Ideas on handling websites??

Do you have any suggestions to add to the discussion on the Alumni Website??



From: lee hall
Date: 28 March 2008 15:21:57 GMT-06:00
To: Pat Fischer , Ted Fischer
Cc: "Peake Kathleen S. (DOL)" , Judie Baldini , John Kalmer
Subject: Re: DVD .. websites

Hi, Ted and Pat


As for the MPHS67-West site:

This "extension" website is sitting on extra server space that I have on my existing Mac account. I will have that account for a long time to come so there are no $$ expenses related to that site. It is a novelty site that will allow me to publish data for anyone interested in next winter's ski trip and this summer's ladies trip. Hopefully, I will make time to get the photos painting faster that they do right now. It is too slow.

The Blog site is also a 'freebee' through www.blogger.com. The blog site has not taken off as I had expected. But maybe there will be renewed interest later when there is more of a need to be interactive and share discussions within the group.

Your domain name is great and our class can get quickly to the information they need. It is the "first source" of information for our class and I expect others will likely generate special-purpose sites that they will want you to point to for alumni news. Mechanically, I see no need to combine the west extension site with yours.

I would suggest adding a menu item on the left "Related Sites" That page could be used for links to the West add-on site, Blog site, and any others that may crop up in the future.

The blog site name is fine but my URL for the West extension site is cumbersome/awkward. Another domain name was my first thought but that is an annual expense ($10-15/yr) that would be a nuisance to manage.

What are your thoughts on John email??



Hope you are doing well!

Barbara Lee Hall

(I am going to add this to the BLOG SITE incase others may have input to offer)




On 28 Mar 2008, at 13:56, John Kalmer wrote:
Barb, Ted and Pat,
I’m wondering if you can have some conversation about the three web sites that are Class Reunion Centric so that at next week’s meeting, we can discuss what we want and can maintain, physically and financially from reunion funds. I don’t know if there is reason to join any of them together or not but a discussion would be a good starting point if there is a reason to do some combining or anything else.

“Talk Amongst Yourselves”…………. or bring the rest of us in if necessary

jk

First Day Of SPRING

From: Bob Seaman <Bob>

Date: 19 March 2008 12:02:04 GMT-06:00

Subject: Happy Spring!!!

So it's the 1st day of Spring, huh? 

Still SNOWING here in PC, UT...going skiing @ Deer Valley with an editor friend of mine this weekend...

How are things in Palmer Lake? Melting no doubt.

See enclosed pix of me clearing our driveway and the results when finished

....these have NOT been Photoshopped!!!  

Love, Bob 

                               Me in my snowplow.

Me coming up our driveway.

WELCOME!

Hello MtP '67 Classmates!

Please, come in, take off your shoes, grab a beer and some chips, and make yourselves at home! This, dearest MtP ’67 Classmates, is our new blog site and gathering place. It’s a lot cheaper than an airline ticket. With gas prices the way they are, it’s a lot cheaper than even driving across town.

But enough political commentary. Let’s get to how this all came about.

First, I want you to imagine you’re in a backyard, talking over a fence with warm sunny breezes blowing the laundry that’s hanging on the line behind you. The dog is quietly gnawing on an old bone by the doghouse while the kid across the street is washing his car and periodically spraying his girlfriend, who screams with laughter at each hosing. Okay, got you in the gossip mood?

Well… listen to this…

Over the past month or so there were all sorts of email communications going on amongst a number of MtP '67 alumni. It all started with that John Kalmer. He snuck out to Utah to ski with Bob Seaman. Utah, mind you! Well, after ravaging the Rockies in Utah, John headed to Denver where he hooked up with Barbara Hall and Viva Steffans. I don’t even want to think about what was going on with that, but, one thing led to another … and the next thing you know, there's this idea about an alumni get together in Colorado next year.

