DIOCESE OF QU'APPELLE
The 73rd Synod of the Diocese of Qu'Appelle
Reports
Website Task Force
The website task force was set up by Bishop Duncan in 2005. He appointed four persons to the taskforce: Canon Marilyn Dean, Tanya Condo, Shauna Brown and the Rev Cheryl Johnson. This task force took over the website from the previous webmaster when he left the diocese in 2005.
This committee has only met three times face to face. In between meetings discussions are held via email whenever an issue arises.
The purpose of the website in Tanya's word's is:
The purpose of the website maintained by the Diocese of Qu'Appelle is to be a portal where people can access relevant and accurate information regarding diocesan programs,
events, and general information. All members of the Diocese of Qu'Appelle can access this website
(either through home computers or the equal access computers supplied at Public Libraries), so it
is the intention of the website committee to develop a web space that is also an electronic gathering
place.
The task force identified the long loading time of the first page of the website to be a serious problem especially for our dialup users. This was the first issue to be discussed and the first task implemented on the website. Download time for all top level pages has been reduced significantly.
Most of the discussions of the committee has centered on the content of the website and the guidelines for the diocesan calendar.
The guidelines used to evaluate whether or not an event is posted in the calendar on
website are as follows:
A meeting of the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada
A meeting of the Provincial Synod of the Ecclesiastical Province of Rupert's Land
ACPO
A meeting of the Synod of the Diocese of Qu'Appelle.
A diocesan meeting of clergy.
A meeting of the clergy of one or more of the archdeaconries of the diocese.
A meeting of the clergy of one or more of the deaneries of the diocese.
A meeting of a committee or task force of the diocese.
An co-sponsored event of the Anglican Church of Canada, Province of Rupert's Land or the diocese
and a Church with which we are in communion when the event is held within the diocese.
Ministry events of the Cathedral which are open to all and are not available in other parishes
of the diocese.
Other religious/educational events open to all (without formal subscription to any belief),
being held within the boundaries of the diocese and sponsored by a parish in the diocese.
A one time religious event of a parish where the intent is to contact former members of the
parish (e.g. the 100th anniversary of a parish).
An open inaugural parish event which initiates a new ministry in a parish within the diocese
where it is reasonable to attract people beyond the bounds of a parish. This event will not be
posted until it has vetted by the website task force or recommended by the bishop. An event
in this category may be rejected for posting on the website.
If an event changes in any of its details after being posted, it will be reviewed and may be
removed from the calendar if the change results in it violating one or more of the guidelines for
posting on the website.
On the website task force page the contents of the website are set out as follows: names of the committees with a brief description of what they do, a portal to parish sites (links to parish sites), minutes of meetings deemed important to the wider diocese, a "Living Calendar" which would include diocesan and parish events, current information, a weekly reflection, list of services, Diocesan and Anglican Cycle of Prayer, Churchmouse Resource Centre page, links to other Anglican Websites, Canons and Regulations, Stewardship and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
The committee recognizes not all these objectives had been realized and some of the objectives may not be practical. Now that we have had the site for a calendar year, we will be meeting to assess our progress on our objective and whether or not to revise our objectives. Our progress on the website changes has also been hampered (slowed down) by the number of undocumented files on the website (approximately 350).
There are 3 areas which the website has made significant progress. The calendar and Churchmouse resource centre are the most accessed pages on the site. In the last month we have added pages (accessed through the portal page) which attempts to explain through the history of the diocese 'who we are'.
Suggestions concerning the website can be sent to the Website Task Force c/o the Synod Office.
