would increase member participation in all of those functions and tools, as well as ease the burden of work on the individual members.

You login one place... perhaps a "my.cap.gov" homepage and you get a personalized homepage that keeps you easily connected to everything pertinent going on in your CAP world from national to local.  Many homepages like this exist from Yahoo, Google, networking sites, even tons of colleges have them for students and faculty.  It's not new technology - but it could be implemented for CAP in a manner that would un-complicated the messy web of information and the myriad of pages and CAP sites one must check now to get answers and new information.

Thoughts?  Ideas?

[sandman]

I'm all for it!! Like AKO, NKO, and others, that portal could support online training to maintain currency in your chosen specialty(s).

Any ideas as to cost for set up and maintenance?

(Can we have a "MyPay" site too?? )

[Pylon]

I'm all for it!! Like AKO, NKO, and others, that portal could support online training to maintain currency in your chosen specialty(s).

Any ideas as to cost for set up and maintenance?

I don't know about cost, but I know it's doable.  Even small, private colleges like my alma mater are setting up these custom user portals for their students.  I think if these educational institutions can do it, and reasonably, we can at least get a good start on it. 

It may take extra time and money to incorporate many of our custom technology applications, like some things in E-Services, WMIRS, MIMS, etc. - but let's start somewhere and expand as we go along, much like the AKO did (and still keeps expanding)!

I do like your idea, as well, incorporating Prof. Dev. areas within the site to access anything from reference texts, to checklists, to training videos, to user groups for specialty areas, etc.  The possibilities are endless as you add different "modules" to the portal.

(Can we have a "MyPay" site too?? )

That's easy.  NHQ can just set up a static page to display a bunch of line items all with $0.00 after them. 

[Pumbaa]

A lot of this can be set up using the CMS Joomla and the right community plug-ins/ components.  Of course to take it further would require some modifications and such, but overall you would have a good base.

Open source software, an inexpensive server host. And you can run the operation on a shoestring.

[SAR-EMT1]

Do any of the Wings or Regions have anything like this proposed portal? IOWA?! 

[Major_Chuck]

Do any of the Wings or Regions have anything like this proposed portal? IOWA?! 

CAP Directorate of Rumor Control has it on good authority that such a system is being Beta Tested in Elbonia.

[cyclone]

Do any of the Wings or Regions have anything like this proposed portal? IOWA?! 

Iowa has a Virtual Wing HQ that allows files, policies, etc to be posted for all current members to see and discuss.  It has an O Club to reach all Wing Officers and areas for Squadron Commanders and Wing Staff Officers.  We have created areas for each unit now to plan an discuss.   It allows for milestones, to do lists, and message posting and comment for discussion.

While not nearly as fancy and high tech as Pylon's idea it is based on out of the box software already available.

[SAR-EMT1]

Would info on said software be made availible?

[cyclone]

Would info on said software be made availible?

http://grouphub.com/

[SAR-EMT1]

YOu know cyclone...you are simply wonderful  ... lol 

[Major Carrales]

Have we discussed anything like this before?

Sort of like a "by invitation only" forum for CAP members with no trolls, no outsiders and a total knowledge of who says what?

That would be accountability!!!  It's got a snowball's chance!!!  But we can hope...

[Pylon]

Have we discussed anything like this before?

Sort of like a "by invitation only" forum for CAP members with no trolls, no outsiders and a total knowledge of who says what?

Uh, it has nothing to do with your "by invitation only" forum idea.  There should be another thread around here to discuss that.

[Major Carrales]

Have we discussed anything like this before?

Sort of like a "by invitation only" forum for CAP members with no trolls, no outsiders and a total knowledge of who says what?

Uh, it has nothing to do with your "by invitation only" forum idea.  There should be another thread around here to discuss that.

My only comapraison is the removal of unpleasant and unethical elements that post in the VASTNESS of NO-BAMED AETHER.  These same discussions we employ could occur with greater results and more benefit in a setting where everyone was "in the open" than occurs when people hide behind bloody screen names.

