VOLLEYING

“Volleying” is the place for comment by visitors on articles published in prior issues of this web site.

I am pleased to publish, with his permission, comments by David Kjeldsen

Re: "WEB SITES, BLOGS, E-MAIL…WHATEVER"
(January 2008 Issue)

Chuck:

I read your January article regarding the APTA's new website and I offer my "two-cents" worth from the perspective of the person who donated the funds to the APTA many years ago to get the first APTA website off the ground.

First, the saving grace with the governing body's website re-design project is Paul Wiggin. He is volunteering all his time to the update project and in the end the APTA should have a new site with little expense. Paul deserves kudos for all the volunteer work he has done, and the massive amount of time he has expended learning about web design and web hosting on behalf of the APTA.

That said, if the APTA website was actually viewed by the APTA leadership as a critical communications vehicle to the membership base, the approach to the website change would have had to be different in that not having a single, fully functional, and up-to-date website for the majority of our short season would not have been acceptable. The reality is: it is unacceptable.

Furthermore, having been recently informed that the "beta / proof of concept" site will not reflect the look and feel of the actual final site, I find it hard to understand how the APTA board directed the project to proceed in this manner. I realize that having the transition of the executive director's position at the same time as the website update occurred made the updating and maintaining of the current site difficult, due to monetary considerations and personality conflicts, but far from impossible. But to have two "half" sites and a "third" in the works, and none that currently fully satisfies the needs of the membership, reflects poor planning and a lack of understanding by the board as to what is involved in a project of this scope and nature.

Finally, it is incomprehensible that the APTA has chosen to undertake email blasts to its membership from a private Google email account rather than from the organization's primary domain platformtennis.org or even the temporary "beta domain" of platform-tennis.org. Other than Platform Tennis Magazine, the main communication vehicle of the APTA to its membership is via email. Sadly, the delivery method chosen in recent email blasts shows that the concepts of "branding" and "identity management" are concepts that appear to be little understood by the current leadership, not to mention rudimentary email technologies.
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For these reasons I believe your rating of the APTA's web initiative should be an "Ad-Out" not an "Ad-In".

We can all hope that when the 2008/2009 season starts in August that the APTA website will be finalized and, in whatever form it takes, it is fully functional. Let's hope we don't lose another season to transition at the expense of serving the membership.

David C. Kjeldsen
APTA Life Member

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