Build A Council/Chapter Web Page

How to Construct a Basic Web Site

Introduction
The World Wide Web has changed the way we access information. Thanks to the Web, you can glean information on any topic that interests you. Any Web user will tell you, however, that some Web sites are better than others.

So how can you set up a good Web site for your chapter or council? This online tutorial is designed to help you answer that question.

Section One will walk you through issues you should consider before establishing a Web presence or a Web site. Next, we'll outline four essential pieces of information you should include on your Web presence or Web site. We'll also give you some tips on things you shouldn't do. Then, we'll help you develop a system for organizing the material you'd like to post online.

In Section Two, we'll tackle the nuts and bolts process of actually setting up your Web site. We'll describe Web software and graphic programs you can use to put your site together, and we'll outline some things you should look for when you select a domain name - the Web address visitors will use to access your site - as well as an Internet Service Provider (ISP).

Section Three contains links to helpful online resources. This section also contains advice and tips from some of MOAA's award-winning webmasters who have "been there and done that."

We hope you find this online tutorial helpful. Good luck, and we look forward to seeing you on the World Wide Web!

Table of Contents

Section One: Things to Consider Before You Get Started

What is a Web presence?

MOAA's Web Template

Things every Web presence or Web site should include

Things you shouldn't do

Additional features to consider

Legislative information

Online membership application

Organizing your Web presence

Organizing your Web site

Section Two: Programs and Tools for Building Your Site

Web publishing programs

Publishing programs MOAA webmasters use

Handling graphics and photos

What MOAA webmaster use

Domain names and Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

How to select a domain name

How to select an ISP

Free ISP services

A good, cheap alternative

Other money-saving options

Section Three: Links to Online Resources and Tutorials

Tutorials

Programs and tools

Web hosting and domain names

Advice from MOAA's award-winning webmasters

Section One: Things to Consider Before You Get Started
The World Wide Web has changed the way we communicate. Thanks to the Web, you can log on any time of the day or night and access information using hundreds of online resources.

Many of MOAA's chapters and councils already have Web sites that allow them to communicate more effectively with their members. Perhaps your chapter or council is considering following suit, and your members have indicated they would like their own Web site.

Before you jump in and set up a Web site, however, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Is there someone in our chapter or council who has the technical expertise and time needed to maintain and update our Web site?

2. Does our chapter or council have the money needed to construct and host a Web site?

If you answered no to either one of these questions, your chapter or council should consider one of the following options instead:

• enhancing or adding to your chapter's newsletter;
  
• forming a phone or e-mail network, which will allow you to communicate with members in between meetings; or
  
• establishing a Web presence, rather than a Web site.

What is a Web presence?
Unlike a Web site, which must be updated regularly, a Web presence mainly contains evergreen or timeless information and lets people know your chapter or council exists.

The Savannah (Ga.) Chapter has set up a very effective Web presence, which can be found at http://savmoa.org. The site does a terrific job representing the chapter as a professional organization whose members are active and involved in the community, as well as Georgia MOAA Inc., Georgia's version of a state council. Below is a screen shot that shows the Savannah Chapter's home page.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hyperlinks on this site let visitors know "who we are," and "what we do," as well as who is eligible for membership. The benefits of chapter membership are clearly spelled out in the "benefits" section, and the "calendar" section lists upcoming meetings and events.

Information on how to contact the chapter is given, along with some information about Savannah, which could be of interest to relocating military members who might join the chapter. The chapter also plugs its upcoming state association convention.

The chapter's logo, which contains the MOAA shield, allows visitors to quickly establish the link between the Savannah Chapter and national MOAA. The "MOAA" hyperlink also allows visitors to quickly go to national association's Web site.

The only time-sensitive information on this site can be found under the "calendar," "2006 convention," and the "contact us" hyperlinks. Still, this site conveys a great deal of information about the Savannah Chapter and only needs to be updated once or twice a year.

MOAA's Web template 
The chapter web template is designed to allow your chapter to inform potential members about your chapter’s goals and activities. It is a simple way of establishing a one page web presence for your chapter that can be easily maintained with periodic updates and is hosted by MOAA. If you currently have a chapter website, you do not need to utilize the chapter template.

