An announcement from Fifth Northern Region today states that as part of the reorganization all Flotilla and Division websites will be dissolved and everything consolidated on the District website. Is this going to be happening in other Districts? Needless to say, this isn't going over well based on the responses so far.

That has supposedly been Nat policy for several months. Of course, there was no official announcement of such a policy change. Of course, the Nat web site probably cannot handle all the flotilla and division web sites that would have to be moved there. And of course, Nat is not going to let you move your entire site to the Nat server. I don't know what the limit is today but back in the day when I was an FSO-CS and SO-CS, flotillas and divisions were limited to 5 MB.

And if in fact this is policy, it is also typical that they didn't change the Official CS Guide which still states on page XX:

quote:

k. For those units who prefer to host their site on a server other than the national server, the process is very similar. For details, contact your DSO-CS. Remember, regardless where the Auxiliary Website resides, it MUST conform to National Auxiliary Website Policy.

If they try and enforce this one, they will end up with an overloaded and therefore slow Nat Server, ticked off CS officers and members all over the country and the official non-Nat server sites will just convert (in name only) to unofficial 'booster' sites - which the Aux will have no control over.

In other words, a typical Nat Aux policy - it doesn't achieve anything but more ticked off members.

FWIW - this same misguided consolidation on the Gold Side is what lead to the disappearance of the official AWW site, DirAux West, Aux eTrain etc and no official substitutes were ever created.

I also have reason to believe that the disappearance of the AWW site, which happened months ago, has suddenly become a matter of great urgency. Somebody had better remember the old adage (especially when dealing with the FFA) that:

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Lack of prior planning on your part, does not constitute an emergency to me!

Current flotilla space provided on the national server is 15MB and as a BC in the I Department this 'consolidation' is news to me.

Looking at what some division and flotilla sites proved in data service to members I think one site per district will be disaster and almost unmanagable. 'Course, that's just my humble opinion

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FWIW - this same misguided consolidation on the Gold Side is what lead to the disappearance of the official AWW site, DirAux West, Aux eTrain etc and no official substitutes were ever created.

I also have reason to believe that the disappearance of the AWW site, which happened months ago, has suddenly become a matter of great urgency. Somebody had better remember the old adage (especially when dealing with the FFA) that:
quote:
Lack of prior planning on your part, does not constitute an emergency to me!

Point of Information: The substitute for the old AWW SITE is at CG Homeport, viz. . .

http://homeport.uscg.mil/mycg/portal/ep/channelView.do?channelId=-18383

The links from the M Department site have been changed. Now someone has to take care of the links on the rest of the system, and at other "public" websites throughout the country. . . throughout the world!

(Sidebar: I just checked my job description and as far as I can tell it's not me!)

...gjd

I think there is some value to having all CG Aux sites on the national server -- it prevents problems with sites being abandoned or being inaccessible because the member who owned the site quits. Having them be subsets of a District page will be a disaster unless they use software that lets each webmaster update their own site (joomla, for example).

It would certainly parallel the changes for USCG.mil. I agree with RiverAux that it resolves a lot of issues, I just hope they select a competent webmaster if it ever comes down to it (I volunteer). I'm not real fond of the existing national sites.

select a competent webmaster if it ever comes down to it (I volunteer). I'm not real fond of the existing national sites.

Be careful what you wish for - you will probably get it. Along with 'it', you will get no support from your district officers regarding content. If you don't write it or find it yourself the web site will go stale within a few months.

Second, give up any idea of some fancy web site. The Aux is standardizing all web sites to the same boring templates. It is "one size fits all" flotillas, divisions, districts and national departments. All of them will eventually look like they were produced by the same cookie cutter. No individuality will be allowed. No standing out from the group.

Of course you could always achieve your uniqueness with an unofficial 'booster' web site.

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Second, give up any idea of some fancy web site. The Aux is standardizing all web sites to the same boring templates. It is "one size fits all" flotillas, divisions, districts and national departments. All of them will eventually look like they were produced by the same cookie cutter. No individuality will be allowed. No standing out from the group.

