Saturday, October 18, 2008

New findings for building EDPG website

I've continued plugging along, trying to figure out where things seem to go wrong. It's good I love spaghetti, because I'm in a tangle with somewhat of a spaghetti effect.

First off, it would help if I have a good block of time while also actually rested, when people in my life won't get perterbed at me for spending all my time on the computer.

That said, everytime I have to push back from this work to get this 'simple' snap-in type website pulled together, I have to re-figure out seemingly simple tasks.

Here are a couple of things I've found on re-entering the website.

First off, the handful of people I wished would help out to test and collaborate don't seem to have the time or inclination, except one, perhaps two (a ghost viewer who logged on). That's just for now. I'm sure that will change if we can get the 'work' part off the ground and get the fun stuff rolling.

The work part is the part that only I can do from this end anyway.
The fun stuff would be working together on some projects, but all the gadgets and things hooked up to manipulate with for the collaborators networking with me to get projects done.

Next, as I got back on, I discovered that I guess I've hidden the egroup from us, or I just don't know where to find it.
It was a bit confusing trying to figure out if the egroup and the email are basically one in the same, however, I know I set up a colorful template for it and played with it for a long while the other day.

The additional facet of discovery I've made is referring to this interest website:
http://www.labnol.org/internet/tools/google-sites-create-wiki-html-websites-online/2426/
building a mobil site (video - long, 45 min)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4dV9nIpHes&feature=related
Site building tips, hints, and helps, plus added info, eg., listings, contents, etc.http://www.2createawebsite.com/traffic/

So, the latter of the two, traffic and tips, etc. is the one I'd like to first focus on, with regard to content.
It does warn against just using links to make references unless you are also adding in your own unique content as well.
Traffic isn't a huge emphasis to me for this test site, but the tips are good to know with regard to quality of content, etc., which is important at the end production.

The mobile hook-up is very ambitious, but realistic, which would be much later and possible a good project to work on for the members together. Why? Truth is, there are people out there who utilize online strictly via their phones, so why not?
I know of one person right now, who stays in contact with me via the phone and contacting my email address. Yes, he's pagan and it's a worthy cause.

One good thing about the mobile connection would be how it streamlines, keeping sites very simple for loading purposes of the entry-level type phones.
We'll talk about all of that later, but there are some excellent articles and videos on google via youtube to refer to about all of these things.

For the Nine Virtues pages, I've done the very thing the article about traffic recommends 'against'. Seeing as I do have an actual work in progress on that standpoint that is in rough draft, I intend on etching it out on that 9 virtues page which is actually my own work and hopefully a UNIQUE idea or perspective of some type. At least I haven't seen it written out anywhere else.

The links about those subjects are some reference points for the reader of that page and material who may be new to the approach inasfaras searching for their spiritual path, or who is an entry-level Dedicant in the DP of the ADF: A Druid Fellowship.

As all personal websites do have similarities, mine will include the DP work as well, and it is a sampled area for the site.

More later on updates and additions to the test site for EDPG!
pol

Friday, October 10, 2008

Members: Annoying messages coming to you?

Hey there for you folks who are signed into the site as joined, are you getting some annoying messages / repeating, from the egroup or website?

I was editing the egroup pages to set a link to the main page on each one of those pages, also I posted a short bit or not much on a couple of posts. When I finished, it gave a prompt for me to either skip a generic message or to send a message to the members telling them about the post or change to the page.

It's the first time I've really noticed that.

If you've been receiving emails directly from the egroup or website, that are not of a direct nature, or appear to be generic and repeating, please let me know. I will be on the look out for a way to disengage that annoying setting if it's possible. It's not an option I would intentionally send out on every single post or change to the site or egroup.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Created a New Page

So, I was desiring to have more positive going on in my head today. With this attitude, I proceeded to check out other options to format than the single format theme.

I have to say for a snap-in website, the newly created webpage worked out fine.
I didn't create any text of my own, rather, I checked around so on some of the gadgets again. Pretty nifty!

I inserted some links on the subject I have in mind is material that's useful and should be acceptable to ADF. In the meantime, I simply decided to keep it simple for now. I will write some more later.

