Introduction...

[korym]

Hello everyone.  I just wanted to briefly introduce myself.  My name is Kory and I pretty much run the technical side of a private boarding school in Staunton, Virginia (yeah, the current website needs a lot of work).  I've been using Mambo, now Joomla, of course, for several years on on various websites.  Now, I'm planning on converting the school's current website to Joomla. 

I absolutely love working with Joomla and am certainly available to help anyone out with their school-related Joomla sites.

Just wanted to drop a brief message.

Y'all have a good one!

Regards,
Kory

[AmyStephen]

Excellent, Kory! Welcome! Thanks for introducing yourself.

[Maxilla]

Hello..

I'm happy to hear this, since you have been working in the technical side of school websites, I hope to hear more of your experience in maintaining them.

Umm.. I hope to see the converted school's current website into Joomla, and the thing is I want to see examples how the website is done and layout properly, based on your exprience in making them. This would be a great example for my website and I'm really looking forward into seeing it go online.

If its done, can you show us the link?  Thanks!

[korym]

Hello, Maxilla.  Nice to meet you!

Some advice I'm happy to offer is that any website whether it's done with Joomla or another CMS, or static or whatever should be handled like a major project.  Before any technical work is done, a task committee should be put together with the major stakeholders for the website.  For example, our committee includes our Director of Admissions, our Assistant Head of School, our Director of Development, our Dean of Students and our Dean of Academics.  These individuals are in charge of their respective areas as far as content goes (the Assistant Head of School is in charge of the overall site). 

Not only are they in charge of content but they also provide input on functionality.  For example, I'm including a component that'll allow an alumnae database as well as an ACL-based component that'll allow them to update only their respective areas and nothing else. 

Once that's figured out, you're probably ready to decide on a design.  I'm working with a designer to come up with Flash elements and have purchased a commercial template that comes close with our school's overall theme.  This will allow me to make minimal changes to it.

We had been approached by various "school expert" website companies with quotes ranging from $20k up to over $100k.  We may go that route in a few years, however, if I have my way, I'll stick with Joomla and put that money into my techology budget.    By paying $60 per month for hosting (virtual private server plan) and a one time design fee of about $5k with nominal design updates at $60 per hour, we'll save an enormous amount of $$.

If you have specific questions, I'll do my best to answer them.

Hope this helps! 

Regards,
Kory

[AmyStephen]

We had been approached by various "school expert" website companies with quotes ranging from $20k up to over $100k.  We may go that route in a few years, however, if I have my way, I'll stick with Joomla and put that money into my techology budget.    By paying $60 per month for hosting (virtual private server plan) and a one time design fee of about $5k with nominal design updates at $60 per hour, we'll save an enormous amount of $$.
Regards,
Kory

Kory - your post will be a slide in my powerpoint presentation on Wednesday at the University of Nebraska (provided this is acceptable to you!) Excellent stuff! Thanks! Amy

[korym]

Kory - your post will be a slide in my powerpoint presentation on Wednesday at the University of Nebraska (provided this is acceptable to you!) Excellent stuff! Thanks! Amy

Absolutely, Amy!  You're more than welcome to reference me.  I'm honored and flattered.  If there's anything else I can to do assist, please don't hesitate to ask. 

I'm sure you'll do well with your presentation!

Regards,
Kory

[AmyStephen]

If there's anything else I can to do assist, please don't hesitate to ask.

I hope you do not live to regret saying that! lol

Not only are they in charge of content but they also provide input on functionality.  For example, I'm including a component that'll allow an alumnae database as well as an ACL-based component that'll allow them to update only their respective areas and nothing else.

I will be most interested in hearing about this. ACL updates are addressed in the roadmap for future releases -- I think schools are so decentralized that distributing authority properly via the ACL is priority 1.  Please keep us posted on this. Will you be releasing this component? < Perhaps you have not thought that far, either. >

I hope to commission/help build a component, as well, that we will open source, that should be beneficial to higher ed. More later if I get funding/approval to proceed.

Thanks so much! Amy

[korym]

I hope you do not live to regret saying that! lol

Not at all!    There might be a time when I may take a bit longer than I'd like to respond but I always will.

I will be most interested in hearing about this. ACL updates are addressed in the roadmap for future releases -- I think schools are so decentralized that distributing authority properly via the ACL is priority 1.  Please keep us posted on this. Will you be releasing this component? < Perhaps you have not thought that far, either. >

I hope to commission/help build a component, as well, that we will open source, that should be beneficial to higher ed. More later if I get funding/approval to proceed.

No need to reinvent the wheel.    Actually, it's a component that's already in the Joomla developer site at http://developer.joomla.org/sf/projects/jaclplus - JACL Plus.  Very, very cool.  It does make changes to the core, however, the developer is committed to keeping the component up to date as Joomla releases are rolled out. 

