[ELECTRON] Website ideas

Sun Apr 24 17:35:24 UTC 2011

Hey Ben,

Thanks for the update.

Cheers,

Martin

On 24 April 2011 17:00, Benjamin Dembroski <ben at dembroski.net> wrote:

> Hi All,
>
> I'm hoping to get thing moved over tomorrow.  Then a couple of days for the
> change in DNS to propagate.
>
> Hope that helps with the game plan...
>
> --
> Ben D.
>
> On 24 Apr 2011, at 15:15, Martin McGrath wrote:
>
> Hi Blair,
>
> Perhaps this is a bit of a misunderstanding:
>
> "One that crossed my mind would be a swap shop... A blog area where
> members could post details of surplus items that they have collected"
>
> So in response to "Forums are in my experience better in this regard.", a blog
> isn't a forum, which is why I said the existing mailing list would be more
> suitable than a blog for this sort of thing. Which brings us on to
> groupserver.
>
> As has been debated a couple of times in recent memory some people want a
> mailing list, some people want a forum, others want to be able to choose to
> use either. The groupserver solution Simon found seems to satisfy the forum
> fans and the mailing list fans. Callooh! Callay!
>
> The idea behind the groupserver <http://groupserver.org/>solution is that
> it's (downloaded, configured and) run it from your own (or in this case,
> Ben's) server.
>
> The test group Simon set up was purely to illustrate functionality.
> Integration should be possible, failing that perhaps something as simple as
> loading the content into a <DIV> in a joomla template would address your
> concerns of EC Forum/Mailinglist content seeming to be on another site.
>
> If joomla has a groupserver style component/plugin, which ticks all the
> (same) boxes even better.
>
> <http://groupserver.org/>One of the actions agreed at the meeting was that
> the best way forward would be to migrate the existing site and mailing list
> off Simon's VPS and onto Ben's. If I remember correctly Simon was keen for
> this to happen before he stepped down. I'm not sure if this has happened
> yet. Perhaps Simon or Ben can advise on this.
>
> This would also allow appropriate time to properly security/penetration
> test any new site, since we don't want Ben's VPS to get rooted, or anything
> of that nature (lest we forget Little Bobby Tables <http://xkcd.com/327/>,
> lizamoon
> <http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/03/31/lizamoon_mass_injection_attack/>etc).
> Personally I think that concentrating on having a secure and functional site
> would be a primary concern. Bells, whistles and SEO should be secondary
> concerns IMHO which could be addressed in future.
>
> Cheers
>
> Martin
>
> On 24 April 2011 00:47, Blair Thompson <mail at justblair.co.uk> wrote:
>
>> H Martin
>>
>> I agree that organising things on the lists is another way of doing swaps,
>> but there are advantages to dong things on the site...
>>
>> Stuff gets lost pretty easily on lists, so if I offer a part up now,
>> unless
>> someone needs one right now there is a fair chance that the offer will
>> become buried.  Forums are in my experience better in this regard.  But as
>> the forum vs list debate is apparently a contentious one, posting in a
>> site
>> section might be a compromise.
>>
>> Big advantage to the site is this... More content = more google love.  I
>> would like to see the site rate a bit higher in search ratings and with
>> that
>> in mind I have a few strategies that  In know can be effective in drawing
>> relevant traffic.  Search Engine Optimisation tricks though are no match
>> to
>> fresh keyword ridden content.
>>
>> As for the test group that you link to.  I had a quick look at it.  I will
>> need to join it and try it out. The first issue that I see is that it
>> takes
>> our users away from our own site.   Would prefer to create a solution that
>> is closely integrated to the main site.  One it is always a good idea to
>> keep your users within your own site in terms of consistency, two thinking
>> about those search engines, if discussions take place within the
>> electron-club site it helps bring up the sites rankings.  However I am
>> still
>> searching frantically for a solution that ticks all boxes.
>>
>> As for the site progress, Ben and I have started talking about how to get
>> things moving on the new site though their will likely be a short delay.
>>  In
>> the mean while I have a work in progress site here...
>> http://www.justblair.co.uk/electron-club/
>>
>> For those that have seen the mockup that I had running on my laptop, you
>> might notice that if anything this version as a few more rough edges than
>> my
>> mockup!  This is because I took a few naughty shortcuts when making the
>> mockup that I am now going back to doing properly!  The demo site at the
>> moment still has a forum component... I have not ignored those that prefer
>> mailing lists, I simply have not found an integrated mailing list solution
