CAP Web Operations - Your Input, Please

[PhoenixRisen]

With the few recent threads on CAP websites, and my own creating of one (still waiting on authorization fron the wing commander to get it activated), I've gotten to thinking about CAP's online situation.  It's like a lot of other aspects of CAP: it's not organized and uniform.  Some squadrons have websites, some are great, some poor.  Some don't have websites at all.

Given that websites aren't everything, it got me to thinking about all the previous discussions on the topic I've seen here (and partaken in), and I went ahead and put my ideas into a Word document.  I really think it would be cool to submit this up the chain to the IT folks in CAP, but I know no one would ever listen to me, being just a Cadet.  ("Pfft, what does he know?")

With that said, I've attached the document I typed up.  At the present time, I wouldn't think of submitting it at all.  I'm just throwing it out there to see what you all think.  (I've used some ideas on there that I've found on here, i.e. my.cap.gov.)  I also realize that if anything like this is ever submitted (by me or anyone else), not everything will be able to get done, and to the exact specification listed / asked.  These are just ideas.

Am I asking too much?  Am I crazy?  Please feel free to throw around ideas I can use to make this better (while I may not submit it now, or even as a Cadet, I'd definitely like to as a SM).

[NC Hokie]

You have some pretty good ideas there but I'm afraid that many of them fall apart with the recent decision to move all national web content to the gocivilairpatrol.com domain.  As for the rest, here are my comments:

1. This would be fine as long as the template is attractive, easy to use, and lightweight.  The current national website is somewhat attractive (although it's a bit too busy for my tastes) but I don't think it will scale down well for squadron use.

2. The move to gocivilairpatrol.com makes this somewhat cumbersome; try telling someone to visit your website at mylocalsquadron.xxwg.gocivilairpatrol.com or xx-111.xxwg.gocivilairpatrol.com.  See the problem?  Being able to forward traffic from your custom domain name to such an address would be a much better solution.

3. I like it and wish NHQ would keep cap.gov (or cap.com if we're being booted from the .gov umbrella) for just such a purpose.  I appreciate the need for gocivilairpatrol.com as a recruiting tool but do not like it as the sole CAP domain.

4. Don't kill the sites, just remove the content and have the obsolete urls forward to the appropriate current site.

5. Sorry, but I don't think that the gocivilairpatrol.com domain is going to go away anytime soon.

6. I'm all for this as long as any existing urls can be forwarded to the new ones.

7. I'm not against this but I'd be more supportive of it if there were some way to prevent users from turning this into their personal email account.

8. Do it.

That's all I got, but I'm sure there will be more from others more qualified than I to speak of such things.

[stratoflyer]

Very good. I too think that there should be a web kit whee the unit just fills in the blanks. It would be extremely helpful to new units and those who lack a solid IT person.

And the gocivilairpatrol domain serves its purposes and seeing how it turned out, it will definitely be here to stay.

Why can't you submit this as a cadet? Isn't that what CAC is there for? Can a senior member sponsor you so to speak and take it up the senior member chain of command?

Maybe a wing king can do this for his wing and get national's attention. Then again, that sounds like wishful thinking.

Great job cadet!

[A.Member]

The fundamental thought behind your idea is solid.  While the general concept of a standardized approach is not new, you're thinking strategically and that is excellent!   What I think you're really looking to do is build upon the existing CAPR 110-1 (see #11).

While I may disagree with certain specifics of the proposal, such as the elimination of domains, you're certainly on the right track.  The best part is that you put some thought into it.  This serves as a basis to work from.   Keep in mind, there needs to be an objective/purpose for a website (ie. what problem is a squadron looking to solve/address by having a site?)  Understanding this will help drive some of your proposals.  As others stated, continue to work through the ideas and move it forward...that is how change can occur.

[Phil Hirons, Jr.]

I really think it would be cool to submit this up the chain to the IT folks in CAP, but I know no one would ever listen to me, being just a Cadet.  ("Pfft, what does he know?")

You are in the field, have a working knowledge of the issue and provide constructive ideas. The fact that you are a cadet is irrevelant.

Some very good ideas here. Some comments.

I would give up on gocivilairpatrol.com going away. I think XXR.cap.gov and XXwg.cap.gov are NOT going away so your concept stands.

CAP.com is taken. Three letter domain names on .com are out of CAP's budget.

I would add services NHQ could provide.

• User validation would be a huge time saver. Your e-services account goes inactive so does your squadron ( or group or wing) access
• The basics you mention (unit location, meeting time...) would be nice and they should be in the NHQ database

Like the thread on our branding, you've opened a strategic discussion.

[RiseAbove]

NHQ might benefit the users by rolling out a "capData" API not unlike Google's "gData".  Provided that the client could provide valid authentication details, the capData API could provide unit rosters, ops listings, flight release authorizations, etc.

Some of what is listed has already been accomplished through SIMS and the WMU, but adding a gData like service would allow squadron's IT departments to pull information from MIMS without worrying about SIMS' or WMU's updating with the MIMS DB.

