[Lnc-business] LP.org website transition botched (as predicted)

Tue Oct 25 23:38:05 EDT 2016

Thank you Kevin.  I will cool my jets on that issue for a few days and
check back in.

-- 
*In Liberty,*
*Caryn Ann Harlos*
Region 1 Representative, Libertarian National Committee (Alaska, Arizona,
Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Washington) - Caryn.Ann.
Harlos at LP.org
Communications Director, Libertarian Party of Colorado
<http://www.lpcolorado.org/>
Colorado State Coordinator, Libertarian Party Radical Caucus
<http://www.lpradicalcaucus.org/>

On Tuesday, October 25, 2016, Kevin Ludlow <ludlow at gmail.com> wrote:

> No problem, Caryn.
>
> I wouldn't even think days.  I would think A day.  Staff was tasked with
> taking each page from the old Drupal system and importing it into the new
> one.  As far as I know ALL pages were copied over.  They were copied into 1
> of 6 (or so) different page templates that were created to serve different
> formats of data.  So I'm certain we have everything.  Even if it hadn't
> been copied over, we still have it and it would just need TO BE copied
> over, but I don't believe this is the case.  I believe in those cases the
> links structure may have changed.  We have been updating these so that all
> incoming links to the old structure point to the appropriate new structure
> and send out PERMANENT REDIRECT notifications to Google and such (so things
> are updated).
>
> ~k
>
> On Tue, Oct 25, 2016 at 10:28 PM, Caryn Ann Harlos <
> carynannharlos at gmail.com
> <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','carynannharlos at gmail.com');>> wrote:
>
>> Thank you Kevin.
>>
>> That is why I was asking staff about them.  If we are talking a matter of
>> days for that content - that is reasonable.  If moreso, not so much.
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> *In Liberty,*
>> *Caryn Ann Harlos*
>> Region 1 Representative, Libertarian National Committee (Alaska, Arizona,
>> Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Washington) - Caryn.Ann.
>> Harlos at LP.org
>> Communications Director, Libertarian Party of Colorado
>> <http://www.lpcolorado.org/>
>> Colorado State Coordinator, Libertarian Party Radical Caucus
>> <http://www.lpradicalcaucus.org/>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Tuesday, October 25, 2016, Kevin Ludlow <ludlow at gmail.com
>> <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','ludlow at gmail.com');>> wrote:
>>
>>> Caryn,
>>>
>>> I genuinely am not trying to avoid those issues.  I know content is
>>> there.  What I'm trying to convey is that from my point of view, if those
>>> documents are "opaque" for another 12 hours, I'm okay with that.  I realize
>>> you might not be, but this goes back to my volunteering work.  I have to
>>> prioritize work that I am personally responsible for.
>>>
>>> So I will happily weigh in with staff and get links to them.  I can even
>>> check the admin pages and see what the current URL is provided they have
>>> been copied and not linked.
>>>
>>> But I really need to know if anything is actually not functioning.  This
>>> is what my current workload is.
>>>
>>> I apologize if any of that sounds dismissive.  It's not my intent, but I
>>> can't do specific projects for you and/or Chuck or the LNC or whomever else
>>> right now as I need to make sure the site is fully functional.  If/when it
>>> IS fully functional (which it very well may already be), then we can
>>> address any missing pieces.
>>>
>>> ~k
>>>
>>> On Tue, Oct 25, 2016 at 10:15 PM, Caryn Ann Harlos <
>>> carynannharlos at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Thank you Kevin for all your work.
>>>>
>>>> I can't though not desire answers on the minutes archives and LNC
>>>> business list not being there.  That is essential for members and cannot be
>>>> optional.
>>>>
>>>> Can staff answer when those can be restored?  This is an acceptable
>>>> situation of opacity.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> *In Liberty,*
>>>> *Caryn Ann Harlos*
>>>> Region 1 Representative, Libertarian National Committee (Alaska,
>>>> Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Washington) - Caryn.Ann.
>>>> Harlos at LP.org
>>>> Communications Director, Libertarian Party of Colorado
>>>> <http://www.lpcolorado.org/>
>>>> Colorado State Coordinator, Libertarian Party Radical Caucus
>>>> <http://www.lpradicalcaucus.org/>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Tuesday, October 25, 2016, Kevin Ludlow <ludlow at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Caryn,
>>>>>
>>>>> I've always gotten along with you just fine as you're very reasonable.