>> for the site yet that I am happy with.  I would like both to be available
>> in
>> the mock ups and will try to get something set up.  Looks like a bridge
>> may
>> be the only way to implement this and that is a compromise I would prefer
>> to
>> avoid.
>>
>> In the meanwhile, if anyone wishes to test out what has been done so far,
>> there is a members login available on the right hand side.  Join the site
>> and play with it if you like.  I will keep an eye on members joining and
>> attempt to elevate your authoring privileges quickly so that you can try
>> posting articles etc.
>>
>> All feedback is welcome, but go easy on the criticism.  It's a test site
>> (alpha version at best) and I will be throwing ideas at it.  In the
>> meanwhile  any suggestions made here will be considered if at all
>> practical.
>> If I can implement them quickly, then I will.  Even if you don't think
>> your
>> idea will make it to the real site, it is good I think to try out the
>> weird
>> and wonderful as well.
>>
>> Oh I have added a lot of social media links as well... These wont function
>> properly until we get to the live site.  If they work at all they are
>> likely
>> to link to my own personal site...
>>
>> Blair
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: members-bounces at electronclub.org
>> [mailto:members-bounces at electronclub.org] On Behalf Of
>> members-request at electronclub.org
>> Sent: 23 April 2011 13:00
>> To: members at electronclub.org
>> Subject: members Digest, Vol 26, Issue 20
>>
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>>
>> Today's Topics:
>>
>>   1. Project Boxes (Blair Thompson)
>>   2. Website ideas (Blair Thompson)
>>   3. Re: Website ideas (Martin McGrath)
>>
>>
>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 1
>> Date: Fri, 22 Apr 2011 13:14:49 +0100
>> From: Blair Thompson <mail at justblair.co.uk>
>> To: members at electronclub.org
>> Subject: [ELECTRON] Project Boxes
>> Message-ID: <4DB17139.4000306 at justblair.co.uk>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>>
>> At the meeting last week Kenny and I discussed some project boxes that I
>> have at home.  They are very durable cream coloured boxes with a plastic
>> frame and painted aluminum fronts.  They have rounded corners.  I have
>> used
>> them before for projects and can testify that they are excellent.
>>
>> I was in the Clubroom on tues and dropped three of the boxes off while
>> there.
>>
>> I placed them on the bottom right hand shelf of the solder clubs area for
>> want of a better place to house them.  They are there for the public good
>> on
>> a first build first served basis.. There are about 20 more available in my
>> house.  I don't want to give them all away for free but am prepared to
>> barter some of them for knowledge/skills/favours etc :)
>>
>> If anyone wants more then please say so....  I am sure we can come to a
>> mutually beneficial arrangement!
>>
>>
>>
>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> ------------------------------------
>>
>> Date: Fri, 22 Apr 2011 13:57:47 +0100
>> From: Martin McGrath <mcgrath.martin at gmail.com>
>> To: Discussion list for the Electron Club <members at electronclub.org>
>> Subject: Re: [ELECTRON] Website ideas
>> Message-ID: <BANLkTimj2MPFtqjkkAvdf-EsZSmBWBr+4g at mail.gmail.com>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>>
>> Rather than have a separate blog exclusively for swapping items would it
>> not
>> make more sense to have this as a thread on the mailing list, Simon setup
>> a
>> test group over at http://ect.onlinegroups.net/groups/electron-groupwhich
>> satisfied the dual preferences/requirements of a mailing list with a forum
>> interface.
>>
>> Is the new site available online anywhere for people to test out?
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>> Martin
>>
>> On 22 April 2011 13:21, Blair Thompson <mail at justblair.co.uk> wrote:
>>
>> > As you may be aware, I am currently involved in the redesign/move of the
>> > current electron website.
>> >
>> > Work is well underway, but my dream for the site is to make it more
>> > interactive if I can.
>> >
>> > To that end, I am would like to open a discussion as to features that
>> you
>> > the community would like to see included in the new design....
>> >
>> > One that crossed my mind would be a swap shop... A blog area where
>> members
>> > could post details of surplus items that they have collected that they
>> are
>> > willing to trade/give to other club members.
>> >
>> > Another would be individual members project blogs.  For those that
>> wanted
>> > to, an area to post what personal projects you are involved in  with an
>> > opportunity for other members to comment and support you.
>> >
>> > That's my starter for 10...  Anyone else have a wishlist?
>> >
>> > Blair
>> >
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