Chapter Webpage Technical Q&A
 

(Mainly addressed to the FTE web-artists and editors, if they have time)

There's a fast way I can break out a basic Chapter layout -
Copy the FTE main page as a webpage(complete) and strip out all but the basics in Dreamweaver, then add in chapter specific items (including adding Tennessee or whatever chapter to the meta tags).

I've called it up in DW3 already, and I can see it will come together quickly, but I need some advices and info.

First Q) concerns the horizontal navbar. Is "Efficacious-Brick" the application for that? I can substitute a Java APP tailored to the chapters in the same area or is it a better idea to retain it as is - and then ad a java app that is chapter oriented just beneath it?

Figure the header is the same as FTE, the menu bar stays the same, a wide chapter header of similar design, and then the chapter menubar...

What think? And is that the app I think it is?


Wolf

Belay my last - the menubar is sfhover. Still looking things over. I think I'll avoid sfhover personally.

Web page idea and designs thread
 

Hi folks :)

I volunteered to set up the NorCal's website :) Looking forward to getting feedback, ideas, and checking out the other FTE chapter sites out there :)

Hey guys lets use this thread to develop ways to get chapter web pages up going. I"m sure that there are alot good tips and tricks we could share amounst ourselves.

Be sure to post up links to pages you got up and going ;)

Wolfie I merged your thread into this one , i hope you don't mind ;)

Are there any official looks/layouts that we are required to abide by? If so would someone be kind enough to provide a link.

As far as I know - it's FREE STYLE all the way. But my gut instinct tells me to plan it so that it looks similar (if not the same) as the main FTE site.

I robbed liberally from it on the trial page i built to see how it came out. If I can make ONE simple suggestion - go with a plain white background color. Everything else will show up good against it.

A second pointer from experience playing with these things is try very hard not to get carried away with different font sizes! Smaller really is better...

I wonder -

The chapter pages will be updated to current events over time, yeah? It used to be an old timers rule on websites to never delete anything - so as old "Index" pages are updated - it seems like the previous one should be saved as (for example) "2006january.html" and so on. That also means a "Back Issues" list would need to be kept up.... Trouble is - links for articles coming off of it would always go to the current index page if it was done the classic way.

How to keep the previous stuff accessable without it becoming over complicated is very much on my mind right now. ALWAYS think ahead...

Temporary chapter page, about to be re-hosted (as an example):

http://www.geocities.com/tennesseefte/sam1.html

We have chapter pages? I just saw them on another ford site and was going to ask why we didn't have any. Where are they?

Anybody have a suggestion for a web design, html editor for DUMMY'S?

NVU is a free wysiwyg (what you see is what you get) editor and generates a fairly clean HTML code. Irfanview and gimp are both free photo editing softwares that work ok.

Thanks Brian. NVU is your recommendation for a FTE chapter web site?

Umm...I have no clue how that is set up at all. I prefer NVU (free) to frontpage. I hate that software. To me...NVU looks and works similar to dreamweaver ($$$$).

I will give it a shot. If FTE goes down it is your fault.:-missingt

I used to use Dreamweaver - but this all has been so long in delay I no longer think it is at all viable unless something major happens.

It's just DEAD IN THE WATER.

We've talked about it for years, server capacity has been a major issue - I just don't see it happenning unless chapters float thier own pages.

It was a dissappointment, but I can see that it isn't going to happen unless we have very talented page writers as chapter members because it's a risk on KP's part. If they look bad, KP will look bad and FTE as well.

I'm sorry, but that really is what I see.

The only real alternative I can think of is if the pages are put together and edited by people at FTE home. That is the only way it can really be in FTE's solid control as to edit functions. (So as to make it acceptable with no big OOPS's)

And the only way to do that is to keep it very simple, a standard format, basic chapter logo's, and inputs from the chapters going to FTE. - All of the inputs being in WORD format or something.

Like a NEWSPAPER...

Columns - such as:
Chapter Events
Milestones
Officers
GTG's (articles describing proposed ones)
SWAP stuff (new each month, old stuff gone)
Stories about members
Pictures of trucks
Pictures from GTG's (gallery)
Local regulation news
Proposed Legislation
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS (names)
Etc...


~Wolf

PS: (And please don't take this as hate, or displeasure) I have myself tried to shake something loose and make something happen with this for more than four years. If it is going to happen, from what I have seen, it will be on FTE itself to organise and put it out their because everything I have tried has failed.

YOU will have to make it user friendly, and updateable.

Consider this though - such an arrangement creates the ability to tailor it for FTE needs and sponsors. The Chapter pages would contain sponsor advertisements pertenant to a given area, and so on.

SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF WORK - but at least it might work....

If you want all of US to do it - it will all be different. You know that already.
In some way - FTE must control it. I offer this as the most reasonable way I can think of.

Ken?

You need a standard page format for that, and a way to get inputs added. it may take extra people.

It's the only thing I can think of that will make it conform to FTE GUIDELINES.

I myself am tired of fighting for it...

MAKE IT HAPPEN OR NOT

If I want a carrot I'll get one from a store, or rip it out of the ground. I don't need one dangling in front of my nose.