To obtain your login information, contact Mary Newman at (800) 234-6622 ext 168, or email maryn@moaa.org. We recommend that each chapter utilizing the chapter template designate someone in the chapter who will be responsible for completing and maintaining the template.

Things every Web presence or Web site should include
Your Web site will be accessed by both members and non-members. In fact, many potential members will form the first impression of your chapter from your Web site. Some could even decide to join your chapter based on the information you have posted.

It's important to make a good first impression. To do so, you always should include the following information:

• a link to national MOAA's Web site and your state council's Web site, if one exists. You chapter's affiliation with national MOAA and your state council should immediately be apparent to visitors.
  
• the contact information for the webmaster and the chapter's officers. Make it easy for both existing and potential members to contact the chapter. You also should make it clear who a potential member should contact if they are interested in joining the chapter.
  
• the time, date, and location of your next meeting. Believe it or not, many chapters and councils list the time and date of their next meeting but fail to list the location because "everyone knows where we meet." Make sure potential members know where you meet so they can attend.
  
• your mission statement and some projects you undertake. Your Web site is a valuable tool for both retaining and recruiting members. Make sure you convey a sense of purpose by posting your chapter's mission statement. Include a sentence in your mission statement about who is eligible to join the chapter. Then, list some projects or programs your chapter undertakes. This will remind existing members about the value of chapter membership and will incite potential members to seek out your chapter so they can participate in these programs.

You also should:

• give national MOAA the address of your Web presence or Web site so they can include a link to it in the Chapter Locator.
  
• follow standard editorial principles. Treat your Web site just as you would any other chapter publication.
  
• observe copyrights. Chances are that really neat photo you saw on another Web site is copyrighted. Ask for permission before you copy photos, graphics, or text from another Web site.
  
• include the copyright tag if you republish information from MOAA's Legislative Update.
  
• use the correct MOAA logo, which has a ®.
  
• update, update, update!

Things you shouldn't do
Keep your target audience's needs in mind as you construct your Web presence or Web site, and adhere to the following rules:

• Don't play music.
  
• Don't post anything you don't want to reside in a publicly accessed forum.
  
• Don't underline text for emphasis. Underlined words indicate a word or phrase is a hyperlink. Instead, use put the word in italics or use uppercase.
  
• Don't leave your Web presence or Web site up if it's out of date.
  
• Don't post material online simply because you can. Work with your chapter or council's executive board and newsletter editor to ensure you're sending a clear, consistent message and are speaking with "One Powerful Voice.®"

Additional features to consider
It's up to you to determine how robust you would like to make your Web presence or Web site. Some additional features you may want to include are:

• legislative information; and
  
• an online membership application.

CAUTION: If you have a Web presence, and you want to add these features, remember to keep it simple. Otherwise your Web presence quickly can evolve into a full-blown Web site, which will need to be updated frequently.

Legislative information
MOAA's chapter and council members generate the grassroots support that's needed to pass legislation at the national level that benefits military members and their families. Chapter members are our most effective lobbyists. You can help educate and mobilize the members of your chapter or council by including a legislative section on your Web presence or Web site.

Some chapters that have a Web presence don't include a legislative section because the lobbying process is dynamic and changes continually. Instead, they merely acknowledge that passing legislation is one of their chapter's fundamental goals.

The Savannah Chapter does this on its Web presence in the section entitled, "What We Do." This section also contains photos of members meeting with their elected representatives. (See screen shot below.)

The first paragraph of this section says, "Our primary function, in conjunction with the state and national organizations, is to actively lobby our local, state and federal elected representatives in order to obtain and secure benefits for all military personnel. To that end we have a Legislative Affairs Director who keeps the chapter apprised of legislative issues and guides and coordinates our efforts to effectively pursue our interests."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If your chapter or council is setting up a Web site, your legislative section will be much more dynamic and will need to be updated on a regular basis. The legislative section of your Web site should briefly describe some of the national and state legislative victories MOAA chapter members have achieved.