>>>>>
>>>>> In this case, I respectfully disagree that it's useful to deliver a
>>>>> 6-page rant citing the "I told you so" lines when the decision has been
>>>>> done, executed, and is live.  Further, I have been in this business for 20
>>>>> years now.  We had roughly 2.5 hours of outages this morning between
>>>>> roughly 7:45AM and 9:15AM EST.  This was only because of the unknown.
>>>>> Staff has spent a lot of time testing this software.  It was rolled over
>>>>> twice already and rolled back just to ensure we COULD roll it back if there
>>>>> was a major problem.  The point being that we transitioned an entire
>>>>> infrastructure from 6 services to ONE, the monthly cost savings should be
>>>>> about $500 once everything is in place, and best I can tell nothing is
>>>>> broken - there are just complaints that some things are missing (which
>>>>> they're definitely not, but I'll concede that perhaps staff hasn't finished
>>>>> adding links - I honestly don't know right now).
>>>>>
>>>>> There are no major problems that anyone has reported save for the
>>>>> overloading this morning.  The page content was always intended to / has
>>>>> been / and IS preserved.  If a link isn't immediately visible, then staff
>>>>> can correct that if appropriate.
>>>>>
>>>>> IF there are broken links, namely as a URL may have changed and needs
>>>>> to be forwarded now, I would really, genuinely like to know so I can fix
>>>>> those problems.  I offered that to Chuck.  I offered it to you.
>>>>>
>>>>> That said, we can start however necessary.  I have ostensibly worked
>>>>> on this for 3.5 straight weeks.  That is not because of the website itself,
>>>>> but rather the years of garbaged up infrastructure.  We would have rolled
>>>>> the site out 6 weeks ago if not for all of that.  My point being that I've
>>>>> been voluntarily taking on FAR more work than was entailed in the website
>>>>> redesign itself because our infrastructure couldn't handle the modern
>>>>> codebase (it is roughly 8 years out of spec).
>>>>>
>>>>> I would ask that you leave whatever issues you have with content alone
>>>>> for the time being.  I'm not saying they won't be addressed, I'm saying
>>>>> that it's not a primary concern.  The primary concern is ensuring that the
>>>>> site is running so it can serve up any content.  IF there is a problem with
>>>>> something not loading, we need to know that.
>>>>>
>>>>> Staff has copied over existing pages and so nothing is lost or
>>>>> destroyed or anything of this sort.
>>>>>
>>>>> I need to convey though, that I am not on the clock for the people on
>>>>> this thread.  I have been, and am continuing to volunteer a tremendous
>>>>> amount of time to ensure this is completed smoothly.  I am happy to try and
>>>>> fix things that are broken.  I'm very uninterested in listening to Mr.
>>>>> Molton rant on about his discontent with the structure.  It's done.  That
>>>>> ship sailed in February.
>>>>>
>>>>> So that's where I'm at.  By all means, please inform me of broken
>>>>> pieces so we can look at and correct anything ASAP.
>>>>>
>>>>> ~k
>>>>>
>>>>> On Tue, Oct 25, 2016 at 10:01 PM, Caryn Ann Harlos <
>>>>> carynannharlos at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Kevin,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> He was writing as a member to a busy elected to SERVE members.  That
>>>>>> means sometimes we will hear things we don't want to and have to respond to
>>>>>> very upset complaints.  No matter what anyone says  - high-handed responses
>>>>>> are not appropriate IMHO.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I didn't agree with Chuck's desire to see heads roll.  I said so
>>>>>> respectfully,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Can we start again?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> --
>>>>>> *In Liberty,*
>>>>>> *Caryn Ann Harlos*
>>>>>> Region 1 Representative, Libertarian National Committee (Alaska,
>>>>>> Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Washington) - Caryn.Ann.
>>>>>> Harlos at LP.org
>>>>>> Communications Director, Libertarian Party of Colorado
>>>>>> <http://www.lpcolorado.org/>
>>>>>> Colorado State Coordinator, Libertarian Party Radical Caucus
>>>>>> <http://www.lpradicalcaucus.org/>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Tuesday, October 25, 2016, Kevin Ludlow <ludlow at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Caryn,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Chuck opened with whoever made the decision was a MORON and should
>>>>>>> be FIRED.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I think my response was in line.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Regardless, I remain open to seeing links broken. I'm sure some
>>>>>>> still exist. We launched the site this morning. Staff has spent weeks
>>>>>>> testing the site and fixing links and such. I'm all for fixing dead links,
>>>>>>> but 6 pages of complaints without any information is not helpful.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Also, I'm not a member of the LNC. I'm a volunteer only. So I don't
>>>>>>> really owe anyone anything. I've delightfully put in a couple hundred hours
>>>>>>> so far. That's the best I'm willing to do at this point given such a
>>>>>>> response.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> K
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On Tuesday, October 25, 2016, Caryn Ann Harlos <
>>>>>>> carynannharlos at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Kevin, that was an inappropriate response to concerns of a member
>>>>>>>> IMHO- his concerns are valid and shouldn't be dismissed as "oh you
>>>>>>>> Libertarians, you are a minority - we can safely ignore you."
