[UCIMC-Tech] shows.ucimc website/email questions

[Chris Ritzo]

Isak,
I've attempted to answer your questions inline below. You've asked a lot of
questions, many that discuss the interaction between IMC sites. I honestly
feel that they should all be one big site with many sections, but I'm doing
my best to do damage control while attempting to improve and upgrade sites
and infrastructure. This discussion should also bring in groups who aren't
copied here, like the Web group who is supposed to set some sort of
editorial policy. Maybe we need to finally get all the web people from each
working group together to clean up this mess! We haven't even touched all
the issues that Kristina is having with Print and WRFU re: their sites and
the "news" content on the main site, and the needs of the broader
organization to promote a consistent image.  UGH!

Until then, tech details are below. If I can clarify anything more or help
in any way please let me know.

Chris

On Tue, Feb 8, 2011 at 4:58 PM, Isak Griffiths <isak at ucimc.org> wrote:

> Brian and Chris,
>
> Thank you for fixing my shows login!
>
> Several questions below. They largely come from considering replacing
> http://shows.ucimc.org/upcomingevents with an easy-to-read calendar of
> live events and brief descriptions.
>
> 1. The calendar on ucimc.org
>     >> can people who submit events update their own events after they have
> been approved?
>
If the person who submits the event logs into the site, then yes.
 "Authenticated Users" can both submit events and edit their own events-
this goes for both UCIMC events and Community Events, which are different.
However, it is possible for someone to submit an event without logging in to
ucimc.org. If a user submits an event in this way, then they cannot edit the
event after it's been submitted.

    >> what software is that?
>
Our event system is build in our content management system, Drupal. It is a
combination of several modules and features. Here are some links for more
information:
http://drupal.org/
http://drupal.org/project/calendar
http://drupal.org/project/date


>     >> do we have a particular package or version of it?
>
The UCIMC site is currently running Drupal 6.


>     >> the different color bands... do those represent different calendars?
>
The color bands represent different locations where events take place in the
IMC space. When an event is created, the person creating it selects a
taxonomy term from a list of pre-defined locations in the IMC. There is a
legend block that can be displayed on the calendar page and I just turned
that on.


>     >> is there a reporting function that comes with this calendar?
>             (e.g., can we easily export for-a-range-of-dates, the
> event date, times, title, and contact-info)
>
Sure. In Drupal, this is called a view. You essentially have that on the
"Admin Events" page. We could easliy put together a view that would let you
export selected events as a CSV, or other type of file.


>     >> are there specific functionalities you know of that it has that are
> not available in google's calendar?
>
Yes. We control the data for starters. This is mostly to secure privacy.
Users can submit events on our site without creating an account. You also
don't have to have a Google Account.


>     >> the info in a page like
> http://ucimc.org/content/what-people-do-portraits-project-exhibit-illini-4000
> ,
>
>             >>> is it possible to embed that content directly into a page
> on the
>                    shows site without having to recreate it from scratch?
>
Possibly. You can create an RSS feed of events from the ucimc.org site and
have the shows site consume that RSS feed.

>
>             >>> is it possible to dynamically display that content inside a
> shows
>                    page that accepts the content location as a parameter?
>
Yes, this will involve importing the events (or other content) onto the
shows site from the main site via an RSS feed, then creating a view on the
shows site that limits the content by your location parameter.


>
> 2. The login/register functionality on shows.ucimc.org
>     >> is that a standard plugin (open source or proprietary?) or
> home-grown?
>
All of our functionality on our websites is build on standard open source
software.
The login functionality in Drupal happens in two ways for our sites. First,
as an admin, you can create an account for someone on the shows website or
allow users to register a local account for the shows website only. This
authentication is standard and built into Drupal. For authorization (ie,
different permissions for different users or groups) Drupal uses something
called Roles.
In addition to local accounts, we are using a Drupal module called LDAP
integration that allows us to leverage a centralized OpenLDAP server for
authentication and authorization. Accounts are requested and managed by
users currently using a website: http://plexus.chambana.net
Groups are also defined on the central server and can be mapped to Drupal
roles. For instance, the tech group has admin access to your site, based on
the users in the tech group on the LDAP server.


>     >> if, for example, that is a drupal standard front end, what are
> backend compatibility requirements?
>
For system requirements and other details you should take a look here:
http://drupal.org/documentation
The UCIMC runs a complex system of websites, Drupal and otherwise, on a
FreeBSD webserver with colocations on site and in other parts of the
country.


>     >> does it provide purpose other than
>                 .. access/privs to admin shows.ucimc.org
>                 .. access/privs to add content to events (event) and news
> (blog)
>
Yes. It's our goal to have our central LDAP server provide authentication
and authorization to all access privileges on all UCIMC sites. We're working
on that.


