CAP Talk

General Discussion => The Lobby => Topic started by: JC004 on August 13, 2008, 07:20:32 PM

Title: Unit Web Site Resources?
Post by: JC004 on August 13, 2008, 07:20:32 PM
Do any wings out there provide resources for their subordinate unit webmasters?  A guide?  A web site?  I know GAWG had a guide, but I was never able to get my hands on that. 

I'm trying to do a dashboard of resources for unit webmasters in PAWG.
Title: Re: Unit Web Site Resources?
Post by: LittleIronPilot on August 13, 2008, 07:26:35 PM
Quote from: JC004 on August 13, 2008, 07:20:32 PM
I know GAWG had a guide, but I was never able to get my hands on that. 



We did? Heck I never saw it, or heard of it, and I am my squadrons IT officer!
Title: Re: Unit Web Site Resources?
Post by: JC004 on August 13, 2008, 08:22:32 PM
Yes, I saw a link to it, which was broken.  I asked about it and was told that it was being revised.
Title: Re: Unit Web Site Resources?
Post by: IceNine on August 13, 2008, 08:28:13 PM
I would use and sell your guide if you made one ;D

Seriously though, the style guides that you all joke about would be awesome.  And yes I'm pointing my finger at you Pylon!  even if you can't get anyone to help you :D
Title: Re: Unit Web Site Resources?
Post by: JC004 on August 13, 2008, 08:42:03 PM
The style guide is a whole different ballgame.

I'm trying to work something for webmasters right now, when an emphases on resources to help plan, deploy, and/or improve a unit's site without needing to take a course or spend hours researching web development resources.
Title: Re: Unit Web Site Resources?
Post by: IceNine on August 13, 2008, 08:44:27 PM
I'm in... 
Title: Re: Unit Web Site Resources?
Post by: JC004 on August 13, 2008, 08:48:35 PM
I'm probably going to put it behind an area for members only and probably give passwords to people out of wing as well.  Some of the stuff that I give out for the units to use is proprietary, which I use for my company.   
Title: Re: Unit Web Site Resources?
Post by: Pylon on August 14, 2008, 01:07:11 PM
Quote from: IceNine on August 13, 2008, 08:28:13 PM
Seriously though, the style guides that you all joke about would be awesome.  And yes I'm pointing my finger at you Pylon!  even if you can't get anyone to help you :D

Hey, I like my ideas but I don't have enough hours in the day to personally implement them all.  ;-)   But again, even if I churn out half of them, I guess that means I've been more productive than quite a few other people with fancy titles and bigger paychecks.   :D

The style guide and branding efforts for national CAP are on my to-do list.  My employer seems to like my design work, so I'm not worried about that - it's simply an enormous amount of time.   Time that sometimes gets wasted.   I designed a medal for the recently approved "CAP Achievement Medal" within days of it being approved at the NB - a much better looking design than the one that had been proposed at the time, and one that linked its heritage to the existing AF medal of the same variety.  The proposal moved up the chain and then-Brig Gen Courter looked at it and asked that it be passed on to the national volunteer members in charge of that....  except that they never bothered to return any of the emails.  So my work wasn't ever even considered. 

Pretty frustrating to see an organization that needs more help than most shanty towns consistently ignore offers of help from capable hands within its own ranks.   Politics and personal pride just kill this organization.
Title: Re: Unit Web Site Resources?
Post by: JC004 on August 14, 2008, 07:40:35 PM
Adding to your to-do list, the updated commanders guide project.  ttys   ;)
Title: Re: Unit Web Site Resources?
Post by: Capt Rivera on August 14, 2008, 08:15:39 PM
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Title: Re: Unit Web Site Resources?
Post by: jimmydeanno on August 14, 2008, 08:23:02 PM
I'm not sure if you guys might find this website helpful, but it is "Before and After Magazine." It offers style advice and critiques publications, websites, etc.

http://www.bamagazine.com/

I've found it useful when desgning things like business cards, pamphlets, etc.  They have advice for websites too.
Title: Re: Unit Web Site Resources?
Post by: Pylon on August 14, 2008, 10:19:25 PM
Quote from: jimmydeanno on August 14, 2008, 08:23:02 PM
I'm not sure if you guys might find this website helpful, but it is "Before and After Magazine." It offers style advice and critiques publications, websites, etc.

http://www.bamagazine.com/

I've found it useful when desgning things like business cards, pamphlets, etc.  They have advice for websites too.

Sadly, those are things CAP squadrons are expected to reinvent over and over again at the local level instead of being professionally done once by National.  Squadrons should have to worry about implementing their programs and doing things that can't be done by National.  Unfortunately, we get the added (and very, very unnecessary) burden of having to create and print our own business cards, design host and maintain our own websites, create our own fliers, and reinvent the wheel eight different ways to Sunday.

I guess National sees no value in having a professional image at the local level.  The squadrons that are the exception usually are the ones with, by miracle of happenstance, a capable designer as a member.
Title: Re: Unit Web Site Resources?
Post by: JC004 on August 14, 2008, 11:45:05 PM
Good couple things there that I haven't seen before.

PYLON...there is a conspiracy growing to fix national.  Worry not.  The next phase is getting a crap load of pitchforks and torches for our trip to NHQ.  I love angry mobs.