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Area 92 Web Site Motion Notes Archive


 
The following notes reflects work-in-progress as of July 1999, and they were therefore subject to change. As such the below notes do not necessarily represent a consensus of the Area PI web site subcommitte that created them, and some work remained to resolve differences of opinion.

In the July Quarterly at Warfield, B.C. the motion to have an Area web site was withdrawn and an Area 92 ad hoc committee was formed to further investigate the proposed motion. These notes do not include any progress made by the ad hoc committee and they are therefore somewhat outdated. However the notes are still useful and have been retained for historical perspective and background information purposes.

Motion   Move that Area 92 PI committee provide and maintain a web site about Alcoholics Anonymous in Area 92, and that their credit line be increased by $500 to absorb the cost.

Current Practice   Some AAs use the Internet to exchange and distribute information within our fellowship, however traditional forms of communication are still prevalent: Newsletters, Quarterlies & Assemblies, as well as word of mouth. Outside of AA information is typically distributed using Conference-approved literature and meeting schedules, television and radio PSAs, and by AAs talking to people in public, private and government organizations and institutions. This is in addition to Open meetings where anyone may attend.

However over the past couple years the Internet has gained some use within AA, a few on-line examples are given to illustrate this point. One of these examples, the British Columbia/Yukon (Area 79) web site, is a particularly interesting example of the potential of the Internet.

If Passed    Communication within our fellowship and the ability to reach out to the still suffering alcoholic will be improved. Districts and other service entities within Area 92, such as Central Offices and Intergroups, will be able to use the Area web site services to present their information. The Pros section below expands on these benefits.

Opportunities for service will be available on the PI Web Site Subcommittee to create and maintain the Area web site. The Area Handbook will be modified to reflect expectations for web site content and services, it's funding requirements, and subcommittee job descriptions. Additionally, a complete job description should supplement the Area Handbook by including: a) overall subcommittee qualifications and b) the technical requirements for the web site itself. See the following related topics under Additional Information:

If Not Passed   Area 92 will not have a presence on the Internet. Means of communicating in Area 92 will remain as is.

Pros    The benefits and utility of having a web site will depend on it's content. The following Pro statements assume a minimum amount of information, as identified below in What Will Be On The Web Site? They also assume Districts will want to have meeting schedule information placed on the proposed web site.
1. A Public Information Tool    Many still suffering alcoholics are on the Internet, as are quite a few new to recovery. A web site providing information about A.A. in Area 92 can help get them through the meeting door, as well as keeping them coming back. A web site can also assist those who wish to help someone with their drinking problem, but are not familiar with Alcoholics Anonymous.
2. A 12-Step Tool    AA web sites also help the still suffering alcoholic by helping our fellowship perform 12-Step work. The following examples share some of the experience with the District 4 web site:

"Glad to find your site! We have a treatment center here for juveniles from across the state and I met one going home to Richland that needed a schedule of meetings quickly - not enough time to get through snail mail. So I found your website and got him what he needed to continue in early recovery - THANKS! I'm grateful sobriety is accessible on the Internet as well - helps us help others, everywhere!" - Lisa S, April 1999

"Having previously visited your web site I knew that there were meeting schedules listed. Months later I was able to return to your web site and pull these schedules off when a friend of ours needed help with his drinking problem. This was particularly helpful since District 4 doesn't use a 24 hour meeting hotline." - Adrienne B, March 1999

3. A General Service Tool    An Area web site will enhance communications between the Area, Districts, and Groups within Area 92 by providing cost-effective, timely access to accurate information ... with an overall effect of helping to reduce misunderstandings and enhance unity.
  • Improves the accuracy and completeness of information that is distributed by reducing the burden on over-worked trusted servants.
  • Decreases the time and cost it takes to distribute information and collect input from our fellowship, it's much faster and cheaper when compared to mailing.
  • Significantly reduces cost and work for Districts and other service entities who want to have a presence on the Internet ... while still maintaining their autonomy.
  • Reduces the burden on the Area Newsletter, both in terms of the effort it takes to produce it and the time and money for it's distribution.
4. A Service to Our Fellowship    An Area web site also helps our members by providing a central repository of accurate information in a timely fashion, at any time of the day or night. For those of us who travel to unfamiliar locations on business or vacation, the web site can provide access to current meeting information, service office hours of operation, as well as E-Mail and telephone points of contact. Many of us also like to plan weekend outings around roundups, speaker meetings, dances, campouts and similar activities. Having an on-line calendar of these events, along with flyers and registration forms (sanitized, including removal of last names), is an asset to all of us who absolutely insist on having fun.