It's a bit cumbersome to work with initially but once you get the hang of it, it's extremely powerful. 

Hope this helps!

Regards,
Kory

[AmyStephen]

No need to reinvent the wheel.    Actually, it's a component that's already in the Joomla developer site at http://developer.joomla.org/sf/projects/jaclplus - JACL Plus.  Very, very cool.  It does make changes to the core, however, the developer is committed to keeping the component up to date as Joomla releases are rolled out. 

It's a bit cumbersome to work with initially but once you get the hang of it, it's extremely powerful. 

Hope this helps!

Regards,
Kory

Indeed, it does. Thanks, again, Kory!
Amy

[Maxilla]

Not only are they in charge of content but they also provide input on functionality.  For example, I'm including a component that'll allow an alumnae database as well as an ACL-based component that'll allow them to update only their respective areas and nothing else. 

Hmmm... I'm thinkin.. I'm trying to build a website for my school (unofficial) for students.. mainly.. since in my school got multiple clubs in it.. I wanna make a central student webportal so that students can just to to my website and get news and updates thats going around school.. like club news and updates (currently my school/college doesn't have an official website.. eventhough it will have one.. it wont be feature rich.. since they are bound by government rules.. and regulation on updates.. so the admin tend to careless.. thats why I wanna make a 'rebel' website.. for the benefit of the students..) on the part of legality.. and integrity of my website.. it will be ok.. since I talked with my teacher..and I made it as my Club project (I'm head of ICT Club in my college).

What troubles me now.. is how can i make use of Joomla.. to create individual accounts for Club admins.. (the administrator of the clubs available in my college) and having their own Club webpage within joomla.. and they can freely customise their page (at least.. stays within the template theme) and easily add content?

Currently, I'm thinking of using Joomla+Wordpress+Gallery2, bridging them and connecting them.. so that.. they have an account in Joomla, then since with the integration of Wordpress (using JD-wordpress component) to 'blog' content to their page.. then.. too add more media and features, using Gallery2 to manage picture content efficiently by using WPG2 plugin (integration of Wordpress+Gallery2). But.. currently.. there are too much of technical stuff.. i need to think ahead.. and how the users will use the service im providing in my website, since I'm currently running a one-man-show in building the website.

Do you have a better way of catering those Club webpages in one website? FYI, I'm only allowing Club admin to have and account in Joomla.. so that.. it wont be a big database of users in Joomla.. strictly for Club members and few authors & publishers.

If you are confuse on what I'm tryin to do.. please ask.. I'm.. kinda confused myself.. on what exactly I should do, above is what I'm planning to do.
Owh.. btw.. what usually, as my case, clubs; do need for their websites..? any specific part I'm missing?

Currently I'm running Joomla as the main component of the website here: http://www.maktabduli.org but the club part is not yet implemented.. I'm planning to make a proposal to all of the active clubs in my college to join in to the website.

Tell me what you think. 

Btw, what does ACL do..? I'm practically blank on that part.. how can it help for school website.. can u elaborate on that part?

Once that's figured out, you're probably ready to decide on a design.  I'm working with a designer to come up with Flash elements and have purchased a commercial template that comes close with our school's overall theme.  This will allow me to make minimal changes to it.

Hmm, I'm currently using the default template in Joomla.. although its good.. I want a template thats optimized for 1024x768 resolution. Since I want a reliable format of the template for the long run.. I'm planning to buy a template from http://www.rockettheme.com that will suit my needs. Is my current choice good? Btw, fyi, currently.. I'm trying my best to use least budget as possible.. but good for the long run, as you know.. I'm not running an official website.. so funding is done privately.. under my ICT Club.

We had been approached by various "school expert" website companies with quotes ranging from $20k up to over $100k.  We may go that route in a few years, however, if I have my way, I'll stick with Joomla and put that money into my techology budget.    By paying $60 per month for hosting (virtual private server plan) and a one time design fee of about $5k with nominal design updates at $60 per hour, we'll save an enormous amount of $$.

Wow.. I didn't know it would cost THAT much.. my..my.. even $20K.. thats too much for me to handle.. I think my Student webportal wouldnt cost that much.. heheh.. (I also doubt my college official website will cost that much.. since usually at my place.. school website is done poorly..  mainly because.. the education officers are not thinking much the technology side of schools.. the internet and stuff.. and its potentials.. hehehe  its their loss.. I got the ideas what to do.. I'm taking stuff on my one.. and most importanly.. having fun and experience. )

[Gare]

For example, I'm including a component that'll allow an alumnae database as well as an ACL-based component that'll allow them to update only their respective areas and nothing else. 

Hi - how did your alumae database and ACL-based components mentioned above work out for you?  Which particular components did you use?

Thanks in advance!