Marple Website Community Calendar

Updates and Announcements => Main Web Site Updates => Topic started by: Mr Marple on March 16, 2012, 03:03:53 PM

Title: Marple Carnival Website
Post by: Mr Marple on March 16, 2012, 03:03:53 PM
Since technology has become more advanced over the years with the inclusion of the website it gives me great pleasure to announce the committee of Marple Carnival's brand new website.

www.marplecarnival.co.uk

With a little bit more to add, the site is looking very good and already has a lot of historic content for your viewing pleasure! You may very well see someone you know from the past.

Why don't you sign the guestbook and leave your thoughts?

The site will continue to grow and contain more and more info as time goes by. Video is being looked into so visit www.marplecarnival.co.uk.


I'd like to take this opportunity to ask you, my fellow Marple residents, if you know any 13-18 year old ladies who wish to become this years carnival Queen? If so then please call Rachel Armitt on 427 7284.
Title: Re: Marple Carnival Website
Post by: Howard on March 16, 2012, 03:24:29 PM
Whilst I applaud your thinking to find a new home on the web, you're not doing yourselves any favours with the page you have at the moment. It looks as if 1995 called and designed you a web page. There is no "identity", you're using about 6 different fonts, there are mismatched graphics and . I'm sure that you could find someone who has studied the fundamentals of web design and persuade them to donate a few hours of their time.

I know you have written "bear with us as we try to enter the 21st century!" and that old favourite "PLEASE NOTE THIS SITE IS STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION" but with the standards of design that people are used to these days you would be better off with a community Facebook page until you can produce a public-facing page that adheres to higher design standards.
Title: Re: Marple Carnival Website
Post by: Cripes on March 16, 2012, 04:28:22 PM
Whilst I applaud your thinking to find a new home on the web, you're not doing yourselves any favours with the page you have at the moment. It looks as if 1995 called and designed you a web page. There is no "identity", you're using about 6 different fonts, there are mismatched graphics and . I'm sure that you could find someone who has studied the fundamentals of web design and persuade them to donate a few hours of their time.

I know you have written "bear with us as we try to enter the 21st century!" and that old favourite "PLEASE NOTE THIS SITE IS STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION" but with the standards of design that people are used to these days you would be better off with a community Facebook page until you can produce a public-facing page that adheres to higher design standards.

That's a bit harsh Howard! I do agree that it could look better though, downloading a website template would probably be the best bet.
Title: Re: Marple Carnival Website
Post by: simpleton on March 16, 2012, 04:29:13 PM
I think you may have forgotten that the carnival committee do it all to raise money for local charities and give up their spare time to put the carnival on each year . Regardless wether the web page looks like its from 1995 time and effort has been put into it to give the information that people require . Seeing as you seem to have all the answers to how to improve the site maybe you could be persuaded to donate a few hours of your time ! I am sure the committee would appreciate your input at their next meeting .  
Title: Re: Marple Carnival Website
Post by: Barbara on March 16, 2012, 04:38:12 PM
Hear,hear - put your volunteering skills into place,Howard!!   :D
Title: Re: Marple Carnival Website
Post by: Howard on March 16, 2012, 05:29:00 PM
I think you may have forgotten that the carnival committee do it all to raise money for local charities and give up their spare time to put the carnival on each year . Regardless wether the web page looks like its from 1995 time and effort has been put into it to give the information that people require . Seeing as you seem to have all the answers to how to improve the site maybe you could be persuaded to donate a few hours of your time ! I am sure the committee would appreciate your input at their next meeting . 

Believe me, I know very well how much work goes into organising the carnival. If the committee needed advice on multi-national databases, enterprise content management systems, security and other system-level elements of the IT that makes up an infrastructure then I'd be happy to offer my time. However, this is not what is needed and I have no experience of web design which is why I suggested they approach a local web-designer for a donation of their time.

The layout of the web page makes it difficult to find the information people need and hard to read once it's located. All the facilities needed to communicate what the committee need are available on free-of-charge web pages such as Google Sites or Facebook community pages. If they choose not to use these then they could engage with their audience much better and deliver the information in a fashion which is much easier to read through simple, clear and clean design.

