ACA WSO Web/database Report for the March 2013 Teleconference.

The number of registered meetings increased by another 21 meetings in February, from 1130 last month to 1151 meetings. This includes 70 new meetings being registered, plus another 44 meeting updates being processed (and yes, we again had a number of meetings also reported as closed). Once again, Gloria has been busy processing all these entries.

I continue to work with the ABC Committee to keep the web site’s ABC page current with the latest information. The web site was updated to include the 16 proposals received, and to allow meetings and Intergroups to submit group conscience ballots either online or by snail-mail. Thus far, we have received 25 ballot responses as well as 39 registrations representing 22 ACA meetings and Inter Groups. With the cutoff date not until April 15, I expect many more to be received in the coming weeks. We also have received a duplicate set of ballots from one meeting. I will be following up with those meetings submitting duplicate entries, as well as verifying the meetings submitting ballots are actually registered with the WSO (only registered meetings and Intergroups are to submit ballots, and with only ballot each).

Kelso continues with the development for the “back-end” of the meeting update software. This will ultimately replace the current online meeting and Inter Group registration forms as well as the MS Access database held at the office. This will greatly simplify the meeting update process and should integrate well with the ”front-end” web meeting list once that is transferred from allone.com to adultchildren.org.

David and I are also coordinating moving the meeting list from his allone.com to the adultchildren.org domain, which we finally hope to complete next week. I have also been moving some files around on the server in preparation for this move.

I have also begun some upgrades to the web site in preparation for installation of a new Content Management System (similar to the Repository, but using the newest version of Joomla). The plan is to ultimately replace the main portion of the web site with this CMS system. I hope to get the initial (boilerplate) installation of the new site installed into a development area on the web site later this week, and over the next few months to get the relevant portions of the current web site copied into the new site, along with adding some badly needed graphics for a more pleasing display. I want to thank both Leanne and Kelso for their offer to help being part of the new development team.

In February, we also completed the transfer of credit card processing within the QSC (Quick Shopping Cart) from the Merchant Account to Pay Pal. While this will save us considerable funds in fees, it was also not without problems – though most seem resolved now.

With our QSC license due to expire this month, I processed a renewal with GoDaddy to renew that function for another year (getting a 30% discount in the process). For planning purposes, I will also be renewing the basic hosting service and domain names as they come due over the several months.

I continue to work GoDaddy in getting the UPS “Sure Post” module installed in the Shopping Cart, though thus far I have been unable to get a firm date from GoDaddy on when this might happen. I continue in my pestering efforts to get GoDaddy to set a planned installation date for this module. Meanwhile, I’ve worked with the office staff in developing work-around procedures for large orders where the Sure Post method would be appropriate.

The office reported to me that the shipping postage rates were often off considerably for literature (tri-fold) orders. I worked with the office staff in determining more accurate shipping weights, and then reset the QSC parameters to better fit the actual weights. This should result in better shipping cost calculations in the orders received. There’s also been a slew of other QSC functions updated over the month to better utilize the system, too many for me to recall at the moment.

As time allows, I also continue to update the layout of the “Repository”, including moving the critical information currently on the forum to the Repository (an admittedly slow process), and working with the WSO Board and Committee chairs enabling them to put their Teleconference reports into the Repository themselves.

As usual, it’s been busy.

Scott R.

ACA WSO Webmaster