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NHQ Websites

Started by Pylon, February 23, 2005, 03:47:39 AM

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Pylon

Why is it that NHQ can't consolidate all of their operations into one website?   CAP National information and internet operations are spread across so many domains and different looking websites.

Look at what we've got:


I wonder if they've ever realized how scattered and confusing their mess of websites has become?   You'd think for the sake of simplicity and ease, they'd make one website, with information for prospective members and current members, just in different sections of the same website, and have all those URLs redirect to the one site.
Michael F. Kieloch, Maj, CAP

Greg

Quote from: Pylon on February 23, 2005, 03:47:39 AM
Why is it that NHQ can't consolidate all of their operations into one website?   CAP National information and internet operations are spread across so many domains and different looking websites.

Look at what we've got:


I wonder if they've ever realized how scattered and confusing their mess of websites has become?   You'd think for the sake of simplicity and ease, they'd make one website, with information for prospective members and current members, just in different sections of the same website, and have all those URLs redirect to the one site.

I think it would be a great idea to consolidate those into one website, or at least let them have the same homepage with links.  I didn't even know that www.cap.af.mil even existed.
C/Maj Greg(ory) Boyajian, CAP
Air Victory Museum Composite Squadron

Yoda

I was unfamiliar with both cap.af.mil and cap.us.  I agree, it is a confusing behemoth.  It looks fairly professional, but I think it's about time they got around to doing some organizing.

Pylon

Quote from: Greg
I didn't even know that www.cap.af.mil even existed.


cap.af.mil used to be the main and only CAP website for a while; for some reason (perhaps owing to CAP-USAF relations) CAP suddenly closed the af.mil website and moved quickly to a brand-new cap.gov.  At some point, without any fanfare, the af.mil domain began being used again for random things, like the National Technology Center website. 

I just can't figure out why certain things are on one website, and others on another.  At bare minimum, they need to stop registering new domains.   ;)
Michael F. Kieloch, Maj, CAP

dwb

CAP moved to a .gov domain because of rule changes WRT the use of .mil domain names.  I don't know why some of the Ops stuff is still on the .mil domain.

CAPMart is a separate domain because I think they might have entertained the idea of spinning that off as an independent company, provided they could actually turn a profit.  Or, at the very least, to give it a "corporate identity".  Unfortunately, CAPMart is the Amtrak of CAP.  Or possibly they didn't understand how to do subdomains.  store.cap.gov would have worked well there.

Why the name "level2" I have no idea.  members.cap.gov would have worked just fine, and it would have made sense.

I think the PTB went a little overboard with their content management system, and created a web site with impossible-to-remember URLs, and random, obtuse document names (of course "u_050504074212.doc" is the Subordinate Unit Inspection Guide, what else would it be?!?)

CAPMart is nothing short of a disappointment.  The interface is poorly designed, and results in a lot of wasted time trying to do something that shouldn't be that complicated.  I used to purchase IT equipment at my old job, and I could rack up $10,000 worth of stuff from CDW and complete the transaction in a fraction of the time it takes for me to buy three uniform items on CAPMart.

[/rant]

Greg

Sir, are you trying to say that the Civil Air Patrol doesn't need stuffed animals!??!?!?!?  ::) ::)
C/Maj Greg(ory) Boyajian, CAP
Air Victory Museum Composite Squadron

dwb

Quote from: Greg on February 23, 2005, 02:12:31 PM
Sir, are you trying to say that the Civil Air Patrol doesn't need stuffed animals!??!?!?!?  ::) ::)

Bwhahaha!  I had no idea NHQ sold monkeys.  You can never go wrong with a monkey.

Yoda

Quote from: justin_bailey on February 23, 2005, 03:29:27 PM
Quote from: Greg on February 23, 2005, 02:12:31 PM
Sir, are you trying to say that the Civil Air Patrol doesn't need stuffed animals!??!?!?!?  ::) ::)

Bwhahaha!  I had no idea NHQ sold monkeys.  You can never go wrong with a monkey.
Can't be worse than the wind-up frogs they sell.


Monkeys I could almost see.  Not quite, but almost.  At least they say "I love to fly" on them.  Can somebody, anybody, please explain what we need swimming frogs for?

pixelwonk

#8
Gotta use all that money previously allocated for the race car to buy nifty things to sell to the membership.

Or... Perhaps they're little ELT practice beacons in a fanciful disguise to prevent a heinous absconding by an unscrupulous ne'er-do-well.

In regards to the cap.us domain, I would venture a guess that it was to eliminate the possibility of anyone else getting it first.

