Lost: 48 City of Pomona Press Releases from city website.
Reward: Civic Pride? Job with the city's IT department?
Description of perpetrator: Appears to be an inside job. Last seen running to Claremont, holding the press release titled "Pomona named Tree City, USA".
For more info, please click the following: "I could swear I put them right here"
6 comments:
Another good post Ed. I think Meg may reconsider her decision to let others post as you're doing such a good job ;-)
It always amazes me how the city's web site is SO bad. As webmaster for Pomona Heritage, Pomona Fox, Hollywood Heritage, Wattles Mansion, LA Wine Fest, and several others, I know how little work it takes to get a decent web site up and operating. While my web sites suffer from infrequent updates (I'm afraid some of the stuff is very old), at least most of it works. And, with the exception of LAWineFest.com, I don't even get paid to do it.
I know that the city is shelling out big bucks but still has a web site that looks like it was done by rank amateurs.
Some suggestions for Pomona's Web Site:
1. Add a search feature!!!! This is a no-brainer. It doesn't cost that much to add Google Search or any of a wide number of search applications that can search through html, pdfs, images, etc. At least we MIGHT have a chance of finding something on the site.
2. Post minutes of council and commissions. These are already electronic files and should take NO effort to post on a regular basis.
3. How about an "Ask a Councilperson" blog where citizens can post questions and receive answers from the mayor and council. They could screen out the "why are you such an idiot" questions and actually find out what the people are thinking about and push out some valuable information.
4. Post Legal Notices online. Again, these are already electronic documents. You'd still have to publish them in the newspaper, but at least those of us who are interested (including potential bidders for contracts) wouldn't have to look through the tons of trustee sales items, in very small print, to find out what's happening in our city.
5. Fix the Calendar. Calendar items should include all city events, including meetings of the commissions, special study sessions, council meetings, as well as the "feel good" events that are there now. They can also have links to agendas and minutes.
I've got a ton of other ideas, but I'll develop them for another time.
I'm thinking Meg is a bit of a genius. Even the title of the blog connotates community involvement.
I really wanted to read the press release on Tree City, USA.
I noticed this press release at the end of January sometime and like you I was very curious to read it. I have sent a few e-mails to the city notifying them that the press releases are lost in cyberspace but the functionality of their website must not be of importance. Well, I guess we'll just have to wait in suspense.
By the way, I noticed that the press releases are now back online, including the one on trees.
I wish I could say we turned a corner, but the "press release" link for the City Hall page still takes you to the old list, which doesn't work. Apparently they must have a duplicate page with non-functioning links. Doesn't anyone check this stuff. It would take about ten minutes to check if all the links work.
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