Well, in the meantime, Bob and John were sending out emails to a random group of MtP '67 classmates with, can you believe this … pictures of them on the slopes and such. One thing led to another... and the next thing you know, there's a whole slew of folks going back and forth talking via email! I mean people just jabbering away about all sorts of things.

Then, in the meantime, Barbara has put together a web site posting photos and newsy updates and other pieces of correspondence in order to keep folks abreast of this idea of a Colorado gathering. Can you believe that? A web site! With pictures and plans and ideas and everything! What’ll these people be up to next?

To find out, I just go and show up at John's front door - to say "hi" and all, you know. And he’s so gracious; doesn't throw me out or anything. So he gets this idea to call Barbara. I get on the other line. We start talking about setting up some sort of communication tool other than emails that people can be a part of if they want. Well you’re not going to believe this, but you know how it goes. One thing leads to another,... and the next thing you know there's a blog set up!

And then, in the meantime, there's all this talk amongst a number of womenfolk classmates and the next thing you know, one thing leads to another … and there's yet another plan for a women's gathering. It's like the women's lib, consciousness-raising gathering of our college days! Or maybe not. Anyway, it's for women so it's one thing John won't be showing up for. (Although there are rumblings about him showing up with some dog or other. Well, I read it! It’s all in a previous post. Dog’s name is Henry, I think. Cute dog. There’s a photo.)

Well, finally, I sent an email to Pat Fischer, who has been dealing with the official reunion web site? She put on links to the new MtP ’67 West web site and to this blog site.

So help me, that’s the whole story – honest to goodness! Can you believe it? A blog!

I just thought you should know. I better go get this wash in. Suppose to rain later. If you can believe the weatherman anymore. Looks like an awful nice day to me. Too sunny to rain, I think. If it was going to rain, my knee would be acting up and it’s not. Feels fine. I just think the sun is always shining in MtP ’67 Land.

I’ll see ya’ around the blog!

Huggable Henry

Stubbs et al,

For our own protection, I'm considering bringing my friend Henry along this summer. He doesn't do foot rubs but sloobers well and only eats 5lbs. of food a day.

Barb, or is it Lee?

Barb, or is it Lee,

I just checked out the site, very cute!  Judi Guidice Baldini sent me the link. Thanks for putting that together.  I was in Breckenridge in January, when were you all there?

Karyn Gunther Dingledine

---

It's Tax Time! Get tips, forms and advice on AOL Money & Finance.

Web site & blog

Ted,

I just saw your entry.  "Duck to water" for you.

I would prefer if you announce the site.  I have some testing messages that I need to clear out which should be gone by tonight.  John may have a few more suggestions but I am comfortable with the site pages at this point.

The blog stands by itself.  None of us need the website to read-or-write:  http://mphs67.blogspot.com/

I am listed as administrator which means I get a copy of any entries made to the blog as soon as they are published.  For the next few weeks ( or until you tire of the extra email) I am going to direct those notifications to you at twilson140@comcast.net.  Let me know when you want to relinquish that job.  (..we'll give to john)

The web site link for Pat to add to the MPHS67 site:   http://web.mac.com/lee_hall/iWeb/Colorado2009

I have been calling it an Add-on Site but she will need a better name to call it since the URL is not helpful in identifiying the content.   Any ideas??

Links on the Add-On site will mail a message and automatically update the Blog Site.  Without the links, entries are made from the blog site (http://mphs67.blogspot.com/)

   

Thanks, Ted!  And John

Barbara Lee Hall

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Theodore Wilson" <twilson140@comcast.net>

Date: 9 March 2008 18:15:10 GMT-06:00

To: "Barbara Hall Dobart" <blhinq@pcisys.net>, "John Kalmer" <jkalmer@worldnet.att.net>

Subject: Web site & blog 

Barbara -

 

I'm not sure I really know how to use the little sucker, but it appears I was successful in posting something on the blog.  Does it somehow automatically inform users when there is a new post?  Or do you just have to keep going back and checking? 

