RIP Cadet Stuff!

[Extremepredjudice]

I don't know if anyone else noticed, but cadet stuff is dead. I thought it was a valuable resource, but a little out of date. Would anyone use a more modern CS with things like mobile site, CAP videos, classes, wiki, [CT expert made] updated regs, web hosting, email hosting, suggested things, best practices, and anything else we can think up? It wouldn't be just for cadets, we could add SM stuff also.

THIS IN NO WAY WILL COMPETE WITH CAPTALK. In my head it does have a forum link, but it redirects to CT. 

[Slim]

Oddly enough, the site staff over at Cadetstuff (I'm a moderator/admin there) is in the process of discussing how to move the site forward from here.  We all know that it's been somewhat lacking lately, and we'd like to change that and get some momentum going again.  The site is still a good resource, there's still a lot of valuable info there, and the forums-while dormant-are still chock full of lots of good questions and answers.

I can assure everyone that the site is NOT dead, and isn't going anywhere but forward from here.  Keep an eye out for it, at some point in the future.  Just remember that, in addition to working, spending time with families, and being heavily involved in the different cadet programs out there, we're all pretty busy ourselves, so it may not be tomorrow, or next week, but it will happen.

[jeders]

I don't know if anyone else noticed, but cadet stuff is dead. I thought it was a valuable resource, but a little out of date.

Do you mean the forums, or the main site itself? I still find both to be helpful resources, though the constant data dumps that plagued the forums many moons ago have left much of the discussions, and many of my posts, nothing but dust in the wind. The main site is still of great use and I've used some of the content from it for several leadership classes at the squadron. True, the forums should have a little tumbleweed icon and the main site hasn't been updated in something like 2 years, but it's not quite dead.

Oddly enough, the site staff over at Cadetstuff (I'm a moderator/admin there) is in the process of discussing how to move the site forward from here. 

I for one am looking forward to what you guys come up with. Though the best solution may just be to capture Naugle and force him to write content for the site. 

[Nathan]

We've tried, but found that his extensive anti-zombie fortifications are strangely effective against living tissue as well. My hair still hasn't grown back evenly.

[jeders]

We've tried, but found that his extensive anti-zombie fortifications are strangely effective against living tissue as well. My hair still hasn't grown back evenly.

Yeah, I kinda figured he'd be a tough one to get. 

[Briski]

I don't know if anyone else noticed, but cadet stuff is dead. I thought it was a valuable resource, but a little out of date. Would anyone use a more modern CS with things like mobile site, CAP videos, classes, wiki, [CT expert made] updated regs, web hosting, email hosting, suggested things, best practices, and anything else we can think up? It wouldn't be just for cadets, we could add SM stuff also.

This is good stuff, man.

What kind of subject matter would you be interested in seeing for the classes, wiki, best practices, etc.?

[arajca]

I for one am looking forward to what you guys come up with. Though the best solution may just be to capture Naugle and force him to write content for the site. 

He's the reason I left Cadet stuff 3+ years ago. Apparently, not giving his every opinion and comment the deference of an edict from God, was not permitted there.

[a2capt]

Well, the fact that one couldn't sign up for the site in quite some time now..
Blaming it on spam registrations, when there are just so many other forum software installations out there, that are not having that problem. Rather than do an update, or add a challenge/response or email verification system. (a proper one).

That when you go there and look, there wasn't much activity, because the "old guard" got tired, and no one new could come, I'd say that .. people said "screw this."

[Extremepredjudice]

People that voted "no" tell me why!
And the people that voted "depends..." tell me what content would sway you.

I don't know if anyone else noticed, but cadet stuff is dead. I thought it was a valuable resource, but a little out of date. Would anyone use a more modern CS with things like mobile site, CAP videos, classes, wiki, [CT expert made] updated regs, web hosting, email hosting, suggested things, best practices, and anything else we can think up? It wouldn't be just for cadets, we could add SM stuff also.

This is good stuff, man.