>
> 3. I realize that continuing to have people submit events to ucimc.org can
> make sense:
>                 .. all events would continue to be searchable on ucimc.org
>                 .. fuller descriptions would be available online, more most
> events just in one location
>                 .. an easier transition to the new site for those who like
> it this way
>
> 4. Is allowing people to log into the shows site using facebook an option?
> Whether it is just to post blogs/updates, or for any other management?
> http://developers.facebook.com/docs/guides/web.
>
> It is possible. My question is what users? Trusted users? Working group
members? or general public? anyone?


>
>
> Isak
> _____
>
> Background and additional information, if you want it.
>
> What I'm picturing is a flow like this:
>
>     >> the host submitting the event (like now) with the full/public
> description
>                 (ideally with the event submit page embedded for a shows
> look and feel)
>
>     >> if approved, shows will:
>                 >>>  create a mini url that displays the ucimc.org event
> content with a
>                         shows look and feel
>                 >>>  create a calendar event with a short desc under the
> appropriate
>                         subcalendar that points to the miniurl for more
> info
>                 >>>  for the larger events (like February's Indoor
> Grassroots festival)
>                         create a page that has the relevant information,
> photos, brochures, etc.
>
>      But for most shows this would be much, much quicker and easier.
>
> I had a long conversation with someone today who designs websites, who is
> considering doing the shows site probono.
>
> One of the options we talked about was creating a shows calendar that is
> either a google calendar or on the same platform as the ucimc calendar. The
> descriptions and info in them would be brief; appropriate for mobile app
> displays. For events that require it, there can be a shows page with more
> details and a link to the page in the desc. But that would create one mini
> desc that could be downloaded for easy "what's coming soon" dispersals to
> email broadcasts or the public i. That would also create some consistency in
> messaging... which I think is a good thing.
>
> It was a *really* interesting conversation about possibilities. It both
> made by mouth water and my brain hurt.
>
> Nothing big. Nothing flashy. We are talking pro bono. Just streamlined and
> current, easy to update, and hopefully easy to use.
>
>      Plus it would provide a calendar that would be easier to read... one
> that didn't
>      have all the internal meetings on it as well, which is good since
> there will soon
>      be a drive to get ALL the internal meetings that happen in the space
> on that
>      calendar.
>
> That would be great. Get everyone to submit their meetings to the calendar.
There also is a possibility of putting limit options in a form onto the
calendar page. That way you could select just events if you wanted and not
meetings.


> _____
>
> Other things we talked about as possibilities:
>
> >> If/when there are tickets sold, embedding the eventbrite page into a
> shows page
>
> >> I don't really understand the difference between widgets and light
> buttons, but including those for facebook, twitter, etc.
>
> >> With a google calendar, people could add the shows calendars to their
> own and see upcoming events as they are added. The shows sites could be set
> up with multiple calendars (kind of like wrfu) so that there is a
> distinction between live events, private events (like weddings and baby
> showers), and standing events (like C4A rehearsals and tai chi)
>
> >> I wondered if
> A) shows and the ucimc.org calendar were on the same software, if they
> could be broken out, so that just stage and sunroom usage could appear on
> the shows site and everything appear on the ucimc.org software, or
>

Yes they can be separate calendars. You can have all the event stuff on the
shows site and all the other stuff on the ucimc site. I honestly think that
all the IMC sites should be the same site, with different sections, but
that's a bigger nut to crack.


> B) if using google calendar worked well, replacing the existing ucimc
> calendar would be an option the shows calendar and the ucimc calendar could
> be broken out
>
> Here is just part of why a feel there is a need for updating the shows
> site:  We send people to the shows site to see how to book an event. The
> rating and booking information used to be split between 4 pages; I've
> consolidated that some, but they are still then sent to ucimc.org to look
> at the calender, then they have to submit the event. Afterward, almost
> always have to manually the shows submission. Then I have to create entry to
> shows.ucimc.org, and that takes logging in to both sites, several clicks
> to the ucimc.org submitted information, and 6-8 clicks and multiple
> scrolls plus saving backing out and checking and fixing and rechecking etc.
> Eventually I find art work or get material from the artist; I create a
> thumbnail, and add it to the page, which is several clicks into the site,
> several clicks down, more clicks to upload, the three more to verify; and do
> it all over again if it's not exactly right. It takes forever, then when
> each show is done I have to log in then go several clicks in and several
> clicks down, delete and confirm and back out. That's just one of the long
> list of things I have to do for every single event. The amount of time it
> takes to create news events is just as bad, so I haven't been updating
> information about events because I can't spend a couple of hours after each
> event. No one else from shows will touch the website because it is too hard,
> too confusing, to slow and too cumbersome.
>
> I think that's it for now.
>
> Isak
>
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