Financial information, volunteer time contribution and other information / How TFAO maintains pages

Financial information, volunteer time contribution and other information

How TFAO maintains pages / request for services

Introduction

Traditional Fine Arts Organization (TFAO) maintains the website tfaoi.org. The site can also be accessed as tfaoi.com. It is a 100% non-commercial resource provided primarily for students and teachers seeking knowledge about American representational art. TFAO is regarded as the world's most respected and largest online provider of knowledge regarding its subject.

TFAO's site contains thousands of essays, articles, research reports and other texts in its text files, all in HTML format. Besides text, there are also .jpg. .pdf .and gif image files placed in many of the HTML files. The site file inventory is in one flat file database with a hierarchical directory structure. There is no relational database.

There are many thousands of inbound links to the website's pages. Many of the inbound links are from non-profit websites or noted in scholarly essays and articles published elsewhere, either on paper or online. For that reason, TFAO's existing URLs must remain unchanged over time.

How pages are edited and created

Page creation or editing work begins with clicking on files within one of three folders shown on the desktop using the Finder: the main site folder, the most recent image folder being used, or the most recent text folder being used.

New pages are created in two ways:

TFAO typically receives an email from a museum or other outside source. The email contains several .doc text files plus .jpg image files. If sources send .docx instead of .doc files, TFAO emails the .docx files to an alternate computer for reading and conversion to plain text, and then emails the plain text back to the PowerMac. TFAO then opens and copies an existing page, assigns a new URL to the copied page, then uses the copy as the template for a new page. Some prior text and images are removed from the new page to make way for new content. Then selected parts of text files are copied and pasted into the new page. JPEG images are re-sized, trimmed, sharpened, given a new URL name and inserted into the page. Then the page is checked, previewed and uploaded. Links to the new page are entered on several index pages on the website. The revised index pages are then uploaded,

or,

TFAO opens and makes a copy of an existing page, assigns a new URL to the copied page, then uses the copy as the template for a new page. TFAO types new content onto the page, removes unneeded prior content, checks, previews and uploads the new page. Links to the new page are entered on several index pages on the website. The revised index pages are then uploaded.

Page editing is accomplished by finding and opening a page, adding and deleting content onto the page, removing unneeded prior content, previewing and uploading the new page.

TFAO's editing software remains adequate for it's needs. Published pages are simple yet elegant, emphasizing content in a consistent manner. They are satisfactory to both readers and sources of content including museums and authors, TFAO seeks no website design changes.

Upgrade of software

In recent years, TFAO has searched without success for easy-to-use editing software using Mac OS versions with Intel chip processors which will allow TFAO to keep as is existing page appearance and URLs - and have a brief learning curve. In the future, TFAO would like to use a MacBook Pro with an up to date OS and compatible page editor software to maintain the site. Readers who may be aware of software are asked to please contact us at the email address noted below.

Following are software upgrade components:

Install on MacBook Pro a new simple WYSIWYG editor, or obtain online software that uses a browser to edit and create pages. The site would remain in one flat file database with a hierarchical directory structure. There would be no relational database. No change of existing page design and URLs would be permitted.
Keep at minimum of two online copies of the website, one at the hosting service and another online copy through another vendor. Also have a backup copy on the MacBook Pro.
If existing email files now only stored locally on the PowerMac, if possible upload the existing email data from the PowerMac to the hosting server to allow for dual storage on MacBook Pro and hosting server. Install the username and password to enable the MacBook Pro iMail app to both read and write TFAO emails and download to the MacBook Pro all emails either saved formerly at the hosting service or on the PowerMac. If feasible, further store past and future email files online through a vendor.
Configure ftp software to work with the new WYSIWYG editor and the hosting server.
Be able to copy images and texts from incoming emails and paste them into new and existing tfaoi.org pages, preview them, then upload them to the hosting server.
Cease using the PowerMac to maintain the website.

In 2012 TFAO replaced a PowerMac G4 with a refurbished G5 PowerMac set up for OS9 classic mode as a temporary hardware solution.

If you wish to contact TFAO, please send email to:

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rev. 9/25/12