2009-07-06 Web Design status meeting

Old Business:

 

1. Agenda modifications

 

2. Subteam status reports

 

* Office status (Ed for Josh)

-- Feedback protocol --
Hedy, Jennifer, Gary monitor and respond to office-related posts

Main categories are Techie, obvious other owner, office stuff (store-related) or combo of the three.  Procress is basically to create response on the web and email to responder.
Process needs to be documented in maintainer's guide.

Discuss difference between info email address and feedback on Web. Which is best to use? Jenny doesn't like feedback because there's an extra step to email response to the initiator. Try using feedback for a couple of months and reevaluate.  (Volumes are low so shouldn't be a terrific burden,)

Replace info at bottom of Web page with feedback@?  Consensus is yes.

Jenny -- Donation -- shipping info section appears now -- it shouldn't? Walt to investigate if it's a Trellon artifact that they need to fix.

-- Database -- Drupal vs Ubercart. Josh is confused. Problem when name is different in shipping and billing. Walt hasn't been able to reproduce.

* Technology (Walt)

-- Backup plan -- new storage installed in office -- getting ready to set up so we can use it for backup.
-- Redirected pages -- still some high usage old pages that need equivalent on new site (e.g. Camping) -- Content issue.
-- Drupal 6 -- a few responses to job req, including someone local in NJ. Walt did some pre-work for transition.
-- Walt reviewed Trails.css again -- there are some weirdnesses therein.

* Content (Georgette)

-- status of Calendar module
-- Georgette on vacation; Walt making updates for her while she's away.

* Google Analytics (Doug)

Counts from old pages are from bot traffic (spiders hitting old pages) Bot traffic swamps real.

 

* Business model (Ann/Ed)

-- please submit volunteer hours to Ann for 2Q2009.
-- Ann to remind Catherine to post new volunteer req and remove old ones for Web. (DONE)
-- Are there job descriptions for the generic positions listed for off trail volunteering?

3. Set goals for next week.

* Walt's priorities
* Other high priority items

4. Specific action items requiring discussion.

See http://nynjtc.org/meeting/actions
Review outstanding actions from last month's meeting minutes

 

New Business:

Other technology projects: CRM database

How do we proceed? -- Use the pain of having offline db and duplicate info on Web site to drive funding for requirements/solution specification/migration.

Exposure : backoffice weakness of current solution.

Ed's priorities:
#1- synchronizing membership info on both sides (names, expiration, profile updates)
-- Filemaker / SQL
#2- Volunteer management on the Web. Member id makes useful key here. Trail volunteers as first module? (Catherine has data dictionary for trails.) (TC committee: Dave, Bruce, John)
Start with current db and permissions and design from there (with Catherine).

-- Use off the shelf packages for membership, donations, etc.
-- Mass emailing is a problem for all -- issues of spam and such. Constant Contact / Vertical Response are key competitors.
-- Hook GIS to Volunteer database some day?

Joint Leadership team is working on priorities --
Budget based on known income.

 

Meeting schedule:

Next meeting: phone call or at TC office?
-- next week will be meeting re CRM db project.

-- alternate weeks with Web design team for a while.

Invite someone to next status meeting?

 

For later discussion:

Ed requests we discuss: Publication pages; Member org pages; Sponsor pages;
301 redirect on html pages

"Phase 2" planning:
* Process: gather requirements, prioritize requirements, size
implementation, build work plan, implement per plan.
* Gather requirements --
Step 1: Build tentative starter list of requirements (in random order for
now);
Step 2: take to committees, staff, board for additional input.