Because of its global reach, the Internet is one of the most effective ways to reach out to Affirmation members and friends. Remember, however, that not everyone has access to the Internet. Make sure that your chapter offers alternative means to keep in touch with those who don't "surf" the Net. This can be achieved through something as simple as a printout with the chapter's calendar. You can pass the calendar around during chapter meetings; make sure that the printout includes a telephone number or a mailing address.

Wanted: A Webmaster, Actively Engaged

The single most important purpose of a chapter website is to help promote upcoming events. Rather than finding a "Web wizard" to be your webmaster, look for someone who stays in close touch with the chapter. If you, as chapter director, cannot find someone to take that position, take the job yourself.

Keep It Simple!

You do not need to spend a lot of time or money to create a nice, simple chapter webpage. Learning basic HTML (the code used for most webpages) is relatively simple. You can also create a page using Word and then simply convert it into HTML. When you start your first webpage, you can save it in your own computer and test it with your own browser.

Finding Space in a Server

The next step is to upload your pages to a server. The server will store your pages and send them, day or night, to anyone who wants to see them.

If you are web-savvy, Affirmation is now offering chapter directors and other national leaders space on our server to post webpages. If you are interested in taking advantage of this offer, please contact the webmaster.

You do not have to spend money to buy space in a server. It is possible that you already have free web space allotted to you in connection with your email account. You may also upload your webpages to a free server that will display banners or ads along with your page. Finally, some chapters post information, photographs, and messages by creating a Yahoo Group (free of charge).

What's in a Name?

Make sure that the official name of the organization--Affirmation: Gay and Lesbian Mormons--is prominently displayed on the home page and included on every page of the website. If you create your own chapter logo, it may include the word "Affirmation" or the organization's full name.

Affirmation has just normalized web addresses for all the chapters. Chapters can still buy and use their own domain names, but Affirmation is now providing a permanent, easy-to-remember name for each chapter:

www.affirmation.org/saltlake
www.affirmation.org/portland
www.affirmation.org/phoenix
www.affirmation.org/chile
www.affirmation.org/mexico

If your chapter webpage is not stored on the Affirmation server but on another server, we still encourage you to use the names we have established--especially when you print literature for your chapter. Just inform us of your site's address, and we will make sure that our easy-to-remember names are always pointing to your site, no matter where it is hosted.

You can still buy a name or domain for your chapter, but we strongly recommend that you use the names we have established. Since we own the domain www.affirmation.org, we will always own these names and we will always be able to redirect traffic to any server where you choose to maintain the chapter webpage.

Uploading Your Webpages

Once you've created a webpage and chosen a server, you will have to upload the page to the server. Different servers offer different ways to upload pages.

If you choose to maintain a webpage on our server, we will provide you with an address, a login name, and a password that will allow you to revise and upload your chapter webpage. For more information, please contact the webmaster.

If your chapter webpage is not stored on the Affirmation server but on another server, you will probably upload pages using a method called FTP. Your computer may already have a program that allows you to FTP (upload) your webpages to your server. Many FTP programs can be downloaded from the Web for free.

Maintaining and Updating Your Site

The key to a successful website is that the information be current. If you have a calendar on your site, make sure that you update it regularly with current information about upcoming events. If the information in your site is outdated, people will believe that your chapter has disbanded.

Respecting Privacy and Confidentiality

There is no way to know for sure who may be looking at your site; theoretically, you are reaching the whole world. In accordance with Affirmation's confidentiality policies, make sure that the chapter members authorize any information about them (names, phone numbers, email address, etc.) before you post it.

Do not post photographs of chapter events without the consent of all those who appear in the picture. If events are held in homes, ask for permission before posting the address. Instead of posting an address, you may prefer to post an email address or a phone number where those interested in attending can call or email to get directions.

Keep it Relevant, Positive, and Accessible

The information posted should be all relevant to the life of your chapter and the projects it decides to undertake. Keep the information positive and uplifting. Do not use the chapter's website to vent your frustration or pursue your personal hobbies. Make sure that you include a link to Affirmation's national website (www.affirmation.org). Never post anything that is offensive, hateful, or obscene. Remember that your site will be visited by men, women, and people of all ages and church status. If your site consists of more than one page, make sure that it is easy to navigate.

Choose a Classy Look

Choose a look that is classy and consistent throughout the site. If you choose to maintain your webpage in the Affirmation website, the site already has a normalized look that is very easy to duplicate and maintain.

Do not clutter the pages. Avoid using scripts that are distracting or flashy. Check-spell the text of your pages. Before uploading, test your site by displaying it with the Explorer and, if possible, also with Mozilla Firefox (or Netscape).

Avoiding Spam

If you post email addresses on the site, most likely those addresses will begin to receive spam. Post email addresses as gif (image) files rather than as text. Never use the code <A HREF="mailto:...">. If you need help to do this or if you want other ideas on how to avoid spam, please contact the webmaster.

Links Policies

Make sure that your website has a link to Affirmation's national website (www.affirmation.org). If you decide to create a links page, keep the links simple and relevant. Avoid links to organizations whose opinions could harm the emotional or spiritual well-being of your visitors. Avoid links to websites that are offensive, hateful, or obscene. In order to simplify maintenance, follow these guidelines:

• Keep the links list VERY SHORT (five links or less).
  
  
• Link to domain names (e.g., rather than to specific pages with long URLs (e.g., http://www.affirmation.org/chapters/creating_and_maintaining.shmtl).
  
  
• Link to reputable, solid websites rather than to small sites that are likely to disappear soon.
  
  
• Link only to sites that are relevant for gay and lesbian Mormons living in your geographical area.