Blog@Case Topics: Announcements

Welcome

2012-01-23T15:50:40Z

Hi! Welcome to a new blog about using RefWorks 2.0 at Case Western Reserve University. Here I will post announcements, know issues with the software, training options, and more. Remember to take a look at my guide for using RefWorks at Case. All questions about RefWorks can be sent to me at refworks@case.edu. Sharon Gravius CWRU RefWorks Administrator

Case CCC Clinical Research Retreat

2010-10-05T15:35:47Z

The next Case Comprehensive Cancer Center Clinical Research Retreat will be held on Tuesday November 9 from 6 to 9pm in the Dively Building at CWRU. We will provide an update on current trial accrual and initiatives to increase recruitment to our trials as well as a discussion of integrating biomarkers into patient selection, response evaluation and target validation and novel statistical design for early phase clinical trials. A detailed program will follow shortly.

All are welcome.

Logos and Templates

2010-09-16T14:40:10Z

The official Case CCC logo is available on the templates page of the Cancer Center website. Co-branded PowerPoint templates are also available on that page. As a reminder, the NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center logo may only be used in conjunction with the Case CCC logo. Contact Gillian Todd with any questions.

Coming Soon!

2009-04-09T18:41:17Z

The 2009 Regionally Speaking series is under production! This program is moderated by Gladys Haddad, Professor of American Studies and Director of the Western Reserve Studies Symposium on â€œCommunity Wealth Building and Economic Inclusionâ€ within the Greater University Circle Initiative. We will engage residents and community experts to discuss the historical and current important issues that face the neighborhoods surrounding University Circle.

The Web Development Blog is moving!

2009-02-23T20:55:48Z

As some of you have heard, I'm leaving University Marketing and Communications, and will be doing freelance Web design and consulting. But that doesn't mean I'll stop blogging. It just means that I'm moving the blog to a new location at http://www.heidicool.com/blog/.

For the past month I've been cross-posting entries to both locations, and am now ready to shift things over to a new site which includes the Web Development Blog as well as a project portfolio and other information related to my Web development background and philosophy. There you will be able to see which social media services I use—and why, peruse what I've been reading in the blogosphere and, of course, continue reading my blog entries on Web development, marketing and related subjects.

I will continue to post on an array of topics geared to academic, corporate and non-profit Web developers, bloggers, content managers, marketers and anyone else with an interest in the Web.

Articles will include the usual mix of content, marketing, social media and code such as:

You can also expect a few marketing entries about the move, as I learn how long it takes to rebuild readership in the new location. Hopefully it will be an interesting case study.

If you are currently subscribed to the blog entries or comments, you can update your subscriptions with these feeds:

Thank you for reading!

Preview: Erik Satie with Mary Davis

2009-02-10T21:00:00Z

Be sure to tune in later this week for episode 6. Or better yet, subscribe to Off the Shelf's updates by email or via RSS using the links on the right side of this page so that you will be notified whenever I add to this site.

In episode 6, I'll be talking with Mary Davis, associate professor and chair of CWRU's Music Department about her biography of French composer Erik Satie. Coupled with episode 5, it's like a mini-theme centered on fin de siecle Paris!

Preview: Proust's Deadline with Christine Cano

2009-01-28T16:15:09Z

Watch this space next week for the first Off the Shelf interview of the new semester. I'll be speaking with Professor Christine Cano from CWRU's Department of Modern Languages and Literature about her book Proust's Deadline.

The Death of the Author- A Publishing Horror Story

2009-01-21T14:19:05Z

The Kelvin Smith Library and the Faculty Senate Library Committee are hosting a special event centered on authorship, copyright and intellectual property rights. Come hear Professors Timothy Beal and William Deal of CWRU's Department of Religion talk about their publishing horror story.

Northeast Ohio Resources for Blogging, Social Media and Web Development

2008-10-14T03:49:47Z

Cleveland

The other day journalist Jimi Izrael sent out an e-mail about a new blogging class he's teaching at Tri-C. It occurred to me that this might be a good opportunity for those of you (in Greater Cleveland) who are thinking of taking up blogging. It also made me think that this would be a good time to share some of the other great resources available to bloggers, Web developers and those interested in social media in Northeast Ohio. Whether you want to take a class or network with others in the field, here are some things that may be of interest.

