The Community Team Web Site © 2006 Trevor Ellis all rights reserved.
Introduction
Community Web Sites
Every community likes their own web site. There are wonderful examples of web sites
that support Villages and Towns, Village Halls, and Local Groups like Scouts and
Guides.
These web sites provide a useful reference point for the communities they serve.
The Problems
Firstly, many sites present only static data with every page having fixed content.
Therefore, unless the author updates them almost daily the 'Upcoming Events' is
often showing old news!
Secondly, with only one person maintaining the information there will always be
a rather restricted and subjective scope of the data.
Finally, a volunteer who knew how to program web sites may have created and maintained
the web site. However, if that person becomes too busy, or moves away, the web site
quickly becomes out of date. It is all too easy to find well-built web sites that
the author has not since 2005!
The Solution
Have the system build each page on request, taking its content from a database.
Therefore, 'Forthcoming Events' will always list future activities.
For each web page that the public sees have an administrator's page. This will enable
an author the easily maintain the details without needing any detailed knowledge
of programming web pages.
Have a small team of Administrators who can each log in to the maintenance pages
to update their content, keeping the web site relevant, varied, and up-to-date.
Perhaps a couple of Administrators could each look after one part of the site.
Provide a separate training database that permits Administrators to practice and
gain confidence that they really can maintain the web site without needing and programming
skills.
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