[PhoenixRisen]

Your post.

NC Hokie,

In regard to gocivilairpatrol.com, do we know for sure that's where subordinate squadron sites are headed (i.e. sq123.xxwg.gocivilairpatrol.com)?  Even if the visual CAP.gov site goes away, I would still hope to think the domains stay ours so we can keep the plethora of squadron / group sites that fall under the domain.  IIRC, this is how Wisconson wing operates.  They use wiwgcap.org for their website, but still have use of wiwg.cap.gov for things such as e-mail (which they utilize Gmail for).  You can even still type it in your web browser, it simply redirects to wiwgcap.org.

Even still, maybe this will just turn out to be like "US Civil Air Patrol".  An idea that will be turned around sometime down the road.  (While I do now see the benefit of gocivilairpatrol.com as a recruiting site and know it might not be going away, this "realization" that might occur could strictly be that putting member stuff on gocivilairpatrol.com isn't the way to go.  It could be done (as said before) like the military services have.  Army.mil and goarmy.com, etc.  CAP.gov and gocivilairpatrol.com.  Perfect fit.

Even if it isn't a change made by the IT group initially, what's to say I can't keep it in my proposal (or have anyone else propose it) for them to remove the member things on the site?  Change can happen when someone speaks up.  (One can dream, can't they?   )

As for the e-mail situation, how does WIWG do it?  They utilize Gmail with @wiwg.cap.gov, and it seems to work fine.  IIRC, the WIWG webmaster is a member here, though inactive.  If he doesn't see this thread, I might contact him to get a few details about how they utilize Gmail.  After all, like I mentioned before, it's free for non-profits, provides a ton of space per account, and can work with the .gov domain.

[PhoenixRisen]

I would give up on gocivilairpatrol.com going away. I think XXR.cap.gov and XXwg.cap.gov are NOT going away so your concept stands.

CAP.com is taken. Three letter domain names on .com are out of CAP's budget.

As said in my previous post - I now see the benefit of gocivilairpatrol.com (to mirror the military service's use of two different websites).  I would still try and petitiion to revert the member information back to CAP.gov.

[jimmydeanno]

CAP.com is taken. Three letter domain names on .com are out of CAP's budget.

Can't they just take it because the people using it are squatters? 

[lordmonar]

Why can't you submit this as a cadet? Isn't that what CAC is there for? Can a senior member sponsor you so to speak and take it up the senior member chain of command?

This is not what CAC is for.....but there is no reason why a cadet can't contact the National IT guys direct.

I like the idea of a unifired domain name plan...How about use your charter number?   PCRNV069.CAP.gov for squadrons, PCRNV.CAP.gov for wings, PCR.CAP.GOV for regions and CAP.GOV for national.

We keep the GOCIVILAIRPATROL.com for the time being and just redirect the CAP.GOV to it.

I too like the idea of a web page tool kit.....but I would not go so far as to mandate it.   You can't forsee everyone's wants and needs so don't try.  But build a basic template so those who are not web savvy can cut and paste and get their information on the web.

If it is good enough squadrons will start to migrate to new format.

[BuckeyeDEJ]

gocivilairpatrol.com is a great idea for RECRUITING.

But cap.gov and cap.af.mil should remain for everyday CAP business, just as the Air Force has airforce.com for recruiting and af.mil for their everyday business.

Why should CAP regulations and other stuff be posted at gocivilairpatrol.com? Recruits and prospective members don't need that -- it's a minor-league complication. (Incidentally, I hear HWSNBN's rump organization and the International Disaster Corps or whatever they're called does that.) Keep the inside-baseball stuff at cap.gov or, better yet, cap.af.mil.

There should be a delineation between PUBLIC information and INTERNAL information.

[PhoenixRisen]

This is not what CAC is for.....but there is no reason why a cadet can't contact the National IT guys direct.

Is there an actual national-level IT contact for CAP, other than "webmaster@cap.gov"?  I remember seeing somewhere online some type of staff directory, but don't remember where it was, or even if it was current.

I like the idea of a unifired domain name plan...How about use your charter number?   PCRNV069.CAP.gov for squadrons, PCRNV.CAP.gov for wings, PCR.CAP.GOV for regions and CAP.GOV for national.

IIRC, this is how the CGAux does it (with their form of a unit number in place of a charter number).

My personal take on it is - it's already somewhat confusing for someone not familiar with CAP to get our domain figured out (when I joined, I looked at sq144.cawg.cap.gov and thought, "CAP.gov I understand, but WTF to the other two?").  With it's current set-up, squadron / group being a 3rd level domain, the wing-level domain (2nd level) can be viewed as a "fallback".  If you don't know (or remember) what unit you're looking for, just go to the states website (which would be part of the squadron's website, already).  Using charter numbers for specific units would get rid of that, entirely.

If I were a new member, the last thing I'd think to do - if given a website like PCRCA123.cap.gov - would be to turn it into cawg.cap.gov to get to the CAWG site.