Then provide links to the most up-to-date information available by providing a link to national MOAA's Legislative Action Center, http://www.moaa.org/Legislative. Many members also develop their own original content to post in their legislative section.

Here's an example you can copy or modify:

Legislation
Members of our chapter provide the grassroots support needed to pass national legislation that benefits military members and their families. Working together with national MOAA and the association's 415 other chapters, we accomplished the following legislation victories in 2005:

Health Care Issues

• Repealed 4.4% reduction in 2006 Medicare/TRICARE provider payments;
  
• Defeated proposal to charge enrollment fee/raise prescription copayments for VA care;
  
• Added $1.5 billion to FY 2005 veterans' health care budget; and
  
• Extended fee-based TRICARE eligibility to all drilling Guard and Reserve members.

Active/Reserve Force Issues

• Won 3.1% 2006 pay raise for active duty/Guard/Reserve (.5% above private sector);
  
• Increased Army strength by 10,000 and Marine Corps by 1,000;
  
• Won full housing allowance for Guard/Reserve members activated 30-plus days;
  
• Won continuation of combat-zone pay during hospitalization for wounded troops;
  
• Authorized limited income replacement plan for mobilized Guard/Reserve members; and
  
• Raised maximum hardship duty pay from $300 to $750 per month.
  

Retirement/Survivor Issues

• Won 4.1% cost-of-living adjustment for retired pay/Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP)/disability compensation;
  
• Raised minimum SBP annuity to 40% of covered retired pay (as of Oct. 1, 2005);
  
• Began one-year open enrollment window for SBP (started Oct. 1, 2005);
  
• Reduced 10-year phase-in schedule to six years for restoring full retired pay for members designated as "unemployable" by the VA;
  
• Increased death gratuity to $100,000 for all active duty deaths; and
  
• Increased maximum SGLI coverage to $400,000.
  

Our chapter also is involved in state-level lobbying efforts. We are one of [insert the number of MOAA chapters in your state here] MOAA chapters in our state that belong to a state council of chapters. Our state council's legislation objectives include:

• exempting military retired pay from state income tax;
  
• getting property tax credits for currently serving military members; and
  
• building a new veterans' cemetery to serve residents in the northern part of our state.

We need your support to help achieve our legislative goals for 2006. We invite you to come to our next meeting and consider joining our chapter.

Online membership application
If your chapter has a Web presence, provide the name and e-mail address of your chapter's membership chairperson. Remember, your goal is to keep things simple so you don't have to constantly update your Web presence. However, you still want potential members to get the information they need to join your chapter.

Once a potential member has established contact, you can:

• mail the officer a membership application; or
  
• ask if he or she can download AND print your membership application, which has been converted and saved as an Adobe Acrobat PDF file. Many computer users have Adobe Acrobat, but not everyone has access to a printer.

Chapters that have established a Web site may desire something more robust. The Richmond (Va.) Chapter's Web site contains several online forms for members, including an online membership form that the webmaster, Cmdr. John Baumgarten, USN-Ret., developed himself.

"It is difficult, if not cost-prohibitive, for MOAA chapters to have online membership sign-up due to the difficulty in collecting any associated dues payments," cautions Baumgarten. "Maintaining an online credit card payment system is very complex, and it costs the chapter some portion of its revenue for the various credit card services. That is why we have an online, printable form that applicants can complete, print, and mail to the chapter with any payment due."

Organizing your Web presence
Your Web presence will consist of a home page, which contains the essential information listed above. Even if visitors come to your Web site but never move beyond the homepage, they still have all the essential information about your chapter.

Next, begin sorting the information into general topics. Visitors will be able to access these general topics from the home page. These general topics also will become your main navigation links, which will be found on every Web page on your site. Suggestions for general topics include:

• Who We Are;
  
• What We Do;
  
• Benefits of Membership; and
  
• Calendar of Events.

As you organize your Web presence, stick to this basic principle: one topic = one Web page. When you're done, the content you've organized should look like the illustration shown below.

Remember to keep your Web presence simple. Most of the information on your Web presence should be evergreen or timeless and doesn't need to be updated frequently. In general, a Web presence contains a home page and one layer of general topics that serve as main navigation links.

