The New Sigma Phi Epsilon HQ site is up and open!

After several months of challenging redesign work the new SigEp HQ site design was unveiled today.
You will immediately notice the site has a much 'cleaner' look and feel with good use of white space to focus attention. The navigation has been updated in a way that should make it much easier to find the particular section or information you are seeking.

For those of the geek persuasion the new site uses a database driven CMS (content management system) which will make keeping the site up to date much simpler and easier. The site also integrates with the master registration database so changes to personal data made here will flow through and update across the system.

Check it out, and tell the folks at HQ where you heard about it first.

Sigma Phi Epsilon Homepage:

'via Blog this'

One last thing. Not to toot our own horn here, but if you go to the "Social Media Hub"you will see that our little effort has received some recognition at last:

A Win for Technology!

Hey Bert, that didn't hurt at all, Did it?

Our Grand President joins G+.

Modern Technology Triumphs!

(Seriously, Bro. Harris shows his commitment to

"Using Technology to Advance SigEp Values". )

We now look forward to LOLCats pictures in the Journal!

Liberty, Technology, Fraternity

G+ Hangouts on an iPhone

This morning I met with two other SigEps - Michael Ellis and ExDir. Brian Warren - to discuss some ideas about a technology task force that would help SigEp use modern tools to add value to our members and to show others the value that is embodied in our fraternity. Nothing particularly buzz-worthy in doing that. This is not the first time, nor will it be the last, where the topic comes up with me in the company of brothers. It is one of my hot topics.

It is not even a big deal that we were literally a country apart - one of us (Michael) was in San Francisco, I was in Houston, and another (Brian) was in Richmond. What excited me about the experience was that we were using the Google+ "Hangout" feature that let us share video with each other. And more than that, I was  sharing video with two others on my iPhone.

When I told the others how I was connected we all sort of did a double-take that it was so easy and reliable, and on a platform that I certainly didn't expect to have that capacity. I had thought I would get the no-video conference call version, but no, it worked like a charm.

Mike has been using Hangouts to mentor students at two chapters where he is on the AVC. The first one is close by at Berkeley, and the second is at his Alma Mater - Purdue. Again close contact, face to face meetings halfway across the country. Does anyone else see the huge potential this has for giving opportunities to alumni who aren't near a chapter, or chapters that are not near a big city with a load of alumni nearby?

We have CLAs starting up soon. Those of you who will be in Dallas look me up and ask to hear more about the ideas. If you are headed to the CLA in California look for Michael. We would love to talk more about these and other ideas for using tech tools in SigEp. In fact it will probably be tough to get us to stop talking about it!

Got security? Google Chrome Issues

We got a note his morning that Google Chrome browsers are sending dire warning messages when you try to access the site. Although this is a "false positive" we have deactivated the code (SigEp Sites - in the sidebar) that was causing the error.

The provider of the service we have used for the last several years - "blogrolling.com" - is apparently on its last legs and we will need to find another service. If anyone has a good suggestion feel free to leave a comment or do the "contact us" thing.

Thanks.

New Comment "Feature" - authentication

Update: apparently the Facebook link is not working. We know about it and are working on fixing it. In the meantime you can ues one of the other alternative authentication methods.

There has been a rush of comments in the last few days, most of them referring to the closing of the UVA chapter. Great. Wonderful. Keep it up. This site is all about dialog and different viewpoints.

One of the things I noticed, however, is that most of the commenters are labeled as "guest". Now, I'm pretty sure that one guy named "guest" isn't saying all that stuff. It is hard to follow the flow when two or three "guests" are exchanging opinions.

In the interest of better communication and some transparency, I have turned on the "authentication" feature. In the future before commenting you will be asked to authenticate using. Note there are a number of ways to authenticate, and you can still remain mysterious if you choose. Here is a response from a person at JS-Kit about using this function.:

If users click on any of those login options, the target services (Including the JS-Kit login option) typically has a path to help the user sign up if they don't have an account already.

You will find that most (if not all) users already have ONE of those accounts though.

Regarding the 'My Site' option - this is an opportunity for users to ALSO include a link to their personal site as part of their identity/profile so they can edit it and add more until they are happy with the result.

I'm going to keep it turned on for a while and see how it goes. Let me know what your experiences are via the "contact us" link in the sidebar.

Why marketers have trouble with full-duplex social technology

My fellow Tennessee Alpha brother Steve Johnson is a leader in the field of product management. His blog is often funny, always informative and usally downright insightful.

This week he found an article on why folks charged with marketing "stuff" have so much trouble with the kind of two way communication that web 2.0 apps and sites use so well.

Great quotes:

The problem is simple. Marketers don't understand channels where you have to talk and listen at the same time.

and

The marketing industry's idea of a two-way communication is to put an 800 number or a web address in an ad and take orders.

and

Your company has a chance to turn its email list into a two-way communication. Except that most mass emails from companies are "do not reply". "We want to talk to you," they say. "But we don't want to hear back from you. Unless you want to place an order, and if so click here."

