The past 12 months has seen the new Old Ottawa South website (http://www.oldottawasouth.ca) mature into a popular, dynamic and slick tool for OSCA and community communications. Launched late the year before, the website has grown to over 360 registered users of which 209 have requested/indicated OSCA membership online.
The website includes:
- a front page featuring news and an events calendar
- weekly email summary of news and events stories
- interactive program guide
- community services, photos galleries and history areas
- community forums for citizen discussions
- archive of association and board business
- The OSCAR newspaper online archive
The OOS website has played an important role in some recent OSCA and community events, including:
- Havana Night: the website was key in selling out the tickets and making the event a success. The event web page was a big draw, boosting visits to other parts of the OOS site and attracting new website users
There are over 315 people receiving the weekly email newsletter, significantly more than the old website and newsletter.
Implementation of the new and improved email newsletter is the 2nd biggest web/IT accomplishment after the website itself.
The web/IT committee supports other OSCA committees that want their own web presence, for example OSWATCH has their meeting documents and information papers like the Infill Q&A available online.
The web/IT committee published the online version of the OSCA program guide which is a significant effort four times a year.
The web/IT committee uses the website features (newsletters, bulletins, banner ads, articles) to promote OSCA events such as the Winter Carnival and 21 Club.
There are consistently 6,000 to 8,000 website visitors a month.
One area for improvement is that the website is almost entirely dependent on a small group of dedicated volunteers which means OSCA is vulnerable to a drop in capabilities if one or two of these people decide to step down. This is quite common in most small to medium sized volunteer operations. Realistically there is not much we can do to mitigate this risk. The web/IT committee does try to spread tasks around and invites and encourages anyone interested to join up and help out.
As chair I would like to thank especially:
- Chris Solar - webmaster, who keeps all the systems functioning and the hackers and spammers out
- Gwen Gall - web editor, who wrangles all the content into what is probably the best community association website front page and email newsletter in Ottawa
- Kathy Krywicki - web handy woman, who helps out with articles, editing and just about everything
I would also like to thank my fellow OSCA board members and Deirdre for their unwavering commitment to the community and good spirits over the past 3 years that I have served on the OSCA board and as chair of the web/IT committee. I am stepping down at this AGM. Good luck to Gwen who has offered to take over the committee chair and to the new and returning board members.
All the best to everyone and see you round in the 'hood.
John Calvert