MU Webmaster Blog

MU Web Update

There are a lot of projects going on right now that I hope will be useful to our campus developers, so I want to give a brief update of status, and provide some links in the hope of getting some good feedback.

As mentioned previously, we are slowly migrating public facing sites to Sharepoint 2007 WCM, and allowing users to take control of their own content.    Our first foray, which really served as a proof of concept, was the FYE site.   There were several lessons learned during the launch of FYE, and hopefully they’ve improved on the new batch of CMS sites that are being launched.

The first of these is the updated Trio Programs site.   This site is entirely built on the MOSS 2007 CMS framework.   Behind the scenes, there are some nice built-in features for those who want to “develop” to this platform, including embedded delivery of the YUI, Scriptaculous, JQuery, and Mootools components.    All of those libraries are available for use via CDN calls embedded in the master page.

Once Trio was launched, I went back to the “Web Developer Center” site that was pushed live right after the public site update, and gave it a much needed update.   In this update, the site got the new CMS template look/feel, as well as feature enhancements including:

• An online knowledge base, where users can get quick answers to common web related questions, as well as review and download training elements that they need to manage their own sites.
• A self-service section allowing anyone on campus to request web space, or open a support request from a central location without having to send campus mail from one place to another.
• A public facing bug tracking system, allowing any visitor to report an issue with the Marshall web site.
• Each knowledge base article now allows users to rate the content, or to comment on the content in-line in each page.   Login authentication for the commenting system is handled via either OpenID or Facebook Connect.

There’s always a lot more to do, and we’ll keep plugging away – but please do leave a comment or note if you have questions or concerns.
Thanks,

John

Parthenon Website Editorial

Earlier this week, an editorial appeared in the Marshall University Parthenon titled “Website Never Available When Needed“.    The editorials author, A.J. Webb states in his editorial “Four times throughout this semester alone I distinctly recall myMU and Marshall’s site being down for a period of more than 24 hours.”

Dr. Fox posted a followup with our actual outage data.   The text of her response was:

“This is in response to your editorial in today’s Parthenon. This is the real data on any interruption. We have not been down for more than a few hours since the beginning of the semester.

The weekly maintenance window for all of Computing Services is Sunday Morning 7:00 until 1:00pm. During the maintenance window which is published, we perform the maintenance, patches and large back-ups. This is an agreed upon time period with our providers and external network services. This is the same time period that CHASE banks and others use for their maintenance window. Only interruptions in services outside the maintenance window would be considered an interruption. We did have a network outage on Sunday September 28th. It extended 3.5 hours beyond the maintenance window. Since that period we have had two 1 hour outrages at 11:00 pm. These are a continuation of the Cisco network problem we saw on Sept 28th. A no time have we been down for the 24 hours listed in the Parthenon. All of our outrages are Listed at the Marshall University Information Technology and Computing Services Chronological List of Changes (CLOC) http://www.marshall.edu/ucs/cs/cloc/default.aspx

Web Server
Here are some high-level stats from WhatsUp Gold on the main University WWW server (http://www.marshall.edu)

Uptime since 8/22/2008 99.8%”

While we do realize that 99.8% uptime isn’t perfect, and we always want to have the site available when users need access to it, I thought it was important to bring attention to the actual data.    I also wanted to highligh the Marshall University Information Technology and Computing Services Chronological List of Changes (CLOC) site, where any user is welcome to go for updates on any problems that occur with any of our services.

iPhone formatted site

Two weeks ago, Marshall silently launched an iPhone optimized version of the Marshall.edu web site.   If you’ve not yet visited the site, going to marshall.edu on either an iPhone or iPod touch will automatically reroute you to the optimized version.

If you’re not using one of these devices, but are still interested in seeing the mobilized content, you can access it directly here.

Eating your own dog food

In a previous life, a phrase our executives liked to use was “eating your own dog food”, implying that you should use the technologies that you’re attempting to sell to everyone else as an example that you like and enjoy using the product.

In this regard, I’ve decided to move the Marshall Webmaster’s blog to our MUBLOGS area of the MUWEB server.   Thanks to Jessica Wintz, we have a nice Marshall themed Wordpress template ready to go that I’ve applied.

I’ll be importing the previous content from blogger over the next few days, but look for all new posts to show up here going forward.

Version 2 Redesign Launched

This afternoon a second round of site updates was launched in direct response to user feedback from the initial redesign. Among the many changes:

• Less clutter on the main page
• Better spacing to improve readability
• Redesigned navigation menu – alphabetized, no fold-outs, limited number of links in the drop downs, with a “All Links” menu item at the bottom.
• A to Z site link index highlighted
• Addition of frequently accessed links by category at the bottom of the page
• Got rid of the site within a site coverflow, and added a Flash SWF specifically for announcements.
• Dropped the transparency image on the drop down and replaced it with simple colors so that the menu would work properly on older browsers.
• Changed from fixed to fluid width to improve functionality on smaller screen resolutions.
• Styled the top-level sub pages with the same theme.