Organizing your Web site
Organizing a Web site is more involved because Web sites contain more layers of information. Your site also will contain links that will allow visitors to jump from one topic to another on your site, which will create a Web effect.

When you're organizing the materials for your site, stick to these basic principles:

• one topic=one Web page.
  
• never construct a site with more than three layers of information. Most Web users are unwilling to "drill down" more than a few layers to access the information they need.
  
• organize your information in order of importance. The first layer of your Web site should convey the most important aspects about your chapter. Conversely, the third layer of your Web site should only contain specific information that will be of interest to a limited number of members and visitors.

Let's pretend the XYZ Chapter has decided it would like to establish a Web site, instead of a Web presence. Here's an example of one way they could arrange the information they want to convey. Notice that some topics, such as Community Service Projects and Legislative Efforts, reference members to other areas of the site, which creates a Web-like effect.

 

Section Two: Programs and Tools for Building Your Site
The No. 1 rule for building a Web presence or Web site is to keep it simple. Adding graphic, audio, and video files to your Web site adds to the time it takes for pages to download when visitors access your site.

"I could use more sophisticated Web design tools, but some of our target audience still uses Windows 95 or Windows 98 and still use dial-up modems, so I need to keep the pages simple," says Maj. Clifton Furedy, USAF-Ret., webmaster for the Hampton Roads (Va.) Chapter.

Simple, however, doesn't mean dull. Indeed, the Hampton Roads Chapter's Web site (www.hrcmoaa.org) has the sort of visual appeal that draws in visitors who want to learn more about the chapter.

Web publishing programs
The operating system your computer uses may affect which Web publishing program you choose to use, as well as how much you pay. The two commonly used operating systems are Microsoft Windows and Mac OS. Before buying a Web publishing program, make sure it's compatible with your operating system.

You don't have to spend a lot on the Web publishing program you'll use to construct your Web site. In fact, some of MOAA's award-winning webmasters use free Web publishing programs. In fact, you shouldn't even consider buying a professional-grade Web authoring program such as Adobe's Macromedia Studio 8, which costs more than $1,000. That's because professional-grade Web publishing programs contain far more tools and features than you'll need to construct a basic Web presence or Web site.

Instead, focus on getting a good consumer-grade Web publishing program that will meet your needs. Not only are these programs more inexpensive - or even free - they're also a lot easier to use.

Publishing programs MOAA webmasters use
You'll be constructing Web pages using hypertext markup language (HTML). Some webmasters take the time to learn HTML so they can create original Web pages. However, most of the award-winning MOAA webmasters we interviewed said that although they understood some basic HTML concepts, they didn't use HTML to create Web pages from scratch. Instead, they used a variety of consumer-grade Web authoring software programs to construct their Web sites.

Some of the Web software programs used by MOAA webmasters include:

• Adobe Macromedia Dreamweaver
  www.adobe.com/products/dreamweaver
  One the industry's lead Web developing tools, Dreamweaver contains a wealth of features that can help you create a robust Web site.
  Approximate cost: $399
  
•  Microsoft Front Page
  http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX010858021033.aspx
  This user-friendly program is ideally suited for those who would like to establish a Web presence. You don't have to know HTML to use this program, which also contains templates and wizards that can help you create a Web presence quickly. This program also contains the tools needed to set up a robust Web site.
  Approximate cost: $199
  
• Netscape Composer
  http://browser.netscape.com/ns8/ (Click on Downloads from the main navigation bar at the top of the page, then select Archived Products, and version 7.2x )
  This program, which is a feature of Netscape's Web browser, allows you see what your site will look like as you build it, so you won't have to learn HTML.
  Approximate cost: free
  A tutorial for Composer can be found at: www.georgiasouthern.edu/~jwalker/tutorials/composer .
  
• Mozilla
  www.mozilla.org/products/mozilla1.x/ (Select your operating system from the download options listed in the upper right-hand corner.)
  An all-in-one Internet application suite.
  Approximate cost: free

Some word-processing programs such as Microsoft Word allow you to save the documents you create as Web pages. Although Microsoft Word is easy to use, it has few tools and features, and most webmasters find Word simply doesn't meet their needs.