There must be students at local colleges who are studying basic web-design who would be willing to take on a small project such as this to put onto their CVs prior to applying for universities.
Title: Re: Marple Carnival Website
Post by: marveld on March 16, 2012, 06:05:38 PM
I'm with Howard on this one. I don't want to begin to say what I really think of it.
Title: Re: Marple Carnival Website
Post by: Heritage on March 16, 2012, 06:12:04 PM
What's an 'enterprise content management system'  :D
Title: Re: Marple Carnival Website
Post by: simpleton on March 16, 2012, 07:00:21 PM
As the website says it is still under construction so maybe by giving the person who is may not have a lot of experience in web design it may in some peoples eyes basic . As you quoted Howard you have no experience but you obviously know the in's and out's of how to advertise so maybe you could point them in the right direction . But please don't belittle people when they are trying to do good
Title: Re: Marple Carnival Website
Post by: Heritage on March 16, 2012, 07:21:01 PM
Does anyone on the forum have the necessary website expertise to offer this great cause? I'd imagine if you know what you are doing it would take next to no time....and the opportunity for a bit of free publicity for that web person is commercially attractive I would imagine!!
Title: Re: Marple Carnival Website
Post by: simpleton on March 16, 2012, 07:38:34 PM
Good idea Heritage  :)
Title: Re: Marple Carnival Website
Post by: chris on March 16, 2012, 08:31:49 PM
I agree with simpelton that it is good that the carnival is moving forward with a website at least it is the start of getting the carnival information onto the web which then serves as stepping stones to build on so lets see the site go from strength to strength.
Title: Re: Marple Carnival Website
Post by: alison on March 16, 2012, 09:43:50 PM
Brilliant idea and good start. Sadly I wouldn't have a clue about designing web pages, if I did I would volunteer my services, but I might be able to dig out one or two photos from years gone by - I've even got one of me on the girl guides float kicking around somewhere!

Best wishes

Alison
Title: Re: Marple Carnival Website
Post by: Lisa Oldham on March 17, 2012, 08:48:59 AM
Who ever put it together can carry on doing it quite easily by using word press...its blogging software ( rather than content management, which can be quite hard going sometimes for non geeks) but it does for websites where people are not that technically minded but do want to add their own content with the minimum of fuss and without bothering or paying for other people, also great when the content needs to be continually updated! 

....And then theres the obvious choice on here   :D  though hes quite busy with life and you lot! 
Title: Re: Marple Carnival Website
Post by: PhilB on March 18, 2012, 02:52:02 PM
Maybe the owner of the marple-uk website would help!!!
Title: Re: Marple Carnival Website
Post by: admin on March 18, 2012, 04:23:40 PM
Maybe the owner of the marple-uk website would help!!!

I wondered how long it would be before somebody put me on the spot in this thread - I could see it would be coming.

The Marple Website has always been an keen supporter of Marple Carnival and has hosted community pages free of charge for the Carnival since 1999. I have always publishing as much information as the Carnival Committee were able to provide each year and done my best to promote what I think is a very special event in the local calendar.

Here are the current pages: www.marple-uk.com/carnival

As most people will know there are also extensive photo galleries of the Carnival on the Virtual Tour.

I was told about the new site last year but I haven't been asked for any help or advice by anyone on the CC about setting it up. I know most of the committee pretty well and if they had wanted help I would have expected them to ask. The email I received telling me about it made no suggestion that help was required:

Quote
Dear Mark,
 
I am writing to you on behalf of Marple Carnival Committee.  We would like to formally thank you for all of your work advertising the Carnival on the Marple website; it is very much appreciated.
 
I felt it was only right to let you know in advance that we will be setting up our own website soon to help promote the Carnival and to make it easier in the future for sending out application forms etc.  The other local Carnivals have started doing this and I thought we ought to get into the 21st century!) My partner has a little experience in this and has offered to help me set up the site (nothing as professional as your's I'd hasten to add - I never realised how hard it was!).
 
We would very much like to put a link to your Marple website if that's ok with you and would be delighted if you could still include the Carnival information on your site as you currently do.
 
Thank you again for all your support - I now realise just what a committment you give with the time needed to set up and run a website.
 
Kind regards,
 
Sally Baker
Marple Carnival Committee

After seeing the site I will say that I'm disappointed none of the people I know well on the committee have spoken to me about it but I don't want to go into any more detail than that here as I have no idea of the circumstances involved.
Title: Re: Marple Carnival Website
Post by: Heritage on March 18, 2012, 08:45:04 PM
I would imagine that the Marple Carnival Committee have done their very best to establish a website with the very best of intentions. What I've found in my own experience of using websites for business promotion is that a poorly-constructed product is actually counter-productive, because it puts people off on the basis that an 'amateur' site reflects 'amateur' administrative abilities and a less-than-perfect product. Of course this isn't the case with the Carnival issue, but I would say again that if any local company would give only literally an hour of its time for web design, it would probably sort everything out for them...

