Web Site Information
This page contains information about the squadron web site. It exists mainly for geeks, hackers, and anyone else interested in knowing how the web site was put together.
Who made the web site?
The web site’s initial content and “look & feel” were created in 2004 by Capt Mike Kieloch, who used to be a squadron member and is now the Deputy Commander for Cadets in the nearby F.R. Sussey Composite Squadron. I (Maj Brodsky) wrote some of the original copy, but the site was Mike’s to maintain.
After Mike left, I took over the web site updating duties. In March 2006, I basically re-wrote the entire web site. I retained the site’s look, but I used XHTML with CSS, and designed/updated all the pages by hand. In October 2007, I converted the site to use the Wordpress blog engine.
Wordpress? Weren’t you mister “code it all by hand”?
Yep, that’s me. The one big drawback to that approach was that no one except me could update the site. Being a programmer for a living, I took the time to learn how to develop Wordpress themes, and designed one that looked exactly like our existing site, and that generated the cleanest HTML it could.
In addition to using Wordpress for most of the content, I’m using a Google Calendar for the upcoming events page, syncing it with the site by using the ical-events Wordpress plugin. I’m also using a little Javascript to get the alternating table row coloring. I use the Windows text editor TextPad to edit the site’s template files.
Every page on this web site has been validated using the W3C validator. Most of the pages are valid XHTML 1.0 Strict (except when embedding Google Video links), and the stylesheet has been checked as well, as valid CSS 2.0. If you find a page that does not pass validation, please let me know, as I take W3C standards compliance pretty seriously.
If you’re considering Wordpress for your squadron web site, and you ask nicely, I’ll send you the theme files used to create the look for this site.
Who determines what goes on the site?
Ultimately, everything is on here at the discretion of the Squadron Commander. However, on a week-to-week basis, news and event information is added at the request of the commander, deputy commander, public affairs officer, or the cadet commander. Anyone can request that new information be put on the site, and suggestions about layout or content are always welcome.
Where does the site reside?
This web site is hosted by 1&1 Internet Inc. They provide an excellent hosting service for us. A hosting plan for a low-traffic site like a CAP squadron’s web site is pretty reasonable. We have plenty of storage space, fast connections, and support for PHP and a MySQL database.
I really recommend a professional hosting service for a CAP web site. For one, Tripod, Geocities, and other free site building tools usually look pretty cheesy, and no one can remember the URL for the web site. They may also put ads on your site, which looks terrible. Furthermore, you usually get a faster, more reliable connection from a real hosting service. Although CAP web sites usually aren’t bandwidth hogs, it sure is nice to be able to load the page quickly, from an easy-to-remember URL.
Your web site totally rox0rs, will you make mine?
Well, no. I’m plenty busy with this web site, my job, my other CAP duties, and my personal life. I also don’t generally review other people’s web sites, mostly because no one asks me to.
I will offer some advice on how to make a good CAP web site (actually, it’s good web site advice in general):
- Follow the rules. Standards exist for a reason, and the world is a better place when everyone follows them. Learn how to use your chosen tools at the W3 Schools, and make sure your web pages conform to the specifications. Reading other people’s code is a good way to hone your coding style (and find out what not to do!)
- Test early and often. Although standards are important, different web browsers interpret them differently. It’s important to test your web pages on Opera, Firefox, and Internet Explorer, and on at least Windows and Mac OS computers. Ask a friend to look at your site if you don’t have all those software platforms available.
- Learn how to write. The best way to improve your writing is to write, and have that writing critiqued. Reading a lot helps as well, because it exposes you to different uses of the language. Always proofread several times before you publish (and no, the spell checker is not good enough). Writing copy is the art of creating meaning through words, and it will take time and practice to get good at it.
- Keep it fresh. The coolest looking web site in the world is useless without good information. Make sure you keep the site up-to-date: remove dead links, archive old news and events, rotate the pictures in the gallery, and don’t be afraid to just remove a page if the content isn’t any good. Be discriminating — this is your squadron’s face to the Internet public. Bad pictures, sloppy writing, and infrequent updates don’t look good.
Possibly one of the best resources for building web sites is Web Sites From Scratch, and I highly recommend for any potential WebWonk to read every single page on that site before attempting to design their own site.
DISCLAIMER: LINKS OR REFERENCES TO INDIVIDUALS OR COMPANIES DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN ENDORSEMENT OF ANY INFORMATION, PRODUCT OR SERVICE YOU MAY RECEIVE FROM SUCH SOURCES.
Site maintained by Maj Daniel W. Brodsky, CAP ~ ©2004-2008
Last Updated: October 5, 2007