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Unless I detect significant opposition soon from the LNC, I plan to
have built a 2016 convention website using the NationBuilder
platform.<br>
<br>
I've already broached the topic with Nick Sarwark and Sam Goldstein.
<br>
<br>
I'm excited about the possibilities the NationBuilder technology
offers, but not yet completely sold on the platform or the enormity
of the conversion task. <br>
<br>
Starting with a convention website will allow us to get our feet wet
with the technology, and at the same time, to quickly roll out some
of our new branding. And since this won't involve a massive
wholesale instantaneous changeover from our current website, LP.org
on Drupal, and our current membership database, RaisersEdge, it's
something we can manage without the risk of destabilizing our entire
organization at the start of a Presidential election year. <br>
<br>
If you like the content of the 2013 Libertarian Party of Texas
Annual Report:<br>
<a href="http://www.lp.org/files/LPTX_2014_Annual_Report.pdf">http://www.lp.org/files/LPTX_2014_Annual_Report.pdf</a><br>
then I think you're going to like our upcoming branding efforts and
convention website.<br>
<br>
The makers of that annual report, including the events portrayed,
the graphics, and I'll add to that--most of the content of the
current LPTexas website <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://lptexas.org/">http://lptexas.org/</a> (joomla platform I
think), will be building the 2016 convention website.<br>
<br>
Separately, Andy Burns, our affiliate support specialist, has
already implemented a couple NationBuilder sites at the state level.
He won't be the main driver of this project, but of course we'll
consult him for practical advice.<br>
<br>
The convention theme, as voted on by members, will be
#LegalizeFreedom<br>
<a href="http://www.lp.org/"><img alt=""
src="cid:part2.09010207.04000104@lp.org" border="0" height="233"
width="466"></a><br>
<br>
Starting with a convention website allows us to import a small
portion of our database contacts, which keeps the pricing very low,
but allows us to experiment with its interactivity capabilities with
our best activists.<br>
<br>
If things go well, I can see migrating other things, like perhaps
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://lpstore.org/">http://lpstore.org/</a> to the NationBuilder site. Perhaps the site
could eventually morph into the replacement for LP.org, but that's
something we can decide later.<br>
<br>
Perhaps we will be able to get away from some of the additional
payment portals we've had to rely on, like <a
href="https://secure.piryx.com/donate/uO2ehmy0/libertarian/llpp22">Piryx
pages</a>, and <a href="http://www.lp.org/office-fund">Authorize.net</a>,
and consolidate those functions into the NationBuilder system.<br>
<br>
The 2014 convention website is here, <a
href="https://lpcon2014.org/"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://lpcon2014.org/">https://lpcon2014.org/</a></a> and I
suspect we'll easily outdo that one.<br>
<br>
Content for the 2016 convention is currently embedded in pages on
our existing website: <a
href="http://www.lp.org/convention/welcome"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.lp.org/convention/welcome">http://www.lp.org/convention/welcome</a></a><br>
<br>
I see the new website as a combination of a convention project, an
I.T. project, and a branding project. The costs will be relatively
low. The risks will be relatively low. Our Treasurer and Audit
Committee will have plenty of fun double-checking the cost
allocations. <br>
<br>
I plan to tell our team to get started on this next week, and to
have it live before the end of the year, unless you guys want to
stop this before then, which I can live with. There are many viable
paths around the roadblocks of progress.<br>
<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
Wes Benedict, Executive Director<br>
<small><small>Libertarian National Committee, Inc.<br>
<b>New address: 1444 Duke St., Alexandria, VA 22314</b><br>
(202) 333-0008 ext. 232, <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:wes.benedict@lp.org">wes.benedict@lp.org</a><br>
facebook.com/libertarians @LPNational<br>
Join the Libertarian Party at: <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://lp.org/membership">http://lp.org/membership</a></small></small><br>
<br>
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