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Where are the links to the LNC Business list, the old blog
>>>>>>>> articles, and the past minutes?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Can we have the discussion without sarcasm and without putting down
>>>>>>>> Libertarians as inconsequential?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>> *In Liberty,*
>>>>>>>> *Caryn Ann Harlos*
>>>>>>>> Region 1 Representative, Libertarian National Committee (Alaska,
>>>>>>>> Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Washington) - Caryn.Ann.
>>>>>>>> Harlos at LP.org
>>>>>>>> Communications Director, Libertarian Party of Colorado
>>>>>>>> <http://www.lpcolorado.org/>
>>>>>>>> Colorado State Coordinator, Libertarian Party Radical Caucus
>>>>>>>> <http://www.lpradicalcaucus.org/>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> On Tue, Oct 25, 2016 at 8:19 PM, Kevin Ludlow <ludlow at gmail.com>
>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Hey Chuck,
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Thanks for the constructive feedback.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I'll delightfully take credit/responsibility for whatever and all
>>>>>>>>> actions you've written about.  Please pardon Nick, Robert, Wes, and anybody
>>>>>>>>> else in your crosshairs.  I'm sure they'll be relieved to be spared.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I'm not going to read that entire document you've sent as I've
>>>>>>>>> spent the last 3 weeks trying to fix the party's infrastructure for the
>>>>>>>>> website TO go live.  It was finished two days ago, it was launched last
>>>>>>>>> night.  That was my call.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> What would be useful right now would be if you could point out the
>>>>>>>>> broken links so that we can assign permanent redirects to them.  Any page
>>>>>>>>> content that existed STILL exists.  This has been made clear over and over
>>>>>>>>> again.  It's possible that some page links have not been forwarded, but
>>>>>>>>> I've been monitoring logs on all 4 servers all day and have not seen many
>>>>>>>>> 404s.  The downtime this morning wasn't actually from an outage, but rather
>>>>>>>>> ME under-predicting the load our servers would take.  This is admittedly
>>>>>>>>> because I didn't have any data to go on because -- well -- we've not really
>>>>>>>>> ever kept any before.  I made the best prediction I could; I way
>>>>>>>>> under-estimated.  The servers were scaled up and unless you're seeing
>>>>>>>>> something different, the site has been running fine all day since about
>>>>>>>>> 9:45am CST.  It was running before that just fine too, but the morning
>>>>>>>>> surge in traffic overwhelmed it.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> So anyway, if you'd like to submit broken links, we'd love to set
>>>>>>>>> up additional forwards.  Overall though, I'm pretty happy with the change.
>>>>>>>>> I'm happy we've done it before the election - even if it wound up being
>>>>>>>>> delayed from our proposed launch of September 29th.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> The old site was very, very bad.  I know you're a tech guy all the
>>>>>>>>> way.  I know words resonate with you and not colors and images and feelings
>>>>>>>>> and emotions.  But you comprise a very, very, VERY small portion of the
>>>>>>>>> American electorate and the new site was designed to appeal to people who
>>>>>>>>> are visually oriented, not interested in reading walls of text, and might
>>>>>>>>> have the attention span of a few seconds at best (eg: the vast majority of
>>>>>>>>> people).  It was designed for people who might not care about the
>>>>>>>>> Libertarian Party - in hopes that something grabs their attention and they
>>>>>>>>> begin to care.  We don't need to "win over" existing Libertarians -- or at
>>>>>>>>> least one would think, but it's honestly hard to tell these days.
>>>>>>>>> Regardless, it was decided.  It's done.  You can hate it.  But I'd still
>>>>>>>>> love your help in knowing where links are broken instead of mostly ignoring
>>>>>>>>> another wall of text.  That would help ensure that it's in good shape.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> If you'd like to vent further, feel free to call me at
>>>>>>>>> 512-773-3968 to spare the group.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Sincerely,
>>>>>>>>> Kevin
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> On Tue, Oct 25, 2016 at 8:56 PM, Chuck Moulton <chuck at moulton.org>
>>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> LNC members,
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Many of the problems I warned about have in fact come to pass.
