Website Development

A website is an organic entity ... forever changing and growing. A good webmaster keeps records of the changes made for many reasons. One way to keep of changes is to make a "what's new" page and link it to the main site.

Below is the history of the website development in chronological order for those of you with an historical bent, as developed by Rik Conklin, KI4AIM, who is the original author of the ARASWF club web site. Although he is unable to continue contributing here, we strive to continue building on what he began.

• 30 May 03 - Domain name resolves and we become a part of the WWW at 0420Z.
  
  Guestbook and Forum and Suggestion Box enabled.
  
  General revamping of the site look and feel.
  
  Dan Benjamin's Enkoder email addy encryption applied to all email addresses to keep spam robots mystified and to help protect everyone with an email addy from being harvested by the filthy little beasties.
  
  Applied to the Amateur Radio Net Ring, the Amateur Radio World Ring, the Radio Ham Zone Net Ring, and the R.A.C.E.S. Webring.
  
  Approved and added to the R.A.C.E.S. Webring and the Amateur Radio World Ring.
  
  
• 04 Jun 03 - Installed redirects on the test site at rikconklin.com.
  
  
• 07 Jun 03 - Trashed the old counter and replaced it with a fresh, new one.
  
  Added this page.
  
  
• 24 Jun 03 - Replaced menu button graphics with text links.
  
  
• 27 Jun 03 - Added to the Amateur Radio Net Ring.
  
  
• 28 Jun 03 - Started the Field Day, 2003 page. As soon as I collect more photos I'll turn it into a news item.
  
  
• 30 Jun 03 - Redesigned the club logo graphic and replaced the old with the new.
  
  Built and uploaded the Field Day section of the website.
  
  Added Solar & Geomagnetic Conditions to index.htm
  
  
• 01 Jul 03 - Added the files page.
  
  
• 02 Jul 03 - Added the Trading Post and moved the trade/sell items over.
  
  
• 04 Jul 03 - Added the website to the Amateur Radio Banner Exchange.
  
  Added the Awards page.
  
  Replaced the current index counter with a Bravenet version that only counts visits and not merely hits. Same count as before. Also installed one on the webrings page just for grins.
  
  Replaced Dan Benjamin's Enkoder on the Webmaster email link with Jon Hedley's AlienForm2 CGI script to further make it harder for spam robots. The remainder of the club officers will be added soon.
  
  
• 05 Jul 03 - Received Todd Strait's WM8C's Ham Links award and posted it.
  
  
• 12 Jul 03 - Activated the ARASWF Webring Engine and made the Florida Amateur Radio Webring and added it to the webrings page. This will increase site traffic and add to our public service efforts.
  
  
• 14 Jul 03 - Added the ARASWF Constitution to the website.
  
  
• 23 Jul 03 - Updated and added the club roster.
  
  
• 27 Oct 03 - Added Updates and Breaking-News mail lists. Subscribe on the Home Page.
  
  
• 29 Oct 03 - Finally finished the EchoLink page.
  
  
• 30 Oct 03 - Replaced the old constitution with the new version.
  
  
• 6 Mar 04 - Health issues have happened when I was making other plans. Seems I'm better now.
  
  The website has been converted from an HTML format to a PHP format. This allows for nearly instant changes to the site and the simple addition of new features.
  
  During one of the migrations on our host ... a migration is simply moving the site documents from one server to another ... and this is the result of several ... the data in the cgi-bin was lost making the suggestion box and the forum and the trading post and the guestbook inoperable. I have backups of all these but I've waited until the dust settled. Now I'm not sure I'm going back to these. I'm testing a new bulletin board system.
  
  
• 8 Mar 04 - Special Events directory added with menu link to navigate there.
  
  
• January 2007 - Webmaster duties taken over by Bob Graf W2HI -
  
  Updated the Home Page to include new information about the 6-meter AM net, VE Testing, Upcoming Events, Christmas Dinner, Dues Notice, etc.;
  
  Updated and corrected all pages to show current information;
  
  Updated Roster to show 2 sortings - one by last name and one by callsign;
  
  Removed the "Constitution" menu link and page and replaced it with a current "Bylaws" menu link and page;
  
  Revised the "Join Us" menu link to "Application Form" menu link, and provided a new revised Membership Application in .pdf format;
  
  Updated the Newsletters page to include all current newsletters.
  
  
• February 2007 -
  
  Transferred the domain name and hosting service to GoDaddy, for ease of access and change;
  
  Changed the background to gray pattern to provide contrast to the site;
  
  Increased the font size to provide better clarity of the text;
  
  Changed the paragraph format to "left" alignment to break the monotony of justified paragraphs;
  
  Changed the font and color of the ARASWF title on all pages to add interest and contrast to the site;
  
  Corrected all pages to make them Valid HTML 4.01 Transitional;
  
  Added a new hit counter and set it for total hits to home page since February 12, 1999, based on available data;
  
  Added a new "Photos" menu link and page, including links to photos from specific events such as Field Day; with space "reserved" for future events;
  
  Added a new "VE Testing" menu link and page to expand on the club's testing program;
  
  Added a new "What's New" menu link and page to document the web site development;
  
  
• March 2007 -
  
  Encoded all references on the web site to club officers' and members' email addresses;
  
  Added the "Hamfests" page, with listings of local hamfests throughout the year;
  
  Added "Upcoming Events" calendar to the home page:
  
  
• April 2007 -
  
  Added a "Members Gallery" link on the "Photos" page for photos of club members and their stations;
  
  
• June 2007 -
  
  Added new "Logo Merchandise" page with link to site where purchases of merchandise with the club logo can be made;
  
  Moved "Award Manager" from home page to a new, separate page
  
  Renamed "What's New" page to "Website Development" for clarification
  
  
• July 2007 -
  
  Added photos from past events to "Photos" page