I have witnessed here and at the defunct Portal various "cheapshots" against numerous groups and individuals.  The type of behavior unbecoming a CAP officer where even Veterans of our Armed Forces were "trashed!"  Also the number of non-CAP member interference (both constructive and destructive) that results in plenty of fodder for the enemies of CAP on which to engourge.

If we all had to sign our names to what we said I bet there would be much more INTERGRITY call to be amid our membership, a degree of EXCELLENCE in our posts that would result in a true SERVICE to the organization through RESPECT of its members.  A place where if a person says some sinister thing about a Veteran or long time CAP member or starts/prepetuates a rumor about some one based on littlemore than agendistic emotional drivel they can be held responsoble and delt with accordingly.

Honestly...wouldn't it be nice to have the discussions here on any and all things in an athmosphere where 1) we could respect each other by force of law, 2) could have a viable member generated force for change and 3) sign on to our ideas.

Is it legislating ethics?  Most likely...

[Lancer]

My only comapraison is the removal of unpleasant and unethical elements that post in the VASTNESS of NO-BAMED AETHER.

Major... what I believe our illustrious administrator, Mr. Keiloch is trying to get at, is getting to a system that is beyond a simple 'members only' forum. That would only be a subcomponent of such a Portal.

Having something like this would create a 'one stop shop' for all things (member-related) CAP. Integrating all of our piecemeal systems into one interface. I really think something like this would greatly benefit every member of our organization.

The only problem that exists is, a lot of our great ideas stay just that, great ideas. I think we 'Come And Postulate' far too much in the hopes that someone is behind the curtain reading all of our posts and making notes to implement our grand and much discussed theorems.

Don't get me wrong, if we didn't have CAPtalk to banter on, these ideas would never come to fruition. We just need to do more than talk, we need to get our facts and data together and work it up the chain the old fashion way. If there was one thing I was taught growing up that I constantly remind myself of almost daily,

'The squeaky wheel gets the grease.'

[Major Carrales]

My only comapraison is the removal of unpleasant and unethical elements that post in the VASTNESS of NO-BAMED AETHER.

Major... what I believe our illustrious administrator, Mr. Keiloch is trying to get at, is getting to a system that is beyond a simple 'members only' forum. That would only be a subcomponent of such a Portal.

Having something like this would create a 'one stop shop' for all things (member-related) CAP. Integrating all of our piecemeal systems into one interface. I really think something like this would greatly benefit every member of our organization.

The only problem that exists is, a lot of our great ideas stay just that, great ideas. I think we 'Come And Postulate' far too much in the hopes that someone is behind the curtain reading all of our posts and making notes to implement our grand and much discussed theorems.

Don't get me wrong, if we didn't have CAPtalk to banter on, these ideas would never come to fruition. We just need to do more than talk, we need to get our facts and data together and work it up the chain the old fashion way. If there was one thing I was taught growing up that I constantly remind myself of almost daily,

'The squeaky wheel gets the grease.'

Agreed, I don't plan to say anymore about this.  The idea of such aplace mentioned here were one had a "one stop shop" is meritorious.

[Nick]

The other webmaster and I at my civilian job are talking about writing such a My (whatever) Portal there ... it's an extremely simple process to implement on its own.  Realistically, CAP already has this in place -- e-Services.  It needs a lot of tweaking to become a more user friendly dashboard-style application that you find with AKO/AF Portal/etc., and the outside applications (WMIRS, MIMS, training/tesitng, etc.) need to get more integrated, but it's a very realistic objective.

[NIN]

Several years back, Shawn Stanford and I worked on the idea of a much larger, broader based system like this, one that incorporated content management for all units, as well. 

Basically, the idea was that any squadron in the country would have a basic website (ie. "concord.nhwg.cap.gov" or "gp2.nywg.cap.gov" or whatever) that was generated, in part, from data in the national database (contact info, meeting location, etc) and part of an overall hierarchy (gp2.nywg.cap.gov would be part of nywg.cap.gov, and all of Group 2's squadrons would be a part of that hierarchy, etc.  All of this would be automagic (DNSing, etc) right from the database, dynamically.  Stand a new unit up and *pow* they have a "basic" website literally minutes after the CAPF 27 was signed and the data entered.  This basic site would take whatever graphical visual that its higher HQ selected for its "basic" subordinate units.

