Free turnkey websites for clubs

[trux]

I offer free turnkey websites for freediving clubs or associations since a long time, but it is not very well known because until now I did not really promote it actively, and also there was no documentation. In the last weeks I added a lot of new functionality, and also started writing some documentation, so told myself it is time I invite freedivers to test it out.

There is still a lot of functionality to be added or improved, but the system already works pretty well, and I think that for many freedivers it may be quite an attractive possibility to manage their local clubs, associations, or even national federations. Currently the system is used by my own club Cyrnéa, and by another freediving club A.C.F. here in Lyon. There are a few other teams in the system, but they only have a single member each.

So what the system offers, and how does it work? You can found a team at APNEA.cz on the team page by a single click. Currently the team creation is limited to members with a paying account (9.95€), but it is not because I want to charge for it, but because I want to avoid that every member founds his own team, and the system finishes clogged with hundreds of empty websites. If you are seriously interested, and do not want to pay for the regular or PRO account, just let me know and I'll offer you the upgrade. Otherwise, you can upgrade it in your APNEA.cz Profile.


After founding the team, instantly an independent website is created for you, on a sub-domain of apneabase.org (for example sharkbait.apneabase.org). You can then customize diverse parameters and activate different options and modules in the management interface. There is a more detailed description of the available features in the support section, but let me list the main functionality:

• Forums - public forum (shared with APNEA.cz), closed club forum, closed club management forum, closed instructors forum
• Blog - new entries in the blog appear on the home page (see the home pages of Cyrnéa and A.C.F. as examples)
• User List / Album - album with photos of team members for memorizing each other names, and having access to contact information easier. Please note that only members of the same team see the full details. Public, or other APNEA.cz members get only very limited set of information - like for example you can see at Cyrnéa - Trombinoscope
• User Map - each member can be localized on a navigable map, which makes it easier to optimize car sharing for training travels, or when joining each other for meetings or trips. See for example here
• Photo and Video Gallery - there are two different possibilities, but for most clubs, the best is using the integration of a Google Picasa Web gallery, which allows you to upload and manage your photos and videos very easily with their photo manager software. And not only that, each club member can collaborate, adding his own photos/videos, or comment/caption existing ones.
• Calender - for planning trainings, trips, competitions, and other events. Currently it works with Google Calendar, but there is another built-in planning system in works, that will also integrate training planner interfacing with the Apnea Training Manager, allowing you so quick and precise planning of training sessions. See the integration of the Google Calendar here.
• Task Manager - There is an interface for defining, monitoring, and publishing tasks. This can be used for example for planning the work of the management of the club, for assigning tasks to individual instructors, etc.
• Twitter - integration with twitter allows you sending last-minute alerts, or live report from your cell-phone using simple SMS. These messages then appear on the main page (in the right column, in the block Twitter)
• Many other features - like RSS, polls, advanced member management, seasonal registration management, management of medical certificates, interface with the FFESSM (for French clubs, for instant purchases of licences at the FFESSM), etc.

And as I wrote, there is more to come. I also expect that new clubs in other countries than France will have different requirements or wishes, and am ready to accommodate them. The interface is currently trilingual: English, French, and Czech, but localizing would be possible for other languages too (you would need to help me with the translations, though).

Well, a final note - people may be suspicious about free offers, so I dare to explain why I do it: I developed the system especially for my club Cyrnéa, but already when doing it, I projected it so that it can be re-used, adjusted, and scaled for other clubs too. It would be pity to use all the work which is behind it for just a single club. In the same time, I know clubs do not have money for paying for such complex solutions, so knew in advance I could not charge for it. Well, I tried placing Google Ads on APNEA.cz, but it was only creating complications, and bringing no interesting income, so I removed them. Well, I still hope to find a sponsor who'd be interested in supporting the website, but my offer for the clubs is not depending on it.

If you are interested, do not hesitate to ask any questions, or submit wishes you may have.

More details here: APNEA.cz - Teams Explained

 

[trux]

Hey, I know I did not chose the best day for posting this offer (just the time when everybody is concerned about who murdered Bill Stromberg, and who will make the nicest blackout in the blue hole), but still I'd expect that at least someone tells me to shove this offer up my a$$. Having no feedback at all, is the worst scenario I could ever expect.

So if you think the offer is useless or uninteresting, or missing something, or should come with a fat cheque attached to it, just don't hesitate to tell me. It is still better than not having any reaction at all

 

[Jorg]

Few years back I offered something of the same to all AIDA nationals.. no response...
I think your offer is great, but it appears people aren't interested in things like this.

 

[trux]

Thanks, Jorg. It is interesting. Especially when I see how many national AIDA websites, and how many freedving club websites disappear each year, just because the owners either do not pay for the hosting, or do not have anyone who would build them up and maintain properly. And additionally, often you can see that the websites were built by beginners who have no experience with it.

All this is solved in this offer - they are built by a freediver for freedivers especially for this purpose, and they can be managed by anyone with zero experience with webdesign, while allowing keeping it up-to-date, and useful for the club managment, as well as for every club member. And most importantly, they do not expire when you forgot to pay (since there is nothing to pay)

Well, never mind that there is no interest, I'll continue enhancing the system - want to do it for my own club, and the other befriended club in Lyon anyway. So if nobody minds, I will continue to ping this thread in future when I add some new feature. In this way, even if nobody in need of a website noticed it right now, perhaps it may catch their attention in future.

In the list of main features, I forgot to mention also the possibility of accepting online payments for the member fees which is possible in the system too.

 

[apneaboy]

I think its a very kind offer Trux.

I'm sure someone will take you up on it.

Ill contact you later about it.
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[BennyB]

Hey Ivo,

This does look great. I missed this the first time around, haven't been on DB much in the last week. Australia had our annual general meeting on the weekend, we now have a new Website Officer and he pointed it out to me. This could well be something we need, i'll have a chat to him once he settles in a bit and finishes the handover from the old Web Officer.



Cheers,
Ben

 

[ptoot]

Hey Ivo,

Your offer sounds great. I'll raise it with the fellow members of our club, and I'll spend some time and effort in getting things translated.

Speak to you soon

 

[trux]

Hi Ben,

Yes, he already contacted me by a PM. Your current website, although missing different features, does not look bad at all, and unlike at many other websites, it was apparently made by a professional or someone with experience.

I'll just repeat what I wrote by PM: this APNEA.cz system runs on my dedicates server located in the USA. It is not software that you can take with and install on your own server. If you decide using your own domain name (like in AU case the australianfreediving.org), you can keep some subdomain on your own server, and point the main domain or its subdomain to apnea.cz. You should also process email on your server. Well, I could do it too, but it could not be included in the free offer, and I would need to charge some small amount for it.

You should also know that the APNEA.cz system is currently not much flexible - the pages have fixed layout, and the structure of the website is also given. You can add a logo, and some photos, but currently you cannot add new pages and define the page layout or colors freely. This was done for making the setting up quick and easy, and accessible to non-programmers.

There are many features on the to-do, list, and it includes also the ranking and record list I see on your current website, but currently adding content that is not supported, would have to be done within the available structure - for example placing it on the home page, the blog, or the forum. Or keeping it on another server and linking to it.

However, as I wrote, I am open to suggestions and wishes, and if there are new users, I am sure I will be adding more features and more flexibility continuously.