What kind of subject matter would you be interested in seeing for the classes, wiki, best practices, etc.?

CP, ES, anything I can get my hands on. Everything and all things.

[Pylon]

Rather than reinvent the wheel, why not work with the creators at CadetStuff to write and produce some of this new and exciting content you're rightly fired up about (I love people with ideas and the motivation to get the job done!) so it's a win-win?  I bet they'd be very open to having someone with ideas, motivation, and the time to help produce quality cadet programs content.

[Briski]

Rather than reinvent the wheel, why not work with the creators at CadetStuff to write and produce some of this new and exciting content you're rightly fired up about (I love people with ideas and the motivation to get the job done!) so it's a win-win?  I bet they'd be very open to having someone with ideas, motivation, and the time to help produce quality cadet programs content.

You never know until you ask, right?

[Extremepredjudice]

Rather than reinvent the wheel, why not work with the creators at CadetStuff to write and produce some of this new and exciting content you're rightly fired up about (I love people with ideas and the motivation to get the job done!) so it's a win-win?  I bet they'd be very open to having someone with ideas, motivation, and the time to help produce quality cadet programs content.

You never know until you ask, right?

Thing is, I'm not going for the exact audience that CS has. I am going for part of it, but also SMs and ES, also.

And providing CAP squadrons with free web hosting & email service. (rather than the usual site, and hotpilotgurl97@gmail.com[made up email])

Apples to apples AND oranges.

[Slim]

Rather than reinvent the wheel, why not work with the creators at CadetStuff to write and produce some of this new and exciting content you're rightly fired up about (I love people with ideas and the motivation to get the job done!) so it's a win-win?  I bet they'd be very open to having someone with ideas, motivation, and the time to help produce quality cadet programs content.

You never know until you ask, right?

Thing is, I'm not going for the exact audience that CS has. I am going for part of it, but also SMs and ES, also.

And providing CAP squadrons with free web hosting & email service. (rather than the usual site, and hotpilotgurl97@gmail.com[made up email])

Apples to apples AND oranges.

Remember that only part of the mission of cadetstuff is reaching the cadets.  A good chunk of our drive is also reaching those seniors who work in cadet programs.  ES as it relates to the cadet program, particularly leadership, how to properly administer the CPFT, if you've taken the TLC course, offer a "trip report" of how the class was, what you thought of it, and play it up to get more seniors to want to attend.  Hint, I took my TLC five years ago, with a master rating in CP, and I still took a lot of new/fresh info away from it.

As the founders are prone to say, "Content is king", and one of the reasons the main site got so dusty is that content dried up, and nobody had the time to go out and beat the bushes for articles.  Come up with some articles, get them down and submit them.  We may not run it right away, but it'll be easier to push content updates if we can just reach into the files and see what we've got, and if we get enough that we've always got content in the que, it'll be easier for the content editors to be able to push 1-2 new articles a month, and keep things fresh.

[Pylon]

1.  I'd actually posit that you are going after the same audience that CadetStuff is, since CS does cover Senior Members administering CP as well (although CadetStuff goes further in including all Cadet Programs, like USAC, YM, JROTC and ROTC).

2. Free web hosting is already available to squadrons through companies like DreamHost who donate enterprise-grade hosting to any unit who asks for it.

3. With a free Google Apps for Education/Non-Profits account and permissions from your Wing King or his designee (Wing IT Director in our Wing) you can set up Gmail-powered @xyz.cap.gov email addresses for any squadron or unit and can add email addresses for every member of the unit, cadet or senior, if the unit commander so wishes.  Ours did this about three years ago and has been using it since.  Also already exists and doesn't cost a dime.

[Eclipse]

Regs should not be hosted anywhere but NHQ, and I would not be inclined to host email and web sites with an individual member, Google is The Way on that.  You're never going to beat a full groupware solution, for free, with a roll-your own shared host, not to mention the risk when an individual member decides he doesn't want to play anymore.

