Utah Reefs Homepage
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - WMAS Website
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

WMAS Website

 Post Reply Post Reply Page  12>
Author
sleepingdeep View Drop Down
Guest
Guest
Avatar

Joined: July 23 2013
Location: Draper
Status: Offline
Points: 993
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sleepingdeep Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: WMAS Website
    Posted: April 25 2019 at 4:21pm
Does anyone in the presidency know if there any plans to update the website to a more mobile friendly layout? Someplace people could upload pictures from their phones (yes, even iphones)? I honestly feel a lot of our web traffic could make a comeback if the site was a little easier to navigate on mobile. I know i don't post sale threads here because its a PITA to get pictures up, that aren't upside down.

Im not a developer, but i am a graphic designer and could help with some of the building if necessary. I fear the website as is, is just here to fill a void, rather than be a resource for many. And especially with facebook cracking down on live animal (coral/fish) sales, i think this could be a great place to do that again. 

Thoughts?
Back to Top
WildBill View Drop Down
Guest
Guest
Avatar

Joined: January 31 2018
Location: WVC
Status: Offline
Points: 143
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote WildBill Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 25 2019 at 8:16pm
There is an app for this. Someone needs to talk to tapatalk to see if it can happen.
Back to Top
Hogie View Drop Down
Guest
Guest
Avatar

Joined: May 09 2012
Location: Farmington
Status: Offline
Points: 2331
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hogie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 26 2019 at 10:59am
I brought this up a couple of years ago and was told it was to expensive to update and the club didn't have enough money to do it.
Back to Top
sleepingdeep View Drop Down
Guest
Guest
Avatar

Joined: July 23 2013
Location: Draper
Status: Offline
Points: 993
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sleepingdeep Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 26 2019 at 12:33pm
that seems kind of like an answer you yell out when you don't really want to fix something, but don't just want to say no. its a dad answer.

Like WildBill said, Tapatalk is a free community forum that allows members to post. There are also 5$/mo and 10$/mo options depending on how much we'd want to customize it. The forum funtionality is already built in, so it'd really just be the process of setting it up, updating graphics to jpegs with more than 3 pixels. Confused 

this would give us the photo upload options we so desperately need while maintaining all the functionality we already have. maybe we leave the current site open to "guest" members and only allow access to the new forum for paid WMAS members. the cost of the forum access would more than cover the monthly fee to tapatalk. even if you just upped membership costs by $1-2 per member.


Edited by sleepingdeep - April 26 2019 at 12:44pm
Back to Top
Krazie4Acans View Drop Down
Admin Group
Admin Group
Avatar

Joined: December 17 2012
Location: Syracuse
Status: Offline
Points: 24177
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Krazie4Acans Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 26 2019 at 12:55pm
Originally posted by Hogie Hogie wrote:

I brought this up a couple of years ago and was told it was to expensive to update and the club didn't have enough money to do it.


I believe what was said was that the website, server, software, hardware and domain are all donated to the club. The support, updates, and maintenance of the site are all handled by volunteers to keep it updated and running.  There are limitations with this configuration but it has allowed us to have the site and keep it for over 25 years.

It was then mentioned that maybe the club should pay for these things in order to get paid level of support for the site and features. Since none of that had been included in the budget for the year there was no money to do that then.

It was discussed again at the first of last year and this year and if we are to do those upgrades to the site there would be no money left for any of the meetings and events that the members wanted for the year.  With member visitation of the site way down due to Facebook and other sites and paid membership continuing to not be a priority for members, it was deemed not it the best interests of the club to spend more than an entire years funds on website updates for a declining audience.

  This club is completely run by volunteers and funded only by selling memberships and by selling tickets for drawing items at our meetings and events for donated items. If we spend the funds to update the website we will have a slight improvement in the website and no meetings or events for at least two years while we fund raise to try and bring the funds back to cover those things.

If anyone is looking for a donation opportunity with some tax incentives we would be more than happy to look at those options with anyone in the position to help in that manor. This current presidency has chosen to provide and support the events and meeting requests of its members for this year while looking for additional ways to improve the website and plan to revisit these items at the first of the year unless an option becomes available before then that doesn't jeopardize the planned schedule for the year.

Please let us know if this should get a renewed look for this year at the risk of the planned events for the rest of the year.