Many Web browsers such as Microsoft Internet Explorer also have built-in editors that you can use for Web publishing.

Handling graphics and photos
You can use a number of Web programs to handle graphics and photos. These programs contain tools that will allow you to make your photos look better. In addition, some will help you scale and compress graphics and photos into smaller files that will load quickly. Indeed, nobody likes to sit and wait for an image to load on a Web page.

Remember to keep it simple. Don't clutter up your Web site with a lot of photos and graphics.

Having simpler needs also will save you money when it comes time to invest in a program to handle your photos and graphics. Avoid professional-grade programs such as Adobe Illustrator, which costs approximately $499. Likewise, you also should pass on Adobe PhotoShop, which runs approximately $649 and contains far more tools and features than you'll need.

Instead, opt for the scaled-down consumer version, which is called Adobe PhotoShop Elements and costs around $89. A number of free software programs to handle graphics and photos also are available.

What MOAA webmasters use
Listed below are some of the consumer-grade photo and graphics programs being used by MOAA's award-winning webmasters:

• Corel PaintShop Pro
  www.corel.com/servlet/Satellite?c=Product_C1&cid=1155872554948&lc=en&pagename=CorelCom%2FLayout
  Approximate cost: $100
  
• Adobe PhotoShop Elements
  http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshopelwin
  Approximate cost: $89
  
• Web Graphics Optimizer
  www.webopt.com/download/index.html
  Approximate cost: $39 for the Standard Edition
  
• Irfan View
  www.irfanview.com
  Approximate cost: free

Domain names and Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
Congratulations! Your Web presence or Web site is finally done. Now, you'll need to pick a domain name - more commonly known as a Web address or Universal Resource Locator (URL). Your Web address acts much like a street address because indicates where your Web presence or Web site resides on the World Wide Web.

How to select a domain name
If you don't yet have a domain name, follow these guidelines:

• Try to select a domain name that contains your most important keyword, which is MOAA.
  
• Select a domain name that's easy to remember.
  
• Try to keep your domain name as short as possible.
  
• Although many domain extensions are available, dot.com (used by commercial Web sites) or dot.org (used by nonprofits such as MOAA) are probably your best choices.
  Example: www.moaatampa.com.

How to select an ISP
Next, you'll need to find an Internet Service Provider (ISP) to host your Web presence or Web site. The ISP you select will store your site on a server, which is connected to the Web.

Hundreds of ISPs can host your Web presence or Web site. The important thing to remember is that geographic boundaries don't exist on the Web, so you can use a national ISP or a local ISP.

One of the first things you'll notice when it comes time to select an ISP is that everyone seems to be offering different packages and features. This makes it nearly impossible to do an apple-to-apple comparison of ISPs.

Websource contains an article that lists many of the questions you should ask before selecting an ISP. That article can be found here: http://www.web-source.net/webpage_hosting.htm .

Yahoo! also has a great article that outlines the issues you'll need to consider when choosing an ISP, which can be found here: http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/r-article-a-2387-m-3-sc-17-choosing_a_web_host-i .

"Section Three: Links to Online Resources and Tutorials" contains links to several ISPs you may want to consider. Also, be sure to read "Advice from award-winning webmasters," which lists the ISPs that are used by some of MOAA's top webmasters.

Free ISP services
Beware of ISPs that offer to host your Web site for free. Although you're not paying for their service, you likely will wind up reimbursing the ISP in some way by allowing them to post advertisements that are superimposed over your Web pages. These free accounts also come with a lot of restrictions, the most common being that the site is strictly for personal use.

Another downside is accessibility. You want to make it easy for people to find your chapter's or council's Web site. Unfortunately, many Search Engines won't even index a site that's hosted on a free server.

A good, cheap alternative
Every Web user connects to the Internet via an ISP, such as AOL, Earthlink, BellSouth, Comcast, etc. Most of these ISPs provide their customers with free space on their server so they can set up their own personal Web site. Several MOAA webmasters have chosen to use the free space provided by their ISP to host their chapter or council's Web site. Before considering this option, however, take some time to weigh the pros and cons.