 

In regard to some of the comments John made about folks not using it because there's a bunch of steps to take:  Blog 'em if they can't take a joke!  (See my post to fully understand that comment...).  Actually, I just don't think we should jump to any conclusions, yet.  Let's put it out there and see who joins in.  If there is enough feedback that says that the blog is just too complicated to use, then we can go to plan b or c or d or where ever we are in this process, if it's a process at all. 

 

Hell, we're just foolin' around!

 

Oh, yeah.  The welcome page.  As per our phone conversation on Friday (what fun THAT was!  Thanks for letting me through your door, John! What a great way to start an equally terrific weekend), do you want me to follow up with Pat Fischer about linking to the welcome page from the reunion page?  Happy to do it if you have it where you want it...

 

John and I were talking about expanding the names on that initial email list that he and Bob put together.  I would be willing to take the time to put together an email to all classmates listed on the reunion web site with email addresses.  It would be a sort of open invitation to get involved with all the silliness and other connections we've been making since John's Great Ski Adventure of '08.  Give them a link to your welcome page and the blog, etc. 

 

Let me know.  I'll go with whatever flow you want to go with...

 

Love to both of you...

 

-T.W.

 

Cool.

Barbara -

You've been a busy little bee this weekend! Look at all you have done... A welcome page and some clever page names to the web site, not to mention this here blog. I guess I've finally made it to my daughters' generation - Holy moley, I think I'm blogging, now!

Seems to me if we were still in high school, the verb "to blog" would have an entirely different set of connotations. Something along the lines of:

• "Hold on, I have to go blog behind that tree..." Or,
• "Ewwww! Look at all that blog on the sidewalk!" Or,
• "You blogging idiot!" Or,
• "Mr. Ambrosino is such a blogger! Can you believe all the homework he gave us?" Or,
• "I got a blogging 'D' on that last Algebra test."

Now, however, it is quite an accomplishment to be blogging. And at our age!

Dearest Barbara, you are teaching us old dogs a few new tricks.

- T.W.

Muse:

Well hell woman…..you’re changing this so fast I just can’t keep up…..now I get it …..I think! J

Beta response

Dear, Alumni Blogger,

 

I have two immediate first impressions………Wow, this is pretty neat and at first glance it probably does what we want it to be able to do for us……..my second and stronger impression is , will it keep people away because of the layers or stuff one needs to move through to actually communicate?  I’m guessing that response might be surprising to you as this is very much your domain but for a more tech adverse person/personality I could see where it might be an impediment and I would be interested in what the response of others might be.  Right now or as of this morning I could just go to your previous site and everything I wanted to see was available from the first page even after you added the welcome section as a new addition, and now I must navigate around to get to the place I want to go in order to communicate by just looking for something and or by setting up and account in order to write an email or blog.  This is not a criticism from me only an observation.  I know that I would go through the process as I’m pretty excited about it…..but it does make me wonder.  I have a similar response as when we first started to talk about organizing an event for next winter, which is before going to too much trouble setting thing up, does it first make sense to open “Yesterday’s” site up to the masses and see what kind of response we get from the masses to know if all of this work you have started to do is worthy of the audience?  I thought you weren’t going to start this for a week or two……..You are such a treat! 

I didn’t really have any trouble navigating around nor did I try to register yet to set up a Google blog account.  Is that something you wanted me to do in this process?

Now I’m going to call you and do this by voice all over again.

ttfn

      j   

sending personal email to mphs67 blog site

Read:

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Write:

   2 options:

1) use any of the links from the Addon Website to format a message.  

Author will display as "posted by Mt. Pleasant High School '67 Alumni"

2)  added your email address to the direct blogger list.  

Send mail to me: blhINQ@pcisys.net)

You will receive an email from BloggGoogle account (if you donot already have one).

In the Google account, you specify a code to append to your blogs.

All your blogs will display with your name on the entry.

(look at Ted Wilson and John Kalmer's entries as an example)