[amsat-bb] Re: broken links

Tue Sep 8 17:00:31 PDT 2009

Alan and all,

Here's my 2 cents' worth - coming from someone who admittedly knows very little about the tools, skills and resources necessary to develop and maintain a Web site.

Alan, you write: "It must include RSS, news feeds, and a forum in addition to all the stuff ( current or otherwise ) on the existing AMSAT site." 

How does the AMSAT store fit into this, and is it possible to "mix" a wiki-style "access for all" site with one that will include areas for the entry and transfer of secure, private information (e.g., credit card information for purchases)? 

I ask this because I don't know of another major nonprofit that uses a wiki-style site because of the need to incorporate an ecommerce site as part of the overall Web presence.

My initial reaction to a Wiki approach is - no - for those reasons.

I hope someone can provide more information here to me and everyone who reads the BB that might help mitigate my concerns. I further hope someone who is truly interested in mitigating the issues seemingly so many here have with the AMSAT Web site will attend the Board meeting in October to continue this kind of dialogue with the Board.

73 to all,

Tim - N3TL
Athens, Ga. - EM84ha

________________________________
From: Alan VE4YZ <ve4yz at mts.net>
To: amsat-bb at amsat.org
Sent: Tuesday, September 8, 2009 7:38:30 PM
Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: broken links

IMHO fixing the existing site is not the answer.  

If the executives will okay the use of a Wiki format, I am sure that 3 or 4
of us can communicate off list to set up a group to install and administer a
Wiki on another server.

We can call it The SIG ( Satellite Interest Group ) or whatever for now.
Any and All AMSAT members can then be registered to maintain the Wiki.  If
the members and executive like the results it can be migrated to the AMSAT
server.  It must include RSS, news feeds, and a forum in addition to all the
stuff ( current or otherwise ) on the existing AMSAT site.

The cost to this 3 or 4 person ( or more ) "steering committee" would be the
registration of a name and a year on a web hosting service such as GoDaddy
what runs a similar server a AMSAT's host.  Or, use the AMSAT hosting
company.  So this small group would have to come up with less than one
year's AMSAT membership to start this project.

We use an Open Source Wiki, no more customized PHP like the current site
that is high maintenance and really hard for anyone to get into the head of
any former code whacker to modify or update.

We need the AMSAT exec okay because there would be a lot of cut 'n paste of
old stuff from the existing site into the pilot project where is would be
available for updating a la Wiki.

I don't do this for a living, I do maintain a couple of club web sites, but
I bet we have a member reading this who is a professional web-whacker who
might oversee the team and keep us from making dumb decisions such as
choosing the wrong open source wiki to being with.

That's my 2 cents and just one warm body being offered for the effort. 

73, Alan VE4YZ
EN19kv
AMSAT LM 2352 
http://www.wincube.ca

--- On Tue, 9/8/09, Andrew Glasbrenner <glasbrenner at mindspring.com> wrote:

So who among you would like to volunteer to rewrite some of the articles and
bring them up to date?

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