Hmmm...
If you substitute "Richmond," "HQ," or "Nationals" for "Marketers" does it still ring true?

I would have to say "not as much today as it used to." The recent Conclave web site was a help, as was the reference to Twitter tags like #sigeporlando09 as well as Flickr photo sites, Facebook and other ways to share information. They still have a ways to go, however. So Kudos for the progress, and "what's next"?

ProductMarketing.com: Why marketers have trouble with full-duplex social technology

What, no backpack full of books?

The rise of technology. Or perhaps the hegemony of Amazon.

Six colleges and universities are participating in a pilot program using the Kindle for accessing textbooks. Princeton University, the University of Virginia, Case Western Reserve University, Reed College, Pace University and Arizona State University are all testing the technology in select courses this fall.

In May, Amazon announced its launch of a new version of the Kindle (the Kindle DX) with a larger screen designed for textbook and periodical reading and a better web browser. This pilot program is putting the new e-reader directly in the hands of its intended market

I have had a Kindle for about a year. It's great to read at lunch, or riding the light rail to work. Or on the plane to Orlando. The neat part is only having the one device that can hold as many books as you want. That way I don't have to pack a "backup book" for trips. And if I do run out of reading material, I can buy and download a new book in about a minute right to the Kindle.

Seems like a natural fit.
Colleges Look to Cut Down on Paper with Kindle

S&P bringing the internet to SigEp Conclave!

Bring your laptop to Conclave! The S&P blog team is sponsoring no-cost in-room internet access.

You can keep your brothers back home up to date on all the fun they are missing, in real time.

Since we are not having the 2009 Conclave at a Holiday Inn Express, Wi-Fi internet access is not provided free of charge by the hotel. Rosen Shingle Creek gets $9.95, per day, per room for general access. That is way too damn much to expect an undergraduate to pay. Or anyone who can't expense it to his boss or get a tax write-off - which is most of us.

If you are anything like me, and you probably are or you would not be reading this, regular access to the internet is rapidly rising to the level of "need." I get withdrawal symptoms if I am off the grid for too long. But on the other hand, I don't want to pay out the nose for the privilege, either.

The Blog Team at S&P wanted to do something about that, and since yelling at HQ doesn't usually work we tried another tactic. Money. A Conclave internet Wi-Fi sponsorship was available and we have covered that cost.

Special Thanks to :
Bryce Giesler, Tennessee, TN Α, '78
Steve Taylor, Tennessee Wesleyan, TN Δ, '76
Eric Chan, Carnegie Mellon University, PA Θ, Founding Father, '98
Who made it possible.

So, enjoy the Conclave, surf away, and come join us at the "Bloggers Breakfast" at 8:00 am Thursday.

Got your Facebook page name yet?

Last Friday night facebook unleased a land rush for naming pages so a human can understand them. Word is there were 500,000 requests in the first 15 minutes. It is nice to have a name, it is nice that Wired (along with the rest of the tech press) covered it. But did they have to say it like this...?:

Imagine the odds: No sooner did Facebook swing open the doors to its fire sale of vanity URLs than a geeky frat party ensued, as members reserved prankish, clever and lewd names instead of maybe the digital alias their friends (and mothers) might have hoped for.
[...]
But how can you resist when it’s possible to be known on the largest social network as Haywood Jablome? (Say each syllable slowly). Alas, Facebook got wise to the scam and sent Haywood packing. Someone also thought it would be a good idea to go through life as facebook.com/free.porn, but it’s actually just a URL referral page which also didn’t make it through the weekend. One which did: A guy who claims his name is “Dildoseed” got the page named “buttplugg.” Really seems like “Kam Fong as Chin Ho” to me.

One of our favorites is an homage to Rick Rolling: http://www.facebook.com/RickRollNeverGonnaGiveYouUpNeverGonnaLetYouDown666.

For the record:

• "sigep" belongs to Gary Darna
• "sigmaphiepsilon" goes to the Official Sigma Phi Epsilon page.
• "balancedman" is still available as I type this at 2:45pm CST. If you hurry it could be yours.

Facebook URL Madness: I Got Mine, But So Did Haywood Jablome

Blogroll is back

The list of "Sig Ep Sites" in the sidebar has not been updated in several months. That is because the folks who own the listing application were rewriting it and had disabled any changes. They have finally completed their work and the Blogrolling.com site is operational again - and it looks like it will be much easier to use.

So here is a request - take a look at the list of sites. If your chapter or alumni website is not listed send us a link (and be sure to tell us the chapter and school). If your chapter is listed then check to make sure we have the most up-to-date URL for it and let us know if we need to get current.

Thanks!

SigEpBlog on Twitter now shows comments

@SigEpBlog on Twitter. Now tweeting Posts and Comments.

If you are a "Twitterer" - follow us! If not - Why not?

Sigma Phi Epsilon on Facebook - Officially

SigEp HQ has built an "official" Facebook page. It looks pretty good for a new page, and even has a link to the "Conclave 2009" event.

