We’re now live with our new website. As you can see, things are a bit in a ‘default’ state, with very little customization. But the basic building blocks are all here.
Over the next few weeks, you should see quite a bit of activity. First, new events will get posted, as well as minutes from recent meetings and a few blog posts about recent brews. You’ll also start to see some new sections added to the site. On-deck are a Member Sign-up Form (and we’ll take payment online!) a Q&A similar to StackExchange type websites and a more traditional Forum for longer discussions. (eventually, the old deadyeast.com forum will be imported here too) These will be followed by an online Library, and a member ‘Sharing Club’ so we can loan and borrow equipment and ingredients from each other.
Mixed in with that, you’ll start to see a new home page take shape that includes various important highlights to the site: events, brews, recipes, how-to articles, etc. And the DYS Facebook feed will get integrated here as well. You’ll be able to see the current feed from our group page, right here on this site, and some new items posted here will auto-post to Facebook.
Longer term plans include our own mini-social network just for DYS members, and an e-mail newsletter that anyone can sign up for. Members will also be able to blog about their own brews, share recipes, and create their own brew-day events.
If you are a currently paid-up member, and I have your e-mail address, I’ll be sending you an invite to sign-up on the site. If you don’t get an invite by our May meeting, send me a message and I’ll get you added. (accounts on the site are closed to paid DYS members only, by invitation) Anyone can view the public portions of the site, but you must have an account to comment on articles or post anything at all. (some areas of the site, and some articles will be for logged-in members only)
Take some time to poke around and get familiar with the different parts of the site, just don’t get too accustomed to the ‘look and feel’ as that will change radically over the coming weeks and months.
If you have any ideas, for the site, feel free to pass them along, and of course, if something isn’t working right, or as expected, or at all, please let me know ASAP so I can fix it.