Before you read below please take into consideration that the BRCA websites Prime function is to:
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manage our membership, events and rules
everything else is just a bonus...
So travelling back in time Chris Hardisty was the previous Webmaster and the V5 (version 5 Site) was Chris's concept and in its time was very advanced, Most of the features on the site were custom as they didnt exist back when the site started. When it was frst released this really was cutting edge stuff, and its feature packed. Its also managed the Membership for the last 6ish Years
The Version 5 Website: Drupel Platform
The Version 6 Website: Joomla Platform
So moving forward the task was:
- Improve / Automate Membership Process
- Impliment Proper Club Finder
- Manage Events
- Display information Clearly
- Make all sections uniform
- Automated Newsletter
- No Custom Addons, all to be off the shelf
Content Wise we are trying to show EVERY Class to EVERY Visitor
January 2015 Darren Newton (BRCA Sectretary) was tasked with creating a small Website Working party to create the new site, the Joomla Platform was chosen as Darren had more experience in this area, a concept idea (Image Right) was acepted by the Floor at an Exec Committee Meeting and work Started.
A bold step from a fairly static front page, to a newspaper style setup, this is with the idea that a new racer doesnt know which class or what racing they may want, so lets get all the sections out on display with pictures and write ups and hopefully within a click or two the new racer would be in a section reading an article they saw on the front page with a beginers guid to the right
Due to how our membership system works + only members entering events and every section having events at all times of the year, a defined point of change was hard to pick, however some firm deadlines were set
- 1/12th National Booking must open on V6 website (late August Early Spetember)
- Membership must open for Renewals November 2015
- Clubs Must be able to affiliated December 2015
Road Map
| Feb- May 2015 |
- Installing a development area on a test server and testing various components and addons for the Joomla Platform (Joomla Extensions )
- Choose Componets
- Choose Template
- Draw Site Navigation
- Work out site loadings for new server
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| June - July 2015 |
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| August - Sept 2015 |
- Populate Site with minimum required to be show public
- MILESTONE: Install, test and configure Events Component www.brca.org/events (1st August 2015)
- MILESTONE: Install, test and configure Media/Video area www.brca.org/media/videos
- Instally, Test and Configure Membership Component
- Test Member Numbering System with (the now famous) £1 member test
- Open Booking for 12th Nationals
- LANDMARK EVENT: WEBSITE PROCESSED 1300 Class Entries in 24hours!
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| October - Nov 2015 |
- Configure and test booking system to operate an invitational (Enter a code to Enter event)
- Open Booking For 12th Reedy Race @ centre:mk
- Open Booking for GT Nationals
- Continue to build section areas (slow due to some section response)
- Configure, Test and Complete membership automation process
- Build Basic Electric Board Section with Download area
- Turn off V5 Website, redirect to Temp Domian on new server
- MILESTONE: Open for 2016 BRCA Membership www.brca.org/join (November 15th 2015)
- Create, Test and Configure Club Affiliation, and clubs area www.brca.org/clubs
- Create, Test and Configure newsletter component
- MILESTONE: Sent first email to users with monthly webround up
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| December 2015 |
December we had to have our first down time since doing the move, this was for several reasons, but the promary reason was no data-loss from a member joining while site may have been unstable and loosing that information, so we took the hard choice to take the site off line, we guessed at 72hours, when it was about 48 hours the site was off.
- Move domain back to www.brca.org from temp domain
- Move, test and ensure fully working V5 on new server
- Create subdomain v5.brca.org
- Create results subdomain results.brca.org
- MILESTONE: Open Up Club Affiliation (December 14th 2015)
- MILESTONE: Created Club finder www.brca.org/clubs
- MILESTONE: Ticket based support, however this is very basic Click here
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| January 2016 |
January will be consumed with one main target
- Running out fully automate membership card printing, from the website directly to printer, this will save hours and hours of adminsitration - Complete
- Fixed Hotmail/live issue
- Rolled out SSL Across the site (the Green Lock sign) 90% Complete
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| Febuary 2016 |
- Configure, Test and make public ready Results Server - In Progress
- Start working on advanced user groups for officers - In Progress
- Hold Training for BRCA Sections to add content - In Progress
- Complete Contact area, with all section contact and officers trained - In Progress
- Opened events for Touring Cars, 8th Circuit, 10th IC - Complete
- Modified events system to allow pay on day or paypal - Complete
- MILESTONE: Search system intergrated
- MILESTONE: BRCA Document area open https://www.brca.org/brca-documents-home
- MILESTONE: Stockcars section open https://www.brca.org/sections/stockcars/
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| March 2016 |
- New Feature: Members Event Management https://www.brca.org/manage-events
- Work with sections to bring all historical data over
- Completely revamp the EB Section and how we present that area of our sport **Move to May**
- Complete results server and hand out details to sections and provide links etc
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| April 2016 |
- Rework "BRCA Articles"
- Start work on "THE HUB"
- Work with sections to bring all historical data over
- Completely revamp the EB Section and how we present that area of our sport
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| May 2016 |
- Completely revamp the EB Section and how we present that area of our sport
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| June 2016 |
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| July 2016 |
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| August 2016 |
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| September 2016 |
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| October 2016 |
- Complete integration of all sections, with all external sites de-commissioned
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