That's exactly what is happening to USCG.mil. But for the time being I've seen no indicator of such here. Seeing as the web awards are still on, I'm still moving ahead with this design. At least until I'm told otherwise.

I believe part of this is a culture gap. We're still dealing with a group of folks who think a web sites design is only aesthetically important if they think the site is important at all.

Great design! I'm impressed! It's definately well laid out and pleasing to the eye. I like the use of the ribbons on the border. It adds color and interest.

*cute dog too.. and is that a parrot in the cage I see half of behind your dog? (I'm a bird lover-- I have a Meyer's parrot, myself.)

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*cute dog too.. and is that a parrot in the cage I see half of behind your dog? (I'm a bird lover-- I have a Meyer's parrot, myself.)

Nope that's our hedgehog. We should have some photos of him up there somewhere too... but he's never been very social so it is hard to get a good photo.

Glad you liked the design. Now if I could just make the time to finish implementing it.

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Originally posted by JasonWilsonAUX:

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*cute dog too.. and is that a parrot in the cage I see half of behind your dog? (I'm a bird lover-- I have a Meyer's parrot, myself.)

Nope that's our hedgehog. We should have some photos of him up there somewhere too... but he's never been very social so it is hard to get a good photo.

Glad you liked the design. Now if I could just make the time to finish implementing it.

That's the first I ever heard of a hedgehog as a pet. I googled it, and sure 'nuff-- there they are. They are so cute.

Back on topic: You really ought to finish that design and send it to the head poopahs. It's very well done. Maybe they'll adopt the design for the national website.

This is funny. Go to the I Department web site.

In the left menu column, under Resources click "What Works".

I found that while I was looking for the standard set of templates.

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This is funny. Go to the I Department web site.

In the left menu column, under Resources click "What Works".

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Along with 'it', you will get no support from your district officers regarding content. If you don't write it or find it yourself the web site will go stale within a few months.

Second! And the extended "it" also applies to web sites at the National level, perhaps moreso!

...gjd

Interesting reading in the Information Technology Department portion of the Commandant Quarterly Briefing on web sites.

"Over the next two years a comprehensive plan to develop an over all look and structure to the 1000 plus Auxiliary websites will be initiated. The website redesign effort will be implemented in cooperation with the National Bridge, Professional Web Designers, the 10 National departments, and 16 districts.

A critical component of the web redesign initiative will be a study to research and implement advanced technologies bringing our organization closer to current business standards. The task is daunting but we feel it’s imperative to the future business requirements and to support the influx on new members who will already be comfortable in the use of such technologies."

I am reading that report now and there is some interesting stuff in there. However, beaware that there is also a significant "Fluff Factor". Just one instance:

In another thread I documented the updates (mostly lack thereof) from the elected and high-level appointed officers of D7 on the district web site. Yet in the cited report is this little ditty in the D7 section:

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changes underway in the structure and content of the district website will strengthen its value in improving communication at all levels of the organization.

The problems I noted with the officer reports have been there a long time and are the chief method (really the only method) the officers have to provide content and news on the web site.

Also while, NACO sent out his 'crisis' memo about members and qualifications, so far I can only find one district that reported the problem. Most of the districts either ignore the issue all together, find some way to report it as 'happy news' or blame it on outside circumstances - ie D7 and low water levels.

quote:

"Over the next two years a comprehensive plan to develop an over all look and structure to the 1000 plus Auxiliary websites will be initiated. The website redesign effort will be implemented in cooperation with the National Bridge, Professional Web Designers, the 10 National departments, and 16 districts.

Great ... who do I need to contact to make sure I can get in my two cent as a professional web designer and a person who knows how well the gov can botch a site.

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Originally posted by FL51D7:
This is funny. Go to the I Department web site.

In the left menu column, under Resources click "What Works".

Mea culpa... that was me