Although the space you'll be given is ad-free, some ISPS have restrictions about the type of site you can set up. So be sure to read the fine print.

If you decide to let an individual member host the chapter or council Web site, you may set yourself up for problems in the future if that person leaves the area or decides to let his or her membership lapse. Servers also can be slow during peak traffic hours, and the domain name - the Web address for your site - can be long and awkward.

Venice Area (Fla.) Chapter Member Maj. Paul Nienaber, USAR-Ret., is one MOAA webmaster who has come up with a way to get around this problem. To avoid having an awkward Web address, Nienaber uses Mydomain.com (www.mydomain.com) and pays $8.50 a year to have the company "redirect" visitors to the 25 MB of free space Comcast has given him to host his own personal Web site. Nienaber, however, uses this space to host his chapter's Web site (www.venicemoaa.com).

Other money-saving options
If you are recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a nonprofit organization, you can find Web hosting sites that offer services for free, or for a very low monthly fee. One resource for this is Non-Profit Pages.com, which can be found here: http://www.nonprofitpages.com. Another is the TechGoodness Foundation at: www.techgoodness.org.

Currently, MOAA chapters in California can get funds to help defer the cost of creating and maintaining a Web site through the Military Retirees Benefit Foundation. Read about the foundation and download an application form here: http://www.cal-moaa.org/content/view/49/26/.

Section Three: Links to Online Resources and Tutorials
The Web contains a number of resources and tutorials you can use when constructing your Web presence or Web site. These resources are organized by topic and are listed below.

Tutorials
How-to-Build-Websites.com
www.how-to-build-websites.com
How-to-Build-Websites.com is designed for total beginners and people who use programs like Dreamweaver, FrontPage, or other What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) programs. You also can find tutorials to learn hypertext markup language (HTML).

PageTutor.com
www.pagetutor.com
This site contains Web authoring tutorials.

How to Create Your First Web Site
www.ehow.com/how_42_create-first-web.html
A great step-by step tutorial for beginners who wish to set up their own Web site.

Programs and tools
Web Design Software: Which Is Right for You?
http://webdesign.about.com/library/editorquiz/blstart.htm
About.com has a great interactive quiz you can take, which will help you determine what Web design software program you should purchase.

eHow
www.ehow.com/list_1109.html#Designing%20Web%20Pages
Visit eHow for instructions on using several Web-editing programs, including Netscape Composer, Microsoft FrontPage, and Macromedia Dreamweaver, as well as information on basic HTML.

Web hosting and domain names
GoDaddy.com
This well-rated online company offers competitive pricing.
www.godaddy.com

BraveNet.com
www.bravenet.com/webhosting
This site offers Web hosting and contains Web tools, including Web address "redirects". Also included are tutorials on HTML, FTP, tables and forms, and page structure.

Homestead
www.homestead.com
Provides both Web hosting and free site-building services, including free Web templates you can select and customize.

Advice from MOAA's award-winning webmasters
The following chapters were recognized during the 2005 Communications Awards Contest for establishing and maintaining up-to-date Web sites that keep existing members informed and let potential members learn more about their organizations and national MOAA.

Find out what software programs, Web hosting services, and advice these award-winning webmasters have for you. Then take a moment to visit their Web sites.

Ark-La-Tex Chapter

Webmaster: Capt. David Jampole, USAF-Ret.
Web address: www.arklatexmoaa.org
Operating system used: Windows XP Pro
Web software program used: Primarily Dreamweaver
Graphics program used: Paintshop Pro and various others as needed
ISP used and cost: www.canaca.com, $3.95/mo or $7.95/mo-"I don't remember."
Updates: "I make updates strictly on an as-needed basis. Time ranges from 1-10 minutes (rarely more), although sometimes I have to think about what/how I want to implement a change/update/addition."
Can members join online: Yes, but they must mail in their dues.
Advice: "Find a site you like and look at the underlying HTML code as an aid in understanding how a certain feature works. Be careful you don't violate someone's copyright. Learn HTML and remember that in almost all cases simpler is better. Functionality and ease of use and navigation is what you are after."
Contact Captain Jampole at: djampole@yahoo.com
"I should add that in addition to having retired from the Air Force, I am also a retired Associate Professor of Computer Science, and I focused on database and Web design. That might have something to do with it. My current business is - surprise, surprise - database and Web site design."