Beyond the "basic" sites, a unit could elect to have a "more than basic" site which would pull its information from  a data driven CMS with data components able to share information up and down the hierarchy.  This  would allow a unit with _absolutely_no_technical_knowledge_ to add all kinds of nifty stuff to its "public" website from a drag & drop interface (calendar, photo album, etc), and all of this stuff would still be data controlled centrally (layered calendar anybody?)  Photos, particularly of the "oh my god, you put that on the web?" variety, would be a thing of the past, since a bad photo can be removed by an administrator at higher HQ or would have be be "approved" in the first place.  Members of the unit, as authorized, could add content information to keep the site relevant and fresh.

Better than that.  gp2.nywg.cap.gov could have, an RSS-like feed to pull information from its subordinate sites and display its there, too.   Your squadron could add a "feed" from other units nearby, too, so that members can see what other squadrons are doing.    A group or wing could use those feeds to build their "monthy" or "quarterly" subordinate unit reports for PAO or safety, for example.

Then we layer onto that a portal, sort of a unit level intranet, with member-only data like rosters, etc.  A unit commander could mandate that everybody in the Joe Blow Sq (jblow.nywg.cap.gov) has their calendar and unit news prominently displayed when they login to their intranet page.  Rosters would be available as a direct pull from CAPWATCH without any need for wonkishness on the part of the unit.

That's just some of the ideas we had off the top of my head.

We pitched it toward NHQ, no response. Not even a giggle.

[Lancer]

We pitched it toward NHQ, no response. Not even a giggle.

It's all about who's in charge and what they 'get excited' about.  Of course we get all excited about it because we're all a bunch of IT geeks.

So all that being said, I say NIN takes over as National Commander in Chief. 

[pixelwonk]

We pitched it toward NHQ, no response. Not even a giggle.

*snicker...giggle*

[NIN]

I forgot to mention: at the time, I was working for Compuware, and we had a product from a company that we bought that was a drag & drop portal.  Optimal something, I think.  Hmmmm...

Thats where I got the idea from though: with various modules, like a calendar module or a photo interface or something, you (a unit commander with no knowledge of technology, really) could easily layout a very functional and easy to use site from "HQ provided building blocks".

EDIT: Ahhh, just found it. Uniface View. They changed the name of it in the two years since I played with it.

[Nick]

Yeah, you're basically describing AFPIMS (the Air Force Public Information Management System) but with a member portal-esque content vs. public content.  The whole thing is extremely easy to deploy, you just need to be holding the keys to cap.gov to make it happen.

[shorning]

...you just need to be holding the keys to cap.gov to make it happen.

Is that like keys to the airplane?  Or keys to the HMMVV? 

[Nick]

Exactly.

[swilliams]

NIN, et al (if anyone is still listening)....

In addition to several others (tedda, NIN, whoever I forgot). Erick & I pitched the same idea to NHQ/IT on a couple different occasions. We even put together a white paper to discuss the idea of one (or more) CAP owned and co-located servers to host a site for every unit. Of course, it went no where - and now we're working on this type of idea at a more local level. Maybe we all should put our heads together & make something happen for real, regardless of what national thinks?

[Pylon]

Our very own "General" Colgan's efforts to develop a superior E-learning site for CAP education, training and professional development have made me rethink this idea that I would love to see happen.

Project Idea: My.CAP.gov
Summary:  A central website communications portal customized for each CAP member.  A replacement for E-services, adding in additional capabilities to address other issues.

End User Experience:  Each CAP member would have an individual account, similar to how E-services currently operates.  Each user would have a homepage with a variety of dynamic information boxes, each box feeding various information to the user.  Features would include internal CAP news feed, calendar of upcoming events, standardized email for all CAP members, notifications of personnel actions and pending authorizations, and unit specific functions as well, etc.   Different modules could be developped and added to the user's homepage, allowing for increasing functions overtime.  In essence, my.cap.gov would function very much like social networking sites such as Facebook, but with a shift of emphasis from networking to information flow.

