[Spliffdaddy]

Yeah, I know it's hard to get help for free. But we've all done work for free at one time or another. If you haven't, here's your chance.

the Roanoke Ballet Theatre, based in (you guessed it) Roanoke Virginia is seeking assistance with the maintenance and occasional updating of their website >

Roanoke Ballet Theatre

The site was developed using Dreamweaver (8, I think), so if you know something about Dreamweaver or would simply like to hone your skills - perhaps this would be a good opportunity to add to your resume'. You don't have to be knowledgeable about ballet.

There is no longterm obligation and it shouldn't take very much of your time. When you decide you can no longer continue to volunteer your time, nobody will get mad at you. Your efforts will be appreciated, nonetheless.

You will work directly with the executive director, Amanda - who is extraordinarily cool and, in fact, is Spliffdaddy approved. There is no higher level of coolness.

Maybe you're a college student looking to hone his/her webmastering skills. Maybe you're thinking of starting a web development business and need to fatten your portfolio. Maybe you just like ballet. Whatever your motivation, it's OK with me.

If you have any questions, just ask here or PM me. If you want to volunteer, either let me know or click on the 'executive director' email link at the website and contact Amanda Sebesta directly.

Thanks for your time.

[Dakar²]

Dream weaver
Ive just closed my eyes again
Climbed aboard the dream weaver train
Driver take away my worries of today
And leave tomorrow behind
Ooh dream weaver
I believe you can get me through the night
Ooh dream weaver
I believe we can reach the morning light

Fly me high through the starry skies
Maybe to an astral plane
Cross the highways of fantasy
Help me to forget todays pain

Ooh dream weaver
I believe you can get me through the night
Ooh dream weaver
I believe we can reach the morning light

Though the dawn may be coming soon
There still may be some time
Fly me away to the bright side of the moon
And meet me on the other side

Ooh dream weaver
I believe you can get me through the night
Ooh dream weaver
I believe we can reach the morning light
Dream weaver
Dream weaver
Dream weaver

[Spliffdaddy]

How did you post that so quick?

You seem to have a certain creative flair...and time to kill.

Is that your way of saying you'll take the job?

[vmarks]

Spliff,

They're not looking for a redesign, they just want to update the current site with perhaps some newer pictures and the next season's performance dates?

I'm just trying to get a handle on what's required here.

[Spliffdaddy]

Originally Posted by vmarks 

Spliff,

They're not looking for a redesign, they just want to update the current site with perhaps some newer pictures and the next season's performance dates?

I'm just trying to get a handle on what's required here.

Exactly.

The updates to the site would be relatively infrequent. Probably an initial update to freshen the site, and maybe monthly minor changes thereafter.

This task would normally be handled by college interns, but they won't have any interns onboard until January, at least.

[zerostar]

The photos are beautiful, the site is heinous though, I don't have much time but if you don't find someone I will help out, starting with a nice new design :-)

On a side note, it doesn't really matter what they designed the site in, you can edit it in text edit if you are knowledgeable enough... Good luck and let me know!

[Spliffdaddy]

yeah, shows you how much I know about websites. And for years I was in charge of a large discussion forum. Everybody just assumed I knew something about websites. In reality I had several college students that maintained the site.

If you want to see some of my web skillz I'll show you how inept the Spliffster really is:

Nov 2006

A few days ago I learned how to make colored text.

Anyhow I mentioned Dreamweaver because that's the application they use to make changes to the site. You're right, it doesn't much matter *how* the changes get made. But it needs to continue to be compatible with Dreamweaver. Frontpage isn't acceptable.

I think the original Roanoke Ballet website dates back to 2003. Stuff has been tacked-on since then without much thought to the original plan...if there ever was a plan.

If you want to give it a try, please do. There's no commitment. I'm sure they'd be thrilled with a simple update - if you don't wish to do any future maintenance.

Amanda asked me if I could help her out with this...and she never asks me for anything. I've known her for years and she is a joy to work with. She's new to the executive director job and she isn't familiar with ballet, either.

[vmarks]

Spliff,

You can do this yourself. get a copy of Dreamweaver, make sure you enter the site information / FTP info into it so that it can suck down the site properly and manage links properly, and then just edit the text as needed on each page.

Seriously, I think you're looking at not more than a two or three hour investment if what you've described is true.

[Spliffdaddy]

Yeah it sounds easy, but I've screwed up a lot of websites by trying to make them better. There's more to it than being able to add text and pictures and stuff. It has to make sense...has to have an intuitive flow. Anybody can make a website, but it takes some experience to make a *good* website.