Introduction to Blogging

In this special topics course at Cuyahoga Community College, journalist and blogger Jimi Izrael will introduce you to the myriad types of blogs and explore their evolution as an outgrowth of modern journalism.

Jimi Izrael's work appears in the Los Angeles Times, Salon.com, Philadelphia Inquirer, Chicago Tribune, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, American Spectator, Washington Post, and The Plain Dealer. Moderator of the "Barbershop" on NPR's "Tell me more with Michel Martin."

Monday and Wednesday from 6:30 p.m. to 9:20 p.m. beginning October 20, 2008. Contact Jimi Izrael or view the flyer to learn more.

Bail Out Cleveland! Local Internet Guru Offers Free Consulting at the Cleveland Free Stamp

Need some free Internet advice? If so you're in luck "Jim Kukral, a lifelong Clevelander and web-famous Internet guru wants to help ease the pain. Heâ€™s offering free Internet consulting to any business thatâ€™s in need of guidance. From web marketing, or strategy or blogging help, Jim is willing to bail out Cleveland businesses in need, for free."

Wednesday, October 15, 2008, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. by Free Stamp in downtown Cleveland.

Telling your story: Nonprofits and the Media

Sponsored by the Center for Community Solutions this half day seminar will offer ideas non-profits can use in promoting their services through social media and introduce you to members of the local media with particular insight in the field. Learn more and register online.

Thursday, December 11, 2008
8 a.m. - Noon
Cleveland Sight Center

Cleveland Web Design and Development Meetup

Founded in 2006, the Cleveland Web Design and Development Meetup is "here to help folks come together to learn about and discuss making the web, web pages, web programming, all that sorta thing. Membership is open to all. And it's free." The groups holds regular meetings, offers study groups for novices and provides a variety of helpful online resources.

Cleveland Web Standards Association

Founded in 2007, "The Cleveland Web Standards Association (CWSA) is grounded on the premise of sharing information in a relaxed atmosphere. The purpose of this association is to provide practical instruction and techniques that will elevate the quality and functionality coming from Cleveland firms and free agents. We hold monthly gatherings that include presentations on best practices for developing web sites. The gatherings are open to any person interested in web design/development, no matter what their current skill level is."

Additionally the CWSA publishes a blog aggregator featuring member blogs covering Web development and related topics.

The Cleveland Weblogger Meetup Group

Founded in 2002, the Cleveland Weblogger Meetup Group meets once a month to discuss blogging, Northeast Ohio, politics and anything else that seems interesting. I finally made it to my first meeting with them last month during which we ate some tasty vittles while discussing gender roles and a variety of other topics. As I understand it topics vary widely depending on who shows up. If you're a local blogger or just thinking about becoming one, you may find it interesting.

Social Media Club - Cleveland (SMC)

Founded this summer, "SMC is being organized for the purpose of sharing best practices, establishing ethics and standards, and for promoting media literacy." Members can share ideas and questions through online discussions as well as meet each other in person at monthly meetings.

Not in Cleveland?

Similar organizations and meetups occur all over the world. Whether you want to join a meetup group that meets in person or prefer to share information online, the following will help get you started.

Obviously this is but a tiny sampling of the resources available. Feel free to suggest other resources that may benefit fellow readers in the comments below.

Forthcoming topics: More about URLs, Linking Strategies…

Ohio Day of Dialog

2008-10-08T18:56:14Z

Off the Shelf's intrepid host will be attending the upcoming Ohio Day of Dialog, hosted by Library Journal. I am looking forward to the panel discussion entitled Interviewing Authors, as are, I am sure, future guests. The panel includes CWRU's own Thrity Umrigar. Hopefully I'll get an interview date booked with Professor Umrigar soon!

New Book by DMLL Faculty Member

2008-10-07T19:17:17Z

Case Daily recently announced that Assistant Professor of French Cheryl Toman's new book, Contemporary Matriarchies in Contemporary Francophone Literature , was recently published. Congratulations, Professor Toman!

