Vent about Nationals website

be69chevy · #1 03-06-2007, 05:52 PM

I wish they would list which chapters are active and which arent and a date of when they closed on the chapter list page.

And help the active chapters get a website together.

banditone · #2 03-06-2007, 06:37 PM

- They really should keep a more detailed listing on their chapter page. I know some of those listed are dormant.

- Whenver I stumble across a chapter website that they don't have, or they have wrong, I always email it to them to update that page (headquarters@sigmanu.org). They are kind of slow, but they get to it eventually. (I take that back... I sent them an update that Bethany now has a website ages ago http://www.bethanywv.edu/sigmanu/, and they still haven't updated the chapter list page with it).

- If you go into the members area, they keep a good list of all initiated members per chapter. You can even pull up the most recent active/candidate numbers from there... Wish they would total them, but as it is you have to manually count.

- I offered up my House Pics webpage for them to do with what they please. They said they would have to pass, due to liability or something like that.

strubbe · #3 03-07-2007, 07:18 PM

Yeah, I've been upset with the website for awhile now... Rarely updated, hardly any news comes out of HQ unless it's through the Delta, and just a poor layout in general...

TrevorG · #4 03-07-2007, 10:06 PM

Website sucks, especially the store. There isn't even a simple shopping cart system, you have to email them to order things.

Kevin · #5 03-07-2007, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by strubbe

Yeah, I've been upset with the website for awhile now... Rarely updated, hardly any news comes out of HQ unless it's through the Delta, and just a poor layout in general...

And they [HQ] via the "Pursuit of Excellence" are asking the chapters to keep current websites. To be honest though, it's a pretty decent improvement over what we had before. It's just that some parts have been "under construction" for years now.

The website of your chapter (or HQ for that matter) is a bigger deal than most would realize. Recruits and parents go to it as a source for information. If it's less of a source than another organization's site, you may be put at a disadvantage.

If your chapter doesn't have a website, that can be a huge problem. Unless your chapter is able to sit back with minimal effort and have potential pledges come to it, then there's no excuse to have no website (or a poor one).

banditone · #6 03-08-2007, 12:22 AM

And it's SO not hard. I don't understand some chapters sites I go to and they have broken links, or haven't been updated in a year, don't have updated member info, or don't even have any contact (email) info (example: Maryland).

At the VERY least, a chapter should put a little one page site with the following:
- Welcome page (blah, Sigma Nu, link to nationals, won this that the other, house phone/address).
- Picture of the house (Personal favorite to see right when I go to a page)
- Member list (with total # at the top, so I don't have to count). Or hell, a link to the latest composite.
- and Current Officers....

strubbe · #7 03-08-2007, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevin

And they [HQ] via the "Pursuit of Excellence" are asking the chapters to keep current websites. To be honest though, it's a pretty decent improvement over what we had before. It's just that some parts have been "under construction" for years now.

The website of your chapter (or HQ for that matter) is a bigger deal than most would realize. Recruits and parents go to it as a source for information. If it's less of a source than another organization's site, you may be put at a disadvantage.

If your chapter doesn't have a website, that can be a huge problem. Unless your chapter is able to sit back with minimal effort and have potential pledges come to it, then there's no excuse to have no website (or a poor one).

Exactly... I keep preaching to my chapter that having a current, up to date website is a huge recruitment tool, especially at a school as large as UCF with 47,000+ students. Apathy can be really hard to deal with at times...

We have a great layout and some good content, but everything else is so out of date... Blah.

banditone · #8 04-20-2007, 11:24 AM

I really like these nationals chapter listings:

Pi Kappa Phi - Picture of the USA, state links. Each state link shows the chapter size for each chapter. Wow.
http://www.pikapp.org/collegiate/cha...chaptermap.cfm

Pi Kappa Alpha - Also a state by state map. Click the state and it pops up the Regional Consultants. Click on the chapter link and the window that pops up shows a pic of their chapter house, mailing address, and link to their website.
http://www.pikes.org/student/about/c...rDirectory.xml

Kevin · #9 04-20-2007, 11:38 AM

I also wish it'd show who was dormant and who was not.

KyleMcGuire1983 · #10 04-25-2007, 11:34 PM

well our national site in general is a bit lacking. the content is convulted and the opening intro is about 5 years old now. eeck.

our chapter site is under permanent construction!

http://www.sigmanusjsu.com/index.php

SigmaNuHX766 · #11 06-08-2007, 12:32 AM

I've been bugging one of our alumni to apply for a web development position at Nationals... Carl is currently the Old Dominion U webmaster, and has done some fantastic stuff on short notice.

I've always disliked the organization of the National's page, and the lack of effort that goes into updating/maintaining the site.

Short of Press Releases (re: WSU closing, VTech Shooting) and the Delta updates, there is very little news on the site.

KyleMcGuire1983 · #12 06-08-2007, 07:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SigmaNuHX766

I've been bugging one of our alumni to apply for a web development position at Nationals... Carl is currently the Old Dominion U webmaster, and has done some fantastic stuff on short notice.

I've always disliked the organization of the National's page, and the lack of effort that goes into updating/maintaining the site.

Short of Press Releases (re: WSU closing, VTech Shooting) and the Delta updates, there is very little news on the site.

The Delta update from Fall 2006 you mean :-)

Kevin · #13 06-08-2007, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SigmaNuHX766

I've been bugging one of our alumni to apply for a web development position at Nationals... Carl is currently the Old Dominion U webmaster, and has done some fantastic stuff on short notice.

I've always disliked the organization of the National's page, and the lack of effort that goes into updating/maintaining the site.

Short of Press Releases (re: WSU closing, VTech Shooting) and the Delta updates, there is very little news on the site.

The funny thing is that they already have those releases -- I'm on the alumni listserv. I get things within hours of when they happen.

banditone · #14 06-08-2007, 10:49 AM

So why is it so hard for them to update the main website then?

- The "news" area is terrible (under "press").
*Fraternity News last update is from 2002.
*Chapter News last update is from 2004.

I don't get it. It is VERY easy to update a website that is already created. Just give me the login and I'll update it damnit!!!

There should be info on:
- Chapter re-births at Arkansas, North Carolina, Louisiana State, Florida, Arizona State. Complete with numbers info, "re"-founding fathers, etc.
- Pictures of houses going up or getting work around the nation. Arkansas is new. LSU is being renovated.
- News on famous Sigma Nu's like Paul Rudd (I think he was a KU snake).
- I understand if they don't want to advertise closing chapters (Wash State).

Kevin · #15 06-08-2007, 05:11 PM

I don't mind having it be public knowledge that we close chapters. I'm actually proud that we close chapters. Sorry to all of y'all who are members of such chapters, but liability insurance is positively crushing us.