[Lnc-business] Request for Update on LP.org
Starchild
sfdreamer at earthlink.net
Thu Nov 3 20:42:53 EDT 2016
Since we're living in an Alice-In-Wonderland system anyway, perhaps someone like Mark West who finds his photo on LP.org gone except for the smile can dub himself "The Cheshire Candidate". ;-)
Black humor aside, I regret to say that even the problem with the home page that I identified as a high priority issue with the new website in the list of problems I was able to find immediately after the rollout appears to remain uncorrected. I just pulled up LP.org on my phone again (Android, version 4.3 if it matters) and am still seeing the same issue (see boldfaced item in recopied Oct. 25 message at bottom of this email).
If the revised time estimate below from Wes is correct, and getting most of the bugs out is going to be a matter of weeks and not days or hours as Kevin Ludlow previously advised us, this does seem to suggest that former LP vice chair Chuck Moulton was prescient in warning against an attempted rollout of a new website before the election, and that his advice ought to have been heeded. Surely we could have upped the promotion of our presidential candidate by adding some additional images and stories to the home page before the election without overhauling the entire site?
On a more positive note (I think), I see that Kevin writes, "Our infrastructure has been spread over 6 different services (we require just 1) and on my current estimate has been costing us over $10,000 / year in unnecessary expenses." That's up from his Oct. 25 estimate of around $6000 ("...we transitioned an entire infrastructure from 6 services to ONE, the monthly cost savings should be about $500 once everything is in place..."). If additional savings have been identified, that's good news, but can we really count on this number in terms of budgeting (i.e., reduce the amount budgeted for web services by $10,000)?
Love & Liberty,
((( starchild )))
At-Large Representative, Libertarian National Committee
(415) 625-FREE
@StarchildSF
On Nov 3, 2016, at 3:15 PM, Wes Benedict wrote:
> The website has come a long way, but we have a lot of work yet to do on it. I have personally instructed various staff members to focus on certain things in front of others. While getting bylaws up and new LNC photos is a priority, it may still be a while before we get those up. Again, I have told staff there are higher priorities in the short run.
>
> things that have displayed poorly on the home page are a higher priority for now. For example, below is taken from an email I sent to staff on some things we had to do for the home page.
>
>
> <jhdombdmkmemceac.png>
>
> If I inaccurately promised some things in a few days, I revise that estimate to a few weeks.
> We are making progress. But again, especially while we were having some issues with files and images appearing and then disappearing, I have told staff to focus on certain other things.
> Thanks,
> Wes Benedict, Executive Director
> Libertarian National Committee, Inc.
> 1444 Duke St., Alexandria, VA 22314
> (202) 333-0008 ext. 232, wes.benedict at lp.org
> facebook.com/libertarians @LPNational
> Join the Libertarian Party at: http://lp.org/membership
> On 11/3/2016 6:05 PM, Caryn Ann Harlos wrote:
>> Hello, I am following up on the several things I was assured would be resolved shortly (likely a few days) that remain unresolved.
>>
>> First, the minutes archives is not yet restored. These are required by the Bylaws, and I must object once again that we have a non-Bylaws-complaint page up.
>>
>> Second, the LNC members photos have partially disappeared. I have been getting a ton of publicity for the LPCO in CO and when the news there is looking up my credentials, they see an LP.org LNC page that is incomplete.l
>>
>> I waited well past the few days discussed to followup.
>>
>> Yes the election is coming up but our Bylaws are our Bylaws and having an incomplete page looks bad when people are looking us up.
On Oct 25, 2016, at 9:53 AM, Starchild wrote:
> Yesterday, I'm told, the launch of the new and improved LP.org website took place. And on the whole, at a quick look, I'd say it is an improvement. Both appearance-wise and organizationally, I like the new site. I wouldn't call the difference earth-shattering, but my initial impression is generally positive.
>
> There are however a number of issues that have come to my attention which could use fixing, some more serious than others:
>
> • While the site looks good on the web, it looks terrible on my phone! The "Latest News" boxes show up as long, narrow, unreadable columns of type with a couple letters on each line. Considering how many people access websites on mobile devices, fixing this should be a high priority.
