Friday, August 8, 1997; 1:30 p.m.
MetroCenter, Eighth and Oak Streets, Oakland
To: All Public Agency Representatives and Webmasters
Don't let your Web sites stagnate. You have put up your initial home pages, but what do you do next? Flashy graphics? City promotional material? More agendas and minutes? Attend the Summer '97 abagOnline Advisory Meeting and learn about the next steps in public web sites. The meeting is free of charge. No reservation is required.
1. Introduction - 5 minutes
2. What's New at abagOnline - 10 minutes
3. GovGuide - 50 minutes
Bill Jackson and Suzanne Lee of Smart Valley have been developing direct online access to government services in the Bay Area. The public will be able to enter an address and requested service on a web form and be connected automatically to the appropriate local agency and department. This program may fulfill the promise of government on the Internet—direct electronic access to government services where the public does not have to be expert about the responsibilities and functions of government agencies.
Learn how this program is being developed. Find out how you can participate and how your jurisdiction will be involved. Add your ideas for the design of the program. Come to the meeting and sample the future.
4. On-line Forms Simplified - 15 minutes
The City of Cloverdale has started to use the ABAG secure server for accepting reservations of special events. Learn how easy it is to safeguard your transactions and increase citizen confidence in your site and how a Web site can successfully serve the Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development Commission, and City Hall.
5. Design for Public Access - 30 minutes
Government web sites inherently serve a different function than commercial or entertainment sites. Public agencies are required to communicate with citizens—to make information available to citizens. Does your web site shut out citizens who don't have high-speed Internet connections or the newest browser software? At which point can the presentation needs of your data raise the threshold of participation? Must you sacrifice visual appeal to maintain universal access? Join our discussion with Carl Hague, Web designer and consultant. Carl has been involved with the development of the Internet and the National Information Infrastructure. He is the organizer of a new government net.news hierarchy and has been a design consultant to Smart Voter, the California Flood Disaster Information System and GovGuide.
Hear what your colleagues are selecting as their design criteria.
6. Members' Corner - 15 minutes
The City of Hercules has implemented an innovative approach accepting forms over the Internet. Learn how commercial forms-generating software (Omniform) can be used to simplify your business on the Web.
7. Adjournment
Find a map to the ABAG MetroCenter at http://www.abag.ca.gov/abag/overview/map.html.
We are opposite the Lake Merritt BART Station.
If you drive,
street parking is available at 3 quarters per hour.