Members would be able to log into one source to get CAP news, CAP-related email, conduct CAP business, manage personnel, and more.

Features

Standardized Email
Each account would generate a standardized CAP email.  Email addresses could look something like mkieloch@members.cap.gov or michael.kieloch@members.cap.gov.  Portal would offer web access, but members could also use POP3 to access email.

Automatic unit distribution lists would be generated.  For example, mailing to NY408_all@members.cap.gov would distribute emails to all members of record at NY-408.  NYWG_all@members.cap.gov would distribute emails to the entire Wing (whereas NY001_all@members.cap.gov would allow distribution to just Wing HQ).

Member News Feed
National Headquarters needs serious improvement on member communications.  One central news feed (with RSS capability) to distribute news pertinent to members would be a great improvement.  Information like posting of new publications, publications for comment, interim change letters, conferences, notices to the membership, improvements to the site, updates from the national commander, etc.   It would not contain most national PAO news.

This would enhance memberships awareness of changes, provide NHQ an easy way to push news out to the membership and create a true internal/"employee" communications program.

National Calendar
Units at all levels would be strongly encouraged to enter CAP activities into the calendar system.  Host unit information would be entered, as would scope of event (national, wing, group, squadron).  Members within the designated scope would see the event on their upcoming events module, along with the opportunity to click on the event to get more specific information (description, application process, POC, etc.)

Commander (or his designee) at the level hosting the event would have to approve the event to be posted.  i/e: Squadron Activities Officer posts event, squadron commander approves it to be distributed.

Member Search/CAPWATCH
This feature would remain essentially the same, with a few additions or tweaks.  When viewing member records, quick link would exist to quickly send that member an email through Web Mail.  Also would show last date/time member logged into my.cap.gov.

Basic reports could also be easily generated.  For example a useful report might be Squadron Active Roster, showing all current members and their contact information or Squadron Birthday Listing, breaking down each month and showing who has birthdays in that month (much like SIMS).    A very handy report would be Recently Expired/Removed Members, which would show members that have dropped off the MML recently.

Additional Modules
A wide variety of modules could easily be developed for this, including integrating things such as E-Learning, professional development tracking (i/e: reports generating lists of seniors due for promotion and lacking SLS or CLC, then sending out specific notices to those people of upcoming SLS or CLC opportunities), knowledgebase integration, ad infinitum.  Really the possibilitie are endless with the right structure and framework.

Layout
Envision a very simple, clean interface.  Modules would work much like they do on iGoogle or Facebook.  Certain pieces would be a permanent part of your homepage and not movable.  Other modules you could move around to your likeing, and with certain optional or restricted ones, you'd have the ability to add or remove them (or the WSA would add or remove certain ones), hide them/show them, and move 'em around.

This principal is not new.  Many colleges have similar portals for their students and faculty, iGoogle and Facebook and other sites clearly use successfully many concepts and pieces of this with millions of users, and it solves a number of issues and ultimately improves membership knowledge and communication.

[JC004]

Outstanding.  We should protest outside NHQ until we get it.  And HEY, did you steal my e-Learning site?!   

After giving some thought to this concept...Pineda said we can contact the Deputy Chiefs of Staff directly with ideas.  Is this something we could pitch to them? 

We should make this happen and there is no reason why certain parts (like e-Learning) can't be built largely by volunteers.  I've got a lot of people raising their hands and saying "I'll put together a course outline for ____" One technological concern that I have is the underlying systems (for instance, Moodle, the e-Learning stuff, is PHP based, but NHQ is using ASP currently) - but I am sure this can be resolved.

[Tim Medeiros]

in regards to the news feed, they are starting to put up announcements of publications and such (Yost, Aug 2007)

Many of the reports your talking about in the Member Search/CAPWATCH section exist in Member Reports restricted application.  The one you point out that doesnt exist is the member birthdays one, if you want it bad enough, request it in the CAP eServices Help Desk, thats how we got the Members in Specialty Track report

[jayleswo]

I've been dreamin gof such a portal for years. It would be a fabulous accomplishment. For email addresses, perhaps <name>@charter.cap.gov (example: jayleswo@ca151.cap.gov). Same nomenclature for addressing for websites charter.cap.gov (ca151.cap.gov). Keeps the names short and you've got a standardized addressing mechanism.