We tried to provide adequate time for user feedback, and attempted to consolidate the most common suggestions for improvement in to a batch that we could push with this update. This should be the last major “overhaul” that is seen for a while, as we focus on getting the remainder of pages in line with the new theme elements. Of course, as you encounter bugs or problems, let us know and we’ll address them as soon as we can. For design level changes though, this is probably it for a while.

I hope we’ve hit on what concerned most people, and I’m hopeful that you’ll find the new layout easy to use, and that you’ll be able to find what you want.

Thanks to everyone for their feedback and suggestions.

Good Site Navigation and its Challenges

When I returned from lunch today, I had a telephone message from (name withheld) who, from the tone of his message, appeared to be very upset with his inability to locate the links he was looking for on our Web site.

I am going to reiterate that I know the links on the front page are a challenge for many right now. There are links to items you might not expect would be there, while at the same time, things that should be there (a simple link to “Calendars” for example) are missing.

Of all the feedback I’ve received, these navigation challenges are the most common. The update of the front page is almost ready, and I expect it will launch in the next week or so, barring any unforeseen challenges. One of the main areas I’m working to address in this update are these navigation issues.

I know that we won’t be able to accommodate everyone who wants a one-click link to their site from the front page, but hopefully we’ll be able to accommodate the vast majority. You should see a new section of the page with key links grouped by category (think “Campus Life>Clubs and Groups”) that hit many of the top level links that are missing. You’ll also see the main drop downs change to a more organized 10 item list (in alphabetical order) with each containing a “more” link at the bottom that will link out to the remaining links in that category.

That, combined with a highlighted A-Z link directory and improved sub-page layout should help tremendously with this issue.

You should also see the Coverflow style section used primarily as a University showcase (pictures and video) with news and announcements taking on a more traditional form on the front page. I have also heard from many users about layout issues on smaller screen resolutions, and problems with the lightbox interface. You should be pleased to hear that the update moves to a 100% liquid layout to address the resolution issues. The lightbox will remain, but with announcements moving to a more traditional Flash based slideshow, this shouldn’t be an issue any longer.

Next steps will include moving the top-level subsites in line with the look and feel of the front page, and building out the final Sharepoint templates for those groups who’ll be using the CMS features of that product.

Finally, I’ve had the pleasure of hearing from many students during the feedback process. I would be interested in pursuing putting together a group of students who would be willing to provide feedback routinely on web initiatives. Sort of a student advisory committee specific to the Web site. If you’re passionate about the web content on campus, and would have an interest, please let me know and I’ll be in touch as soon as I get through this curent project crunch.

Thanks as well to all those who have provided positive feedback. While the majority of feedback you receive will be from users having a problem, there have been some who’ve gone out of their way to provide positive feedback. This helps achieve a nice balance, and allows you to keep perspective on the feedback you’re receiving.

As always, anyone with questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me either virtually, or personally while you’re on campus.

New Site Design Update

The new site has been out for a few days now, and there have been some clear likes and dislikes expressed by users via the feedback form. Let me state publicly, whether you like or dislike the new design, I take complete responsibility for all aspects of it – from the menu to the footer.

I stand behind it – but I don’t take criticisms personally. We are here to serve our users first and foremost, and we want to provide a site that is useful and friendly for all of you.

I will post here a summary of what I’ve heard, in the hopes that those of you who are reading this, or who have communicated with me personally will help validate these findings:

Let’s start with the common complaints:
- Overall, the page is too text heavy
- The font size in the news items and tab section is too small to read comfortably
- The fixed width design is giving some people with smaller screens trouble
- The gray background doesn’t feel warm and inviting
- The menu is too confusing, there are too many items in each drop down, and people are having difficulty finding what they are looking for

Somewhere in the middle:
- The Coverflow style featured items – the feedback has been about evenly split on this. Some love it, some really don’t like it. A few don’t understand how or why they should use it.

The things people like:
- The ability to provide feedback that is being read and responded to
- The addition of video elements to the front page
- “Quick hit” info like the weather, Parthenon headlines, etc.

I’m consolidating all of this feedback, and proposing changes based on it. As I’ve said time and again, this is your site, not mine. I’m here to serve our user community, staff and faculty. Those of you who’ve submitted feedback via the site should have already received a personal response from me. If you’ve not yet submitted feedback because you’ve been wondering if it will be read – it will. Please do.

A big thank you to everyone who has been a part of this effort so far. Please stay tuned for additional improvements, and please comment as to whether you agree/disagree with what I’ve gleaned from the feedback so far.

New Front Page is Now Live

As many of you have probably seen already, the new front page is live at http://www.marshall.edu. It’s been a reasonably smooth transition so far – but there’s still a lot of work to be done. Now that the front page is in place, the challenge becomes moving other top level content to fit with this new design. We also need to provide template resources for other campus developers, so that they can utilize the aspects of the new design that they like for their own content.

Much of this work is already taking place, and will continue in to the fall semester. The other really positive thing we’ve been able to do with this launch is provide a live feedback mechanism. This has already proven very valuable by allowing users to send direct communication on site problems, design questions, and other feedback.