Hampton Roads (Va.) Chapter

Webmaster: Maj. Clifton Furedy, USAF-Ret.
Web address: www.hrcmoaa.org
Operating system used: Windows XP Pro
Web software program used: "Netscape Composer 4.7x to edit Web pages and a text editor to mess with the underlying HTML. I could use more sophisticated Web design tools, but some of our target audience still use Windows 95 or 98 and still use dial-up modems, so I need to keep the pages simple."
Graphics program used: Uses WebGraphics Optimizer to reduce the size of the images so they will download quickly. Uses Adobe PhotoShop to adjust an image's brightness, color balance, etc. Creates images from scratch using Visio or CorelDRAW.
ISP used and cost: "Initially, we used the member Web space that comes free with each Cox Internet account. That worked fine for several years, but as our Web site grew, we ran out of space. Currently, we use Web.com as our Web host and it costs $9.95 per month. They will also register your domain name for free. Normally, that is a $30/year charge. We registered our domain name with NetworkSolutions.com and if you pay several years in advance, you can get the price per year down to about $20."
Updates: "I update the Web site whenever the Web content editor sends me new information. Typically, that is several times a month. Simple changes to the chapter calendar only take a couple of minutes, but the bi-monthly newsletter often takes several evenings (about 3 to 4 hours) to set up. It usually takes me about 30 minutes to create a brand new Web page from scratch. Forms are more complicated and take considerably longer to set up, program, and test."
Can members join online: "Yes, we have several forms that members can fill out and either send directly or can print and mail. But then they must add a check and mail the printed form manually. We have an agreement with the company I work for to use a corner of their Earthlink Web hosting account for more complex forms. Earthlink supports a robust form tool that allows visitors to fill in complex forms and these are then sent by e-mail."
Advice: "I strongly recommend a Web Content Editor be the focal point for all information posted on the Web site. Somebody has to control it or you get all sorts of different info from many directions. Our past-president and newsletter editor, Cmdr. John Vermillion, USN-Ret., is the Web Content editor. He tracks down information, writes the articles, and checks it for style and compliance with chapter policy. Then he hands the photos, graphics, and text to me, and I put it on a Web page. He sits on the chapter board so he knows what's happening throughout the chapter. I have a day job so I don't have time to interface with the officers, chairmen, and members very often. But this allows me to focus on layout, design, and general appearance, while John concentrates on the content. It works great for us. I recommend every chapter consider this model."
Contact Maj. Furedy at: thrcmoaa@cox.net

Atlanta (Ga.) Chapter

Webmaster: CWO Shel Miller, USA-Ret.
Web address: http://home.bellsouth.net/p/PWP-atlmoaa
Operating system used: WindowsXP, Home Edition
Web software program used: Microsoft Front Page. "You don't have to know HTML or be a genius to use FrontPage."
Graphics program used: "I use Adobe Photo Elements 4.0 to modify and/or edit photos and graphics I use on the Web site."
ISP used and cost: "BellSouth is my ISP and, as most ISPs do, they offer space for a personal Web site. In BellSouth, that is up to 10MB at no charge. My Web site currently uses 3.24 MB.
Updates: "I only update as needed, which usually is once a month. It takes about 7 or 8 minutes."
ISP used and cost: Yes, but they must mail in their dues check.
Advice: "I don't think MOAA's Web template was suitable for everyone. Some Web software programs like Microsoft FrontPage come with page wizards or templates you can modify. "
Contact CWO Miller at: cwoshel@bellsouth.net