But the Carnival Committee will either have to be sensitively cold-called or have the idea to ask themselves, it seems.
Title: Re: Marple Carnival Website
Post by: rsh on March 20, 2012, 12:46:35 AM
Quite involved in web design myself and can only agree with Howard and Lisa. A Wordpress blog, a Facebook page, a Twitter account - all free and relatively easy to use, and definitely more valuable for actually getting people involved in something like this. I doubt many people will venture beyond the first page of that new site. The effort is admirable, but I can't help but feel it's probably wasted energy, wrestling with what looks like an archaic website builder.

A single page with the carnival logo, a bit about the committee, a few photos, and a link to Twitter and Facebook (where all those old photos and posters could be uploaded into albums within seconds) would be enough.

Having said that, I'm surprised The Marple Website itself doesn't post updates to either of those.
Title: Re: Marple Carnival Website
Post by: Lisa Oldham on March 21, 2012, 09:58:20 PM
There is an FB Group ( separate to the MIA page) of which Mark and I are admins but its the sheer effort of it that stops us doing it!  Jobs, life, kids, cleaning dogs!  etc  If I had the time I would however when we started it it didn't really get the activity we thought it would so we didnt really go for it.. having said that FB Groups and the way they work have been overhauled a number of times since so I may well revisit sometime

its at... and because of the change only me and mark remain! http://www.facebook.com/groups/31633194908/

twitter again takes time.. in fact more time than the rest!
Title: Re: Marple Carnival Website
Post by: Mr Marple on March 23, 2012, 11:44:29 AM
Technology can be seen as a race track for athletes, there are hurdles but set at differing heights and the carnival website can be seen as the athlete, jumping over one hurdle and heading towards the next.

The first, current, website can be viewed as a warm up and also a type of template for the development which is underway.

The Carnival Committee are thankful to Sally Baker and her husband for setting up the first, current,  website. They can be seen going into the famous Marple History books as the ones who initiated the first site!

As said before, we are developing our site further from this point. We are adding interactive features amongst other elements.

You'll spot changes and see improvements. You will not see the improved site until its admins release it.
So watch this space for updates!
Title: Re: Marple Carnival Website
Post by: Heritage on March 23, 2012, 07:30:32 PM
Sure - everyone wishes you well with the website....but it might be an idea to relaunch it in a more developed form rather than add 'bits' on. Hard to say without appearing uncharitable....but people tend not to re-visit websites which they have seen and found to be rudimentary on a promise of 'new features coming soon...' As someone else has said, Facebook is the natural way to go for this as a quick-fix, especially to appeal to young people who you need to hook into supporting the carnival. My primary-school aged children found the current website a bit lame compared to the stuff they create at school....sorry! Just trying to help....get a Facebook page going at the very least and I'm sure we'll all follow it.  :)
Title: Re: Marple Carnival Website
Post by: Miss Marple on March 24, 2012, 05:44:23 PM
Well I think the website is great !  Well done to all concerned for taking the time and the effort to set one up!  If some of the people on this site put as much effort into being productive instead of constantly ridiculing the efforts of others Marple might have a fighting chance.  
Title: Re: Marple Carnival Website
Post by: Heritage on March 25, 2012, 12:06:21 AM
Don't see anyone having ridiculed it.
Title: Re: Marple Carnival Website
Post by: marveld on March 25, 2012, 03:13:00 AM
Don't see anyone having ridiculed it.

Let me ridicule the orange text on a red background -

http://www.marplecarnival.co.uk/id53.html (http://www.marplecarnival.co.uk/id53.html)

"Our Charter - Some organizations have a formal charter; many do not. If our organization has a written charter, we'll include it here. If not, we'll use this area to discuss the reasons our club exists and what our goals are."
Title: Re: Marple Carnival Website
Post by: admin on March 25, 2012, 05:52:04 AM
That's enough. As you can read on the home page of the site, the matter is being addressed.
Title: Re: Marple Carnival Website
Post by: admin on March 31, 2012, 08:05:05 AM
Thank you everyone for your comments and suggestions in this thread, which is now unlocked.

I'm pleased to have been asked to help Marple Carnival Committee set up their web site and can advise that a new Marple Carnival site, sponsored by The Marple Website, is now on-line here:

www.marplecarnival.org.uk (note that this is a new domain but the plan is to merge old and new together).

