Technology and Communications Committee Report - April 2025

Good morning, Area 41, 

Here are some highlights. A detailed list of items in our queue can be found in my January report. 

We continue to meet monthly online, in between assemblies. Two smaller “hybrid working sessions” also occurred, plus a hybrid “dry run” two weeks ago. I have been adding our committee meetings and working sessions on the area41.org events calendar, and all members are welcome anytime. 

As you see before you today, the Technology and Communications committee has worked hard to prepare for hosting a hybrid assembly, both in person and online. Thank you to countless committee members for the contribution of your time, both planning and assisting with this weekend’s operations, as well as donating and transporting equipment. 

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Yesterday’s committee meeting was more of a “huddle” as we prepared for the Committee Showcase, identifying some key website navigation tips and content requests. We had 15 in attendance, including one online. 

In preparing for our hybrid setup, we are a bit behind on site content updates and should be caught up within the coming week. Committee Chairs, I’ll connect with you during the remainder of April, to ensure we can get a web appropriate version of your Committee Showcase on area41.org. Thank you to those who have already emailed me regarding your table content. And kudos to my committee members who scurried around to ensure we had photos of all the tables, and to each committee for sending a member to highlight your committee to our online members. 

Website Content Tips & Requests (the handout I didn’t have ready for yesterday) 

• When visiting area41.org by mobile device, you may not see text menus across top of site. Click the box with three lines at the top of the page to see the header menus. 
• This is your website! We want your content!
• Events
  Submit your events using the “New Event Form” in the Events menu drop-down, or by emailing events [at] [domain]. 
• Meetings
  Use the “Request a change to this listing” form at the bottom of the meeting listing, or email meetings [at] [domain].
• Pages/Posts
  For Committees and Districts, feel free to submit your meetings, minutes, any recurring “trademark events”, or where (district) contributions may be sent. At this time, please email page or post content to tech [at] [domain]. Please make sure content is anonymity protected.
• Site Function
  If you run into any trouble with site function, please email webmaster [at] [domain].

Subscription Feedback Request 

The consensus from our recent committee meetings is to transition to using individual subscriber logins for area41.org (in place of a password protected page with a single password being shared with everyone). We hope that an individual login to see protected content will then also be tied to your ability to subscribe to notifications of content from your trusted servants–and would also populate the email mailing list for direct communications as well. 

I will add a form on the website, so you are free to submit your answers that way. Or feel free to email me at [Committee Contact Form]. Here are our questions: 

• Do you want email notifications of certain content or information? 
• About what? When (how often)? 
• Do you want to be able to choose specific categories of content about which to be notified? 
• What content is a priority to you? 

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Items Still In Committee 

• 2022-10-09 014 re. Email Subscription Service through Website, tabled to seek final feedback (now underway). Intending to take action on this by July 2025. 
• 2023-04-15 08b (Tech confer with Finance): Create guidelines and answer Traditions questions for future Area 41 purchases of electronic equipment. Tabled. Committee intends to address this item in advance of proposing additional equipment for Area purchase, prior to the first year of hybrid assemblies ending.

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Please feel free to contact me at [Committee Contact Form].

In service, Sarah R., Committee Chair