Edited by Krazie4Acans - April 26 2019 at 1:29pm
My ocean.
90g (yup, won it!), 40g, 28g, & 10g Systems
PADI Advanced Open Water
Tank Thread:
Back to Top
Krazie4Acans View Drop Down
Admin Group
Admin Group
Avatar

Joined: December 17 2012
Location: Syracuse
Status: Offline
Points: 24177
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Krazie4Acans Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 26 2019 at 1:27pm
Originally posted by sleepingdeep sleepingdeep wrote:

that seems kind of like an answer you yell out when you don't really want to fix something, but don't just want to say no. its a dad answer.

Like WildBill said, Tapatalk is a free community forum that allows members to post. There are also 5$/mo and 10$/mo options depending on how much we'd want to customize it. The forum funtionality is already built in, so it'd really just be the process of setting it up, updating graphics to jpegs with more than 3 pixels. Confused 

this would give us the photo upload options we so desperately need while maintaining all the functionality we already have. maybe we leave the current site open to "guest" members and only allow access to the new forum for paid WMAS members. the cost of the forum access would more than cover the monthly fee to tapatalk. even if you just upped membership costs by $1-2 per member.

Ouch.

Tapatalk is a free app but including it's capabilities on your website is not free at any level and only works with certain forum applications. Our current platform is not one that is supported with the current Tapatalk implementation. So adding support for that would require us to transition the forum to a new platform or possibly a newer version of our current application. Either option is not free to do.

I'm glad you have enough faith to think that only costs this club has is in supporting the website and that there is somehow enough paid members to support a second website or forum section on a continued basis. If what the club members want is to fully support the website then we can of course do that but that has not been the response we have heard nor have we seen an increase in paid memberships to indicate that either. 

I'm all about hearing the wants of the club and having a discussion about what we think takes this club on through the next years but there is no room in that discussion for statements like you started the above post with. Those are not helpful in having a discussion.

I get it you are looking for a platform to sell your corals on now that you have been kicked off of Facebook. We have always had a platform to sell them on and it may not be as simple as Facebook to post your stuff but it is free and you don't even have to be a paid member to do it.

If you are asking that this free club that tries to include anyone and everyone that wants to be involved in this hobby, become a pay to play club, I'm not sure I'm on board. That is not the charter of this club and that is not what this club or its website have been about. We want anyone to be able to come here and get help, information and support in their quest into this hobby. We also want to do that as close to free as possible.

Maybe we should create a poll and have the paid members and free members vote on whether they would all be willing not only become paid members but be open for the price going up to $30 per year knowing that they could get this one feature upgraded on the website next year once the memberships are paid?
My ocean.
90g (yup, won it!), 40g, 28g, & 10g Systems
PADI Advanced Open Water
Tank Thread:
Back to Top
sleepingdeep View Drop Down
Guest
Guest
Avatar

Joined: July 23 2013
Location: Draper
Status: Offline
Points: 993
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sleepingdeep Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 26 2019 at 3:24pm
Originally posted by Krazie4Acans Krazie4Acans wrote:

Maybe we should create a poll and have the paid members and free members vote on whether they would all be willing not only become paid members but be open for the price going up to $30 per year knowing that they could get this one feature upgraded on the website next year once the memberships are paid?

Why is the presidency so attached to this website? Im not saying we have to go to tapatalk, if there is a better platform, then sure. i'd be more than willing to consider other options. Im not trying to be as combative as you're making me out to be, Im just looking for something better than what we have. Just because its the way we've always done something, doesn't mean its necessarily the best way.
Back to Top
Krazie4Acans View Drop Down
Admin Group
Admin Group
Avatar

Joined: December 17 2012
Location: Syracuse
Status: Offline
Points: 24177
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Krazie4Acans Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 26 2019 at 3:47pm
The website is attached to the club. It is not only the source of many many years of accumulated experience of both successes and failures but it is also a repository for official club business required to maintain our non-profit status as a club.

Why would you assume that the presidency hasn't looked at other options or even options to improve what we have? I assure you that we have many times and we have even considered the potential loss of some historical records in order to make it happen. So far the options, costs and benefits have not out weighed the inconvenience posed by our current solution.

I love that you seem to be interested in being involved in the club and helping make some positive changes for the club. The best way you can do that is to become a paid member and join the club presidency to help us hear the wants / needs of the club and seek out information on ways to make those things potentially happen.