Greg

#9
Quote from: Yoda on February 23, 2005, 04:58:29 PM
Quote from: justin_bailey on February 23, 2005, 03:29:27 PM
Quote from: Greg on February 23, 2005, 02:12:31 PM
Sir, are you trying to say that the Civil Air Patrol doesn't need stuffed animals!??!?!?!?  ::) ::)

Bwhahaha!  I had no idea NHQ sold monkeys.  You can never go wrong with a monkey.
Can't be worse than the wind-up frogs they sell.
Monkeys I could almost see.  Not quite, but almost.  At least they say "I love to fly" on them.  Can somebody, anybody, please explain what we need swimming frogs for?

If I get accepted to COS, I'll try to find something outrageous at CAPmart and take a pic.  Then, maybe, just maybe, I'll send them an e-mail asking how that product relates to CAP, just to see what they say.  ;D
C/Maj Greg(ory) Boyajian, CAP
Air Victory Museum Composite Squadron

Yoda

Quote from: Greg on February 23, 2005, 05:15:08 PM


If I get accepted to COS, I'll try to find something outrageous at CAPmart and take a pic.  Then, maybe, just maybe, I'll send them an e-mail asking how that product relates to CAP, just to see what they say.  ;D
Believe me, it ain't hard to do.  You could start with the diving knives. ::)

pixelwonk

After visiting cap.us's site, it reminded me of this thread.

NHQ probably opted for cap.us also to be able to celebrate their corporate partnership with various sponsors.  Something they cannot do on their .GOV domain.

You'll notice that when you click on cap.gov and eventually find the partners link, it will take you to a redirect page with the famous  "LINKS OR REFERENCES TO INDIVIDUALS OR COMPANIES DO NOT CONSTITUTE AN ENDORSEMENT OF ANY PRODUCT OR SERVICE YOU MAY RECEIVE FROM SUCH SOURCES." blurb.  (Sorry for the Caps, I didn't feel like retyping it.)

The .US domain site doesn't feature the disclaimer, because... CAP really does endorse their partner's products and services.  ;)


Major_Chuck

#12
Quote from: Greg on February 23, 2005, 05:15:08 PM
Quote from: Yoda on February 23, 2005, 04:58:29 PM
Quote from: justin_bailey on February 23, 2005, 03:29:27 PM
Quote from: Greg on February 23, 2005, 02:12:31 PM
Sir, are you trying to say that the Civil Air Patrol doesn't need stuffed animals!??!?!?!?  ::) ::)

Bwhahaha!  I had no idea NHQ sold monkeys.  You can never go wrong with a monkey.
Can't be worse than the wind-up frogs they sell.
Monkeys I could almost see.  Not quite, but almost.  At least they say "I love to fly" on them.  Can somebody, anybody, please explain what we need swimming frogs for?

If I get accepted to COS, I'll try to find something outrageous at CAPmart and take a pic.  Then, maybe, just maybe, I'll send them an e-mail asking how that product relates to CAP, just to see what they say.  ;D

Hey.  These are the DDR Frogs.  Order NOW!  Quantities limited.
Chuck Cranford
SGT, TNCO VA OCS
Virginia Army National Guard

pixelwonk

Is it mandatory to have the images redisplayed in every reply that references the post they're in?  Or cannot that be helped?
It seems kind of unecessary, doesn't it?  Seeing it three times on one page is well, I dunno... :-\

Yoda

Quote from: tedda on March 03, 2005, 01:45:21 AM
Is it mandatory to have the images redisplayed in every reply that references the post they're in?  Or cannot that be helped?
It seems kind of unecessary, doesn't it?  Seeing it three times on one page is well, I dunno... :-\

Well, it's not required.  All you have to do is edit the quote and remove the link to the pictures.  I can see where you're coming from with that.  I would imagine it takes longer for the page to load for every repetition of the picture on it.

whatevah

Quote from: Yoda on March 03, 2005, 04:12:47 AM
Quote from: tedda on March 03, 2005, 01:45:21 AM
Is it mandatory to have the images redisplayed in every reply that references the post they're in?  Or cannot that be helped?
It seems kind of unecessary, doesn't it?  Seeing it three times on one page is well, I dunno... :-\

Well, it's not required.  All you have to do is edit the quote and remove the link to the pictures.  I can see where you're coming from with that.  I would imagine it takes longer for the page to load for every repetition of the picture on it.
we've rolled rather off-topic, but... it won't slow down a good browser, even if it does look annoying. :)
Jerry Horn
CAPTalk Co-Admin