This blog is in the late stages of its life. That’s not to say I’ve dropped any of the issues mentioned here, just that some have moved and others are looking for new homes. For instance:
- www.aauw.org comments: moved to www.aauw.org tracking form
It’s the best way to get a personal message back from the staff on your issue. Specific volunteers have insight into what’s been reported there.
- Training wish list: some things may still be posted here, but for the most part as I find ideas that I think are applicable to AAUW, I’m tagging them with “aauwtech” at del.icio.us. See also wiki.bbvx.org for information that I’ve organized for training purposes — feel free to jump in and add to that.
- General: Items that would have been posted here have been moved to the AAUW NC blog or to my Change blog.
On the other hand, this blog may live for awhile until I have time to figure out a better home for the categories:
- TUAG: Hmm… I need to review those posts and figure out what to do with them and where they’re to live. The TUAG has had a few successes, but the discussion here was not part of that.
- Membership: Hmm…, again. Some of these issues are still open. Some could be referred to the web site tracking system. Others may need to go somewhere else.
I have blogged for a year, since CA online book group decided to try it for discussion. Start-up was awkward so members continued using listserv, but I kept posting comments & book covers. In January the blog became a forum to discuss proposed bylaws changes. Members have not tried it but I convert their listserv emails to posts & comments. I am sure they would appreciate its efficiency if they could experience it, but busy folks have no time for even a brief learning curve. A good demo might convince them but I can’t figure out how to provide one. I’d like some suggestions!
Severity: moderate
Audience: moderate
Fiscal effect: could be? goes to overall frustration level with the site
Policy question: probably
Reported: yes, just now to webmaster@aauw.org
Link: http://www.aauw.org/contact/index.cfm
The phone number on that page is the 800 number for the helpline. If you want to talk to a particular staff member who isn’t listed on that page(and don’t want to wait for the helpline’s 10:00 a.m. opening), you can call 202/785-7700. That number is in the footer of AAUW letterhead so appears many places on the web site. I don’t understand why it’s hard to find it.
Severity: minor
Audience: very small
Fiscal effect: not yet — would affect our posting of links to donation screens?
Policy question: no
Reported: no
Link: http://discuss.aauw.org
The discussion boards just seem to be orphaned. Other problems with them have gone unresolved for more than a year. So in the grand scheme of things, this is probably not worth reporting.
But if you try to insert a link to a secure site (e.g. [L=Yugma]https://www.yugma.com/index.php[/L], the system inserts an “http://” at the start of the link which results in an invalid link: http://https://… . In this case, I could change the link to http://www.yugma.com, but that may not always be the case.
Severity: minor
Audience: moderate
Fiscal effect: yes
Policy question: yes
Reported: yes (to webmaster just now)
Link: http://www.aauw.org/contribute/index.cfm
Click contribute in the top navigation bar, and you get to the page noted above.
On that page, if you click the AAUW link near the top (because you clicked “contribute” to make a gift, and AAUW because you wanted to make it to the Association) you’re whisked off to a general info page with no development links visible.
To give you need to read to the second section of the Contribute page and click a link there — or look at the links in the left hand column. Why make it hard for donors?
I’d flip those sections of the page — instead of
- First Time Donor
- Giving Opportunites
maybe
- Giving Opportunities
- Learn why your donation is important
Remember, people don’t come to web pages expecting to wade through deathless prose — their eyes are drawn to links and their brains make assumptions about where those links will take them.
This picture was inserted with “send to editor using thumbnail”:
This picture was inserted with “send to editor using original”:
2/15/07: submitted in new system.
Severity: minor
Audience: smal
Fiscal effect: yes
Policy question: no
Reported: yes (to Tom at ShopAAUW)
Link: http://aauw.tranguard.com/images.asp?id=722
The PDF order form at ShopAAUW says that at-large dues for 2003-2004 are $42. MAL dues for 2006-2007 are $47. Tom said he’d check on getting that updated (and would verify the state sales tax figures).
9/20/06: Fixed (for now, anyway) (more…)
9/19/06: Note from Christy saying this has been fixed. (more…)