WYSIWYG text editor for News and Projects users

A couple of follow-ups:

1. Text Editing
I found a WYSIWYG text editor that we might be able to use for the users posting material to the site as News and Projects.

It has several functions - it does not have the ability to download pictures. I would love to have this 'richeditorframe' function that this Google Blog uses! That would be perfect - but I don't see that it's available. Maybe it is with some more digging - even if it uses Google's site and another API somehow for access similar to the Google Maps work Alec is trying.

The HTML that it generates is a bit cumbersome, but it looks basic and straightforward.
I am checking that the code is legitimate - and doesn't have some buried redirects.

Here is the site [with a demo and the code with tutorial] that hosts the free editor:
http://koivi.com/WYSIWYG-Editor/

There also may be other links from the PHP site and related forum:
http://www.php.net/
A commercial version called "editize" gets some good reviews, but their half price for non-profits is $75 for a domain site's use.

2. Charting Data Online:
Also, here is a site that has some links to investigate java applets that create graphs for web viewing:
http://www.appletcollection.com/java/graph.html
Some of the links from this site are free software and some 'for purchase'. There are often deals available for non-profits, but take some digging and/or writing to the companies to see what their policy is.

Richard.

Meeting with The Energy Fellowship/Earth Support

Thanks for attending the lunch time meeting with Earth Support and Energy Fellowship. There were lots of great ideas that came out of it. Here is an outline of those ideas for the website and PLEASE add those that I may have forgotten:

1. The forum is a great idea but needs tweaking to make sure it works. Max H. went to sign up but it did not work for new additions. [rjd - I think Zhanar was thinking about looking into this? ] We couldn't demonstrate it fully at the presentation.

2. Barry suggested having a data section with graphs that are generated by that data. This idea had lots of enthusiasm and some data suggestions were:

• ongoing oil [B20 and regular oil] / electricity / propane usage by the school including the entire carbon footprint - ZachB
• water usage by the school
• recycling data
• cars in the parking lot
• please write with others I may have missed here [?]

To be effective the data and graphs need to be dynamic. We need to find/write scripts to do this.

Richard suggested an electric eye road near the entry to get automated data input for cars on the school road - [ now there's a whole project: make a solar powered data taking device for storing and sending that data, but there are lots of opportunities for automatic data entry, too including temperature and power usage for some areas or devices]

Jen wondered how we would get information on the site and Zhanar started to demonstrate how news, projects, and links data can be added by many individuals that have login privileges to do so. The last 5 articles that show on top, but others can be stored and available for showing. Articles and links can both be in the Forum and as part of the News and Projects sections of the site.

The overall question of the day was to see if there is enthusiasm to make the development of this website worth pursuing. I want the class to work towards something that has meaning and appreciation. The fact that there were a dozen people showing up with short notice for a lunch meeting shows that we are on a good project and should continue.

In attendance were: Robert, Jen, Todd[[?], Dave, Barry, Zhanar, Alec, ZachB, Richard, Jon P., Nate H., Max H., and .. [I think I missed a couple - help here please??]

EnergyFellowship.org Email Addresses and Mail System

The email system password is changed - see a private email to you.

 

The following have admin privileges to set up emails, add aliases, and manage accounts. It may be a good hook for users to have an energyfellowship.org email address to use.

 

The link to the email is:

http://mail.energyfellowship.org

 

perhaps a link to that can be on the site as well. We could offer users:

"Do you want to have an energyfellowship.org email address?"

and use the following to set up an alias.

IMHO, I think it should not as automated as the Forum, but on case by case - but maybe I'm too conservative here.

 

    info required:

        Real Name

        Current email to forward all mail

        Affiliation - what school, what organization, etc.

        Brief use agreement - simple..  Agree Disagree statement

 

Richard.

Some Site Ideas and Fixes

1. Add return link to http://www.santbani.org/ from the Energy Fellowship site
2. Show that the Energy Fellowship is part of/connected with the Sant Bani School
3. Admin setup pages
   perhaps a "view" button to see the results of additions while the user is still logged in.
   ability to add simple text editing to news and projects
   ability to add pictures to news and projects (limiting graphic size)
   
4. Forum:
   redo graphic at heading of Forum so that text is not pixelated
   have Forum open in a new page so that the user still has the original energyfellowship.org open
   link back to energyfellowship.org from Forum
   link to http://www.santbani.org/ from Forum
5. Add RSS feed so that users can sign up for any News and Project changes/additions

Richard

Others?

invitation to Energy Fellowship Group to view and comment on site.

Here is the text from Zhanar with some changes - of an invitation to the Energy Fellowship Group to see the website and give some more ideas - hopefully to write and include articles.
Is it strong enough about joining the forum?
Richard.
*********************************


[how about inserting graphic letterhead.. from the site]



November 1, 2007


Dear Colleagues,

We really appreciate your common interest in Energy Fellowship and offer you a great opportunity to exchange your thoughts and ideas with each other and people interested in sustainable life using the electronic network.

We invite you to visit your website http://www.energyfellowship.org/and share your projects or new ideas. You can also sign up for the Energy Fellowship forum and take part in discussions on different topics. You may also invite anyone interested in the Energy Fellowship to join our community.

Let’s meet on Wednesday, November 7 at lunch in the Reading Room at Sant Bani School where we will show you the website development so far. It will be a great chance to make your suggestions about the project and start to share ideas for the site.

We would be tremendously appreciative of any help or reply.
Cordially,


Sant Bani School Computer class
Zhanar Seitmagzimova Sant Bani ’08, zhanars@santbani.org
Alec Peters Sant Bani ’09, alecp@santbani.org
Nate Houran Sant Bani ’09, nateh@santbani.org
Richard Danahy Sant Bani Staff, richard@santbani.org