SigEp has always had a number of Facebook pages set up by members who want to build communities, but this is the first that the page has been officially sponsored by the folks in Richmond.

I think this is a fantastic indication that HQ is finally recognizing the potential of social networks, virtual communities, web 2.0, or whatever the current buzzword is for using the interweb as a way to increase communication. Be sure to sign up as a "fan", then head to the Conclave page and let them know you will be there. Be sure to write on the 'wall' and let them know how you found them (hint- that would be here!).

Do you Twitter? So does S&P!

Announcing a new feature for S&P. We are now echoing each post to a Twitter account.

Twitter is a form of "microblogging" that allows posts of up to 140 characters to be sent and received not only on the web, but also as text messages on your mobile phone. We have set up the account "http://twitter.com/SigEpBlog" so it will update for each post on this blog. We also will have other mini-posts and breaking news as a way of having timely communication with our community of readers.

If you have a Twitter acccount, please follow "@SigEpBlog", If you want to set one up, go to Twitter.com and follow the easy (really!) instructions. Before you know it we'll be popping up on your iPhone!

(PS: @WordJunky is also on Twitter.)

Blog Rolls - another damn housekeeping post.

We have received several requests lately to update or add chapter sites to the list we have in the sidebar. Normally we try to make the changes ASAP, but the host service has had some issues lately. The Blogrolling.com people have explained what is going on with them in their own blog. The short version is they got hacked and are having to re write the entire application. They have suspended editing of the rolls until they are done.

It is important to have a good list of SigEp chapter sites in an easy-access format, but we also need to be able to do the whole "add, change, delete" thing too. When (if) the blogrolling application comes back we'll have a backlog of updates. In the meanwhile we will be looking at other options to provide the list in a usable(i.e. editable) form.

Thanks for your patience.

Posting Comments - an upgrade

One of the best parts of editing the blog is seeing the comments that readers make on the posts. Some posts that we think will start a civil war get no comments at all, while others that would seem to be low impact become platforms for those with strongly held views to argue back and forth.

We have used a third party service to host comments because when we started the Blogger versions were not very flexible or user friendly. That third party - Haloscan - has been acquired by JS_Kit, and they are in the process of transitioning to an even better commenting experience.

We have just finished upgrading the S&P account so you will see a different look and feel for the comments. Starting today (now), any new comments will have additional features available: rich text, You-tube embedding, picture uploads, and lots more. We also will be able to turn on authentication and moderation, should the need arise.

Since the capabilities are new, you may see some tweaks and changes in the look and behavior of comments as we get used to the administration features. Overall I believe this will result in a better web site and more useful interaction for all our loyal readers.

Go ahead - try it out by leaving a comment now. (You know you want to!)

It's the little things...

That make me happy. Yesterday Will Hull, a reader and frequent commenter, sent me a couple of small graphics.

I made a new button for the SigEp Feds blog (http://sigepfeds-dc.blogspot.com) right after I made one for the blog I run at work (http://ucpeople.blogspot.com) and I thought I would share it with you to possibly incorporate into your blog. I know you use the "Read More" link often with longer posts and I thought this could jazz it up a bit. I personally think it looks great.

The files are attached if you want to use them.

In Phi,
Will Hull
NV Alpha '03

Click to see both flavors
I think they look great, too.

Thanks, Will.

A SigEp starts group protesting Facebook Layout - 1+ million strong!

SigEp member Scott Sanders did not like the new Facebook layout. He did what Facebook themselves encourage - started a group about the topic. Now that group has over 1 million members. That is over 1% of Facebook's entire population.

Scott comes in at about 39 seconds into the video. He's wearing his SigEp shirt.



Millions of facebook members protesting new layout - iReport.com

I don't use Facebook enough to care, but some of you obviously think it is a BFD. Go for it. Scott's group is "http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=21195574231".

SigEp Mashups?

Has anyone made or seen any good SigEp centric mashups?

I am thinking something like using Google maps to locate all the chapter houses, or a combination of pictures on different sharing sites, or something totally off-the-wall that I haven't thought of yet.

Curious.

New Blog Address

This one is for the web-heads out there.

If you look up at the address line this morning you will probably see a new, and much simpler, web site address (aka URL, or URI for the purists). We have acquired the domain name "SigEpBlog.org" and will be using it as our primary address from now on. Don't worry if you still have the "redandpurple.blogspot.com" address coded into a bookmark or reader, though. The DNS level redirection should still bring you here.

In the future we plan to migrate to a more comprehensive platform, e.g. Wordpress. A new platform will have needed features like easier "guest posting" and additional, static pages for keeping some information available indefinitely. That is not yet scheduled, though. The darn day job keeps getting in the way of our productivity!

Do Not Adjust Your Set

Update:
The HQ site is back up and available.

Sean Leahey informed us this morning that the HQ site is "down." A line was severed yesterday afternoon near the datacenter where the site is hosted.


He says that the provider expects everything to be back available by this afternoon.

(Considering the "Murphy's Law" factor... look for it tomorrow.)