>>>>>>>>>> It is Cassandra's Curse: always right but never believed.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> See the exchange from IPR quoted below (in the P.S.) for context
>>>>>>>>>> and institutional memory.  I'll quote and discuss some of the highlights
>>>>>>>>>> here.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> WARNING #1: TRANSITIONS CAN BE BOTCHED, LEADING TO DOWNTIME — AT
>>>>>>>>>> THE WORST TIME IN THE ELECTION CYCLE FOR SUCH DOWNTIME: THE PRESIDENTIAL
>>>>>>>>>> CAMPAIGN.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> This buggy transition was implemented 13 days before the
>>>>>>>>>> presidential election.  That is the 13th worst day in a 4 year cycle to
>>>>>>>>>> unveil a new a new website.  There were/are 1,448 better days to change to
>>>>>>>>>> a new website in a 4 year cycle.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Whatever MORON decided to switch to a new website today instead
>>>>>>>>>> of after the election should be immediately FIRED.  Do not pass go, do not
>>>>>>>>>> collect $200.  FIRED.  I can't imagine a stupider, more incompetent,
>>>>>>>>>> strategically insane decision than pulling the plug on a working website
>>>>>>>>>> and trying out a new, buggy website immediately before a presidential
>>>>>>>>>> election.  It is INSANE.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> I like staff, but if Wes Benedict made this idiotic decision,
>>>>>>>>>> FIRE HIM IMMEDIATELY.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> I like much of the LNC, but if Nick Sarwark made this idiotic
>>>>>>>>>> decision, SUSPEND HIM FOR CAUSE IMMEDIATELY (I'll gladly recuse myself as a
>>>>>>>>>> member of the Judicial Committee if he appeals).
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> If Kevin Ludlow made this idiotic decision, RESCIND THE FEBRUARY
>>>>>>>>>> 2016 MOTION GIVING LUDLOW UNILATERAL AUTHORITY OVER THE LP'S MOST IMPORTANT
>>>>>>>>>> ASSET IMMEDIATELY.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Everything we were told about a professional transition that does
>>>>>>>>>> not suffer from the pitfalls I highlighted was a lie.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> It takes significantly more time for lp.org pages to load than
>>>>>>>>>> before. The site has been down on & off all day long.  For a while people
>>>>>>>>>> were directed to another domain whenever they went to a LP page:
>>>>>>>>>> libparty.zocalodesign.com.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> WARNING #2: A LOT OF CONTENT IS REMOVED. LACK OF THAT CONTENT
>>>>>>>>>> MAKES IT MUCH HARDER TO ENERGIZE PROSPECTS; GET DONATIONS, VOLUNTEERS, AND
>>>>>>>>>> CANDIDATES; AND TRAIN LIBERTARIANS ON BEST PRACTICES.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> In fact (as predicted), a lot of content has been removed from
>>>>>>>>>> lp.org.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> For example, as chair of the Judicial Committee I wonder what
>>>>>>>>>> happened to the webpage listing bylaws mandated committee members?
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Where is the link to the LP Business list?
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Where are the LNC minute archives before 2015?
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> I could go on and on, but I cover this point more broadly in my
>>>>>>>>>> next unheeded warning.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> I was repeatedly assured that content would not be removed,
>>>>>>>>>> except that the front page would be made less cluttered.  That was a lie.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> WARNING #3: BOTH CONTENT REMOVAL AND TRANSITIONS TO A NEW SYSTEM
>>>>>>>>>> MAY LEAD SOME PAGES TO BE REMOVED OR MOVED, BREAKING LINKS TO PARTS OF THE
>>>>>>>>>> SITE FROM ALL AROUND THE INTERNET AND MAKING US LOOK UNPROFESSIONAL WITH
>>>>>>>>>> 404 ERRORS.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> The number of 404 errors is shocking!  Activists have been out
>>>>>>>>>> there for months / years promoting our website by linking to it --
>>>>>>>>>> especially during this presidential election.  Most of those links are now
>>>>>>>>>> broken.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Just try clicking on many of these links:
>>>>>>>>>> https://www.google.com/search?site=&source=hp&q=site%3Alp.or
>>>>>>>>>> g&oq=site%3Alp.org
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> I've been told the solution is just to report each broken link.
