SOGonline re-vamp completed ..................................Gi Grieco & Phil Brown

SOGonline re-vamped

Anyone who has visited the SOG web site, www. sogonline.org.uk, lately will have noticed a bit of a change. Following feedback from members and discussion by Council, it was decided that a re-vamp of the website was in order. A sub-group was formed and they met several times over the last year to build up a plan of what content should be on the web site and its layout and look. - user-friendlier, more easily navigable, plus extra content Various aspects included making the site user-friendlier, clearer to navigate around and have content such as a photographic gallery incorporated, further bird sites listed and some of Suffolk’s iconic bird species detailed. The site also had to show how the Group encourages birding, as well as act as a resource for both members and for birders visiting the county who required information. Another major factor was to move over to a different (Ed: i.e. more flexible and much less frustrating to use) site creation system - the old one had proved difficult to update and was never easy to use. Following discussions with Phil Ling, a work colleague of The Harrier editor Phil, we were recommended to employ WordPress as the creation platform for the new site. Although WordPress is principally a blog-based system, it has the capacity to be used as a Content Management System (CMS), where the site can be built up from a basic set-up with additional extras, known as widgets to enhance it. As WordPress is so popular there is a lot of support and many

Help needed to compile birding site list and descriptions widgets available and these have been used for the gallery, events calendar and maps, living up to its easier to use reputation. Phil Ling sorted the template and layout, as we wanted to match the new site’s design to our publicity styling that the Group has recently adopted. The site was built up with information and photos added to become live in early November. More work still needs to be done, particularly adding more bird site details, so we’d like to ask our members if they would contribute to this project by sending in details of sites they bird regularly. Those descriptions that are already on the site will give you an idea of what information is required, or you can also contact me if you would like further information.

A showcase for members’ shots - help needed I’d like to thank the sub-committee for the time and work they’ve put in to the new site along with members who have supplied photos including Bill Baston, Ashley Gooding, Brian Buffery and Barry Woodhouse. We welcome further photos from members to add to the gallery, so please email them in.