I also need to locate some type of removal button to help remove pictures I posted on this blog. since I had to leave for work, I'll put it off for another day.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Placing photos in the blog

Ok, I just took the last blog off because I was trying to remove a couple of the graphics I added and they don't have a way to remove them, or at least I haven't found a way. So it's in draft form until I figure that out. The problem is, I need to blur the faces on a few of them unless I have permission to publish them. I'll work on that another time.

Apparently there is some studying about how to place photos into the blog, as they were supposed to be put in at the text where I mention the Las Cruces Pagan Pride Day. Or at least that's what I thought.

Those are photos taken of our Enchanted Desert Protogrove, ADF's information booth.

All that to say, I was trying to place the photos of last years PPD on a particular spot within the context of that last blog, but they just situated whereever they chose.

I have had wonderful contact with several other wonderful individuals, however, who have very enriching and supportive and creative attitudes.

Ritual is very enriching these days. The rains continue in a nice flow from time-to-time and with these things, I thank Brigit, Lugh, Taranis and Cernunnos.

My days off are at an end for this week, so getting this done will now move back to the mode of in pinches and snaps of time.

Studying is actually the priority (next Sunday at the meetNgreet & DP) and preparing for the next High Day: Samhain (31 October, 2008), then our 5th founding day anniversary of the Protogrove (13 November, 2008)!


Monday, October 6, 2008

No Go so far on the Calendar

I've been trying to fix the calendar to show it for public access. I found at least one option that I could show a limited area of the calendar, then I couldn't get one of the little HTML/Java gadgets to work for me like it did on this blog, note the log on / subscribe to the ADF-Druid google groups (egroup). I picked up that gadget in the free utilities section last night, but when I tried to get it to work on the web page for the calendar, it just didn't want to go.

I'll have to figure it out later. I've been working steady on all of this all day to look for little areas that would work well.

I received some discouraging words, but have the nerve to keep going even in the variables of isolation.

I am hopeful that by the time I complete the test area, we may well have enough data and knowledge to set up a clean-looking and great collaborative site for the Protogrove.

At the risk of jumping out there, we will need the collaboration soon, very soon, as working on the By-laws should be the next steps for the Protogrove.

Looking forward to hearing from those of you who have time and care.

Be well,
Polarity

Settings for e-blog look promising

I just had time to run thru quickly, to see what the other options are for this e-blog suite.
The Settings look promising, although I haven't bothered with them for this test area. For the Protogrove, however, it may be a great other end way to gain exposure for those who wish to read in, for publishing, and so on.

If you have time or interest, you may wish to take a look at these e-blog settings for yourself.

For now, I will continue to focus primarily with setting up the main website for more tests.

Please give your suggestions.

One primary goal, as previously mentioned, will be learning if there more options for making the Protogrove's website as seamless and enjoyable an experience as possible. After all, an interactive learning environment is very important.

Another goal, seeing how much is truly collaborative. Wish I could tell, but will give it a shot with some of my own additional secondary accounts, since no one seems to be on board with interactively testing.

Polarity

Calendar of Events test

Hi All,
Audience of one or so, heh... we proceed.
Well, I checked to find the links between the main page and the 'calendar of events' page, I needed to refresh or something. After all that, proud and all that it seemed to be just fine, I discovered I hadn't even checked my snap-in calendar I used. Geez, it needs to work! haha...

There is another calendar snap-in so I'll check it out FIRST before snapping it in this time.

I need to remember to hit the refresh button too, so I can see the finished product instead of fooling myself into thinking it didn't go in. (doh)

Polarity

Kind of bummed at lack of moral support, but I won't stop!

Hi,
Just wanted to make a quick note that I found a response from one of the old-goers on the EDPG study egroup who I'd invited to join in on this project.
The person stated that they basically felt this endeavor was overkill for the effectiveness, or lack of, they view EDPG is having. In other words, the suggestion was to just stick to plain ol' email for the fact that there is nothing going on in the Protogrove.

