Using the APS web site
The APS website has been going through a refresh recently. At the same time we have added some new features. Working through the process I found many resources available to club members that you might not be aware of, so here is my quick start guide.
The essentials of the home page
Lets start by looking at the home page – most pages follow this basic layout so once you understand this you are well set.
The Home Screen
1 Search
Type a search term and click the search button to find any posts on that subject. For example, let’s say you know that you went to Lynn’s outing to Muriwai and you want to see the original post and any comments that have been added. You could type Muriwai and click search and you’ll get a list of all posts on the APS website that reference Muriwai.
2 The navigation menu
This is how you move to other pages on the site. You’ll notice that if you put your mouse over items with a >> at the end of the name like Galleries a sub menu will open.
To go to any page just click on it.
3 Coming up
Usually we place info here on the next APS event or competition.
4 Polls
We are running polls to get a snapshot of members’ views on a range of topics. You can vote by choosing and option and clicking vote.
5 Latest images gallery
After each APS competition the honours images are loaded onto the web site. (if you don’t want your image on the site simple let us know when you submit your entry). For the next month they will show as a slideshow on the homepage. They also get added to a gallery for that month that you can find by clicking Galleries, choosing a year and then selecting a gallery to view.
6 Surveys
We also run surveys, at the moment we want your feedback on Focal Plane, the official club newsletter. Surveys let us get far more information than a poll and let you type a more detailed response.
7 Recent Posts
As we add news to the website they are categorised. To see all posts just goto the Blog which can be found under resources. Items that are APS specific like upcoming club outings will show here on the homepage to draw attention to them.
8 Recent Flickr Photos
The site links to the APS group in Flickr and shows the last eight images posted.
Using the APS web site
Registering for the APS website
We ask all members to register on the website. We collect your latest membership info at this point and then we cross check your membership. If you are a paying member then we activate your account which lets you access additional content. At the moment not much is behind this security wall other than result sheets for APS contests but over time we will move more content to the private area. Also, forums require you to be a registered site user.
Please be sure to register, just go to the Login page and if you are not registered you will see the register link. www.aps.net.nz/register will take you straight there.
Getting Interaction with our members
We have two types of content on the website. Pages and Posts. A page is where we place static content like club rules and resource info. Posts are interactive! When you read a post you can also post feedback and make comments, simple type your reply at the bottom of the screen under “Leave a Reply” and click Post Comment.
There are a couple of options there so before you click post decide if you want to get an email when other members comment. You can opt back out of these emails later but rather than checking back when you post a question, you can ask the site to email you when another member posts a reply.
Forums
We have moved the forums off and we are now concentrating on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/groups/aucklandphotographic/ where we welcome you posting your images for peer review.
Blog
As we make posts on the website we categorise them. So you can easily find external competitions, news, special events like Nikon nights and of course every issue of Focal Plane is also available online.
Club Resources
The best thing for me about working on the new web is that as a new member I was forced to read everything. I found that we have Books, DVDs and Magazines available to borrow for FREE (http://www.aps.net.nz/resources/). It’s well worth looking at what we have.
Events Calendar
Ok not new, but improved. The new site allows committee members to edit and look after their own content. We are all still learning but Bridget has picked up the ball and ran with it. The Event calendar now has info on upcoming outings and much more info on guest speakers with links to their work and sample images to help give you a flavour of what’s coming. 2013 is looking amazing so be sure to check it out http://www.aps.net.nz/calendar/
If you want to attend a club event, you can now register online http://www.aps.net.nz/event-registration/
Club Rules
If you are new to the club and thinking of submitting your first entry into one of the monthly competitions, just read the rules http://www.aps.net.nz/rules/ and you’ll have a great feel for how to go about submitting your entry. You’ll notice that we have galleries of all the images that gained honours during judging. If you don’t want your image to be displayed on the website, be sure to note this with your submission.