CaseLearns: 2008 Summer Semester Classes

2008-06-06T21:35:00Z

Classes take place in Kelvin Smith Library

Registration is now open for summer classes at CaseLearns. Whether you're building your first Web site, adding video to your blog or just want to learn something fun, CaseLearns has a number of options available.

The classes listed below may be of particular interest to those developing or maintaining Web sites.

If you are new to Web design and want to learn Dreamweaver, I recommend reading I'm not going to teach you XHTML/HTML, but you should learn it anyway and doing the homework assignment before taking your first Dreamweaver class.

All CaseLearns classes are open to current Case faculty, students and staff, emeriti faculty, alumni, and Senior Scholars. Case affiliates may register if openings are available. Class schedules are subject to change. Please visit the CaseLearns Web site for the most current information.

Adobe Acrobat 8: Introduction: Instructor: Debbie Korodi
Prerequisites: Familiarity with Windows or Mac OS; knowledge of Microsoft Word.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008 9:00am-Noon
Adobe Acrobat 8: Creating PDF Forms: Instructor: Debbie Korodi
Prerequisite: Knowledge of Adobe Acrobat 8.
Thursday, August 7, 2008 9:00am-Noon
Digital Images I: Introduction & Basic Photoshop: Instructor: Jared Bendis
Wednesday, July 9, 2008 3:00-6:00pm
Digital Images II: Advanced Photoshop: Instructor: Jared Bendis
Prerequisite: Digital Images I: Introduction & Basic Photoshop
Wednesday, July 16, 2008 3:00-6:00pm
Digital Images III: Even More Advanced Photoshop: Instructor: Jared Bendis
Prerequisite: Digital Images I and Digital Images II
Monday, July 21, 2008 3:00-6:00pm
Dreamweaver CS3: Introduction: Instructor: Thomas Hayes
Tuesday, July 15, 2008 1:00-4:00pm
Dreamweaver CS3: Intermediate: Instructor: Thomas Hayes
Thursday, July 24, 2008 1:00-4:00pm
Dreamweaver CS3: Advanced: Instructor: Thomas Hayes
Tuesday, July 29, 2008 1:00-4:00pm
How To Make Web Pages Using HTML: Part 1: Instructor: Thomas Hayes
Tuesday, August 12, 2008 1:00-5:00pm
How To Make Web Pages Using HTML: Part 2: Thursday, August 14, 2008 1:00-5:00pm
Introduction to Pachyderm: Instructor: Jared Bendis
Wednesday, July 30, 2008 3:00-6:00pm
Understanding RSS Feeds: Instructor: Brian Gray
Thursday, July 17, 2008 10:00am-Noon
Video Workshop I: Introduction To Digital Video: Instructor: Jared Bendis
Thursday, July 10, 2008 3:00-6:00pm
Video Workshop II: Advanced Digital Video: Instructor: Jared Bendis
Prerequisite: Introduction to Digital Video
Thursday, July 17, 2008 3:00-6:00pm

The Web server upgrade happens May 19, 2008. Are you ready?

2008-05-13T22:57:45Z

The main Case Web server, Aurora, will be upgraded on May 19th. If you're an end user you shouldn't notice a thing, but if you maintain a Web site on this server there are a few things you should prepare for. If you maintain a Case site and have not read about the upgrade in Case Daily and received email notifications from the Aurora managers, please read the following.

Who should prepare for the server upgrade?

Only people who maintain sites on the main Case Web server will be affected by the upgrade. If you maintain a Web site on http://blog.case.edu, http://filer.case.edu, a departmental server or through a Web hosting service this upgrade won't affect you.

I'm not sure which server I use. How can I tell?

Sites on the main server have urls similar to http://www.case.edu/division/department/sitename/. If your site has an address such as http://sitename.case.edu it is probably not on the main server. Another way to check which server you are using is to check the host to which you upload your files. If you upload files to your site by FTP'ing to wwwftp.case.edu, your site is on the main server.

