Website Build

The club’s current website has been developed from the original design by Mark Booth.  The site has been rebuilt using the web authoring package NetObjects Fusion. It has been possible using this software to include links to the online weather software used for the weather station output.  It also includes a 3rd Party Forum package Ikonboard.

1and1 Domain Hosting: The club currently holds two domain names www.rvsc.co.uk and www.rvsc.org.uk , both are held on a domain hosting package at www.1&1.co.uk and are pointed at the website on the Plusnet cgi server. 

NetObjects Fusion is a web authoring package designed by Website Pro’s for use by amateur and professional designer alike. It requires no knowledge of html whilst at the same time providing easy to use custom components to provide a very high level of sophistication. Components like the photo gallery are quick and easy to set up yet very versatile and customisable.

Ikonboard is a free-to-use custom forum package.  It is developed and freely distributed by a group of developer enthusiasts. It comprises cgi scripts written in perl interfacing with a database.  It uses a self installing script which makes setting it up fairly simple.

This forum package is more complicated than Mark’s original design but does offer improved communication options. It offers private messaging and email options for sending messages to members of the forum, holds member details to develop the online community. It also provides various forms of access controls making certain forums available to members, whilst at the same time making part open to all vistors of the site.

WeatherFlash is the final part of the jigsaw.  This software provides pages of virtual instruments which present live updates of the weather station data.  The software includes Macromedia Flash animations of the instruments These are driven by data uploaded from the VWS software installed on the weather server.  The WeatherFlash scripts are also mounted on the cgi server as they need php scripting to work.  The pages are contained in frames within the website weather pages.