Web development community
WebReps @ Curtin
Many of the staff at Curtin who maintain or develop university websites belong to a group known as WebReps. This is an informal group who attend monthly meetings (when commitments allow) and occasionally mail each other with questions, news or advice. WebReps (short for the Web Representatives Group) has been running for several years and currently has about 30 members.
What does WebReps do?
The role of the group is to:
- Provide support for people who often work in isolation from each other.
If you need assistance, want to ask a question, or have a major issue to address you can either email the Distribution List or put it on the agenda for the next monthly meeting. Membership of the group also provides an opportunity to discuss the progress of projects you're involved in with a group of people who appreciate the issues. - Share resources.
Wherever possible we try and help each other out and reduce replication of work. - Provide you with information.
WebReps is a way for Information Management Services staff to communicate with web development staff about web-related issues. This means keeping you informed of changes that happen in policy and procedures and university standards. - Distribute information to the people in your area that need to know.
What do I have to do to qualify to be a WebRep?
As a WebRep you have a responsibility to convey information back to others in your work area. What you tell to whom will depend on the nature of the information and the structure of your work area, but there is an expectation that you will be passing on important information.
Am I qualified to join?
The level of technical expertise of members and the amount of web work WebReps do varies greatly. Members include administrative or academic staff (sometimes students), who maintain a small websites part-time; others are trained programmers who are employed as full-time web developers. Regardless of how much knowledge you have we encourage you to join if only to receive news through the minutes and discussion list.
How do I join?
You can join WebReps by sending us a message. You will need to provide your name, the area that you work in, the website that you work on, and your contact details.
Online resources
The world wide community of web developers is a vibrant and cooperative group, and there are many forums and other online discussion media that they frequent. A few we've found useful are:
- University Web Developers list: This list is dedicated to assisting people responsible for implementing and maintaining web sites in a University environment
- Unisites: Research into Australian University websites and encourages ongoing discussion and information sharing
- The Register: for IT news
- Sourceforge: for discussions, reviews, and downloads of open source applications
- quirksmode.org: HTML, JS, CSS resources
- w3schools.com: Web tutorials and references
- A List Apart: "For people who make websites"
- 456 Berea Street: this is "where Roger Johansson writes about web standards, accessibility, usability and other topics"
- Juicy Studio: an independent UK site whose mission is to "promote best practice for web developers"
- Access Matters: ...the search for accessibility best practices
- SimpleBits: this site is "a collection of design work and publications ... standards-compliant web design, technology and life"
- Experts Exchange: a large IT knowledge resource
- Web Standards: "The Web Standards Project is a grassroots coalition fighting for standards that ensure simple, affordable access to web technologies for all."