If I can't find anyone with experience I'll have to do it myself. And history has proven it's something I truly suck at.

help. somebody please help.

[Dakar²]

Originally Posted by Spliffdaddy 

How did you post that so quick?

You seem to have a certain creative flair...and time to kill.

Is that your way of saying you'll take the job?

Because back when I was in college the local radio station would play that atrocious song at least once a week at dinner.

And I'll pass thanks. My internship taught me all I need to know about web design.

[Mastrap]

Spliff, I can't remember - did you ever get a Mac? If so, get yourself a copy of RapidWeaver. The web design app for people who know nothing about web design.

Works extremely well, creates great looking sites.

[vmarks]

Better to stick with Dreamweaver - cross platform, means that intern who comes in later is able to work without a specific computer.

[vmarks]

Originally Posted by Spliffdaddy 

Yeah it sounds easy, but I've screwed up a lot of websites by trying to make them better. There's more to it than being able to add text and pictures and stuff. It has to make sense...has to have an intuitive flow. Anybody can make a website, but it takes some experience to make a *good* website.

If I can't find anyone with experience I'll have to do it myself. And history has proven it's something I truly suck at.

help. somebody please help.

Oversimplifying:

A *good* website has two components. Look, layout on the page and organization.

The existing page is not a *good* page.

I have to ask again, are you looking for the surgery of a redesign, or the band-aid of updates?

I really stopped with Dreamweaver 4 after working with it from version 1.0 on Windows, to Mac, and back (the dictates of jobs.)

That means I know no CSS, no XHTML, or any other fancy letter combinations that come down the pike. If I were to do it (and I'm not agreeing in this sentence) you'd be liable to end up with

• some mild organization changes,
• .DWT dreamweaver templates for a consistent page to page look,
• a better text / line spacing paragraph preference
• and a moderately different color scheme.

Which is the most mild form of redesign, but about what I'd want to see done. That's more like ten hours taking into account the critiques and conversation with the person in charge. Expect tables, not frames, etc, HTML 3.0 (which I consider the best HTML version to date in terms of achieving HTML's original goals of being easy to create and be human readable) with some mild concessions to more modern HTML standards (no use of font tags, use of em and strong instead of bold, so on.)

[Face Ache]

So who's gonna help Spliff get laid... uh.. I mean... help these poor dancers?

[Spliffdaddy]

I'm going to talk with Amanda and get a better understanding of what she wants - then I'll update this thread with clear goals in mind. I was kinda distracted when I spoke with her last night...since I think she's hot so I was trying to mack on her but she has a boyfriend that seems like (dammit) a really nice guy and I was getting nowhere, much like the nowhere I've been getting with her since about 2002.

[hyteckit]

Hiring some illegals maybe.

[imitchellg5]

I'll do it if I can use RapidWeaver ( I'd do it with Dreamweaver too but I don't own it).

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by Mastrap 

Spliff, I can't remember - did you ever get a Mac? If so, get yourself a copy of RapidWeaver. The web design app for people who know nothing about web design.

Works extremely well, creates great looking sites.

Thanks for the recommend Mas.

It also seems pretty useful for "rapidly" knocking together a site from scratch (which can then later be edited using something more detailed). So it's found its way onto the Doof shopping list.

[Spliffdaddy]

Alright, I have a more specific outline of what the RBT website requires. This is copied from an email sent to me by the executive director.


We recently updated the site in August but there is a lot that can be improved on with navigation and user functionality. We have an online store and would like to increase traffic. I think that it would be cool if people could print out their class schedule and have the site automatically calculate costs of classes that they are enrolled in. If people could pay online, it could save us time in the office. I wanted to beef up the donations section and have an online payment option. A lot of the non-profits around here use Click and Pledge.

I would like to post info about an upcoming fundraiser, in case anyone has questions. Or wanted to participate.

The most basic function is creating and uploading the newsletter every month. I have been creating them, but I wanted to have someone take over that roll. Can you tell the difference? Eventually, it would be great if we could sell ads in the space every month-but that is down the road.

I also need to add a sponsor logo and add a link to another site. We need to change the name of the office manager soon. These would fall into the minor category.


Since this is a bit more involved than I originally thought, I'd be willing to offer a bribe in the form of a $50 iTunes gift card (via email) - or cash equivalent (via PayPal) - upon completing the initial 'facelift'. For continuing to volunteer thereafter I promise to bribe you some more.

[Spliffdaddy]

um. ok. $100 US payable in whatever manner you choose.

[Doofy]

I'd help ya for free Spliff, but that's way beyond the Doofy skillset.