Check to see that you are registered as the maintainer of record

Authentication to the new server will be done using the Central Authentication Service instead of account specific usernames and passwords. To access your account you will need to ensure that you are listed as the primary maintainer so that your Case user ID will be attached to the account.

Visit the Aurora Maintainer Contact List to verify that you are listed as the primary maintainer of your account(s). If you are not listed as the maintainer, you should fill out an Aurora Project Inclusion Request form and Fax it to 216.368.3165.

Uploading files to the new server.

The new server will use WebDAV rather than FTP to upload files. If you are currently using Dreamweaver to upload files this will require only minor modifications to your current settings. I'll provide further information about WebDAV later this week. Upload instructions are also available on the Case Wiki.

Including server side includes (ssi) files

Due to tightened security, users who include .ssi files using code such as <#include file="../filename.ssi"> will need to change "file" to "virtual" as illustrated here: <#include virtual="../filename.ssi"> . If you don't make this change users will see [an error occurred while processing this directive] instead of your included content. Note, this only applies to paths beginning with ../ paths such as will continue to work as usual. SSI instructions are also available on the Case Wiki.

Controlling Access to Your Site's Content (Password protecting files and directories)

If you have been using A.P.A.S. utilities to configure access control for your site, you shouldn't need to change anything now. Your current restrictions will be transferred over to the new server. When adding or modifying such restrictions in the future you will use access rules defined within .htaccess, .htpasswd and .htgroup files as appropriate. This will provide more flexibility and is in keeping with common Web practices. I will blog more about access rules in the coming weeks. Access instructions are also available on the Case Wiki.

Conclusion

If you have read the above, ensured that you are registered as your site's maintainer, and checked your server side includes files you should be in good shape for the change. If you would like to see a preview of your site on the new server you may do so by changing www to w07 in the url for your site. For instance the home page can be viewed at http://w07.case.edu/. Additional information is available on the www.case.edu page on the Case Wiki.

Web Server Upgrade Resources

Aurora server upgrade information on the Case Wiki
Introduction to WebDAV (includes instructions for Macintosh)
Uploading files with the WebDrive WebDAV client for Windows
Uploading files with Dreamweaver (WebDAV)

Stay tuned!

2008-02-23T14:45:09Z

The 2008 Western Reserve Studies Symposium: 'Regionally Speaking' is under production! This series of programs moderated by Gladys Haddad, Professor of American Studies and Director of the Western Reserve Studies Symposium on â€œThe Livable Cityâ€ and Its Neighborhoods.â€ We will be having conversational interviews to engage community experts and discuss important issues for the City of Cleveland with a specific focus on Neighborhood Progress, Inc. and its six Strategic Investment Initiative neighborhoods: Buckeye, Detroit-Shoreway, Fairfax, Glenville, Slavic Village and Tremont.

Social media opportunities for Web Developers at Case

2008-02-01T19:48:44Z

University Web Developers site

Do you ever wish you could network more easily with your fellow Web developers at Case, and beyond?

If so, how would you would you want this to work? Would you want to communicate by listserv as the writers do with wordnerds@case.edu? Would you follow discussions on the Case Forums? Or would you want something more robust?

Gretchen Denaro—from the Annual Fund Office—and I have been discussing this lately and think it may be useful to create our own social media network where anyone interested in Web development or online communications at Case could go to share ideas and ask questions. Here on the Web Development Blog it's easy to get a good discussion going in the comments, but I'm still driving the topic. In the space we're envisioning, you could take the lead, starting topics on anything of interest, from writing and content development to search engine optimization and Web marketing strategies.

Example: University Web Developers Network

I've recently joined this relatively new network (which grew out of a popular listserv) where Web developers from a variety of colleges and universities come together to ask questions and discuss Web development issues. The site currently has 353 members who converse in a central forum, join topical discussion groups and post videos and photos. Each member gets his/her own page on which he/she can provide personal/business information, include an RSS feed or even start a blog. From what I've experienced so far it seems like a great way to share ideas and discover best practices with one's peers. Whether you're running a large school or department Web site or just dabbling in the Web part time, you may find this a very useful community to join.

