Web Site
Production Notes
These notes are primarily for the WEB MASTER. However, they will give an idea of what went into - and "how" this site was (or is being) produced.
One large challenge was in producing a composite and "complete" class roster. A second (minor technical) challenge was coming up with an individual page template file that would be consistent and used for creating a page for each of hundreds of individual classmates.
The first attempt at ROSTER BUILDING was by building a "draft" web page roster from the photos included in our 4th Class yearbook. Unfortunately over 4 (or 5 actually) years of yearbooks it was seen that the yearbook photos for our Class were frequently incomplete for "whatever reason" i.e. photos of classmates were left out. Also, the photos were frequently incorrectly alphabetized and name captions listed for 4th class men were just last names and initials.
I was provided 3 "Excel" spread sheets (in various forms and formats) presented as being "class roster/mailing/email" lists from our REUNION committee, and also a "Word" document - which appears to be a "Class Directory" produced from our 35th Reunion attendee registration forms, as well as several other forms and documents that were used for organizing and promoting prior reunions.
From this review we had (for our class) -
559 photos in the 64 yearbook
413 photos in the 65 yearbook
376 photos in the 66 yearbook
396 photos in the 67 yearbook
and, at that point, an undetermined number of our classmates who had "slipped" to '68 (or beyond) for graduation
397 names (on 2-"Excel" spreadsheets, in two different formats or sort sequences)
360 names on another "Excel" spreadsheet
and
121 names included in the "Word" document produced (apparently) from our 35th Class Reunion registrations.
To resolve this dilemma, and arrive at our "final" / composite class roster ... we took one of the 397 name "Excel" spreadsheets, added fields for First name and middle initial, it had a field for last name (this for correct sorting sequence) and also added 5 fields as "flag fields" to indicate that a photo existed (OR DID NOT EXIST) in the 64, 65, 66, 67, or 68 yearbooks and proceeded to inventory photo's in each. Later, I added a "years attended" field to aid in analysis. When the '64 through '67 photo inventory (and 1967 Activities listion for our Seniors) was completed and the list edited, and added to, for missing names, that then gave a source list to compare with photos in the 68 yearbook to identify our classmates whose graduation year slipped to '68. This review also identified those who "joined" the class of '67 from prior classes, i.e. a new name and photo appearing in '66 or '67 who was not previously included in class photos in '64 or '65. In addition 4 classmates were added based on activities listings as Seniors in the '67 yearbook - who never in 4 years had a photo included with our Class photos. Names, as listed in the senior class yearbook, are the names used in the Web Site's - Class Roster Pages.
From all of this review, and analysis, we finally arrived at a properly alphabetized list containing 639 names of people considered to be "members" of the Class of 1967 and included as our CLASS ROSTER (obviously it does not include those who dropped out prior to :knob photos being made, but it most likely does include some who did drop out prior to knob year ending)..... and the CLASS ROSTER WEB PAGE was rebuilt.
This "Excel" worksheet/composite list also includes 4 "friends of the Class of 1967" and DONORS to the Class of 1967 SCHOLARSHIP FUND who are not listed in the CLASS ROSTER PAGE, but who will (hopefully) be honored as DONORS (or recipients) in a future web page..
PRODUCTION APPLICATIONS USED
EXCEL - To produce a composite / working class roster
PAINT SHOP PRO - for scanning and saving yearbook photo pages and activities pages. These page scans were always saved in the loss less PSP file format.
Class photo pages were scanned at 96 dpi and the activity pages at 150 dpi
PAINT SHOP PRO - was again used to "cut" senior photo caption images (to be used on the roster page), senior activities listing images, and each of the 4 or 5 years (or less) of the photos from each class year from the PSP format page scans and saved in a sub sub directory for each of the 641 classmates from the roster in a 25% reduced JPG format for publishing on individual web pages. The file naming convention used was the individuals name with initials preceded with the yearbook year for photos or followed with either "caption" or "activities" for those images. Prior to saving, each of the photo images were resized to height = 200 pixels for consistency i.e. cut, paste as new image, resize (as necessary), then save.
NETSCAPE COMMUNICATOR - was used for authoring all web pages
WS FTP95 LE - was used for all remote to host file maintenance
PRODUCTION PROCESS FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL CLASSMATE'S
WEB PAGE
Web site organization -The Root directory - contains the Index page, Roster page, several other "one time" pages, and all common or repetitively used image files
First level sub directories - are alphabetic place holders for individual classmate pages, they are also the location for the the individual alphabetic class rosters.
This avoids having to scroll through 643 SD's to find the correct place to put individual page images. Firlst level subdirectories are also used for other special event pages (or sections) such as the section devoted to our Class of 1967 Memorial Scholarship Fund, reunion planning / reunion news & photos for those who were unable to attend.
Second level sub directories - (within the alpha directories) are used for each individual classmate page and it's related image files
First, several "place holding images" were created in the root directory to be included in a Template page for all individual classmate pages. These included place holding images for - the senior photo caption (if available), and two photo / place hold images - one for photos and one to always be pulled from the root to fill a "missing" photo. Also, two other common images were placed in the root - a masthead image and a "typical/blank" contact information image.
Second, an individual classmate "Template Page" was created, within my 2nd level sub directory - so relative addressing could be used for common images. This was then copied to the root as a master for creating each subsequent individual's page.
Third, this master individual's Template Page File was copied from the root to each individual's sub directory, loaded from there, the correct images added/or replaced (all of which had been placed here previously, or drawn from the common root ), the page title modified, that template file "saved as" a page file using the individuals name as the page file name.