"Each year I like to attend the Inland Empire Roundup. I knew that District 4 has their events listed on their website, so I popped on and printed out the registration form. I also submitted flyers for several District 7 events which have been posted." - Adrienne B, May 1999

5. Opportunities for Service    A subcommittee will be formed to create and maintain an Area 92 Web Site, as well as providing web site services for Districts and other service entities that wish to participate. Some examples of these opportunities are provided below in Additional Information, see Will There Be New Opportunities For Service? Similar opportunities will exist for those Districts and other service entities that want to take part, however it is their decision on the extent they want to participate.

Cons    The below issues have been voiced, counterpoints are provided to address these concerns.
1. Use of the Internet as a communication tool is exclusionary, many don't have computers that are connected to the Internet. We don't need any web site, everything is fine just the way it is! And you don't have to have a computer to be a member of AA.
Counterpoint: For those members and potential members with access to the Internet, we see this form of communication as an enhancement that supplements traditional forms of communication. We should not penalize those who want to use the Internet as a tool in their sobriety ... AA should appeal to the broadest range of people, including those who use the Internet. To those who cannot or do not wish to be on-line, there will still be an Area Newsletter and plenty of Area meetings to attend: nothing will change in this respect. However an Area Web Site will benefit them as well, through friends and others in their District or Home Group who are on-line, by distributing information in a timely, cost-effective manner.
2. District information on the Area's web site could be mistaken as an endorsement. The Area should therefore not include District information. (See related Item 3 below.)
Counterpoint: As with any Area information (newsletters, reports, the Area Handbook) there will need to be a close focus on the part of the trusted servants working on this web site to AA Traditions and the web site guidelines. A good faith effort on the part of all involved to follow traditions; cooperation between service entities within Area 92; and a responsiveness to feedback will result in this web site being just as able to follow Traditions and the wishes of our fellowship as any other information tool already in use.
3. What if a District or Group uses the Area web site hosting service to present information that is inappropriate, or is considered to be an outside issue?
Counterpoint: Service entities interested in using Area web site as a host will be asked to make themselves aware of the guidelines (principles and Traditions). If inappropriate information is presented on the web site, it will be removed. Continued violation will result in temporary suspension of privileges, until disagreement can be resolved. Disagreement will be discussed with the Area committee and service entity members in disagreement. This will allow for a informed decision or if you will, a Group Conscience. This, as in all decisions in AA, is based upon a Group Conscience.
4. Won't Area 92 need to purchase computer equipment?
Counterpoint: Area 92 will not need to purchase any equipment. We will use an Internet Service Provider and members responsible for maintenance of the web site will use their own computer, or have access to one. This is in keeping with current Area practices as stated in the Handbook, where it states that computers are used in the job descriptions for the Area Treasurer and Area Newsletter Editor.
5. The information placed on the web site is equivalent to publishing new information, and should be put before the Area Assembly for approval.
Counterpoint: No new information or information that is not currently accepted for use within Area 92 need be used for the web site. However, anything questionable should be placed before the Area Assembly for a vote, just as any new pamphlet produced by the Area would be.

Additional Information    The following presents background information and supporting details considered in the development of this motion.

How Is This Motion Being Developed? (Status as of July 17, 1999)   As a result of District 4's presentation to the Area 92 PI Committee on March 27th, during the CPC/PI Quarterly in Spokane, a PI web site subcommittee was formed. The subcommittee was chartered to define, collect and present the information necessary to make an informed decision on the above motion, including the cost to our fellowship. The subcommittee conducted a kickoff meeting on April 17th, which defined the work to be done and identified subcommittee member responsibilities. A second meeting was held on May 8 to review progress and futher focus the subcommittee's efforts.

