03/26/2004 Archived Entry: "Fixing the NDP (well the web site anyway)"
The NDP is extremely geeky. And not always in a good way. Their web site SUCKS. "What's wrong with it?", you ask... well:
The NDP really needs to go talk to the Dean people and get with the program.
What can be done to improve the web site? Most of the people voting for the NDP won't actually be NDP members. In fact, the only way the NDP is going to win more seats is if non-members vote for them. People don't necessarily want to commit to membership, but may still want to be involved somehow - they'll want a connection to the party. So:
- Don't just talk about empowerment actually allow your members and the people interested in your movement to empower themselves and let them use your web space to do so
- List all the upcoming events - and keep the list up to date and inadvance so people can plan to come
- Have public and open mailing lists where people can write back and forth - not just announce lists
- Use meetup to get people together to talk about the issues and allow them to set the tone and content of those meetings - while still providing meetup organizers with some material. Belinda had little house parties - why can't we?
- Even if you want a private area for legitimate members, open up some interactive stuff to non-members
- Have some personal - real "from the source" writing from candidates and Jack. People want some connection and that's one way to do it
- Instead of just having issue-oriented ways to get involved, why not have skills-based ways. For example, I could help out with the web site, or mailing lists, or organizing a Jack party - but there's no way for me to sign up for that
- Get rid of the click-here-itis
- Organize the navigation so it's clear to non-NDPers. Instead of having "Campaigns" and "Video and Audio" - both with NDP ads on them - put them both into one section. And if those "Campaigns" are free to take to put on your web site then say so (they really should you know... I'd love to have an anti-Martin thing on my site - and the NDP would get lots of links that way). Same with the press releases, the articles on the NDP and the Party News - put them all into one News category. Same with the About Us and Our History. If your history isn't "About You" then I don't know what is.
- Make the site accessible and standards compliant (but of course you knew I was going to say that!)
- Link to the MP's web sites for goodness sake!
- And have a list of the candidates in the upcoming elections with links to their sites too!
- Be direct, be honest, be amusing - let your personalities show
That's just a start. It's what I came up with in 15 minutes of thinking about it. I support the NDP - and I'd love to help them fix their site. Because right now it could use a lot of improvement.
Replies: 2 comments - add a comment
exactly!
I just volunteered for the election committee here in my riding of vancouver quadra and register davidaskew.ca the name of my candidate i'm just seting up a moveable type blog for him all the things ou mentioneed i wan to do
Posted by Peter Eller @ 04/28/2004 11:36 PM EST
exactly!
I just volunteered for the election committee here in my riding of vancouver quadra and register davidaskew.ca the name of my candidate i'm just seting up a moveable type blog for him all the things ou mentioneed i wan to do
Posted by Peter Eller @ 04/28/2004 11:36 PM EST