University Web Developers was established using the popular Ning social network service developed in 2004 by Marc Andreessen (co-founder of Mosaic) and Gina Bianchini. Ning allows anyone to easily create a social network serving a specific area of interest. As such we could have one just for Web developers at Case Western Reserve University.

If I build it would you come? Creating such a place is fairly simple, but will you use it? If so should I make it invitation only—to restrict it to members of the campus community—or should we make it more open so that any friends of Case can join? Think about it and let me know.

In the meantime: Web Development at Case is now on Facebook

I've recently set up a Facebook page for Web development at Case. I've pulled in the feed from this blog and asked one discussion question, so there isn't much in the way of new content, but you are all encouraged to become a fan and help get things started. It's not as robust as a Ning network, but it's a place to begin. We may find that this page is sufficient to the task, we may find we want more. It's up to you, so try it out and give me your feedback. If you think a Facebook group would be more helpful, I could create that too.

Coming soon:

In upcoming posts I'll review my experiments in social media and continue our discussion regarding site navigation. In the meantime, you may be interested in Wayne Smallman's article, The Ideal Homepage design, his follow-up to my previous post on home page navigation.

Our new addition

2008-01-11T15:19:07Z

The Office of Marketing and Communications is pleased to welcome Gina Prodan, to our Web development team. Gina comes to us from Kent State University where, in her capacity as Senior Web/Editorial Specialist, she worked on—among other things—the award winning Kent State Magazine Web site.

Gina is just settling in right now, getting her computers configured and such, but we'll soon have her busy building sites, answering questions, and sharing her insights here on the Web Development blog. (In fact I'll be tagging her to follow up on a blog meme later today.)

Out of Office

2007-11-18T00:16:26Z

I'll be out of the office until December.

If you have questions related to content development for your Case Web site, event postings, news stories or announcements in Case Daily feel free to contact the Office of Marketing and Communications.

If you have questions regarding the username and password for your account on the main campus Web server (Aurora) contact webmaster@case.edu. If you need to transfer your account to a new maintainer, fill out an account application form and indicate that it is a transfer.

If you have questions about uploading files to your account, review the entry on Uploading your files with Dreamweaver.

If you need to download Dreamweaver from the software center it is now part of the Adobe Creative Suite.

Happy Thanksgiving!

American Music Masters

2007-11-09T22:09:31Z

Please join us this November as we celebrate the life and music of Jerry Lee Lewis at the annual American Music Masters Conference featuring leading musicians and scholars who will lead us in in-depth discussions of his life and music.

Free Admission for Case Students

But I'm not a music major; will the conference go over my head?

Music fans of all backgrounds will be able to understand and enjoy the conference. Participants cover a range of topics. Some tell stories about what it was like to work, play and socialize with the honoree while others discuss the honoree's music and cultural impact.

At the end of the day attendees walk away with new insights regarding not only the musician and his legacy but also the life and times in which he performed. Overall the conference offers a rare glimpse into the life of the honoree through the eyes of those who know him personally and through the research of who studied his music.

Wanna catch social network fatigue?

2007-09-18T22:12:36Z

Pownce

Streamy

If you're not already exhausted from Twittering your days away while making sure to Digg your favorite blogs, update your Facebook status on the hour, throw random thoughts onto Tumblr and pull your Flickr feeds onto your other accounts, then perhaps it is time to join Pownce or Streamy.

I have 2 Streamy and 6 Pownce invites available to anyone who 1) knows what I am rambling about, 2) promises to use the services or at least give them a solid try and 3) submits the most interesting/amusing reasons for wanting an invite in the comments field below.

If your comment is clever and you make sure to include your email address in the email field—and I've not yet run out of invites—I'll send you an invite.

Learn more

Thanks

2007-09-07T16:07:35Z

Thank you to everyone who listened to and participated in Regionally Speaking. Our Spring series on University Circle: A Destination and A Neighborhood was well received and continued being broadcast all summer on WRUW 91.1 FM. Stay tuned for more information as we look to expand our programming into a new season of civic engagement and dialogues.