I hope this is the right place to put this...
As VAO document coordinator and webmistress and wiki manager etc. I love the idea of something that can "do it all". That is some web framework that can:
- manage the public website, including epo
- allow for different users to have different viewing/writing/editing/approval permissions for different sections of the site
- keep a blog
- manage a document repository
- create web forms for registration/polls/surveys/summer school applications/research proposal
- provide a template to remote sites for use in web tools hosted other than at caltech
- create a way to edit, review, and publish user documentation
- make me a ham sandwich
If you were to ask me directly what I think we need, I would probably answer "some kind of CMS". My only reservation with this is the initial effort it takes to learn a new tool and get it configured all exactly right, especially with the limited time I have.
When we were first trying to get the VAO website going last year I had thoughts of using Drupal or Wordpress to manage the content. Drupal I have a little experience with, Wordpress a bit more (but I don't think WP does what we need). But with so little time, and the need to get something ready before AAS/Seattle, there was no time for this kind of discussion with the group as to what CMS to use, not to mention time for me to get up to speed with Drupal or any other CMS sufficiently to create a good-looking and well-organized website for the VAO. I just had to get it done with the tools I had at hand, thus HTML and ColdFusion we have now. I don't say it's the best way, but it was the only way I could get it done quickly.
I wonder, if we can agree on a content management system that will do all the things we need, would it be a crazy idea to hire a contract developer/designer to create the initial framework for us that we can then maintain ourselves? Do we have a budget for this, and is it allowed?
It sounds like if we're going to use an outside consultant, now would be the time. Sometime last week Bob noted that NSF might require some hurdles to be overcome if we want to subcontract (probably different ones for the HEASARC to do so).
ReplyDeleteBut I think that the basic decision of using a CMS and more or less which one is not likely to be something that we can pass off to a consultant. I just don't see how we could trust one to know our needs well enough in short time frame.
No, we need to be clear on what we need and what product might answer those needs before we do any subcontracting. I'm just saying I hope our personnel limitations don't prevent us from doing the appropriate/best thing.
ReplyDeleteSo: IF we decide on a CMS and THEN we decide WHICH CMS does all that we want it to do, is it feasible to find an outside developer/designer who is an expert in that CMS we've chosen to help us put the whole thing together?
I wonder one way to do this (which might also get around any subcontracting issues) would be to buy training if that were offered. What if we had someone give a 3 hour course at the next team meeting? And we sent you and one or two others to a two day course? That's probably $10K or so investment, but I think it would be well worth it if it got everyone on board.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure that the training and basic web design are really the same thing but I'd be worried about having a beautiful design that we don't know how to maintain.