Website Changeover

This page is for organizing our thinking for the website changeover. Also refer to Webadmin for the basics of how we run our website.

General Goals of our site (again, and expanded)

• Get info about FG to people who want to know
  • anglophons, hispanophone, frankophone,
  • Interested parties:
    • Potential volunteers
    • Individual and corp. donors
    • Major donors and those into collectives
    • Store customers
    • Environmentalists
    • Geeks
    • Free Geek-like org.s, new FGs
• Accessible site - no flash, limit javascript, easy to view over dial-up connection
• Give volunteers an opportunity to learn web skills

Tech wants

• easy/quick for staff and volunteers to maintain
• Looks clean/nice
• Admin: pretty easy to learn to admin, easy to add users and priileges, easy to make new pages, easy to change layout of old pages
• Quick load-up for dial-up users
• Volunteer opportunities: learn webby stuff: html and web dev/management
• RSS feed
• limit javascript
• make empty website for new FGs

Structure Wants

This was a brainstorm, so not limited.

• submenus
• rss feed
• (simple calendar)
• photo area
• diggs for news items
• open links in new tabs (confusing for new computer users?)
• every page: hours/location/contact link, search
• no blog-looking posty stuff except on community news page
• truncated latest news post on front page. full articles on community news page.
• Creative commons link at bottom of all pages like current site

Layout/Preferences

This was a brainstorm, so not limited.

• press area
• corporate hardware donor thanks page
• friends links
• family links
• page on harmful stuff in computers
• photo area
• map images with links - google, trimet, bycycle
• more prominent hours, location, phone number on front page
• no scroll on front page: simple!
• more information in other languages, primarily Spanish (Rob's willing to help!)

Branding

Values, morals, who are we? (from MK, Matteo, Shawn, Laurel B.)

• reuse/recycling
• community
• environmentalism
• chaotic
• casual
• empowered
• open source
• global
• creative
• comfortable with change
• sustainable/green
• community resource
• fun

Not all of these values need to be portrayed to outside audiences. For example, showing too much of our fun and chaotic side might scare away corporate donors.

Current Website

What does the current website portray?

• simple
• busy
• dated
• constrained
• red=wrong
• intelligent and fun (writing style)

Wants

• Simple front page (don't scroll down much, if at all)
• tux clarification/use less (it's not the FG logo!)
• Muted colors
• new scheme (green?)
• fading colors/gradients
• Maybe change logo? If not, we could incorporate it into the belly of a robot.
• Robot + people + recycle symbol + logo

Website Strucutre

• VOLUNTEER
  • Index. Include Anyone who wants to volunteer time at FREE GEEK and can make it to our facility is welcome. No computer experience is required. Our facility is mostly handicapped-accessible, and we are sensitive to and can work with people with different abilities. and tour note. Also point to submenu options so they know where to go next
  • Build Program/tours
  • Adoption Program: classes, tours
    • Our software: why linux? what's it like?
  • Info for current volunteers: extra volunteering opportunities, including post-Build and -Adoption options, Tech Support (link to wiki, or FAQ)
  • Coding/Sysadmin
  • internships -> descriptions -> webform or intern question form -> "thanks for submitting data"

• DONORS
  • What we take: hard drive security too.
  • How we recycle: where does stuff go, how is it recycled? environmental impact of e-waste
  • I need a pickup: business, interested in organizing recycling event, contact info
  • Donate money: checks, online
    • Monthly giving

• HARDWARE GRANTS
  • Index: info about what you can and can't get, eligibility, education for recipients -> web form -> "thanks for submitting data"
  • Past recipients
  • "if you have not heard back within 2 weeks, please contact ...."

• MEDIA
  • Press Releases: Latest press release and archive of old press releases, contact
  • Mission/background/boilerplate, contact
  • Environmental impact of e-waste
  • Fact Sheet: FOSS, education, business model, stats, contact
  • Media mentions/testimonials/awards
  • Multimedia: photos, video, audio

• ABOUT US
  • 1st page: Community News Blog
  • Mission/background, "get involved!" link
  • Structure: collective/Consensus
    • Council
    • Board
    • Staff
  • FOSS
  • FAQ
  • Jobs
  • Making Contact -> webform emails info@

• SALES
  • Thrift Store: stuff we don't have, stuff we usually have, sample pricing, polite way of saying we won't go searching through our building for that proprietary rail you NEED
  • Bulk
  • Online

• SITE MAP

• STILL ORPHANED
  • Family
  • Folks like us
  • Links to places we like/resources for those in need