Creating a Low Tech, Free, Chapter Web Site

[Jerry Hall]

We have formed a new Chapter and have used a very simple approach to create an easily maintained and current web site that doesn't depend on much PC skill.

I would appreciate comments, and whether it is worth proposing to be included in the AAW Chapter Practices. This link documents our approach:
Low Tech, No Cost Chapter Web Site

 

[davidwalser]

I liked your website. It has good information and is easy to navigate.

One correction for your links page: Stan Townsend does have a website for his Elbo Tool hollowing system. Here's a link: http://www.elbotool.com/

 

[Jerry Hall]

Thanks David, I changed the link. It is good to see Stan has the site. Jerry

 

[GA Darling]

You have a good website. It was easy to read and navigate. And, as luck would have it I found the link for elbo tool hollowing tool I've been trying to find again. Thanks

GA Darling

 

[john lucas]

That looks very interesting. We are a small club and trying to keep expenses down. Mailing out newsletters is one of our bigger expenses. If we could do newsletters on the website it would really help. of course the website itself might bring in more members.
The biggest challenge will be if someone as computer ignorant as me can set that up.

 

[Jerry Hall]

John,
We are small too, under 21 and may grow to 30 (our limit.) From your many posts it is clear you can use this AAW Forum to create new threads, edit, and insert images and links. I think you will have no trouble picking up Google Docs tools. It is very similar. I would recommend setting up a free dummy email address at Yahoo. Ours is goldturners@yahoo.com. Then use this to create an account on Google docs. That way it is "owned" by your chapter and you could easily turn it over to someone in the future without getting entangled with your personal email and stuff. Try doing your newsletter on it, "publish" it and then just copy the link (long tho it may be) into an email to notify all your members. That will get you started and over time you will quickly learn how to set up a home page and other pages. Email me with any questions.

Oh, a final thought. You will not be successful with this unless you have a broadband connection and a reasonably fast, newer PC! With dial-up it is a PITA.
Jerry

 

[john lucas]

Jerry I think we will look into this. I have a good connection and at least not a horribly outdated computer. Our new club newsletter editor is a computer guru (retired). I will ask if he can help. I hate to ask if he will set it all up. It's kind of like asking a doctor to look at your sore foot while your at a woodturning meeting. I know he will help but he retired at least partially to get away from that. Maybe I'll buy him a piece of burl and when he comes to pick it up I'll sneak this in. What am I thinking. I can buy a new computer for the price of a good burl, besides I'd want to keep it.

 

[Jake Debski]

John,

For several years, before we had a web site, our chapter simply emailed our newsletter to all our members with an email address. I did this by creating a Word document and attaching a copy to an email. It eliminated the postage problem, cost, time,etc.

Jerhall's web idea is an even better solution.

 

[Mike Cunningham]

Yahoo

We use Yahoo. The Domain name was just a few dollars. The cost for web space is about $15 per month. The site is very easy to build using Yahoo site builder. All of this info and software is available by going to Yahoo.com I am not what you'd call computer literate but am able to maintain the site.

Our website is located at www.capeatlanticwoodturners.org

Mike

 

[seafoam]

Thanks for posting that. I have never looked at google docs, and it is interesting to see what you have done with it.

Another option to consider is a blog. They are easy to set up and use. Blogger.com's new version has some interesting new features and is very easy to adjust layouts etc.

 

[Jerry Hall]

Re Blog

Derek,
I think a blog is a great option, either independently or in combination with a web site. A blog certainly can facilitate timely communication as a continuous diary among all members. A web site by contrast is perhaps stronger as a "filing cabinet." Together they might be unbeatable. A blog may also have a special strength in the early months of a chapter in helping to form up what the chapter is about. BTW a google docs page could in effect be a primitive blog, if each member were given access to post to a "discussion" page. I am going to check out the blog site you mentioned.
Jerry

 

[seafoam]

A blog certainly can facilitate timely communication as a continuous diary among all members. A web site by contrast is perhaps stronger as a "filing cabinet."

You are absolutely right there. But static content can be linked to from the sidebar of a blog and can point to early blog posts or anywhere else like google docs.

I've done that at Creators Carnival. The FAQ is on a blog post, which in turn has links to other blog posts. If the content is better presented on a Google Doc, then I guess I would use that now I know about it. Don't forget that blog posts can be edited at any time in the future.

Much depends on how you plan on using the site and who is going to read it. The advantages I see of using a blog are:
- add new content without having to build links to it.
- retains an archive of past content.
- Blogger.com now has labelling which helps build an index.
- immediately notifies readers of new content via RSS feeds.

Another application I used for a blog was as a presentation. It starts here, just click on the next link in the sidebar to move on to the next item.

 

[Jerry Hall]

Yahoo Groups- yet another alternative

Much depends on how you plan on using the site and who is going to read it.

Derek,
What is neat is that there are so many tools available offering a unique blend of collaboration and information presentation, organization and retrieval. For example a third alternative that is advocated in an AAW Chapter Best Practices is a Yahoo Group Best Practice for a chapter.

Part of the decision is what is most natural and will actually be used by the "client," in this case the chapter member. It seems to me organized information retrieval, and an opportunity to speak ones mind are the big draws. A traditional web site strengthens the former, and blogs and groups the latter. But it appears that as you say blogs and groups are inching into organized information retrieval.

I may add a collaborative blog to our web site for our members and see how much it is used. But I still get lots of requests for paper copy of the roster and for me to send out mass emails, rather than the member getting the information from our site and doing it themselves. Many turners are still hesitant internet users, and even hesitant to send out emails much less a group or blog entry. Also the mix of dial up and broad band access in our rural area creates two classes of users. I have been trying to make it essential and simply useful for them to go to the web site, and for the site to work ok on dial up.

Good discussion.

Jerry

 

[Brian Hahn]

Dial-up usability

Also the mix of dial up and broad band access in our rural area creates two classes of users. I have been trying to make it essential and simply useful for them to go to the web site, and for the site to work ok on dial up.

As a rural dial-up user, I really apreciate sites that are designed to work OK on dial-up. An increasing number of sites assume broad-band, which makes them essentially worthless to me. (And yes, I have all of the bandwidth hog plug-ins disabled in my browsers.)

 

[Jerry Hall]

AAW Chapter Best Practice for Low Tech Web Site

The following has been added:
http://www.woodturner.org/community/chapters/practices/LowTechWebsite.pdf