CTC website services

[fausto copy]

At our club AGM t'other day, we discussed communications etc.
We've had a club forum via Yahoo but had major problems with it.
We're looking at getting our own website and someone asked why we can't CTC provide one.
Given that we have to include "CTC" into our official title, it seems like a fair question.
So, why can't CTC provide a service for clubs to use part of the official website for instance?

[Regulator]

At our club AGM t'other day, we discussed communications etc.
We've had a club forum via Yahoo but had major problems with it.
We're looking at getting our own website and someone asked why we can't CTC provide one.
Given that we have to include "CTC" into our official title, it seems like a fair question.
So, why can't CTC provide a service for clubs to use part of the official website for instance?

This is an issue which has been raised. As I understand it, the current web-site is not up to offering such a service. THe new web-site (due in 2010) may be.

I'll raise it again at Council. I personally think its a good idea but I know there is some resistance.

[JT]

Building websites is what I do for a living, therefore I know that CTC could offer this service easily and at almost no cost - regardless of how their own website is built.

[fausto copy]

Thanks for the replies.

[robgul]

You may like to look at www.ctc-heartofengland.org.uk - our club's website with details, events, ride reports (when the captains send them) and (in progress) a complete archive of our magazine - we also have a full-blown e-commerce facility to take entries for the Audax rides we run and other events, with secure payment etc.

Cost of hosting etc is about £40 a year - and once it's set up it's relatively easy to maintain ... this is the sort of thing that CTC should be offering local groups/sections or whatever they are called now.

AND while we're at it .... why oh, why didn't CTC get its act together to produce a generic club jersey that could be produced in economical small quantities with local club names ?? It's not rocket science ... but IS good promotion.

Rob

[JT]

AND while we're at it .... why oh, why didn't CTC get its act together to produce a generic club jersey that could be produced in economical small quantities with local club names ?? It's not rocket science ... but IS good promotion.

That is an excellent idea.

[Jamesy]

AND while we're at it .... why oh, why didn't CTC get its act together to produce a generic club jersey that could be produced in economical small quantities with local club names ?? It's not rocket science ... but IS good promotion.

That is an excellent idea.

The reason, as far as I am concerned, is that the CTC no longer do joined up thinking, the club used to, but alas no more.

[admin]

We're looking at getting our own website and someone asked why we can't CTC provide one.
Given that we have to include "CTC" into our official title, it seems like a fair question.
So, why can't CTC provide a service for clubs to use part of the official website for instance?

I quite agree, local groups could quite easily have the ability to make use of website facilities that "piggy-back" on the main CTC site. In fact this was included as a requirement for the main site re-build, due by next March, which is good.

A big advantage could be that things like runs lists and recommended refreshment stops could be integrated with the main site, and thus with a central events list and the Cyclists Welcome list. So local groups could feed into these with their local knowledge, but the results could be used by anyone via the main site.

I'd also like to see:

• A CTC website style guide, complete with standard logos, colours, etc.
• URLs like http://groupname.ctc.org.uk that either go to the CTC-hosted pages, or redirect to the group's existing site wherever that might be.

This isn't particularly difficult to organise, but does need some commitment and funding.

[Si]

but does need some commitment and funding.

but what are the chances of it getting it?

I've promised to re-write our MG site over Christmas 'cos it's tired and old. It's not exactly a difficult thing to do (although trying to get the requirements nailed down can be a bit like herding cats ) but it will take up some of my time that I'd rather spend doing other stuff. If the CTC main site is going to have a facility for MGs to have their own sections then it'd be a waste of my time redoing our own site. Should I do it, or should I leave our site as it is in the hope that there will be a nice MG add on to the national site?

[Si]

AND while we're at it .... why oh, why didn't CTC get its act together to produce a generic club jersey that could be produced in economical small quantities with local club names ?? It's not rocket science ... but IS good promotion.

That is an excellent idea.

The CTC does have club jerseys - see link elsewhere on forum. These are done by impsport, they do small runs of club kit so I don't see why any MG shouldn't order a small run of CTC jerseys from them with customised logos. I've the retro version and there is loads of room on the back for a MG name. The front is a little more crowded but I think that it could still be made to fit. The CTC NO probably has some control over use of the design, but I can't see them refusing to let a proper CTC MG customise it.

I think that the biggest problem with this idea would be that there is always going to be a load of people out there who don't like the standard base designs, whatever that design is. You can't please all the people all the time, etc

edit: found the link: http://www.impsport.com/direct1/index.p ... t&catId=13
note - seems to be loads of space on the modern one for MG names too.
note(2) - impsport tend to rearrange their site now and then so if the link doesn't take you stright to the CTC section, have a hunt around.

[robgul]

AND while we're at it .... why oh, why didn't CTC get its act together to produce a generic club jersey that could be produced in economical small quantities with local club names ?? It's not rocket science ... but IS good promotion.

That is an excellent idea.

The CTC does have club jerseys - see link elsewhere on forum. These are done by impsport, they do small runs of club kit so I don't see why any MG shouldn't order a small run of CTC jerseys from them with customised logos. I've the retro version and there is loads of room on the back for a MG name. The front is a little more crowded but I think that it could still be made to fit. The CTC NO probably has some control over use of the design, but I can't see them refusing to let a proper CTC MG customise it.

I think that the biggest problem with this idea would be that there is always going to be a load of people out there who don't like the standard base designs, whatever that design is. You can't please all the people all the time, etc

edit: found the link: http://www.impsport.com/direct1/index.p ... t&catId=13
note - seems to be loads of space on the modern one for MG names too.
note(2) - impsport tend to rearrange their site now and then so if the link doesn't take you stright to the CTC section, have a hunt around.

Impsport refused point-blank to produce any sort of club overprint on the standard CTC jersey when we asked them in October 2009 - citing that CTC had exclusive rights to the design ???

We have returned to the drawing board with our club jersey project ...

Rob

[Si]

Did you try asking N.O. if they would give permission? Did they give a reason for not doing so?

It's understandable that impsport wouldn't want to do 'copies' without permission from those that originally commissioned them.

It would be somewhat less understandable if N.O. were to refuse permission for this! It's the sort of thing that you'd have thought, given the initial push from a MG, N.O. ought to be keen on as it gets more people in CTC tops, and it gets the CTC more commission.

[robgul]

Did you try asking N.O. if they would give permission? Did they give a reason for not doing so?

It's understandable that impsport wouldn't want to do 'copies' without permission from those that originally commissioned them.

It would be somewhat less understandable if N.O. were to refuse permission for this! It's the sort of thing that you'd have thought, given the initial push from a MG, N.O. ought to be keen on as it gets more people in CTC tops, and it gets the CTC more commission.

We were told that the edict had come from on-high at CTC .....

- AND we seem to have sourced a better quality jersey at a lower price and faster delivery than Impsport (but, of course an order depends on those members that expressed an interest in a jersey actually paying .....)

Rob

[manybikes]

When there was a "competition" for a new CTC jersey I wrote to the NO member tasked with designing and producing it. I actually suggested having a generic CTC design with a rectangular patch in white so the DA's (remember them?) could add their own DA name.
Nothing happened for a long while - I raised the subject at three (3) consecutive CTC AGMs and spoke to that officer about the suggestion as well. I got the impression that he thought it was a good idea but then who knows. So the opportunity was there long before Impsport became involved but not taken and now it never will be.

[Si]

Pity.