>>>>>>>>>> That is ridiculous!  It is completely unprofessional for a website
>>>>>>>>>> transition to be reactive instead of proactive -- especially given that
>>>>>>>>>> broken links probably number in the thousands.  We were assured that this
>>>>>>>>>> would be a professional transition, but that was a lie.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> WARNING #4: A NEW SYSTEM REQUIRES RETRAINING STAFF ON PROCESSES —
>>>>>>>>>> TIME THAT COULD HAVE BEEN DEVOTED TO OTHER THINGS.  EVEN AFTER RETRAINING
>>>>>>>>>> THERE WILL BE A LEARNING CURVE… EXTRA TIME FOR WEBSITE RELATED TASKS THAT
>>>>>>>>>> COULD HAVE BEEN DEVOTED TO OTHER THINGS.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> In fact (as predicted), staff has mentioned that the website
>>>>>>>>>> transition has taken staff time that could have been devoted to other
>>>>>>>>>> matters in this busy election season.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Wes Benedict wrote:
>>>>>>>>>> http://hq.lp.org/pipermail/lnc-business_hq.lp.org/2016/00657
>>>>>>>>>> 7.html
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> I hope we can get those things below implemented early in 2017,
>>>>>>>>>>> however, and get back to LPedia and many other projects, but
>>>>>>>>>>> first
>>>>>>>>>>> we're trying to roll out the new LP.org website.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> WARNING #5: INTERNAL SCRIPTS THAT CURRENTLY AUTOMATICALLY SHOOT
>>>>>>>>>> DATA TO STATE AFFILIATES SUCH AS THE VOLUNTEER FORM, THE WANT TO BE A
>>>>>>>>>> CANDIDATE FORM, THE INFO FORM, ETC. MAY STOP WORKING, WHICH WOULD DEPRIVE
>>>>>>>>>> STATES OF A VALUABLE SOURCE OF LEADS DURING A TRANSITION PERIOD.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Do these all still work?  I don't know.  I can't currently test
>>>>>>>>>> this as I am not a state chair right now.  I hope someone is testing this
>>>>>>>>>> stuff.  Based on all of the other monumental errors highlighted above, I
>>>>>>>>>> certainly don't trust whoever oversaw the website transition to have done
>>>>>>>>>> this testing.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> You all made a monumental error when you voted on this website.
>>>>>>>>>> Please do whatever you can to minimize the damage and triage the website
>>>>>>>>>> that is being butchered before your very eyes.  I hope the lost content can
>>>>>>>>>> be restored and the bugs can be fixed ASAP.  Even if everything is fixed
>>>>>>>>>> within the next week though, the timing is still horrendous.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Chuck Moulton
>>>>>>>>>> Life Member & Monthly Pledger, Libertarian Party
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> P.S. See below for context on this botched website transition and
>>>>>>>>>> eerily accurate prophesies from people with a clue.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Kevin Ludlow wrote:
>>>>>>>>>> http://hq.lp.org/pipermail/lnc-business_hq.lp.org/2016/00416
>>>>>>>>>> 4.html
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> 1) Our website is a joke. I mean a real, horrible, laughable,
>>>>>>>>>>> "maybe
>>>>>>>>>>> it's 1996 and the www portion of the internet has just been
>>>>>>>>>>> unleashed" joke. It's got ridiculous internal ads all over it.
>>>>>>>>>>> It's
>>>>>>>>>>> terribly organized. It uses bad images. It has an outdated font,
>>>>>>>>>>> not
>>>>>>>>>>> great font colors, and antiquated font-spacing and sizing. It
>>>>>>>>>>> barely
>>>>>>>>>>> functions on mobile devices. It's full of information it doesn't
>>>>>>>>>>> need
>>>>>>>>>>> to have. It conveys that we're not a serious organization.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Kevin Ludlow wrote:
>>>>>>>>>> http://hq.lp.org/pipermail/lnc-business_hq.lp.org/2016/00428
>>>>>>>>>> 3.html
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> We want to do all of these things. So I’m asking you, just stop
>>>>>>>>>>> what
>>>>>>>>>>> you’re doing for 30 seconds, reflect what could happen if we
>>>>>>>>>>> actually tried to accomplish this one little task. What is the
>>>>>>>>>>> WORST
>>>>>>>>>>> that could happen? We fail? We’re in a very slightly worse
>>>>>>>>>>> financial
>>>>>>>>>>> position than we already are? But now consider what is the BEST
>>>>>>>>>>> that
>>>>>>>>>>> could happen? Maybe this tailspin of a cash hole we’re in stops.
>>>>>>>>>>> MAYBE people would see that the LNC is doing something external.