My ocean.
90g (yup, won it!), 40g, 28g, & 10g Systems
PADI Advanced Open Water
Tank Thread:
Back to Top
kevin.st View Drop Down
Paid Member
Paid Member
Avatar

Joined: September 06 2015
Location: Riverton
Status: Offline
Points: 430
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote kevin.st Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 26 2019 at 4:42pm
who is this sleepingdeep guy, anyway?
Back to Top
Skyward Imaging View Drop Down
Guest
Guest
Avatar

Joined: January 08 2016
Location: West Jordan
Status: Offline
Points: 214
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Skyward Imaging Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 08 2019 at 2:14pm
Originally posted by Krazie4Acans Krazie4Acans wrote:

I believe what was said was that the website, server, software, hardware and domain are all donated to the club. The support, updates, and maintenance of the site are all handled by volunteers to keep it updated and running.  There are limitations with this configuration but it has allowed us to have the site and keep it for over 25 years.

It was then mentioned that maybe the club should pay for these things in order to get paid level of support for the site and features. Since none of that had been included in the budget for the year there was no money to do that then.

It was discussed again at the first of last year and this year and if we are to do those upgrades to the site there would be no money left for any of the meetings and events that the members wanted for the year.  With member visitation of the site way down due to Facebook and other sites and paid membership continuing to not be a priority for members, it was deemed not it the best interests of the club to spend more than an entire years funds on website updates for a declining audience.

  This club is completely run by volunteers and funded only by selling memberships and by selling tickets for drawing items at our meetings and events for donated items. If we spend the funds to update the website we will have a slight improvement in the website and no meetings or events for at least two years while we fund raise to try and bring the funds back to cover those things.

If anyone is looking for a donation opportunity with some tax incentives we would be more than happy to look at those options with anyone in the position to help in that manor. This current presidency has chosen to provide and support the events and meeting requests of its members for this year while looking for additional ways to improve the website and plan to revisit these items at the first of the year unless an option becomes available before then that doesn't jeopardize the planned schedule for the year.

Please let us know if this should get a renewed look for this year at the risk of the planned events for the rest of the year.

What if one of us who know how was to donate their expertise and time to build a better community that is more usable? Wink Would there be a membership or something in it for that person? Big smile
Back to Top
Adam Blundell View Drop Down
Presidency
Presidency
Avatar

Joined: June 24 2002
Location: Davis County
Status: Offline
Points: 18526
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Adam Blundell Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 08 2019 at 3:06pm
I'd think so, but I'd consider getting on the presidency.  Then pitch your idea and run with it.  If you can help create a better experience/community/platform then the presidency would always be interested in making it happen.  

Adam
Come to a meeting, they’re fun!
Back to Top
sleepingdeep View Drop Down
Guest
Guest
Avatar

Joined: July 23 2013
Location: Draper
Status: Offline
Points: 993
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sleepingdeep Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 08 2019 at 4:42pm
I'd also be happy to donate my time in building a new website. Like i said, im not a programmer, but as for design, i could help with that.
Back to Top
archeious View Drop Down
Guest
Guest
Avatar

Joined: April 25 2019
Location: Pleasant Grove
Status: Offline
Points: 9
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote archeious Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 14 2019 at 9:38pm
I don't want to step on any ones toes. but I am willing to help with the site.  If nothing else to fix the pages that are outright broken.  e.g., the link on the LFS page. i.e., http://utahreefs.com/index.php?q=node/3  I have years... no decades of experience with web hosting (including Drupal which the site is built on).  

I would love to get more traffic here.  I don't do the Facebook thing.  I would like to be more involved with the society but won't go as far as going to Facebook. ;)



Edited by archeious - May 14 2019 at 9:39pm
Back to Top
Krazie4Acans View Drop Down
Admin Group
Admin Group
Avatar

Joined: December 17 2012
Location: Syracuse
Status: Offline
Points: 24177
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Krazie4Acans Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 15 2019 at 9:44am
Originally posted by archeious archeious wrote:

I don't want to step on any ones toes. but I am willing to help with the site.  If nothing else to fix the pages that are outright broken.  e.g., the link on the LFS page. i.e., http://utahreefs.com/index.php?q=node/3  I have years... no decades of experience with web hosting (including Drupal which the site is built on).  