Findings and recommendations arising from the subcommittee's effort were presented at the June CPC/PI Quarterly in Lewiston, which resulted in presenting the motion at the July Area 92 Quarterly in Warfield, BC. Products developed to promote understanding of this motion at the July Quarterly, included:

Based on discussions at the July Quarterly the proposed motion was withdrawn, and an ad hoc committee was formed to further address issues with having an Area 92 web site. The current plan is to resubmit the motion for consideration at the January Quarterly next year.

What Will Be On The Web Site? The content of a web site ultimately determines it's usefulness to the visitor, and our Area has much information that could be used ... all of which observes AA principles and Traditions. One type of information is that created by the Area Committee or that which provides a core service function for the Area itself, such as:

Other information provided as a general service to our fellowship and those still out there is also valuable:

All the above information could be included as minimum content in the Area web site, although this will depend on how many people volunteer to support this effort. Further, it would be beneficial to have web pages in Spanish to broaden the reach the proposed web site.

Service entities within Area 92 may also want to place information on-line. For example, Districts may choose to furnish meeting schedules, District reports or other information pertaining to their District. Central Offices and Intergroups may want to present the services they provide as well, including hours of operation and their location. This sort of information is very desirable, however each service entity will determine what information they want and do not want on the Internet, and the extent of their participation.

Other content such as a guestbook for web site visitors, personal stories, humorous anecdotes, and quotations or sayings would also add value to our presence on the Internet.

What Is The Job Description For the Web Site Subcommittee? The following job description is fairly general, although some of the responsibilites are a direct result of the content previously described in What Will Be On The Web Site?

  1. Selects the Internet Service Provider (ISP), coordinates with the ISP in administrative and technical matters concerning the web site.
  2. Responds to electronic requests for information and other electronic correspondence within 24 Hours, even if it's nothing more than an acknowledgment that the request has been received.
  3. Forwards a hard-copy of electronic correspondence to Area Committee members that don't use E-Mail.
  4. Manages the overall web site structure, with a goal of making it easy to find information, as well as ensuring disk space allocations are not exceeded.
  5. Gathers event information and maintains an on-line calendar of events, coordinates event information with the Area Newsletter Editor.
  6. Gathers Area Committee products (Officer and Committee Reports, Area Handbook, Area Motions, etc.) and formats the information for the Internet.
  7. Gathers information pertaining to basic recovery resources within Area 92 (Meeting Schedules, Physical Locations and Mailing Addresses, and Telephone Numbers) and creates/updates web pages presenting these reources.
  8. Maintains guidelines for users of the web site services, as well as reviewing proposed content and updates for adherence to the guidelines.
  9. Provides limited technical support to help users create their own web page and/or site.
  10. Uploads user-maintained web page updates within 48 Hours, along with notification to the author that this was performed.
  11. Shows web site demos at Area functions.

Aren't Special Skills Needed To Maintain A Web Site? Yes, special skills are needed. However this is not a new concept to general service and our fellowship:

The following qualifications, or skills which may be learned, are needed to maintain an area web site consistent with the above job description. As such, they reflect overall qualifications for the entire web site subcommittee and not necessarily for any one individual.
  1. A working knowledge of the AA traditions, including the ability to address issues arising from autonomy of service entities who wish to use the Area web site hosting service.
  2. Availability to carry out the service commitment in a timely fashion.
  3. Long term, unrestricted access to a computer, and an Internet account with full FTP capabilities.
  4. Working knowledge of File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and directory structures.
  5. Prior experience in web page construction and maintenance.
  6. Experience in graphics manipulation, graphics software and scanner experience.
  7. A basic understanding and demonstrated proficiency in HTML, the markup language used to create web sites and pages.
This last qualification along with a plain text editor, or a graphical editor compliant with the World Wide Web Consortium HTML specifications, is necessary to assure the quality of service to be provided. It helps to ensure that proper HTML coding practices and techniques are used:

This final point is important when considering web site visitors with physical handicaps, as well as the desire to reach the widest possible visitor audience. Remember, the web page will render differently for different users depending on their computer hardware (monitor) and web browser software used.