>>>>>>>>>>> MAYBE people would have their morale boosted just a little bit
>>>>>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>>>>>> be more inclined to donate. MAYBE we could use it as a way to
>>>>>>>>>>> leverage requesting donations from people.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Chuck Moulton wrote:
>>>>>>>>>> http://independentpoliticalreport.com/2016/02/libertarian-na
>>>>>>>>>> tional-committee-meeting-streaming-now/#comment-1321872
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> What’s the worst that can happen? It’s not $20,000 wasted. That
>>>>>>>>>>> is
>>>>>>>>>>> pretty stupid thinking there… accounting rather than economics.
>>>>>>>>>>> The
>>>>>>>>>>> worst that can happen is the site is much worse than before. A
>>>>>>>>>>> lot
>>>>>>>>>>> of content is removed. Lack of that content makes it much harder
>>>>>>>>>>> to
>>>>>>>>>>> energize prospects; get donations, volunteers, and candidates;
>>>>>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>>>>>> train libertarians on best practices. A new system requires
>>>>>>>>>>> retraining staff on processes — time that coupd have been
>>>>>>>>>>> devoted to
>>>>>>>>>>> other things. Even after retraining there will be a learning
>>>>>>>>>>> curve…
>>>>>>>>>>> extra time for website related tasks that could have been
>>>>>>>>>>> devoted to
>>>>>>>>>>> other things. Will conversion of new visitors go up with a new
>>>>>>>>>>> flashy styled website? Maybe, but it could also go down, which
>>>>>>>>>>> is a
>>>>>>>>>>> potential cost. This is especially likely when the focus is on
>>>>>>>>>>> design/style rather than the technical features under the hood.
>>>>>>>>>>> When
>>>>>>>>>>> content is removed it may piss off current donors and activists,
>>>>>>>>>>> who
>>>>>>>>>>> may reduce their donations and activism. Both content removal and
>>>>>>>>>>> transitions to a new system may lead some pages to be removed or
>>>>>>>>>>> moved, breaking links to parts of the site from all around the
>>>>>>>>>>> Internet and making us look unprofessional with 404 errors. New
>>>>>>>>>>> sites often start out with a few bugs and errors which can take a
>>>>>>>>>>> while to track down… the site may look less professional in the
>>>>>>>>>>> interim. Transitions can be botched, leading to downtime — at the
>>>>>>>>>>> worst time in the election cycle for such downtime: the
>>>>>>>>>>> presidential
>>>>>>>>>>> campaign. Internal scripts that currently automatically shoot
>>>>>>>>>>> data to
>>>>>>>>>>> state affiliates such as the volunteer form, the want to be a
>>>>>>>>>>> candidate form, the info form, etc. may stop working, which would
>>>>>>>>>>> deprive states of a valuable source of leads during a transition
>>>>>>>>>>> period. That’s just what I could come up with off the top of my
>>>>>>>>>>> head…
>>>>>>>>>>> there are probably a lot more.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Kevin Ludlow wrote:
>>>>>>>>>> http://independentpoliticalreport.com/2016/02/libertarian-na
>>>>>>>>>> tional-committee-meeting-streaming-now/#comment-1321907
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> I’ve launched many large scale sites just in the past year and
>>>>>>>>>>> not a
>>>>>>>>>>> single one of those sites had any of the problems you’re
>>>>>>>>>>> referring
>>>>>>>>>>> to. They DID – when they were on our development and testing
>>>>>>>>>>> servers
>>>>>>>>>>> – but not when they went into production. That’s how web launches
>>>>>>>>>>> are done professionally. A thorough maintenance schedule would
>>>>>>>>>>> also
>>>>>>>>>>> be implemented and the website would be designed for minimal
>>>>>>>>>>> maintainability in the first place. …also in accordance with best
>>>>>>>>>>> practices.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Kevin Ludlow wrote:
>>>>>>>>>> http://independentpoliticalreport.com/2016/02/libertarian-na
>>>>>>>>>> tional-committee-meeting-streaming-now/#comment-1322226
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> Furthermore, there is absolutely NO intention to remove
>>>>>>>>>>> Libertarian
>>>>>>>>>>> content from the website. This crowd has an astounding ability to
>>>>>>>>>>> spin half-truths and bake them into something entirely
>>>>>>>>>>> different. I
>>>>>>>>>>> will clarify specifically what is meant by moving them around.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> The FRONT PAGE of a website (for a non-profit, business, or any
>>>>>>>>>>> other organization) is NOT to leave people with walls of text.
