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Changes
to Rotarnet.com.au
The
District indexes are now run off a database. This means we have
changed the names of the page you may be linked to – in every
case it is /clubindex.asp What this means is that the address
you are linked to is exactly the same EXCEPT for the bit after
the last / which will now be clubindex.asp (the .asp is important).
The old page will remain in place with a link to the new one for
now, but please, we would like you to update your links. Other
page addresses may also have changed. If your link isn’t
working, go to http://rotarnet and choose contents (linked from
a small icon at the top of the page - hold your cursor over each
icon to see where it leads). To find a page choose alphabetical
pages and to find a section choose sections. Still stuck? –
email del@nb.au.com and I will send you the correct path for your
page.
Content
Management Systems (CMS)
How often do you go to a website only to find that the information
it contains is out of date? And how infuriating is that! We at
Rotarnet are sometimes guilty too. Why should this be? Surely
the idea is that the simplicity of the system, and the low cost
of maintaining it, should mean it is always up to date!
Not
so, not if you are relying on sending information to the webmaster
who then transfers it to the appropriate page on the web site.
This little exercise can double the manhours required. Why? Because
first the sender has to create the copy and send it (in good time),
with the appropriate page address and then the web developer has
to put it into the site – and even the smallest change can
take 10 minutes, what with finding the page, entering the information,
loading it on to the remote computer and checking the load is
OK. On a large site, multiple 10 minutes can translate into hours
of work.
But
we know this. We have been talking about methods of avoiding this
duplication of work forever.
The
answer is that the website owner makes those changes, taking the
web developer out of the equation, saving the developer’s
time for those moments when expertise is required.
Recently
there has been an influx of Content Management Packages (CMS)
varying in prices from $20,000 to $200,000 PLUS training. Unless
you are a multinational corporation you wouldn’t dream of
spending anything like this amount. All these packages do is allow
separate individuals access to just their own part of the website
for updating (rather than access to the whole site where they
might stuff up someone else’s hard work).
One
way of more than one person making changes to the site –
the way we use for the IFCR site at http://rotarnet.com.au/ifcr
– a site with sections run from New Zealand, Great Britain,
India, Australia and Sri Lanka – is to ensure that all htm
pages within the site have a different name so that pages inadvertently
entered into the wrong place don’t load over another person’s
work.
Everyone involved has access to the whole site, but should enter
information only into their own folder. However, some htm expertise
is required.
Because
not everybody has the inclination to learn htm (and while it isn’t
hard to do, it is a skill that takes time
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to
acquire), the simplest method is to include online modules into
which the individual enters, or makes changes to, their own
information. This enters automatically into a database, and
the database runs the active web page.
A
page that is run by a database is not an htm. It is a .asp or
a .cfm or similar (there are many different sorts) and as long
as basic rules are followed this is a perfect solution to the
problem. (Some active pages have unbelievably long names constructed
by the program that runs them).
Rotarnet
is now moving steadily toward being run by those people to whom
it belongs. This includes Rotary Down Under staff who will enter
information regarding administration and the like. District
webmasters will enter their club venue changes via online modules.
While
entering the information is so easy a child could do it (perhaps
that should be a grandad can do it!) Care is required NOT to
enter symbols such as ?, ! "", @ / etc as these give
the database a headache and it goes for a long lie down..
Create
your website online
We are also working on producing an online module website for
clubs, a simple site whereby the club webmaster enters information
into appropriate boxes on a painting by numbers principle. Some
expertise will be required if images are to be included as these
still have to be manipulated into suitable format for the web,
and be loaded into the appropriate site space on the remote
computer. We will try and make that job simpler by explaining
what to do.
Rotarnet
has always been YOUR site. As time goes on it will become your
responsibility too. We will be here to guide and to fix up those
inevitable blips and to help you through when it all seems too
hard.
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