Webmasters' Workshop: February 2008

Updates

Web tools
Please remember that there is a web site available to you with updates, resources, tips and tools.  We are generating a Q&A page as users begin working with Cascade Server; there is a FAQ page; and many many resources for general web development (writing for the web, using and formatting images, search engine optimization, best practices with links and downloads and much more).

You can get to this site from this link  http://www.clemson.edu/public/web/ or any PSA web page (at the bottom of the page there is a “PSA Employees” link. From here choose “Webmaster Information”)

Cascade Server
The University recently upgraded cascade Server to version 5.1.1. With this conversion, the system is MUCH faster. While the majority of users (the Publishers) should see little problems with the revised system, there are errors we are experiencing at the “Manager” level which may impact (are impacting) our efficiency. We hope to have these issues resolved as soon as possible.

We are currently working with representatives from CAFLS and Extension in determining appropriate site architecture (what goes where on the home page, what the navigation should be, etc...). These conversations are extended to covering not only college/state level structure, but all departments and county offices as well. We have determined structure for both and are now in the process of beginning to build skeletal pages for the responsible webmanagers to complete page content.

Training: Training is available to any  university employee.  At this time however, training at the university level is on hold. Walker has been training a select few as we begin adding users in small loads.  When pages and folders are available for all departments and county offices, we will establish training opportunities for those individuals (both on-campus and across the state).  For RECs and Extension, we intend on hosting at least one full day “train-the-trainer” session in Columbia. We will keep you posted on training as opportunities arise. For now, we are working with only a few on-campus webmanagers.

Image manipulation software options

There is a lot of discussion and surrounding using images on the web. May of you are interested in tools for editing images for web use, but funds are limited. At this workshop we reviewed some free resources and presented a few other options (with minimal fees). Details can be found here: Software options for imaging software

Remember, when you work with images, there are web-friendly formats and sizes to consider. Please review this content on Formatting Images for Web Pages.

Social Bookmarking: What, Why and How?

Social bookmarking is a method that makes it easy to save, share, and explore favorite web pages. Social bookmarking can introduce the sites that you own or you like to others with relevant tastes, can drive traffic to your site, and can create valuable backlinks.
The more often a web page is submitted and tagged by different users, the better chance it has of being found. So do the first step and add your sites and news to some of the following sites. To do so, you will need to register for each of these sites before you can submit anything.
For links and resources: http://www.clemson.edu/public/web/seo/social_bookmarking.html

PDFs and Accessibility

There are a lot of debates and questions over what 508 Accessibility compliance is and who is accountable to the federal standards. In particular, the use of PDFs. In short, here are a few pointers when using PDFs on the web (making a PDF available for download). Please visit the CCIT web pages that follow for additional resources and explanation.

What is a PDF ?
PDF stands for Portable Document Format. PDF files are universally used because it preserves all the fonts, formatting, colors, and graphics of any source document, regardless of the application and the platform used to create it.
•    Universal format
•    Copyright/editing/plagiarism
•    Keeping true to format/layout
•    Cross-platform compatibility

The key is to determine when you need to use PDFs or provide alternative format
When to Use PDF format…
•    Need to preserve visual layout
•    Concern with copyright infringement
•    Concern with cross-platform compatibility
•    Lengthy documents

These and other resources are available through CCIT’s accessibility webpages:


This workshop was available live via Breeze. The entire presentation can be viewed at this link (http://breeze.clemson.edu/p94898369/). Please understand that we are unable to edit the video resulting in a rough uncut presentation. We apologize for audio and camera distractions.



Page maintained by: Walker Massey, emassey@clemson.edu