While I can’t promise that the “Give feedback” link will continually live in its current location, I do want to keep the feedback mechanism out there as the site matures. I can envision it transitioning from a “provide feedback” to “report an issue” type of interface – but I am absolutely for the idea of open feedback from users. This also helps everyone keep me honest in case I inadvertently publish something with a spelling error (my vice, and not great for a University site) or something similar. Getting real time feedback has a lot of advantages, and it’s a feature we should commit to keeping.

It’s also technically interesting to note our continuing use of Sharepoint 2007 in public site areas. It’s the Sharepoint interface that’s driving the site feedback mechanism. It’s also Sharepoint that’s powering the recently launched Campus Developer Center. I’ve also been able to pull the new template in to Sharepoint master pages and page layouts – which means that even for those non-technical users, implementing the new site look and feel will be very easy going forward.

Finally, another thing I’d like to do once I get through the initial feedback crunch is provide a detail whitepaper for those who are interested on the current site, the components being used, the problems that were encountered, and how they were solved. This would also probably include public posting of all the code, so that other developers can pick it over, make comments and suggestions, and just generally collaborate on how the site came together.

There are also some other cool new features coming, just as soon as there’s time to sit down and plow through them. I know not everyone will be happy with the new design, but at the very least, I hope people understand why some of the design choices are made, and it’s my sincere hope that we please the vast majority of the end users.

Thanks to everyone who’s provided feedback so far. If you have occasion to visit the 4th floor in Drinko, stop by and say hello.

John

Web Development Center

I’ve taken all of our public facing applications (web stats, bug tracking, help docs, etc.) and consolidated them beneath our Sharepoint 2007 framework. This now provides a central launching point for all information related to web site or content development at Marshall.

Some of the new things you’ll find on this site include:

• The ability to report bugs with the web site online
• Fill out an Information Providers Agreement to get web space for your group online
• Track open issues
• View public web stats
• Participate in discussions related to web development

I hope some folks find it useful. You’ll find the site here.

Thanks,

John

Stretching the Wings

As the MU “Portal Administrator” (sheesh, I really dislike that title, as it’s always inevitably followed by a “what does that mean?”) I have been afforded the opportunity to play with some fun technology since joining MU in February. I’ve also had the chance to work with some great people, and I’ve really been enjoying my first six months.

I started this “webmaster’s blog” as a way to connect with those who I don’t interact with on a daily basis. For me, it’s always easier to feel connected to a service on campus when I can put a face or name to that service. I hope that over time, the circulation of this blog on campus grows.

Still, the fact that there isn’t a huge readership at this moment does allow me to share with those who are reading what’s going on now with web-centric technology at MU, and what’s out on the horizon.

Some cool things happening right now:

• The launch of our first public facing website built entirely on Microsoft Office Sharepoint Server technology
• A test launch of content specifically designed for consumption on a mobile device (including iPhone support)
• The retirement of outdated web content (ongoing) and an evaluation of web policies and procedures – in an effort to make better use of our resources, and provide a better customer experience to our students, faculty and staff.
• Installation of detailed web analytics; Finding out what content people like and find truly useful, and looking at way to eliminate or improve that which isn’t used.
• Better integration with sites beyond MU. I’m not a fan of reinventing the wheel, nor am I an advocate of trying to convince students to come to the MU site to do something already being done better elsewhere. This is why you’ve seen the recent embrace of Facebook, YouTube, and Google, with more (hopefully) to come in the near future.
• The introduction of content-management with Microsoft Sharepoint to enable anyone to become a web-content author, and to empower departments or groups to produce rapid updates to their pages.
• Finally, a serious look at how to take advantage of the technology that we’re already using to better service our customers. It doesn’t make sense in 2008 for someone to have to walk across campus to hand deliver a form telling me that they need web space created. We have the tools at our disposal to easily improve these processes. Part of my job is to identify and drive forward these initiatives that can be easily implemented.

In the near future: (and I preface this list with the fact that I’ve sought no “formal approval” for any of the items on this list, so be aware that they may not happen – but I’m looking at ways to make them reality)

• Web self-service center (already in development): Apply for webspace for your department or group; get a copy of the official template for your area; access shared resources; take advantage of online tools to generate sitemaps, validate CSS, slice PSDs; view screencast tutorials of common tasks/issues; see examples of “coming soon” technologies; access “technotes” to solve common web-related problems; etc.
• LiveID, OpenID, and Google and Yahoo account integration for private areas of the site that allow for user interaction. No, I’m not talking about using your Yahoo ID to access your email, but I would like to see areas like discussion forums, or comment threads that require a minimal level of authorization take advantage of these accounts that users already have. This would also be great, in my mind, for a parents extranet, where they can get a more personalized view of what’s happening on campus without having to have an MUNET account.
• Better integration among MU systems and services.
• Improve existing tools with the addition of more support for RSS, ICAL, XML, and other extensible technologies.
• Taking advantage of the student brain trust to establish volunteer tech teams who can help tutor less technical users on how to build better sites.
• And much more…….

To sum up, it’s an exciting time. I’ve been impressed by how new ideas and suggestions are embraced by everyone in UCS – it’s a great team of people working to provide the best service possible. As always, if I can help you in anyway, let me know via this blog, Facebook, or by simply stopping by the office.

Have a good night.
JC