Web Master

Bye Bye Webmaster

As you know, we provide community websites, so yes, we are a little biased here :-)

However, this kind of situation is a good reason to have your website run by a full service community website company. In our case, we contract with the Association, which means we work for the board. It doesn't matter if the whole board changes, people move away, etc. The community keeps its website because we maintain it for them.

I have seen many cases where a community allows a volunteer to build the site for 'free' and then the problems begin.
Here's some examples:
(1) The volunteer moves away and no one can change the site any longer. Then the domain name expires and the community loses its web address too. They have to start over.

(2) The volunteer begins posting things on the site that the board doesn't want there. However, since the volunteer controls the site, the board has no control on content, even though they are advertising the site to the members.

(3) Keep in mind that the community website is the OFFICIAL face of the Association on the Internet. How the site looks, whether it is secure, what is posted on it, etc all reflect on the community and the Association.

The website address (domain name) is the OFFICIAL address of the community on the Internet. If you allow a volunteer to register that name, they own it and can do as they please with it. If they move away and the name registration expires, you can bet a 'domain investor' will snap it up and then offer it back to you for a high price (yes, I've seen them ask $8,000 for a domain that was lost due to not having the renewal paid). Now, you have promoted this domain as your official Internet address and it's gone, only to end up in someone's hands that can post ANYTHING they want on it (just imagine what that may be :-).

These are some of the pitfalls of having your official community website run by a volunteer for 'free'. The website is an official asset of the corporation and should be secure, controlled and professionally managed.

Jean:

I agree with David, depends on who owns the domain name. If your webmaster does you are up a creek without a paddle. If the HOA owns the domain name then you fire the webmaster, obtain or have the password reset and start over.

Surely you do not use the website to file permanent records, but your post sounds like it.

You have been given several good reasons not to have an individual who is directly involed in the neighborhood as a webmaster. That said, I am in that position as the webmaster of our association's website. I would like to think that I have the personal integrity to turn the files and password over to someone else when the time comes.

Aside from the information and recommendations posted above, having more than one person with the ability to change the website can easily be an unworkable situation. Examples:

Situation 1. Webmaster #1 creates pages, posts data, etc. Webmaster #2 changes the information as soon as he/she sees it. Webmaster #1 notices the changes and returns the site to the original information. This goes on and on and anyone viewing the site becomes confused and may make a decision based on information that is incorrect.

Situation 2. Webmaster #1 gives the password to Webmaster #2 who immediately changes the password so Webmaster #1 can no longer make any changes.

I was personally involved in a situation similar to scenario #2 a few years ago. I created a database for work. One of the supervisors told me he wanted to use it at another location within the organization and asked for a copy and the password. He then installed the database in the other location and used the password to change the credits from me to him and then changed the password.