The Web Developers Users' Group met for the second time on January 18, 2002, at 3:30 PM in Plaster Student Union Ballroom East.

Strategic Web Plan

Sara described the following points to be included in Missouri State's Strategic Web Plan, which the Web Advisory Committee is developing and will make available for review when possible.

• Portals - The ability to customize the web site for the viewer
• Web-based forms - Standardizing a platform to create and use web-based forms
• Security and electronic signatures - To allow web forms to contain a electronic signature which would eliminate the need to also file a handwritten signature on file 
• Accessibility - The continuing process to make all official universities web pages accessible 
• Content management system - Providing a way of dynamically creating university web pages in a way that separates the design from the content
   Wireless access - Providing features such as viewing grades over Internet-enabled cell phones
   Online broadcasting and streaming media 
   Standardization of web page design

The Strategic Web Plan will help guide overall web activities from now until 2006. Members were asked to send any comments to saraclark@missouristate.edu

Accessibility update

Sara brought up the need to watch for accessibility requirements when developing interactive pages using Flash and other plug-ins

Code sharing

Sara also mentioned that some members have asked about sharing asp and other code with each other. The group agreed that a code repository would be a good idea. Members would need to be sure not to freely share code with anyone outside the group. Also, members would need to be sure not to freely test the code on the production web server, as bad code can crash the web server. Sara mentioned that a development server should be coming soon, which would provide a good code-testing ground. Sara will pursue creating a repository that will be password protected so only WDUG members can access it.

Request for Demos

• Chris Brunner from Residence Life volunteered to demo Dreamweaver

Ultra Dev incompatibilities with Windows XP

Compatibility issues with Ultra Dev and Windows XP were brought up. No fix was brought up. No compatibility issues were found between Dreamweaver and Windows XP.

Web site standardization

The following points were brought up about the official web site:

• The official maroon color in hex code is 66333
• Sara said all of the official templates are back up after the copper domain upgrade
• Updates to the overall Missouri State web design unlikely unless a content management system is put in place

Future meeting place

We decided that future WDUG meetings should be held in the Parliamentary Room, PSU 313