>>>>>>>>>>> It is
>>>>>>>>>>> to create a fast and positive impression and to get a call to
>>>>>>>>>>> action.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> Having dozens and dozens of options is incredibly poor design,
>>>>>>>>>>> thoroughly proven to be ineffective, and generally an archaic
>>>>>>>>>>> website idea. The current website is not responsive; it does not
>>>>>>>>>>> work
>>>>>>>>>>> well (and not at all in some cases) on mobile and tablet devices.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Chuck Moulton wrote:
>>>>>>>>>> http://independentpoliticalreport.com/2016/02/libertarian-na
>>>>>>>>>> tional-committee-meeting-streaming-now/#comment-1322257
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> Great! Somehow in all your emails to the LNC (I read every LNC
>>>>>>>>>>> business list email) you never mentioned anything about the
>>>>>>>>>>> transition process. All you talk about is design/style.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> If you can manage a transition process well, that’s wonderful. It
>>>>>>>>>>> certainly hasn’t been done in the past. The transition from
>>>>>>>>>>> FoxPro
>>>>>>>>>>> to Raiser’s Edge was a disaster… it resulted in states not
>>>>>>>>>>> receiving
>>>>>>>>>>> working dumps for a year and a lot of records being screwed up
>>>>>>>>>>> (e.g., deceased coming back to life, etc.). During the website
>>>>>>>>>>> transition a decade ago, the LNC meeting minutes archive and the
>>>>>>>>>>> Success 97 and Success 99 seminars were removed.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> See the IT Committee discussion and report (pp. 15-16, pp.
>>>>>>>>>>> 51-59):
>>>>>>>>>>> https://www.lp.org/archives/lnc20061111.pdf
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> If there will be no transition hiccups, that’s wonderful news.
>>>>>>>>>>> You
>>>>>>>>>>> still didn’t address all the scripts on the website right now and
>>>>>>>>>>> the technical considerations Shane discussed.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> I’m concerned about giving management of the transition job who
>>>>>>>>>>> only
>>>>>>>>>>> talks about design/style, wants to remove content (supposedly…
>>>>>>>>>>> though I see you have now clarified that), and never mentions a
>>>>>>>>>>> transition plan to minimize problems.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> It’s great that you’re finally talking about a transition plan!
>>>>>>>>>>> It’s
>>>>>>>>>>> not my fault it’s the first I’ve heard of it though.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> There are lots of people in the LP (myself included) who have
>>>>>>>>>>> seen
>>>>>>>>>>> transitions mismanaged and are worried of a repeat of those
>>>>>>>>>>> disasters. We’re not saying the sky is going to fall because of
>>>>>>>>>>> you.
>>>>>>>>>>> We’re saying the sky has fallen in the past, we have documented
>>>>>>>>>>> evidence of this, and you don’t seem as on top of the process as
>>>>>>>>>>> we
>>>>>>>>>>> would hope to prevent similar problems. (You also seem to lack
>>>>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>>>>> institutional memory to be aware of these past issues.) That’s a
>>>>>>>>>>> matter of you not communicating your transition plan and
>>>>>>>>>>> experience,
>>>>>>>>>>> not a matter of us being overly pessimistic.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Kevin Ludlow wrote:
>>>>>>>>>> http://independentpoliticalreport.com/2016/02/libertarian-na
>>>>>>>>>> tional-committee-meeting-streaming-now/#comment-1322261
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> I’m sorry you’ve had people half-ass these efforts in the past. I
>>>>>>>>>>> definitely cannot say I’m surprised. I focus on style because to
>>>>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>>>>> external world, style IS the most important thing. This in no way
>>>>>>>>>>> means I neglect the engine, but in 20 years of delivering
>>>>>>>>>>> projects,
>>>>>>>>>>> nearly 100% of clients will respond positively to a broken system
>>>>>>>>>>> that looks amazing over a badass functioning system that looks
>>>>>>>>>>> ugly.
>>>>>>>>>>> It’s just psychology. Again, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t all get
>>>>>>>>>>> done.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> http://independentpoliticalreport.com/2016/02/libertarian-na
>>>>>>>>>> tional-committee-meeting-streaming-now/#comment-1322267
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> I’ve found libertarians have a different psychology than much of
>>>>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>>>>> world. The tech saavy folks will feel talked down to or ignored
>>>>>>>>>>> if
>>>>>>>>>>> you only talk about style, ignoring tech under the hood. The
>>>>>>>>>>> ideological folks will feel defensive if you malign content. I
>>>>>>>>>>> fall
>>>>>>>>>>> in both categories, as do others on this thread.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> Just something to keep in mind for the future.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Stewart Flood wrote:
>>>>>>>>>> http://independentpoliticalreport.com/2016/02/libertarian-na
>>>>>>>>>> tional-committee-meeting-streaming-now/#comment-1322926
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> So they’re creating a new website committee and giving it
>>>>>>>>>>> authority
>>>>>>>>>>> to screw everything up without having to go back to the LNC to
>>>>>>>>>>> get
>>>>>>>>>>> approval on which one of their pals they give the money to?