A Facebook page has also been set up that is readily accessible from the web site itself and we now need some "Likes"!

Information about this year's carnival, royalty and attractions are still needed and will of course be added as soon as it is available. So it is still a work in progress but we feel it's ready enough to be viewed by the local community.

Criticism will be listened to, positive comments and suggestions will be most welcome  ;D
Title: Re: Marple Carnival Website
Post by: marveld on March 31, 2012, 11:02:06 AM
I think the new-look website is excellent. It still retains a splash of colour and looks professional.
Title: Re: Marple Carnival Website
Post by: alison on March 31, 2012, 09:31:15 PM
I did think some of the comments on the old one were a little uncalled for, it was a first attempt after all. But the Carnival site mark two looks great. I shall try and dig out some photos, I know I have some kicking around of Carnivals in the eighties.

Where should I send them to? I couldn't find a 'contact us' section.

Well done all

Alison
Title: Re: Marple Carnival Website
Post by: admin on March 31, 2012, 10:23:12 PM
Here, http://www.marplecarnival.org.uk/carnival-committee.html

Or there's a blue Contact Us button on the right hand side of the page.

If you're sending them electronically then send them to me at mark@marple-uk.com and I'll pass them on, or PM Mr Marple.
Title: Re: Marple Carnival Website
Post by: admin on April 02, 2012, 01:07:32 PM
There's a new page on the new site about the Carnival Boot Sales now:

http://www.marplecarnival.org.uk/marple-carnival-boot-sales.html
Title: Re: Marple Carnival Website
Post by: alison on April 02, 2012, 09:57:07 PM

Or there's a blue Contact Us button on the right hand side of the page.


durrr - the huge blue contact us button that was staring me in the face when I went back to check - oh yeah! Oops. I shall do some digging and send them over. Thanks Mark
Title: Re: Marple Carnival Website
Post by: admin on April 09, 2012, 05:59:38 AM
Marple Carnival's web site has been updated with an appeal for past Carnival Queens to take part this year in celebration of the Carnival's 50th Anniversary.

http://www.marplecarnival.org.uk/
Title: Re: Marple Carnival Website
Post by: Mr Marple on April 29, 2012, 08:05:53 AM
The car boot sale of the 29th of April has been cancelled due to bad weather conditions.
Title: Re: Marple Carnival Website
Post by: admin on May 09, 2012, 05:21:49 PM
Marple Carnival's web site now has details of the Carnival Royalty for 2012:

http://www.marplecarnival.org.uk/carnival-royalty/carnival-royalty-2012.html
Title: Re: Marple Carnival Website
Post by: Mr Marple on May 31, 2012, 04:19:12 PM
I'd like to remind you all that video is a very real possibility to be added to the carnival website.

There are several ways being looked into.
Title: Re: Marple Carnival Website
Post by: admin on June 02, 2012, 08:27:23 AM
A guide to taking part in the Carnival has been added to the Marple Carnival web site:

http://www.marplecarnival.org.uk/guide-to-taking-part.html
Title: Re: Marple Carnival Website
Post by: admin on June 04, 2012, 08:25:22 AM
The Marple Carnival web site has been updated with latest programme information:

www.marplecarnival.org.uk
Title: Re: Marple Carnival Website
Post by: marpleexile on June 05, 2012, 11:18:50 AM
Can I make a small suggestion, the date of the Carnival (and the time it starts) should be much more prominent on the site. The date is buried in the opening paragraph from the Chairman, and the time it starts isn't visible "above the fold".
Title: Re: Marple Carnival Website
Post by: Mr Marple on June 12, 2012, 02:19:34 PM
If anyone is filming the carnival parade with a Hi Def camera then please let the committee know as they would like to have footage from the people's point of view.

Use the link below to contact them.
http://www.marplecarnival.org.uk/carnival-committee.html
Title: Re: Marple Carnival Website
Post by: Mr Marple on July 22, 2012, 05:32:44 PM
Marple Carnival Committee would like to ask if anyone has filmed this years carnival, we'd like to use the footage to create a video to put online.

If you used Hi-def then that's great as it helps with picture clarity.

Get in touch via our website and let us know, thanks.
Title: Re: Marple Carnival Website
Post by: admin on October 25, 2012, 06:45:13 PM
Marple Carnival's web site has been updated with news on the distribution of funds last Friday: http://www.marplecarnival.org.uk/