Web

Introductory Comments
The web department was added in 1997.  At first, the printed magazine pages were scanned and posted directly on the web.  Since the department’s inception, there have been several major overhauls in terms of styling, format, and accessibility.  In spring 2004, another major revision was being worked on, and details were not available for inclusion in this document.  Final format and style information should be added to this document when available.

Job Description
The primary purpose of the web staff is to create a web presence for the magazine, freely accessible via the internet.  The department also provides electronic services for the class, such as a calendar and documentation.  Currently, the web edition of the magazine mirrors the print edition.  However, in future years the web edition may contain additional content, including extra articles or extra information not available in print articles.  It may also include forums for interactive communication between readers and staffers.

Specific Duties—Web Staff
The majority of the work done by the web department is the creation of an on-line copy of the magazine, although the procedure is not yet well defined.

The current process of collecting pictures from photography and stories from production is very inefficient.  To improve efficiency and facilitate posting the magazine online sooner, the web department should receive the articles and photographs at the same time as production.  Ideally, the magazine would be published online at the same time it is circulated around campus. 

There seems to be no solid justification for production to be the “middle man,” and the web staff can design the web version while production designs the paper version.  Individual web staffers could determine their own blurbs and captions as necessary, like production, so the magazine is not identical online and in print. 

Specific Duties—Web Editor
Currently the department manager collects all of the text for the articles from the production department before the magazine goes to print.  The original photographs that accompany the articles are sent to the web staff from the photography department.  The web staff compiles this information and formats it for display on the web.

The web editor is also responsible for maintaining server space and a domain name appropriate for the magazine.  The university’s official “home” of the magazine is www.cae.wisc.edu/~wiscengr, though, for the past few years, the domain www.wisconsinengineer.org has been the gateway to the online magazine.  Currently, the magazine’s domain is www.wisconsinengineer.com.  The web department must keep track of renewing the domain name as required.

Communication
The web manager conducts most of the communication outside the department.  The manager receives information from the production department in order to produce the web copy of the magazine.  This is the only external communication for the department.  The web staff communicates directly with the manager and with each other as necessary to complete their assignments.

Training of Web Staff
Most job training is currently done directly by the web manager.  He or she addresses only the topics unfamiliar to the individual trainee.  Staff members will learn the basics of how to write web pages (HTML).  The faculty advisor may schedule a DreamWeaver training session through DoIT, if the web editor requests one.  There is no solid protocol for the development of the web pages; the department is still trying to determine what format is most suitable.  The main goal of the current web manager is to develop and document a routine for creating the web pages that works well.  There is no well-defined internal hierarchy; the current manager took over the job when the previous manager left.