2007 is here, and with it comes some great things for the YCC!
First and Foremost…..
After a long time in discussion and development, the new website is ready to launch into beta. This new site will enable everyone to contribute content and information and go a long way to creating a vibrant community of sailors. Some of the new features include:
- User updatable profiles
- Online discussion (instead of e-mail based Yahoo Groups)
- Online Polls
- Unique usernames and passwords
- And lots more to come….
The new platform we have set up will enable us to add new features to the site much faster and easier than in the past. Some of the ideas we are thinking about include a sailors’ cookbook.
Not Just a Pretty New Face
There are also some great new events and ideas in the works around social activities that will make 2007 a great year for the YCC. In addition to the traditional parties like Aileen’s Winter Soirée, we are working on some other fun activities to bring us all together. Boston Restaurant Week, F1 Auto Racing, Bowling night, Pool and more are all under consideration so get us your ideas.
Carnival in P-Town, a Boston Harbor Raft-up, Regional gatherings and other trips will make this summer lots of fun too. With our new site, it is easy for anyone to come up with ideas and discuss them with the rest of us.
This is YOUR club, so lets all make it fun.
Accessing the new website is easy, since it is time to pay our membership dues, simply visit our website, register and pay your dues for 2007. We will then activate your account and you are ready to go. If you have already paid for ’07 we have already set you up and will be contacting you with an email with access information.
Sincerely,
The YCC Bridge
Ed, Kate, Maggie, Peter & Scott
PS. We hope you can come to Aileen’s Winter Soiree on Feb 2 Details on the website
Answers to Important Questions
About the New Website
How Do I Access the New Site?
Just go to the normal URL, ‘www.yankee-crusing.org’. You will be greeted with the new site. You can access the old website from a link on our new home page.
What Username Can I Select?
Every member can choose their own username and create their own password; so as long as it is unique you can use anything you want. Please remember that while personal information like full name, e-mail and phone number will be hidden to non- members, your username may be visible publicly so chose something that does not personally identify you, if this is a concern. Every member can change his/her password, but if you would like a new username, drop us a line and we can do it for you (the bridge).
With the end of Yahoo Groups, how do I contact the YCC members?
With all of the problems we have had with Yahoo Groups, a decision was made to integrate the discussion feature into our website to allow us to control membership centrally and create an archive of messages. To send a message to the YCC membership, simply go to the ‘Discussion Forum’ area of the new website and post a message. The initial message will be sent out to all members (you can opt-out of this feature if you choose). Remember that while the first message will go out to everyone, any responses to that message will not be sent so if you are interested in the follow-up to a message, visit our website to see the replies. This also means you won’t be getting e-mail on topics you are not interested in.
Can I contact other members directly?
YUP, we still have a full membership list on the site once you log in. Members can keep their own information up-to-date and now, you even have the ability to upload photos of yourself!
What should I do if I have feedback on the new site?
TELL US! The new site is in beta so we want to know what you think. What features do you like, not like etc. There is a separate discussion forum on the site to post feedback you have about the site and read what others think. You can also contact the bridge directly.
How do I contact the webmaster? The Bridge?
The address, mailbag@yankee-cruising.org is going to be deleted. Please use the contact form on the website to contact the YCC Webmaster. If you would like to contact the entire bridge, you can send an e-mail to ‘bridge@yankee-cruising.org’.
Who is The Bridge?
The distribution list, bridge@yankee-cruising.org, will send an email to Ed (Treasurer), Kate (Social), Maggie (Commodore), Peter (Web Master) and Scott (Vice Commodore).
Note: this e-mail alias will not work until the 15th when the new site goes live