I would love to get more traffic here.  I don't do the Facebook thing.  I would like to be more involved with the society but won't go as far as going to Facebook. ;)


Can you describe what is not working on the lFS page? It is working fine for me.
My ocean.
90g (yup, won it!), 40g, 28g, & 10g Systems
PADI Advanced Open Water
Tank Thread:
Back to Top
Hogie View Drop Down
Guest
Guest
Avatar

Joined: May 09 2012
Location: Farmington
Status: Offline
Points: 2331
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hogie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 15 2019 at 11:33am
Originally posted by archeious archeious wrote:

I don't want to step on any ones toes. but I am willing to help with the site.  If nothing else to fix the pages that are outright broken.  e.g., the link on the LFS page. i.e., http://utahreefs.com/index.php?q=node/3  I have years... no decades of experience with web hosting (including Drupal which the site is built on).  

I would love to get more traffic here.  I don't do the Facebook thing.  I would like to be more involved with the society but won't go as far as going to Facebook. ;)




Sounds interesting to me! What ideas do you have to get more traffic here?
Back to Top
Hogie View Drop Down
Guest
Guest
Avatar

Joined: May 09 2012
Location: Farmington
Status: Offline
Points: 2331
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hogie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 15 2019 at 11:37am
Here are some common problems when I was in the presidency I constantly fixed for people.

1-When they edit their post or quote a post, it adds in bad coding. For example in my post above, you can see all the "A" that it added in.
2-Pictures load the wrong direction and are hard to change to make right.
3-Picture loading in general.
Back to Top
Hogie View Drop Down
Guest
Guest
Avatar

Joined: May 09 2012
Location: Farmington
Status: Offline
Points: 2331
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hogie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 15 2019 at 11:41am
I really like the enthusiasm to improving the site and think that is absolutely necessary to bring the club back to relevance. However, I also agree with Jeff that right now, Facebook is pulling a lot of the traffic away from the site and if the status quo remains unchanged, redoing the website would be an noneffective way to use time money and resources because not very many people would see it.

So, for those with design/website experience, I would like to know what I ideas you have and how we can bring in more traffic?

Edited by Hogie - May 15 2019 at 4:23pm
Back to Top
knowen87 View Drop Down
Guest
Guest
Avatar

Joined: March 17 2012
Location: Logan, UT 84321
Status: Offline
Points: 385
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote knowen87 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 15 2019 at 12:50pm
I think that the picture thing is the worst. I would imagine that fixing this would help traffic come back to the site. A better mobile experience would help too but I think that the pictures need the help the most. 


Back to Top
Krazie4Acans View Drop Down
Admin Group
Admin Group
Avatar

Joined: December 17 2012
Location: Syracuse
Status: Offline
Points: 24177
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Krazie4Acans Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 16 2019 at 7:21am
Originally posted by knowen87 knowen87 wrote:

I think that the picture thing is the worst. I would imagine that fixing this would help traffic come back to the site. A better mobile experience would help too but I think that the pictures need the help the most. 



The picture upload is what we are currently looking into and looking for options. We should have more information on that in the next couple of weeks.
My ocean.
90g (yup, won it!), 40g, 28g, & 10g Systems
PADI Advanced Open Water
Tank Thread:
Back to Top
Skyward Imaging View Drop Down
Guest
Guest
Avatar

Joined: January 08 2016
Location: West Jordan
Status: Offline
Points: 214
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Skyward Imaging Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 16 2019 at 9:11am
Originally posted by Krazie4Acans Krazie4Acans wrote:

Originally posted by knowen87 knowen87 wrote:

I think that the picture thing is the worst. I would imagine that fixing this would help traffic come back to the site. A better mobile experience would help too but I think that the pictures need the help the most. 




The picture upload is what we are currently looking into and looking for options. We should have more information on that in the next couple of weeks.


As for the classifieds section WMAS has been using a forum to post. Drupal has classifieds plugins that could easily be implemented into the site for ease of use. I know that the classifieds is one of the most used on the site so starting there would be my opinion. Here is a link to the first one I found from my phone. https://www.drupal.org/project/ed_classified
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  12>
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 12.03
Copyright ©2001-2018 Web Wiz Ltd.

This page was generated in 0.266 seconds.