[Tim Medeiros]

but then you have members changing units more often then they change socks having to constantly change email addresses on things like business cards

[SAR-EMT1]

but then you have members changing units more often then they change socks having to constantly change email addresses on things like business cards

Is this really a huge problem?

[JC004]

but then you have members changing units more often then they change socks having to constantly change email addresses on things like business cards

Is this really a huge problem?

it would probably make it more complicated for keeping e-mail lists up to date and all, at least.

[NIN]

Outstanding.  We should protest outside NHQ until we get it.  And HEY, did you steal my e-Learning site?!   

After giving some thought to this concept...Pineda said we can contact the Deputy Chiefs of Staff directly with ideas.  Is this something we could pitch to them? 

We should make this happen and there is no reason why certain parts (like e-Learning) can't be built largely by volunteers.  I've got a lot of people raising their hands and saying "I'll put together a course outline for ____" One technological concern that I have is the underlying systems (for instance, Moodle, the e-Learning stuff, is PHP based, but NHQ is using ASP currently) - but I am sure this can be resolved.

This is why Directory Services such as LDAP and x.500 exist to serve common authentication/information exchange across platforms.

An LDAP server authenticating users would be huge for things like unit websites.  Point your squadron's instance of Joomla with the LDAP patch at the NHQ LDAP server and say "let anybody who attempts to login authenticate against NHQ's database and only those with 'NER-PA-002' in their unit code can acutally get in.."  Poof!  If a guy transfers, there is nothing you have to do. He just stops being able to login to your unit site.  Done.  No extra administration on your part.

I enquired about this earlier this year.  Apparently the auditors would have a fit.

[JC004]

Outstanding.  We should protest outside NHQ until we get it.  And HEY, did you steal my e-Learning site?!   

After giving some thought to this concept...Pineda said we can contact the Deputy Chiefs of Staff directly with ideas.  Is this something we could pitch to them? 

We should make this happen and there is no reason why certain parts (like e-Learning) can't be built largely by volunteers.  I've got a lot of people raising their hands and saying "I'll put together a course outline for ____" One technological concern that I have is the underlying systems (for instance, Moodle, the e-Learning stuff, is PHP based, but NHQ is using ASP currently) - but I am sure this can be resolved.

This is why Directory Services such as LDAP and x.500 exist to serve common authentication/information exchange across platforms.

An LDAP server authenticating users would be huge for things like unit websites.  Point your squadron's instance of Joomla with the LDAP patch at the NHQ LDAP server and say "let anybody who attempts to login authenticate against NHQ's database and only those with 'NER-PA-002' in their unit code can acutally get in.."  Poof!  If a guy transfers, there is nothing you have to do. He just stops being able to login to your unit site.  Done.  No extra administration on your part.

I enquired about this earlier this year.  Apparently the auditors would have a fit.

::sigh:: this has been my dream too... Auditors as in Colonel Webb (HE IS FICTIONAL, I TELL YOU!)?

[Lancer]

::sigh:: this has been my dream too... Auditors as in Colonel Webb (HE IS FICTIONAL, I TELL YOU!)?

You mean Col William W. Webb? The man with the keys to all things DNS? No, he's very real, in fact I had a rather lengthy conversation with him at our wing conference this year. Great guy. Considering the fact too that he walked into managing our DNS with pretty much no technical background, I think he understands it very well.

In regards to pass-thru authentication, I'm all for it, but considering the unfounded hesitation folks like Lt Col Ninness are receiving when the idea is proposed, we 'IT folks' need to put together a case study and proof to them it can be done. In this organization, if you want something done, you sometimes need to do it yourself. Such as what your doing with your Moodle implementation. Kudos BTW.

[Sgt. Savage]

I like it. From an OPSEC point of view, it makes our training schedule secure and keeps the location secret; accessable only to members of the organization. One of OUR big problems is what to e-mail and what not to email. Though it happens here (MEWG), I have issues with telling everyone that N740CP is going to be out for its 100hr and that we have no available aircraft. I can see Muktada peeling my email out of Outlook by hacking my wireless....