>
> • I don't see either the "Party of Principle" or "Minimum Government, Maximum Freedom" slogans shown anywhere (a search for key terms doesn't turn them up). Nor do I see the Nolan Chart except buried in a link. Each of these ought to be listed prominently, imho. The brief introduction statement when you click on "Libertarian Party" at the top of the main page is rather weak ("The Libertarian Party (LP) is your representative in American politics. We are the only political organization which respects you as a unique and responsible individual.")
>
> • The more detailed description of the party has a conservative leaning. Under "The Libertarian Option" (at http://libparty.zocalodesign.com/about/ , a URL that like that of many pages should also be fixed so that it doesn't include the web design company's website), it reads:
>
>> Consider voting Libertarian or joining the Libertarian Party because…
>> We seek to substantially reduce the size and intrusiveness of government and cut and eliminate taxes at every opportunity.
>> We believe that peaceful, honest people should be able to offer their goods and services to willing consumers without inappropriate interference from government.
>> We believe that peaceful, honest people should decide for themselves how to live their lives, without fear of criminal or civil penalties.
>> We believe that government’s only responsibility, if any, should be protecting people from force and fraud.
> The first two points above appeal more to conservatives or people on the right (economic freedoms), while the second two points are more neutral in terms of left/right appeal. There is no balancing appeal to people on the left by explicitly mentioning things like a non-interventionist foreign policy or civil liberties such as ending Prohibition and reining in police abuse.
>
> • The URL for the candidate page has changed (hat tip to Thomas Knapp), and entering the former URL (http://www.lp.org/2016-libertarian-party-candidates) apparently now results in a page error rather than connecting people to the new page (https://www.lp.org/2016-candidates/).
>
> • If the information about how to subscribe to the LNC email list as a non-LNC member got ported over, I cannot find it. I would suggest listing this both on the LNC leadership page, and on the LNC meeting archives page.
>
> • The LNC page only lists email addresses. Previously at least a couple LNC members' listings included phone number and/or other info such as Twitter address, but now those listings are gone and only email addresses are listed. I would personally like my phone number and Twitter handle listed, and encourage my colleagues to request their phone numbers likewise be listed, so that our members can readily reach us directly as well as in writing.
>
> • Where email addresses are listed on the website (for candidates, LNC members, staff, college chapter reps., etc.), they are spelled out. That's unfortunately asking to get us spammed by web-crawling bots that harvest email addresses. I recommend changing this so that addresses are listed in a less literal format such as Nick.Sarwark[at]LP.org
>
> • The page https://www.lp.org/_2016/ mentions Johnson and Weld being our presidential and VP candidates, but the photo next to the text is not a photo of Johnson and Weld, but of Johnson and a woman I'm guessing is his girlfriend (which is fine, but should be labeled as such so as not to give visitors the impression that the images reflect the text).
>
> • Our bylaws are referred to in the info at the bottom of each page as "LNC Bylaws" rather than "Libertarian Party Bylaws"
>
> • A number of people (staff, LNC members) are missing photos. To whom can we send photos of these individuals, if we have them, as well as our contact info updates for the LNC page?
>
> I realize the site has just been updated; hopefully some of the above issues are being addressed even as I type this message. And on the bright side, the new "candidate pledges" section listing candidates who've signed each pledge is a nice addition, along with the listing by name and state of life members, candidates, and elected officials, not to mention the attractive photos from the convention scattered throughout the site. I like that the membership and donation forms are single-page, and that the FAQ page addresses arguments against participating in the system at all. And I love the "Help Us Grow" page (http://libparty.zocalodesign.com/how-to-help/) and the addition of a "worldwide" link in addition to the state affiliates and campus organizations! But I would suggest that link directly to a list of the libertarian parties around the world, with that page then containing a link to and information about the International Alliance of Libertarian Parties. Right now it immediately leads offsite to the IALP page, which is a little confusing.
>
> That's my feedback at this time. If staff would acknowledge receipt of this message and keep us appraised of the progress in addressing the above-mentioned issues, that would be great.
>
> Love & Liberty,
> ((( starchild )))
> At-Large Representative, Libertarian National Committee
> (415) 625-FREE
> @StarchildSF
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