TRB Committee & Task Force Websites
A Suggested Option:Google Sites™
TRB does not endorse Google Sites™.
TRB does not require committees or task forces to have Google Sites™.
Email Brie Schwartz () once you have created a website.*
I will link it to your committee/task force webpage on
*Any website or web-forum, not only Google Sites
DOCUMENTS & INSTRUCTIONS
Google Sites™ Step-by-Step Instructions:
This includes the entire process from creating an account, designing the site, posting threads and files, Google Docs™, and populating the Site.
Google Sites™ Administrator Collaboration Guide:
Google Sites™ Members Collaboration Guide:
Guides For More Advanced Users:
Google Calendar:
Google Docs (pg 55-59):
Suggested Google Site URL Name: AXX##
LINKS
Creating & Using Google Sites Webinar Recording:
Demo “Template” Site:
List of Standing Committees & Task Forces:
Web Logo:
QUESTIONS from the WEBINAR: What You Asked
Q: Can a template site be created and shared?
A: A template you can use as a guide for your website is:
Q: Can you make certain pages within a public site for only certain people to access?
A: The only way to do this is to create a Google Doc and to “share” the Google Doc to a specific group of individuals. Google Doc training will be provided in the mid-Dec Webinar.
Q: How can we receive help?
A: There are 3 ways to receive support:
1) Google Support:
2) Other Communications Coordinators: Ask a question, Post a thread:
3) Brie Schwartz:
Q: Is there any way to increase the storage capacity for a Google Site?
A:Google Sites has 100MB. When I originally researched Google Sites they advertised 10GB; however, now it looks as Google has changed or they are (as recently as a month ago) clarifying what they "meant" by 10GB. 100MB is plenty of storage for a website; however, if you plan to use your Google Site mostly for online file storage, thenyou might want to lookinto merging into Google Apps Standard Edition.
1.Google Sites on its own - just the sites and nothing else is completely free and you have 100MB of space for that site.
2.Google Apps Standard Edition - a free account that includes Google powered e-mail, docs, calendars, sites and more and you get 10GB to use across as many sites as you like. You need to have a domain (e.g. example.com) to use Google Apps, which you may have already bought but if you have not got one you can buy one from Google at $10/year, but you may find another domain provider that can offer domains more cheaply (i.e. GoDaddy.com).
3.Google Apps Team Edition - Google powered docs, calendars, sites and more and you get 100GB to use across as many sites as you like. You need to have a domain (e.g. example.com) to use Google Apps Team Edition. This is aimed at those organization that don't want mail provided by Google or if you have an It department that won't let you use Google Apps.
4.Google Apps Premier Edition - Google powered e-mail, docs, calendars, sites and more and you get 10GB + 500MB/user account to use across as many sites as you like. You need to have a domain (e.g. example.com) to use Google Apps and this costs $50/user account/year. The $50/user account is giving very little to Google Sites (only 500MB per suer) but it gives a lot of other options to the other services offered.
If you have a need to upgrade your Google Site from 100MB to10GB
Go for Google Apps Standard Edition (which is also free) and copy your pages.
Directions on howtotransfer Google Site to Google Apps
Q: I have had some trouble sending invites to committee members, where the Google invites are getting filtered as junk mail. Do you have any recommendations?
A:The emails are being sent by your Google Account email, so you should ask your participants to look for your email, not an email from Google. As for junk mail filters, that issue can only be resolved by the recipient, as their email filter must be at a higher security level than an average user.
Q: Where did you find list of committee members?
A:
(Go to TRB.org Committees & Panels Standing Committees a link within first paragraph List of Standing Committees)
Q: Are there different levels of membership that would allow people to post discussions and comment on discussions but not edit the site?
A:There are 3 privilege levels:
Owner (complete control over the entire Google Site: creates pages, invitations, deletions, etc.)
Collaborator (can post and comment only)
Viewer (read-only, can’t comment or post)
Q: Is there a setting in Google Sites that notifies members whenever new discussions are posted or other updates to the site are made - or do we need to remember to check it periodically?
A:You can create email notifications for specific pages or the entire Google Site. Go to “manage site” and click on “Subscribe to Page/Site changes.”
QUESTIONS from the WEBINAR: What You Asked, Cont.
Q: If I already have a Google account, how do I keep the TRB account separate from my other account?
A:This can be answered by personal preference. You can do 1 of 2 things:
1) If you do not want your personal and work accounts to be combined, then you can create 2 Google Accounts. You will login with one account for work-related items, and login with another account for your personal-related items.
2) Since all the items in your Google Account are customized to your preferences, as long as you are aware of the privilege levels of each item, you can have both non-work and work within the same Google Account.
RECOMMENDATIONS (Afterthoughts)
If you already created a Google Site:
Please check your Membership page and make sure it is updated regularly. If you created the page before August 2009 (when the TRB.org converted its website), please copy/paste your membership again, as the affiliation links have now changed on TRB.org.
Find your committee membership page here:
Membership Pages within your Google Site:
At the top of the page type “Official TRB Committee Roster” and link it to your committees’ TRB.org website.
Where can you find your committee’s official roster?
Why post your committee link at the top?
Websites, if not maintained regularly, can become outdated. To maintain access your daily updated rosters, please provide this link at the top of the page. If for some reason your website is not maintained, at-least there will be a link to your committee’s official website maintained by TRB Staff.