Hello Members,
I am delighted to announce to you all that our wonderful organisation now has a brand new website.
Below I have set out the highlights, and beneath that the acknowledgments. This means this is a lengthy email, but it is important that you read it down to the end.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NEW IAAA WEBSITE
- The IAAA website (https://iaaa.wildapricot.org/) has been rebuilt from the ground up with a new look incorporating the latest web technologies. Like the earlier site, the new IAAA website includes:
- An IAAA member roster providing an easy way for members to reach out and connect with other members;
- Tools for members to create personal art galleries, aka photo albums; members may create multiple galleries which can be shared with other members and the public;
- Resources including past issues of the IAAA's official magazine Pulsar and chronicles of past IAAA activities and events.
New features include:
- The website automatically adjusts its formatting to maximize accessibility whether you're browsing from a computer, mobile device, or big screen TV;
- Integrated members-only forums, replacing the current—and legacy—IAAA listserv.
FAREWELL LISTSERVE
This coming November 1, the beloved, and maybe not-so-beloved, IAAA listserv will be retired permanently to the nearest, non-returnable gravitational well. Until then, both the listserv and new forums will be available concurrently.
HOW DO I LOG INTO MY ACCOUNT?
This week emails will be sent to members with instructions on how to log in and reconnect to existing accounts.
BUILT WITH AN EYE TOWARD THE FUTURE
The new IAAA website is living document with room for growth. In the years to come it will undergo further development as it strives to meet the needs of the IAAA and its members. Note that in its current form the site has some rough edges, and there are some incomplete sections including IAAA History; these will be addressed in the days and weeks to come.
TECHNICAL NOTES
- The URL for the new IAAA website is https://iaaa.wildapricot.org/ and will remain such until this coming November 1 when it will revert to the traditional IAAA domain, https://iaaa.org/. After November 1, both URLs will automatically point to iaaa.org.
- Wild Apricot is the US/Canadian web host providing the platform and tools essential to building and operating the new website.
The research and development has taken both time and effort from so many different members, both on and off the previous and current Board. I am so proud of each and every one of them that I feel it requires official recognition and thanks.
Starting with IAAA member E. Lee Wilson, Jr. for introducing the IAAA to Wild Apricot. Kudos also goes to the IAAA Board members who started this journey way back in the term of the previous Board. Aldo Spadoni, as the then President, started off the search for a suitable replacement when it became obvious that the old website could no longer function properly because of repeated malware attacks.
My special thanks to Danielle Baker for continuous repairs to the old website, enabling it to hobble along whilst the search, research, and development of the new website evolved.
Extra special thanks goes to Walter Myers and Kara Szathmáry who both did all of the hands on research and development of the new website.
Thanks also to Nick Stevens, who acted as a consultant; to Jon Ramer, who rounded up legacy content including past issues of Pulsar; to Aldo Spadoni, who provided the member space art; and finally to the members of the current Board who acted as beta testers.
This is what the IAAA community is all about - enabling each other in order to achieve the successful start and completion of a project. We rely on volunteers. Every member here has a skill that can be utilised for the benefit of everyone else and no volunteer post is a life-long commitment. The next time a call for volunteers goes out please give it some serious consideration.
Jackie Burns
IAAA President
(Chief Cat Herder)