Will There Be New Opportunities For Service? The web site content and corresponding job description previously given make it clear that the web site would be too much work for one person. It follows that a web site subcommittee will be needed. The specific subcommittee structure will depend on how many people volunteer, as well as their background, skills and their interest to learn. As such the following is an example to illustrate new service opportunities available as the result of an Area web site.
Subcommittee Chair Represents the Web Site at all Area functions, providing demonstrations to those not familiar with the Area web site. Is the focal point for all discussions arising from autonomy of the Groups and Districts who wish to use the Area web site, as well as the central point of contact for all communications regarding the content of the Area Web Site.
Webmaster Maintains the overall structure of the web site, ensuring disk space allocations are not exceeded, as well as the content of the Home and Links pages. Maintains the on-line web site documentation, including: GSO Guidelines, Area Web Site Technical Requirements, and a Help Guide for web site users.
Resource Coordinator Maintains on-line information for Groups, Districts and Central Offices or Intergroups within Area 92 desiring an on-line presence, and may include meeting times, locations and points of contact provided by these service entities. Also maintains the web site Area map.
Events Coordinator Maintains the on-line calendar of events and coordinates with the Newsletter Editor to ensure both communication tools reflect similar information.
Handbook Coordinator Maintains an on-line version of the Area Handbook as well as an up-to-date list of motions, including those voted on at Assemblies and motions approved for inclusion in the next Assembly. Motions could include background material when available.
Report Coordinator Publishes Area Committee member reports and archives them for historical purposes. This could include Officer and Committee reports submitted before the web site was created.
Upload Coordinator The single point of contact for those wishing to create and update their own presence on the Area web site service.
Furthermore, the web site subcommittee can use volunteers with no computer skills too, to gather certain types of the information. This is very important and perhaps the most crucial aspect of creating and maintaining an Area web site ... to have accurate and up-to-date information.

How Much Will The Web Site Cost? A survey of approximately 50 ISP's in April of 1999 showed our projected technical requirements could be met at a recurring cost of $25 per month, most ISPs offered a discount on the order of 10% if a year was prepaid in advance. There is also an ISP setup fee of $50, as well as a $70 charge for registering our URL with InterNIC. Before two years is up from the time the URL is registered, there is an annual $35 fee to InterNIC. So the startup cost is $145 (first month, setup, and InterNIC). Then it will be $25 a month plus $35 a year (beginning at 2 years). The first year total is $420, then $335 per year after that.

The best deal found so far an ISP located in Moscow, ID. A couple national providers were found to offer competitive prices with those found, and one even was a couple dollars a month less. None of the free sites surveyed met our needs, either due to slow service, highly restricted functionality or size, or inclusion of commercial content as a requirement. Our actual cost will depend upon which ISP is selected by the subcommittee after this motion is approved.

Further information on the costing exercise done in support of this motion may be obtained from Adrienne B.

What Are The Technical Requirements For An Area Web Site? The Area 92 web site should a have it's own domain name, for example: area92.org or wseaa.org. This will give the Area's presence on the Internet a more professional look, avoid any perception of affiliation with a particular Internet Service Provider (ISP), and make it easy to relocate the web site to a different ISP should the need arise. Additionally, the following hosting requirements define ISP selection criteria, which was also used for costing purposes:

Why Put the Web Site in the PI Committee? The recommendation to include responsibility for the web site in the PI Committee charter was made to minimize the impact on the Area 92 service structure. This was also in line with current practices at GSO, where their web site is treated as a PI tool.

Several other options were presented in arriving at this decision:

  1. create a stand alone Web Site Committee with an appointed and standing chairperson, and
  2. create a new Communications Committee, combining the web site and newsletter functions.

In the subcommittee's discussion of the first item, it was felt that taking the step of making the web site committee separate from the PI Committee is an option that is best dealt with in the future as the need arises. We wanted the focus to remain on getting the web site going, rather than on any potential changes to the Area service structure.

Another organizational option was to combine the management of the Area Newsletter and Web Site into a single Communications Committee. This was suggested because both the Newsletter and proposed web site would contain much of the same information. Because of the overwhelming support for placing the web site under PI Committee this option was not given much attention.

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