Website Guidelines

Guidelines for Website Creation and Maintenance (updated 2-25-2009 – excludes appendices)

The following are general guidelines defined by Ames Intergroup regarding the operation of the Ames Intergroup Website.  This document may be changed by the voting members of Ames Intergroup.

I.      Web Hosting

a.       The domain name for the Ames Intergroup Website shall be www.amesaa.org and will be purchased in January 2005 from Startlogic (who will also be our Web provider) for an annual cost of $15.

b.      The annual cost for the Web provider is $90.

c.       As of January 2005, the total annual cost for the domain name and the Web provider is $105, which is payable by check or money order to Startlogic.

d.      A Web Chairperson will hold primary responsibility for managing the Website, including its hosting and content (defined in section II).  He or She will report directly to the Ames Intergroup voting members.  Intergroup will determine the matters regarding the Website that require a group conscience decision and vote accordingly.

II.      Website Content – content on the Website will be the following:

a.      Ames Intergroup Guidelines for Website Creation and Maintenance.

b.      District 3 Meeting Schedule.

i.      The Intergroup Chair (or other representative) will attend District 3 Meeting and contact the Web Chairperson as soon as possible after the District 3 Meeting with any meeting schedule changes.

ii.      The Web Chairperson will make these schedule changes “live” on the Website as soon as possible.

iii.      As often as possible, the aforementioned communication will be done via email to keep an electronic record of recommended changes to the Website.

c.       Events.

i.      The qualification for listing an event on the Website shall be the following:

1.      An event endorsed by an AA Group that is part of Ames Intergroup  (or)

2.      An event endorsed by District 3 including District 3 Groups (or)

3.      An event endorsed by Area 24 (or)

4.      An event endorsed by the General Service Office (or)

5.      Those events not endorsed by the above entities (1, 2, 3, or 4) but

a.       serve the Alcoholics Anonymous community in Ames and

b.      are approved by the Ames Intergroup.

6.      A current list of these events appears in Appendix A.

ii.      Events shall be posted on the Website in the order that the events occur

1.      To list events on the website, the flyer or event information should be submitted in one of the following ways:

a.       Via email attachment (PDF preferred) to webcomm at amesaa dot org

b.      Place flyer in “Web Committee” mailbox at Ames Central Office

iii.      Events shall be removed from the Website within a month after the event has occurred.

iv.      Events listed shall be a digital copy (a scanned image or other Web friendly version) of the flyer distributed at meetings.

d. Pages for “internal” Intergroup Use (approved February 2009)

i. Pages shall not appear as links via the site, so users will need a direct link to locate.

ii. Pages shall not break anonymity by using last names

e.      Approved Content

i.      Content (links and other information) approved by the Intergroup body

ii.      A current list of approved content appears in Appendix B.

Appendix A – in order of approval

Aim for Ames Roundup – March 2005

Cornhusker Roundup – March 2005

Capitol City Conference – March 2005

Men’s Retreat (meets at Des Moines (Boone) Y Camp) – June 2006

Ames Al-Anon Fall Harvest Event - October 2008

Appendix B – in order of approval

Link to www.aa.org – January  2005

Link to www.aa-iowa.org – January 2005

Conference Approved literature quotes (in header) – January 2005

Eldora Boys Training School Meeting Rotation – March 2005

District 3 Business Meeting time and locations – April 2006

Ames Intergroup Business Meeting time and location – April 2006

Link to www.aagrapevine.org – April 2006

Link to www.aadesmoines.org – August 2006

Phone number for Ames Area Al-Anon – October 2006