Community Webcraft Workshop
TIMETABLE

Day One:
THE BIG PICTURE
Introduction to Web Guilds
What does globailisation mean for small communities, and how can they harness it constructively?
Marketing in a global economy - the "ICE Strategy" - Identify, Commodify, Exploit. Quick brainstorm with local example.
What is Webcraft? Example - being able to use a WP doesn't mean you can write a good book, and being able to use FrontPage doesn't mean you can make a good website. There is a great deal to know, and you won't learn it in a week - I will just give you the resources you need to become a websmith over the coming months. Give out "Fine Webcraft for Communities" manual, explain online resources & mentoring - looks like so much to learn, but don't be intimidated. You'll have each other, as well as your mentor/s.
How do the two issues - globalisation & webcraft - relate? By developing a web presence that reflects and promotes all that we have to offer. A virtual village, where an outsider can get a really strong sense of what this community is all about. Every one of you could become a resource to make that happen - each one of you will be able to make good sites and teach others in turn. Think of what an asset that will be to your community. It's the webbification of (your town).

Day Two:
OUR COMMUNITY
"Identify" Brainstorming session: What is our community? What does it want to be? What is here? What is missing?
The virtual village - a "portal with personality" - define the community, identify what the web presence should be. eg, if it's a cute little tourist town, maybe get an artist's impression of the area and/or the main street as the face of the portal?
"Commodify" Who do we want to attract? How can we find out more abuot them? How can we package what we've got so it's what they want?
"Exploit" - there is no such thing as too much promotion. You MUST put in as much effort getting your sites known as you do building them, and you must do that on an ongoing basis. Every time you update a site, spend a few extra minutes resubmitting it to search engines.
Develop effective networks - communicate with each other. Just because you live/work in the same community, don't rely on remembering to discuss things when you run into each other. Email ideas as soon as you think of them, to everyone who might be interested (unless they ask you to stop).
Netiquette - there are unwritten rules on the web, and abiding by them will get you a lot further. eg CAPITALS IS SHOUTING. Hide the emails of recipients if you're emailing to people who don't already know each other's email addresses. Breaking these rules, even unknowingly, can get you shunned by people who might otherwise have been of great assistance to you. Manners will get you everywhere - and so will flattery, as long as it's sincere. You'd be surprised how often a webmaster will personally respond if you email them telling them what you like about their site. I met some of my greatest webmaster idols when I went to the US purely through sending them fanmails. If you're not afraid of criticism, what could be a better way to improve your site than having feedback from people whose sites you most admire? Mutual links are the BEST way to build traffic, so the importance of developing relationships with other webmasters cannot be overemphasised.

Day Three:
YOUR OWN TERRITORY
Those of you who get frustrated from time to time with working in a committee, here's the best bit: in addition to the community portal site that will be done collaboratively, you will each make your own site. It can be for your business, a club you're involved with or another community organisation. As long as it abides by the ground rules set by the Guild, though, it's going to be all up to you. This will be your own showpiece, something that you can point to and say "I did that!" It will give you a chance to learn every aspect of making a site, so that you're ready to make another one, and another, and another until between you all, every aspect of this town has a site.
For technical reasons, every site needs it's own webmaster, one person with ultimate physical control over the site. We will have to agree who that person will be for the overall town (portal) site. Nominations/Secret ballot? We have to decide who will do the artwork - suggest an Art Competition to involve the community and get the best applicant. Again, agree how/who will decide it.
Management of Guild & town site - eg, who will be legally responsible, the registered owner of the domian? Do you want to form a specific organisation or use an existing one (eg, Progress Association, Telecentre Management Committee, Shire)?

Day Four:
WEBCRAFT BASICS
Go through manual chapters briefly, bringing up important issues - eg, planning planning planning; consistency; not using frames; getting good search engine placement; treating graphics well. Look at good and bad examples for all of these issues, discuss opinions within group. "All of you have used the web, and usability is our Prime Directive to use a Trekkism. As an artist, people would tell me sometimes, I don't know art, but I know what I like. I hope to give you the tools to know WHY you like some things, but don't underestimate your own experience and gut feelings about the web. Some of the best usability testing done is by relative Newbies, as we web veterans can tend to take knowledge for granted. You have a lot to teach me too. The more we learn, the more we realise we have left to learn, and with a field that is moving as quickly as the web, that process will be continuous. Every time you log on, you're learning. Every time you visit a new site you're taking mental notes about what makes a site good or bad."
Hands-on building. Divide the tasks for the town site, and go through a site plan for their own subsite with each participant.

Day Five:
WHERE TO FROM HERE?
More hands-on building, and then 'go live' with a relatively simple site. Make sure the plan for the town site is agreed to, and tasks all assigned to groups of 2-4. Meet again in a week for more hands-on. All participants will have a go at starting their site, and then can email for help through the week, or bring it in next Friday. Each of you has 28 days with the trial software at home, then you either have to buy it or come in and use the Guild computer. You need to collect the urls of ALL existing sites in the community, as we'll link to all of them, not just yours. This is a town for the community, and so unless it's something that will offend someone, it should be linked. One day, maybe you can charge people for that privelige, but until it's established, they're doing you a favour by providing "content" - because without content, a site is nothing.

Weekly Follow-up:
Hand-on assistance with trainer once a week for a month if desired, and online for six months.

Launch Day:
Once the town site's done, have a big launch. Make sure everything's sorted for the Web Guild to develop and grow.

INTRODUCTION .+. WORKSHOPS .+. ONLINE
WORKSHOPS > Details .+. Timetable .+. Strategy