Head in the Sand

[Keith]

I and others have raised this issue before, but don't believe a solution has been found.

I was round at a friend's yesterday evening. He's on the committee of a Surrey based cycling club. They're recently getting loads of new members. When asked why they've chosen this particular cycling club, the answer has inevitably been "because you've got the best website".

Usually websites are let down by their lack of content. Just a glance at this Forum and it's obvious that Addiscombe has a huge amount of potential website content, it's just not readily accessible to the outside world. All we need is a suitable framework to allow this to be presented.

I reckon some of our subs should go to paying (both now and in the future) for a website that presents the great club that Addiscombe is.

Not only could this attract new members, but this could be such a valuable tool for the existing Addiscombe family. A calendar-event based website could allow all of us to view and particpate in local cycling events far more easily.

[Keith]

A "Calendar-Event" based website?
Much of what cyclists are involved in is based around some form of cycling "event". A Club Run, a race, an off-road ride, a social get-together.

• Want to know what's happening next weekend? - look at the future events calendar. Choose what you fancy joining-in with from all of the events entered for that day.


• Let others know you're planning to go to a particular event by logging in and ticking the box. Share lifts this way.


• Want to organise support for an event? Get people to subscribe to it.


• Attach a map to an event so people know how to get there.


• After an event, attach a write-up.


• Add results for an event.


• Attach your photos to an event.

[huw williams]

Couldn't agree more

Given the size and success of the club we really should have a very interactive and lively front page on the website to tell potential new members what we're all about and what we're doing.

Gaining so many members through the traditional methods (word of mouth, presence on the road etc) it makes you wonder how many more we could be getting with a proper website.

I have no idea what it would take to set this up in terms of manpower, cost, awkwardness etc but if somebody who's web-savy wants to look at at it and suggest some ideas we'll throw it in front of the committee.
At the last meeting we were wondering how to spend some of the clubs money, maybe this is one area we should look at.

[George]

This is great we can really get the best club website ever going, you can use all the race reports and my video.
The extra costs of the website will generate loads more membership and more interest in ACC.
We will be able to get clubruns on Sat and Sunday going and loads more agreeables racing in Gold, Black and White.

[Toks]

Big thumbs up to that idea Keith. In my experience most clubs apart from our sizeable rivals London Dynamos have pretty poor websites. I don't think ours relects our magnitude or standing in the cycling community. In terms of general posts, reports and observations no other clubs forum to my knowledge comes close. Some club websites you go on haven't had a post in months.

In fact in terms of traffic we get more interest than some general mainstream cycling websites. Just because we're one of the biggest clubs in the South East doesn't mean we should rest on on our laurels. Common guys its time to step things up. I'm not very computer literate but I'm definitley willing to help out.

[Antloony]

My best friend is a web designer.

[url]http://www.neutroncore.com/[/url]

I could ask if if he's interested in knocking something together thats a bit more user friendly and flashy to give us an example.

I think it would be good use of the clubs money as it seems to get used for very little else.

[Snoop Doug]

This is all useful feedback and something that the committee would (i think) be supportive of. We meet again on Jan 5th so we can put these good ideas forward and see where it takes us. Antloony, can you get some ball park figures from yer mate before then please?

Toks and others - help in the form of writing would be great. Last couple of seasons I have done articles for the local paper and a few TT reports for londoncyclesports. If we could get a group of us scribbling we can syndicate stuff out to the wider world. I'd love that.

Now then. I also have a minor rant. This is all good stuff, ideas, not rest on our laurels, money not used for owt else etc etc. However (those of you with a nervous disposition might want to duck here) there's nothing stopping ANYONE progressing these kind of things. Have the idea, propose something and get it going. At the last 2 AGMs there has been a plea for constructive ideas on how to spend club funds wisely. Last AGM there were 18 people in attendance, most of them existing committee members. Huge thanks to the 18 that did show. And if a few more new faces showed up once in a while then we wouldn't end up with these things going in ever decreasing circles.

Riding the bikes is the fun bit for sure. But more needs to be done to make ACC a vibrant, sustainable club, by MORE PEOPLE.

Get involved please. Rant over.....for now

Snoop

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

Guy's, the sky's the limit....funding is available....the PROBLEM is getting someone prepared to DO IT.

Guru P
as General Secretary

[Snoop Doug]

[quote="Snoop Doug"]Last AGM there were 18 people in attendance, most of them existing committee members. Huge thanks to the 18 that did show. And if a few more new faces showed up once in a while then we wouldn't end up with these things going in ever decreasing circles.

Riding the bikes is the fun bit for sure. But more needs to be done to make ACC a vibrant, sustainable club, by MORE PEOPLE.

Get involved please. Rant over.....for now

Snoop

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

[quote="sean"]If the AGM and Committee meetings were held somewhere people might want to actually go to then that might help.....

[Elliot M]

I run a few financial websites as bulk of my job. With the hours I work I am unlikely to be able to lead this, but am happy to be a member of a team and do some initial work.

I would advise starting by

1. collecting (very) raw ideas on what members want the website to do
2. distilling these into a set of features the website should have (perhaps split into need now, need later, and nice-to-haves). This should give some clues about the number of people required in the team going forward, approximate spend and amount of ongoing work required (not just content, but database admin etc)
3. flesh out a full spec, probably in consultation with the contractors.

What if I open a thread (and someone else make it sticky) to do (1) and give it a month to fill up? Then whoever is interested in taking forward convene (in a pub?) mid Jan to do some thinking?

PS Apologies also for AGM non-attendance.

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

Thanks Elliott.

As Snoop pointed out, our next committee meeting is on the 5th Jan.

Let's see what we can get thrashed out by then so we can take it forward.

Guru P

[Dombo]

As a start, a clear link from http://www.addiscombe.org to this forum would be useful. Potential members can then get a more up to date feel of what's going on.

It's also a good idea to date the articles.

[Snoop Doug]

[quote="Sean Hogan - 何祥"]If the AGM and Committee meetings were held somewhere people might want to actually go to then that might help.....

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

I will make some enquiries at the Lindfield Social Club (our darts venue) to see what may be available (apart from cheap beer ).

Unless you have any other ideas

Guru P