Re: [Ql-Users] Fw: Fwd: Quanta Web site down?

[Malcolm Cadman]

In message <5C559A9CD57842EE930B6FC99AF121F6@geoffbqm5ccx41>, Geoff 
Wicks <gtwi...@btinternet.com> writes

Umm ... your briefest comment, yet, Geoff ... :-)
--------------------------------------------------
From: "Geoff Wicks" <gtwi...@btinternet.com>
Sent: Sunday, October 21, 2012 5:27 PM
To: <ql-us...@q-v-d.com>
Subject: Re: [Ql-Users] Fwd:  Quanta Web site down?



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From: "Quanta Webmaster" <webmas...@quanta.org.uk>
Sent: Friday, October 19, 2012 8:38 PM
To: <ql-us...@q-v-d.com>
Subject: [Ql-Users] Fwd:  Quanta Web site down?

Hi

The QUANTA website was not taken down intentionally, I am now working to
get the site back on-line, but did not know it was down until I 
received a
message from the mailing list! If people know the site is down please let
the committee know as we want to know as quickly as possible so we 
can  fix
issues as soon as they become apparent.

Thank you for your suggestions Geoff, I would like to let you know about
the outcome of the committee meeting.

The committee decided that moving to a cheaper platform was a good 
idea  and
I have now been tasked with finding a service to use (I know there are
plenty around so will be feeding back my thoughts to the committee). 
It  was
also agreed that the new site will be mainly static so the committee will
not be making much effort in updating the site (though we will use a
different CMS system we can make updates as required.

In relation to your point number 3 however the magazine will not be made
available to members or the public, I have spent quite some time on the
current Typo3 CMS getting it ready for a new members area and having all
the latest magazines available for users to download and we were about to
get the emails sent out so members could access the site (the 
magazines  are
only made public after 1 to 2 years as this is one of the benefits of
membership of QUANTA). However, as the committee has agreed to create a
more static website, use a CMS easier to maintain and configure 
which  does
not have this ability this functionality will now be lost. Given 
that Typo3
has been difficult to maintain AND the vocal membership does not want to
pay for am maintained server this seems to be the only option. Of 
course  if
anyone wants to join the QUANTA committee and help implement these 
features
I would be pleased to have some help.

As for your other points:

1. once the new site is up and running the news MAY not be updated on a
regular basis, Dilwyn has already had training and issues with Typo3 
and  he
may not want training on another platform (I will have to speak to him
about this). Also the feeds to facebook and twitter will be stopped.

2. It will be up to the committee as to what is displayed and when, Typo3
and the new CMS do have facilities where articles and content can be 
set  to
appear/disappear at certain times, however, this is down to the editor to
set. If it is not set they will be there until we are notified to remove
the article. If anyone sees anything out of place a simple email to
commit...@quanta.org.uk would quickly get the article updated rather than
waiting 3 months then posting on a public forum!

4. It is unlikely that the committee will update the static website with
QUANTA news. It will be just a static site with information about how to
join and about the various QL's.

*. The membership area will not be recreated as this will be in a 
different
CMS and the site will be a static site.

Of course these are my current opinions of what will happen, if the 
current
QUANTA membership or the QUANTA committee decide something else is needed
then perhaps this will change, however, the only way I can see this
changing is if more volunteers help with the website but people seem more
interested in attacking the site rather than contributing to it.

Realistically Geoff, if you have a real desire to implement the features
you have mentioned, can I suggest you take over the webmaster role on the
committee?

Keith


Many thanks for this reply. It is not often that we get such a 
detailed reaction from Quanta and it is much appreciated. You have 
given a lot of clarity about the situation.

Unfortunately as Webmaster you are a convenient scapegoat if things 
go  wrong with the website. I do not blame you for the problems and I 
hope I  have made that clear during this discussion.

Perhaps I should recap the history of Quanta websites. The site was 
first  set up about 10 years ago by the then Chairman, Robin Barker, 
who had  considerable web skills. He came very near to setting up a 
members' area,  but, unfortunately, in those days we were less aware 
of the need for  firewalls and it became a target for hackers and spammers.

Since Robin's departure there have been very few members of the 
committee  with web expertise and none of the officers except for your 
year as  treasurer. For about 8 years the officers have been parroting 
Robin's  ideas without any understanding of the technical or practical 
problems  involved. They just assumed a webmaster would have an 
instant solution to  any problems, but as both you and Dan were to 
painfully discover both  technical and practical problems were plenty. 
After much effort to get a  working CMS all your hard work was in vain 
because only one member of the  committee was willing to use it.

I am glad that Quanta has now faced up to the reality and has begun 
to look at what is practical, but it should have been done years ago 
and long  before we were paying almost £350 for a website. (This year 
the subscription rose by £4. Over £2 of that rise was to pay for the 
website which was a new expenditure in 2011.)

I am not at all downcast by the disappearance of the members' area, 
although it is a pity for you after all the preparation work you have 
done. Frankly I don't think there would have been much use of the 
closed area especially if the magazines are to become public after two 
Also I doubt if there is much call on the library these days. I also 
felt the proposed members' forum was a non-starter as the question of 
moderator  had not been addressed.

I am not sure what Quanta means by a largely static site - what we 
must  avoid is calling an magazine published 18 months ago "recent". 
And if we  can't keep the show page up to date then we should remove 
it altogether. I  also knew the committee would not run a a Quanta 
news section.  Shortsighted because within a few years they will have 
through  necessity.

On your final point about my taking over the job of webmaster the 
answer  is a firm no. The webmaster is a technical post and you are 
far better  qualified than I am. What has gone wrong is the lack of 
support you have  had from the rest of the committee.

I have also made it clear on many occasions that I have other QL 
responsibilities that make it inappropriate for me to be a Quanta 
committee member.

There is also a good personal reason. For over six years I have 
remained  silent about why I resigned suddenly from the Quanta 
Committee. During  that six year I have been subjected to a lot of 
abuse. It was not just a  simple question of an irresponsible use of 
members' money for vanity AA  signposting, but the fact that I was not 
allowed to have my objection  recorded in the minutes. In fact the 
minutes are written with a form of  weasel words that give the 
impression the decision was unanimous. Two of  the officers then are officers today,

Best wishes,


Geoff




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Malcolm Cadman
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