I remain solid where I stand. I am finding the snap-in utilities are at worst, super simple and the webpage is WELL WORTH giving it a shot to build a website that should have been ages ago. I make no excuses, but an online presence is an essential one these days, in the information age.

There are several people who, while remaining at a distance, continue to observe our actions as an ADF Protogrove, even while there are those folks who would wish to attack my continued efforts.

Later I will give a brief opinion about what I think of 'people who run with the herd'.

To this point, I have gotten 3 log-ins, 3 responses, and one of those log-ins just looked didn't respond; therefore, a total of 4. One is willing to be at the user-end, another logged in but said nothing whatsoever, another logged in, then bowed out, stating he didn't have time, another wrote, stating he didn't have time right now.

Polarity

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Sprucing up the blog

Things have come a long way since I first saw blogs ages ago.
I spiffed up the blog with a few essentials, hoping it would help add some seemingly seamlessness to getting back to the main site somehow.

Apparently there are gadgets one can add, so I did add!
Links
Slide show (although it was a package I didn't have to upload, I guess ones' own photos can be added in)
AND
An html code (or Javascript, if I wanted) editor window, so I added in a 'subscribe to ADF-druid' egroup.

More about the Protogrove

Enchanted Desert Protogrove, ADF: A Druid Fellowship, is a small group of folk whose Mother Grove is known as ADF: A Druid Fellowship (like I just said), in Gaelic: Ár nDraíocht Féin.

To cut all this short, you can go to www.edg-adf.org and refer to the link for the msn egroup where we currently have a full blown explanation as to what we have been and are currently doing. Or better, you may go to www.adf.org to find out more of the overview of our paths in the Neo-Druid way.

For now, the point of the work involved at hand is for the Protogrove's need for a better website with fuller content and utilities for its' members, and potential interested persons.

The Protogrove has been around since 2004. We once had the beginnings of a fairly nice website, but the member in charge of that endeavor suddenly left the Protogrove and ADF. We've continued to hold on to our domain www.edg-adf.org but have only maintained a modest one page on there along with the MSN egroups (general public: edpg egroup; and members only: edpg study egroup).

This online experience has been choppy, at best, with two separate egroups, open and private, and a single webpage. The MSN sites have been limiting and often difficult to either access or just plain not much fun other than the straight writing. The presentation has looked and been very dull for the most part.
The photo galleries are ok, but then the upload capacity filled up quickly, creating a need for me and a few to make more than one account in order to continue to upload photos.

The graphics is limiting in the present situation.
Adding videos and audios, slide show presentations, and powerpoints, is something the Google Apps, the Blogs and other utilities found on the Google areas are looking pretty good for.

The problem is figuring out how to work all this together as seamlessly as possible.

In the utilities, I'm finding it's necessary to log on to separate utilities in various areas.
As I become more familiar with how all this works and as I weave the website together, hopefully it will be discovered how there will be one log on and off area, and how to set up a user-friendly base for others to become a part of the the website's community.

Nothing turns me off more than to be visiting a website and find I hit a dead end because I have to 'create an account' in order to go any further.

Another note:
on the blog profile, it told me to separate items I listed with commas. While I understood, I just wrote it the way I so chose. After I viewed it, it was apparent I was being cataloged into a data base, so I'm happy with my option to write fuller sentences, with extremely long desriptions and no commas. Let them slice and dice all that!

I sure wish folks from the EDPG study egroup would all get logged on so we can begin tinkering with these utilities and programs. Half are some what checking it out, not sure how many will end up being on board with this project yet.

Starting page of Druid Polarity

Welcome to the blog!
Currently I'm using my own domain for developing work and experiments for the Enchanted Desert Protogrove, ADF.
I've invited fellow ADF'ers to join in with me, some whom are affiliated to EDPG, some who are distant.

Google Apps seems to have several utilities which should prove to be fairly simple to snap into place for the less computer ept or less time available folks like myself.

I will attempt to incorporate this blog as a log of the ongoing explorations we'll be doing; it will be included on the druidpolarity.com site which is currently open to invited testers and members of ADF and EDPG.