Reinventing the wheel on this isn't likely to get you much eyeshare, and would probably garner some animosity from those who's audience you'd be fragmenting.  The reality is that CT and CS tend to be "long form" situations, and the cadets of today are not much interested in doing things where more is expected than pushing a button or takes more than 140 characters.

[Extremepredjudice]

1.  I'd actually posit that you are going after the same audience that CadetStuff is, since CS does cover Senior Members administering CP as well (although CadetStuff goes further in including all Cadet Programs, like USAC, YM, JROTC and ROTC).

Yes that'd be part of the audience, but I'd like to include seniors only things, better guides to level 1-5. Ideas on how to organize your squadron, pre-made classes, etc.

2. Free web hosting is already available to squadrons through companies like DreamHost who donate enterprise-grade hosting to any unit who asks for it.

DreamHost servers are slow (YMMV). My hosting would be on 1000 MB/S business-class servers with 99.999 up-time, and automatic backups. Plus it wouldn't have an initial cost.

Besides, look at the average unit. Do they have a site? maybe... Is it any good? usually no. I'd have CMS systems (The one I built, Wordpress, Drupal, Joomla, Mambo, E107) to bring CAP sites into the 21st century and web 2.0.

3. With a free Google Apps for Education/Non-Profits account and permissions from your Wing King or his designee (Wing IT Director in our Wing) you can set up Gmail-powered @xyz.cap.gov email addresses for any squadron or unit and can add email addresses for every member of the unit, cadet or senior, if the unit commander so wishes.  Ours did this about three years ago and has been using it since.  Also already exists and doesn't cost a dime.

You do have a point. Thing is, how many units actually use it? Not many. I'd (hopefully) be able to create it so you'd have instant access to either, squirrelMail, Gmail or another mail service I forgot the name of that is on my servers.

Regs should not be hosted anywhere but NHQ,

Why not? I could link to capmembers. I've seen talk on CT of making updated regs, I could host those.

and I would not be inclined to host email and web sites with an individual member, Google is The Way on that. 

See above, they have a choice of keeping it on my POP3/IMAP servers or putting it on google's

not to mention the risk when an individual member decides he doesn't want to play anymore.

If anyone wanted to terminate their service, I would remove his account, and give any requested information over to him.

[Cap'n]

I do enjoy CadetStuff very much, but have never been a member. I emailed one of the moderators to request permission in... December? And never got a response. Oh well, now I just secretly stalk the forums reading what I want.

It's nice to know the website will hopefully be up and active again soon, though. It is a good website for drilling advice, especially. (I'm not ditching CAPTalk-this is an awesome website too. )

And ExtremePredjudice- I wanted to add in I personally like the idea you have going there. Were you thinking for only CAP cadets, or a larger range like CadetStuff (like YM, J/ROTC, SC, ect)?

[Major Carrales]

I used to enjoy posting at CadetStuff years ago and actually recommended it to cadets, that is, until some of my cadets went there and were "dogpiled" by forum regulars.  I actually had parents confront me before a meeting thinking I was one of the moderators.

Upon checking (and I have forgotten what the exact posts and issues were, but remember that they were not as bad as all that) I noted that the situation was one of a cadet asking a question and getting dogpiled.  Also, they could not stand those uniform threads people where people used to discuss "funny unifrom violations."  I think it was the banality of some of it that had them disapproving.

My issue with it was of a different matter.  People were posting threads about topics where you could speculate about all things cadets, but when I tried it...I got dogpiled and ridiculed.  I had made some 30 sec sketches of a proposed uniform and was told to quit wasting my time and all sorts of other things.   

Seems that I was, at that time, "not in the in club" enough to dare post such a thread.

It was the combination of these issues that had me go there less and less....

[Spaceman3750]

.. Google is The Way on that.  You're never going to beat a full groupware solution, for free, with a roll-your own shared host, ...

I would like to take this opportunity to say that either everyone in my squadron (including me) either doesn't understand how the WYSIWYG editor on Google Sites is supposed to work, or the editor is crap.

I now return you to your regularly scheduled conversation.