I like it. Did I already say that?

[JC004]

::sigh:: this has been my dream too... Auditors as in Colonel Webb (HE IS FICTIONAL, I TELL YOU!)?

You mean Col William W. Webb? The man with the keys to all things DNS? No, he's very real, in fact I had a rather lengthy conversation with him at our wing conference this year. Great guy. Considering the fact too that he walked into managing our DNS with pretty much no technical background, I think he understands it very well.

In regards to pass-thru authentication, I'm all for it, but considering the unfounded hesitation folks like Lt Col Ninness are receiving when the idea is proposed, we 'IT folks' need to put together a case study and proof to them it can be done. In this organization, if you want something done, you sometimes need to do it yourself. Such as what your doing with your Moodle implementation. Kudos BTW.

He doesn't exist.  You lie.  How could our .gov control guy have the initials WWW and the last name Webb?  LIES, I SAY, LIES!   

I think we should make this happen, if we can.  It would make life a lot easier for the wings and probably their subordinate units.  Moodle = good.  Thank you, btw.  We need to get you pre-registered too.   

[pixelwonk]

* tedda folds arms... bobs head

done!

[JC004]

* tedda folds arms... bobs head

done!

ladies and gentlemen...THE AMAZING TEDDA!

[addo1]

Thoughts?  Ideas?

  It might be quite complicated to do, but I think it would probably be worth it in the long run..

Tags - MIKE

[floridacyclist]

I'm working on trying to get phpgroupware ( www.phpgroupware.org ) working on our website, but Godaddy doesn't offer complete mysql permissions...just heard from our wing web guru that I can host on the wing website which does.....we'll see

[jimmydeanno]

Maybe they could migrate to "Sharepoint."




















JUST KIDDING! 

[JC004]

I'm working on trying to get phpgroupware ( www.phpgroupware.org ) working on our website, but Godaddy doesn't offer complete mysql permissions...just heard from our wing web guru that I can host on the wing website which does.....we'll see

Great.  It is great to see an effort to use these kind of systems at the local level.  As someone who used Godaddy a lot, I could recommend using Dreamhost instead. 

[Lancer]

As someone who used Godaddy a lot, I could recommend using Dreamhost instead. 

Agreed. My current host. Awesome features, admin control panel, and you can't beat the price. 

[floridacyclist]

I have thought about that the next time we have to renew...which is like next year. What other reasons beside full access to the mysql database can you think of? Do you know if we can even get lock access to the database there on a Linux account?

[JC004]

I have thought about that the next time we have to renew...which is like next year. What other reasons beside full access to the mysql database can you think of? Do you know if we can even get lock access to the database there on a Linux account?

If you're going to host basic HTML/CSS/etc., they're fine.  But I've found they can be inflexible when I want to install various stuff and their pre-installed apps suck.  I've had more trouble installing stuff on their hosting than any other hosting I use or have used.   

[floridacyclist]

Ours is fairly basic....mostly SSI files and some PHP pages. We use about 4 mysql databases, but that would even be cut back once we got groupware working.

www.tallahasseecap.org

[JC004]

Ours is fairly basic....mostly SSI files and some PHP pages. We use about 4 mysql databases, but that would even be cut back once we got groupware working.

www.tallahasseecap.org

It is great that some units are taking web sites seriously.  My philosophy is that it's a way to:
- Lower the burdens on staff by offering commonly needed information in a central location
- Educate your members
- Save time in administration
- Get new members off to a good start
- To provide timely, useful information to members of the community, media, and CAP/the unit
- Increase CAP's exposure
- Provide 24-hour access to information
- Kill off CAP "myths and legends"

Is anyone using resource scheduling (other than the commercial aircraft scheduling) for your unit, group, or wing?  One thing that I have been wanting to develop is a resource scheduling system for radios and that sort of equipment.  I am looking at some open source PHP software that could hopefully do the job.  I want to integrate it into my empire, which includes my e-Learning system.