To: Communiweb members cc: Communiweb associates From: Lanie Dickel Date: 2004 March 17 Topic: Report - Communiweb 2004 March 16 meeting [filed under www.community-ucc.org/communiweb] *** MARK YOUR CALENDARS - Next Meeting Date Tuesday April 27 5:15 - 6:15 pm in Jack Good Library *** Attendance - x means missed meeting Communiweb Members x Scott Bush Helene Dickel x Charles Gammie - welcome to new member! David Gerstenecker - Webmaster Richard Langendorf - Graphic Designer x Terri Pepper Kevin Rockmann David Schowalter - UCF x Deborah Townsend Tom Ward Tom Watembach - Religious Ed Communiweb Associates x Jean Creswell - Women's Fellowship x Cindy Dodd - Office Manager x Ruth Gilbert - Moderator Linda Morgan - Health & Wellness x Mike Mulberry - Pastor x David Willcox - Music ===================================== REPORT covers the following topics A. Tasks Assignments B. Decisions Made 1. Communigram on web (via Pagemaker) 2. Calendar feature 3. Contact info 4. Improvements to website ====================================== A. TASK ASSIGNMENTS (please report to group when you've done something) 1. Scott Bush - please check with office staff about the crashing G4 office server/computer. 2. Kevin Rockmann - a) has found out how the Communigram is currently done! Kathy is currently doing the Communigram with Pagemaker, which would make for an easy conversion to a web-friendly PDF file. However, there are a couple of formatting issues that may make it difficult to read on-line, which Kathy and Kevin are going to play with in the next week or so. Kevin plans on sending out a test PDF next week so that we can look at a sample Communigram. Cindy Dodd has not used MAC's or Pagemaker before, and is learning from/with Kathy. SO, the goal is to get everything set up with Kathy BEFORE MAY, and then just teach Cindy how to do it. - b) will create a "website-index" page and add the link (to that bottom section which occurs on each webpage) 3. Rick Langendorf - a) will create a new "photo-gallery" template (consulting with David G. as needed) - b) if needed, he can assist Cindy Dodd with using Pagemaker for the Communigram (see 2. above). 4. Tom Watembach - (now a full-fledge member) will check out other websites that use the webeasel for the appearance of their "calendars" - we might be able to (request permission to) download /use their template if we find one we like. B. DECISIONS MADE 1. COMMUNIGRAM - steps to take to get it on the web a) Pagemaker will be used to make the Communigram and then convert it to pdf file for the web. b) Kevin Rockmann is currently working with Kathy on this. Later steps might include: c) Put "Latest Communigram" link next to the "Current Events" link on the home page (via webeasel) d) Create a subdir(?) for "List of Communigrams in 2004" which would have links to the Communigrams - which are named by date(?) and appear under this subdirectory. e) Each time a new Communigram is produced, it would be linked to the "Latest Communigram" location. and the current one would be retired and listed under the "List of Communigrams in 2004" 2. CALENDAR - a) Find a desirable style - Tom Watembach is looking at this (see A.4.) b) Contents - similar to old one-page, printed monthly church calendar - under the date, list the event/time/place c) Updating - most efficient if done by the office staff. 3. CONTACT INFORMATION on the web - a) None - for the moment until we gain further experience, instead we b) Propose - that a 1-page insert be included with the printed Communigram which is mailed (but not put on the web) which includes such things as contact information for various events announcements of births, deaths, change-of-address, etc. c) Notice in Communigram - when it is going on-line to indicate that "contact" information for an event will go on a separate insert for the mailed copy only but if desired, the submitter may still indicate that (s)he wishes to include the contact information in the Communigram itself with the understanding that it will then appear on the website as well. d) re Photo-Membership Directory - decision deferred - Considering the problems with security, password freely given out, etc. we felt that this information should not be put on the web at this time. (See proposal B.3.b) 4. IMPROVEMENTS TO WEBSITE a) Policy re "pop-up" pages Links to pages within cucc website (that are created with webeasel) should not be of the pop-up variety. Links to off-cucc sites such as the United Church of Christ should use the pop-up feature, i.e. check the box for "open link in new browser window" in webeasel. This is also acceptable for pdf registration forms and non-webeasel "...txt" reports (what say David G?) b) "website-index" page - being created by Kevin Rockmann A link to "website-index" (or some similar name) will be added to the collection of links at the bottom of each web page. The index will just have the directory and sub-directory listings and not the individual pages listed. Each listing will have a link to the particular directory page. When a member creates a new directory (e.g. youth_groups), that person should add the link on the website-index page. c) "search" feature This will not be implemented at this time as it would require extra programming outside webeasel. d) "photo-gallery" template - being created by Rich Langendorf This was requested by Lanie so that the photo pages with headers, texts, etc. would have a more consistent appearance across various browsers. e) on-line "registration forms" Individual groups should create their own pdf registration forms as the need arises. Kevin Rockmann, Tom Ward, and David Gerstenecker may be contacted if help is needed to do this.