It was not difficult technically to construct and launch a survey via e-mail. Here are a few things I encountered while making up the survey:
I now agree with Jawj that using this tool via e-mail might result in spam; for which LPSF might develop some unpleasant feedback. So maybe we should decide as a group how often to send surveys by e-mail to the same recipients.
Having a permanent place for a survey on the LPSF website, as we discussed at today's meeting, is a great idea. That, I believe, would need to be accomplished by our Webmaster, since that alternative requires copying and pasting a prescribed Java script into the source code. I would be concerned about a Luddite like me, for instance, attempting that feat.
I realize Jawj's concern about discussing things on the Activist List rather than at meetings; however, I would imagine I would cause someone a bit of unhappiness if right after someone posted a survey question on the LPSF website, I took it down to put my own question!! So I suggest come collaboration prior to posting. As to filling up the website with a bunch of questions, would in my view not be appealing.
This survey idea is a good one, I think, and I hope we can move the idea forward.
<http://outrightusa.org/>Surveys like Zoomerang and SurveyMonkey have the
benefit of being "push" able and keeping people from submitting multiple
"votes," but the concern of being seen as spammers is a valid one that may
lead you to decide that a "pull" poll on our website is a better option.
Either way, I should be able to handle implementing whatever the members
vote.
BUT, the question I have is whether there's been any progress on finding a
new webmaster. Just 6 months left before my move to NYC...
Again, a Luddite would have no clue of what you are saying -- that's me. I did a free survey at the Zoomerang site, and sent it by e-mail to those who attended the LPSF meeting yesterday. See the Zoomerang confirmation below my post. One of the options was to post the survey on the website; to do this, you had to copy/paste the specific Java scripts Zoomerang gave to the LPSF "source code." My question to you was can you do this for us, or alternatively, can you indicate a step by step way that someone like me can do it. I don't know if we can go back to the same survey question I did last night and post that particular one on the website; or I would need to make up a new one. Either way, the idea is to learn how to post the stuff on the LPSF website.
Regarding a new webmaster to replace you when you move. I brought that up at the meeting; no one volunteered. Jawj mentioned Bryce or Steve, who would be great. However, they have not attended an LPSF meeting in several years.
One hopeful thing, Rob, is that you wisely foresaw the need to set up a relatively "non-technical" website. So, as we wait for someone equally good at this stuff as you to volunteer as official LPSF webmaster, I suppose Ron, Starchild, and I can provide content and keep the website current.
The thought occurred to me to go to the Joomla website to try to have a clue as to what Rob was saying about the LPSF website poll. I gather that a poll can be created at the website, using the tools already provided by Joomla? If that is correct, then we are talking about two separate polling devices -- Zoomerang if we want to send out e-mail polls (which we should do seldom, based on the spam concerns); and Joomla website poll if we want to have a website "Poll of the Week". An "Administrator" would have to create the website polls, right? Rob might be the only "Administrator"? So, our thoughts about anyone posting polls as we discussed last night need to be revised?
Ok, I am done pulling teeth on this subject! Please feel free to move this subject forward or not.
I think I can show you how to include the Zoomerang javascript in the LPSF
website. It is definitely doable (it's how we have the neat little Amazon
book widget in the left column), and it seems easy enough to me, but I do
this stuff for a living, so I'm not sure if others will find it as simple as
I do.
My work schedule should become quite a bit lighter in January, so just ask
me again after the new year, and we can set up a time to work together on
this.
Hmm. Am I on Upcoming.org? I'll have to check. Is there any liability
to keeping the link, besides the small amount of space it takes?
Although I'm pretty heavily invested in Meetup at this point, I kind
of think it's best to encourage the use of alternate sites. Meetup
might do something really objectionable at some point which makes us
want to switch.
Speaking of which, I'm not very happy with Amazon knuckling under and
cutting off WikiLeaks (I heard they were one of the sites that cut
ties to the renegade free speech site, along with PayPal). I'm not
sure it's worth severing our relationship with them, but I'd like to
see us at least send them a letter letting them know that the idea
crossed our mind and that we don't like them siding with the
government against free speech.
When I asked for your help in pasting the Java script for Zoomerang, I did not yet understand about the already in place polling capabilities of the LPSF website. Also, I agree with you that pasting stuff to the website code is not as easy for non-professionals. So, I have changed my mind in supporting Zoomerang, and would like to recommend we start using the Joomla poling on our website, which I am assuming would be easier for non-technical folks to use. You said your work will be a bit lighter in January, so you might be able to help us with that.
PS, Obviously, if Ron or others want to pursue Zoomerang, that's fine with me.
You asked about the Coming Events doodad on the LPSF website. It always bothers me to see that thing blank, not containing any coming events; looks like we are not taking care of things! But if others want to keep it, fine with me.
I wasn't suggesting you delete your website article -- that seems
like throwing the baby out with the bathwater! If you haven't deleted
it past recovery, I'd be in favor of bringing it back. Of course I'd
still rather you refer to "Occupy" rather than "Occupy Wall Street" --
nobody's offered a rationale against that terminology yet, while two
of us have expressed that we see it as a good idea.
"Discontent" also seems a bit strong, at least as far as *my*
feelings are concerned. Let's just say we have a slight difference of
opinion! I certainly don't blame you for bringing up Occupy; it's a
perfectly topical and legitimate issue for us to be discussing.
Anyway, thanks for the poll info. Going by Rob's message that you've
forwarded below, it sounds like any of us who have logins to the site
can post polls.
OK, the article and poll are up again, with a little editing on the first line. BTW, I find that deleting an article from the website does not delete it from the Web -- the article could be found even though it was not on the LPSF site; so better put it back on the site so LPSF does not look schizophrenic.
I still say it is a good thing for new, improved articles and polls to show up frequently on the LPSF website. As indicated above, articles are gaining traction on the Web, and publicity for the LPSF can't be bad.
As promised, here are the instructions from Rob. You can try them to see if they work with your log in. If for some reason, they do not, you might want to ask Rob or Marc Joffe (our new emergency webmaster) for assistance, since I do not know the intricacies on this subject.