[PhoenixRisen]

gocivilairpatrol.com is a great idea for RECRUITING.

But cap.gov and cap.af.mil should remain for everyday CAP business, just as the Air Force has airforce.com for recruiting and af.mil for their everyday business.

[snip]

Keep the inside-baseball stuff at cap.gov or, better yet, cap.af.mil.

If I remember correctly, the reason why we have CAP.af.mil is strictly because the stuff we have on the NTC website is required to be on a .mil domain.  I also remember asking why we (as CAP) don't just use CAP.af.mil as our website, and remembe hearing that it's because we aren't a "military organization", and thus, don't rate having our main site (info that's on CAP.gov) on a military site (please don't let this turn into that kind of discusstion, i.e. "we need to be more military).

(Can anyone confirm / reconfirm this?)

If this is the case, and we really can't have our main site on a .mil domain, why even redirect CAP.af.mil to CAP.gov?  Just make CAP.af.mil unaccessable, and keep the stuff required to be on the .mil domain on ntc.cap.af.mil.  Having a blank-ish site that simply redirects to different places doesn't present a good image, at least IMO.

(If I'm not making any sense, please let me know.)

[BuckeyeDEJ]

PhoenixCadet: IIRC, everything was moved to the .gov because security requirements for the .mil domain were strengthened -- and the interactive stuff CAP wanted couldn't be on the .mil, so it was moved to .gov.

[SarDragon]

CAP.com is taken. Three letter domain names on .com are out of CAP's budget.

Can't they just take it because the people using it are squatters? 

Type in the URL and see where it goes. It's a site where you can buy caps. Yeah, the hat thingies. That would be a tough squatting case to sell.

[lordmonar]

If I were a new member, the last thing I'd think to do - if given a website like PCRCA123.cap.gov - would be to turn it into cawg.cap.gov to get to the CAWG site.

Here is an idea.....don't let squadrons host their own web site!!!!!

If are going to mandate stuff.....mandate that the wing will provide a few pages per squadron...one for news/photos/recent activities.  One for squadron organisation and contacts, and one for local files/pubs/misc.

Squadron calandars will be consolidated with the wing calandar so no need for a seperate calandar page.

Then we solve the newbee and oldbee problem of finding your page.

www.state.CAP.GOV as in www.nevada.CAP.gov or www.california.CAP.GOV

list all the squadrons (by group) on one side and link to your one or two pages.

There is no real need to have pages and pages for each squadron....especially if they all start just reposting regs and forms that can be gotten off CAP.gov.

[PhoenixRisen]

If I were a new member, the last thing I'd think to do - if given a website like PCRCA123.cap.gov - would be to turn it into cawg.cap.gov to get to the CAWG site.

Here is an idea.....don't let squadrons host their own web site!!!!!

If are going to mandate stuff.....mandate that the wing will provide a few pages per squadron...one for news/photos/recent activities.  One for squadron organisation and contacts, and one for local files/pubs/misc.

Squadron calandars will be consolidated with the wing calandar so no need for a seperate calandar page.

Then we solve the newbee and oldbee problem of finding your page.

www.state.CAP.GOV as in www.nevada.CAP.gov or www.california.CAP.GOV

list all the squadrons (by group) on one side and link to your one or two pages.

There is no real need to have pages and pages for each squadron....especially if they all start just reposting regs and forms that can be gotten off CAP.gov.

I dig it.  It would make things a bit easier all around (for those looking at the websites, and those managing them, too).

[A.Member]

gocivilairpatrol.com is a great idea for RECRUITING.

It's a great idea that is very poorly executed.  In addition to the problems you list below it has one incredibly major flaw...it never explicitly tells you who the h*** we are or what we do.  There is no fact sheet.  Nothing.  We have a letter from the commander but the more important stuff that kind of tells visitors about us is buried at the bottom of the page.  Incredibly poor from a recruiting standpoint.

But cap.gov and cap.af.mil should remain for everyday CAP business, just as the Air Force has airforce.com for recruiting and af.mil for their everyday business.

Why should CAP regulations and other stuff be posted at gocivilairpatrol.com? Recruits and prospective members don't need that -- it's a minor-league complication. (Incidentally, I hear HWSNBN's rump organization and the International Disaster Corps or whatever they're called does that.) Keep the inside-baseball stuff at cap.gov or, better yet, cap.af.mil.

There should be a delineation between PUBLIC information and INTERNAL information.

Agree 100%.

[jimmydeanno]

CAP.com is taken. Three letter domain names on .com are out of CAP's budget.

Can't they just take it because the people using it are squatters? 

Type in the URL and see where it goes. It's a site where you can buy caps. Yeah, the hat thingies. That would be a tough squatting case to sell.

It's not though - it's a fake, it just does a search on whatever type of baseball hat you're looking for and directs you to another website...

[stratoflyer]

I don't think that squadron websites should be part of a wing's domain. It should have its own address and be easy to put on recruiting materials. However, it's be nice if all the information is hosted on the wing servers so that squadrons only have to pay for the domain name.