Richmond (Va.) Chapter

Webmaster: Cmdr. John Baumgarten, USN-Ret.
Web address: http://pages.prodigy.net/jabaumgarten/home.htm
Operating system used: Windows XP
Web software program used: "Hippie 98 by Trout Software, Inc. (Cost: $49.95 - downloadable from the Internet). Our Web site is almost totally 'frame-based,' which makes downloading and viewing various Web pages much faster."
Graphics program used: Hippie 98 by Trout Software, Inc., which has "FTP" capabilities that allow you to upload changes to the Web site.
ISP used and cost:  "My ISP is SBC - Prodigy. The Web site costs me nothing as I have 15MB of FREE server space for my personal Web pages included with my ISP subscription. My subscription cost is $222 per year (about $18.50 per month)."
Updates: "I update my Web site continuously, but not less than once per week. It usually takes about one hour to do my regular weekly update when I post the MOAA Legislative Update (the format MOAA uses on its Web site is not very chapter-friendly). Every other month, when I post the chapter newsletter to the Web site in HTML format, it takes about four hours for the update. We also provide our chapter newsletter in a full-page Adobe Acrobat PDF file format for those members who wish to view or print a hard copy of the newsletter. (This requires member to have Adobe Acrobat to view or print PDF pages)."
Can members join online: "My Web site has both electronic and downloadable forms for various purposes. (I designed all the forms myself.)"
Advice: "In my opinion, canned online services for Web site creation are very restrictive and don't give you a lot for your money. Although it's a lot of work, if you have someone who can teach themselves (as I did) how to program for the Internet and who has access to a FREE Web page server, you can have a Web site over which you have complete editorial and format control."
Contact Commander Baumgarten at: jabaumgarten@prodigy.net

Venice Area (Fla.) Chapter

Webmaster: Maj. Paul Nienaber, USAR-Ret.
Web address: www.venicemoaa.com
Operating system used: Windows
Web software program used: Microsoft Front Page.
Graphics program used: Adobe PhotoShop
ISP used and cost: Uses Comcast to access the Internet and pays $40/month. Uses the 25 MB of free space provided by Comcast for personal Web pages to host the chapter's Web site. To avoid having an awkward Web address, he uses Mydomain.com (www.mydomain.com) and pays them $8.50/yr. to redirects visitors to his Comcast Web site for free.
Updates: "Monthly with Adobe PDF copy of printed newsletter, social event of month, any breaking club news."
Can members join online: No.
Advice: "Most ISPs offer free personal Web page space and an authoring system. Just do it."

Virginia Peninsula Chapter

Webmaster: Lt. Col. James Eagle, USAF-Ret.
Web address: http://vipmoaa.org
Operating system used: Windows XP
Web software program used: "I use the composer that comes with the browser Mozilla. The Mozilla composer is free, simple to use, and virtually bulletproof. It doesn't do frames and some other fancy stuff, but I find it adequate for the task. I have a rudimentary understanding of HTML, enough that I can usually figure out what to do when the Mozilla composer won't do something I want to do. I find it necessary to check my work periodically by opening Microsoft's browser since so many people use it but prefer Mozilla because it is tighter from a security standpoint and has many features not available with Internet Explorer."
Graphics program used: "I use a freeware program named Irfan View. This is a very robust,(and free) picture manager. Most of the files are converted to JPEG format if they are not already in that format."
ISP used and cost: "Cox is my Internet provider, and the monthly fee is $49. I am using my personal space for the Web pages, which is legal since we are a nonprofit organization. I have our domain registered with GoDaddy.Com, and they redirect visitors to my personal Web space on Cox. That way, we advertise our Web address as VIPMOAA.org. I purchased WS-FTP Pro to handle the transfer Web page files to the Web site."
Updates: "It needs about a full day's work once a month. Things that need updating in between I take care of on the fly. The most time-consuming item is the e-news letter. [Lieutenant Colonel Eagle converts the chapter's newsletter into a HTML document, so members can read it on the Web without having to download any files.] I get most of the input in Microsoft Word and have to spend time stripping the Microsoft coding out of the text and display, converting the files to HTML that is clean as I can make it."
Can members join online: "We post downloadable membership forms and have members snail mail their checks."
Advice: "Learn a little HTML, and try to keep the files simple and the pages uncluttered. Avoid flashing lights, bells, and whistles. They distract more than they help. Keep in mind that perishable information has a terrible way of haunting you for updates!"
Contact Lieutenant Colonel Eagle at: jamesdeagle@cox.net