Topic: Authors, Editors, Technical Administrators sought for Scotland's Glass

[Frank]

The Scotland's Glass project has grown and grown, today it probably exceeds my original intention and this is as a result of the software selected to build it.

The software used for the web-site is a Content Management System, or CMS, known as Joomla! This software allows for four basic types of user:

Registered (Can read articles, post in forums and submit weblinks)
Author (Adds the ability to write your own articles)
Editor (Adds the ability to edit any article)
Publisher (Makes the article visible to others)

I am currently looking for Authors and Editors. In future publishers will be needed.
Authors can decide for themselves what they write and how, but must agree to having the work edited in discussion with an editor. Articles can be in any European language.

Administrators: Also desirable is one or more technically minded to help with the software support side, ideally with PHP knowledge.

In due course the site will also need a small team to takeover the management of the site as I become to feeble to manage. Anyone interested in such a role should contact me by email to give their thoughts on how the site will develop.

If you want to just give a little financial support, currently this is done by subscribing to the Glass Zoo (5 Euros per year, bi-annually), a more formal charity type organisation is planned in future to formalise donations and manage finance.

[Frank]

Just in case people are concerned about there being lots to do... that is not likely to be the case unless we get a lot of authors who will obviously set their own volumes.

You need no expertise in anything, just a passion for glass with a bent towards Scotland. As the site covers ANY Scottish glass, the field is wide open. Editors can convert my English into something reasonable and can do the same for you. 

Ideas:
Article on a relative who worked in glass.
Short piece about a piece of glass of particular interest to you.
Story of your own glass.

In depth articles that involve multiple chapters are also possible.

[Frank]

There has been positive response so far and while the expanded team are yet to have their efforts noticed there is still plenty of opportunities. While authors are always in need, particularly helpful would be someone to help look after the technical side, some experience with using open source software would help but attitude and lack of techno-fear would be sufficient. Anne already performs a lot of this function for us but the more the merrier. Someone with PHP skills would also be welcomed for mostly minor tweaks to the software and helping through upgrades - not a lot of work. The existing forums need to be replaced or nurtured into working properly.

In time it will be announced who the team consists of, subject to consent of course. These will be the core that helps to make my role less central and ensure the integrity and quality of the site. An organiser would also be a helpful addition to the team, their roles being; to contact glass workers and organisations to increase their presence on the site; Manage the team working on the site or in the background preparing articles or images; set-up a committee to whom I can relinquish control - although I will still carry on inputting as now!

Glass workers of Scotland need your support.