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Chuck Moulton wrote:
>>>>>>>>>> http://independentpoliticalreport.com/2016/02/libertarian-na
>>>>>>>>>> tional-committee-meeting-streaming-now/#comment-1322930
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> Yes, they created a new committee with unlimited power over the
>>>>>>>>>>> website. Then they spent the whole time debating an irrelevant
>>>>>>>>>>> $10,000.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Chuck Moulton wrote:
>>>>>>>>>> http://independentpoliticalreport.com/2016/02/libertarian-na
>>>>>>>>>> tional-committee-meeting-streaming-now/#comment-1322938
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> I am hugely concerned about giving any one person carte blanche
>>>>>>>>>>> over
>>>>>>>>>>> the website.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>>> ========================================================
>>>>>>>>> Kevin Ludlow
>>>>>>>>> 512-773-3968
>>>>>>>>> http://www.kevinludlow.com
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>> *In Liberty,*
>>>>>>>> *Caryn Ann Harlos*
>>>>>>>> Region 1 Representative, Libertarian National Committee (Alaska,
>>>>>>>> Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Washington) - Caryn.Ann.
>>>>>>>> Harlos at LP.org
>>>>>>>> Communications Director, Libertarian Party of Colorado
>>>>>>>> <http://www.lpcolorado.org>
>>>>>>>> Colorado State Coordinator, Libertarian Party Radical Caucus
>>>>>>>> <http://www.lpradicalcaucus.org>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>> ========================================================
>>>>>>> Kevin Ludlow
>>>>>>> 512-773-3968
>>>>>>> http://www.kevinludlow.com
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> --
>>>>>> *In Liberty,*
>>>>>> *Caryn Ann Harlos*
>>>>>> Region 1 Representative, Libertarian National Committee (Alaska,
>>>>>> Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Washington) - Caryn.Ann.
>>>>>> Harlos at LP.org
>>>>>> Communications Director, Libertarian Party of Colorado
>>>>>> <http://www.lpcolorado.org>
>>>>>> Colorado State Coordinator, Libertarian Party Radical Caucus
>>>>>> <http://www.lpradicalcaucus.org>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> ========================================================
>>>>> Kevin Ludlow
>>>>> 512-773-3968
>>>>> http://www.kevinludlow.com
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> *In Liberty,*
>>>> *Caryn Ann Harlos*
>>>> Region 1 Representative, Libertarian National Committee (Alaska,
>>>> Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Washington) - Caryn.Ann.
>>>> Harlos at LP.org
>>>> Communications Director, Libertarian Party of Colorado
>>>> <http://www.lpcolorado.org>
>>>> Colorado State Coordinator, Libertarian Party Radical Caucus
>>>> <http://www.lpradicalcaucus.org>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> ========================================================
>>> Kevin Ludlow
>>> 512-773-3968
>>> http://www.kevinludlow.com
>>>
>>>
>>
>> --
>> *In Liberty,*
>> *Caryn Ann Harlos*
>> Region 1 Representative, Libertarian National Committee (Alaska,
>> Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Washington) - Caryn.Ann.
>> Harlos at LP.org <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','Caryn.Ann.Harlos at LP.org');>
>> Communications Director, Libertarian Party of Colorado
>> <http://www.lpcolorado.org>
>> Colorado State Coordinator, Libertarian Party Radical Caucus
>> <http://www.lpradicalcaucus.org>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
> --
> ========================================================
> Kevin Ludlow
> 512-773-3968
> http://www.kevinludlow.com
>
>

-- 
*In Liberty,*
*Caryn Ann Harlos*
Region 1 Representative, Libertarian National Committee (Alaska, Arizona,
Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Washington) - Caryn.Ann.
Harlos at LP.org <Caryn.Ann.Harlos at LP.org>
Communications Director, Libertarian Party of Colorado
<http://www.lpcolorado.org>
Colorado State Coordinator, Libertarian Party Radical Caucus
<http://www.lpradicalcaucus.org>
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