Army.gc.ca

[TimCadieux]

Being one of the designers for the Army website (army.gc.ca), I would like to know what you, our intended public think of the various ways we are trying to get information out to you? 

Are you aware we offer video news updates 2-3 a week, all our news content is RSS streamed and that we now offer podcasting?

I'm not asking for a flame session, rather, if there's something missing or broken, I'm very interested in fixing it.  My goal is to make that site relevant to you. 

I am asking this on my own time, because I believe my work is important.

 

[BernDawg]

Is there any way to code that stuff so it makes it through the firewall at work?

 

[Mithras]

Hey Tim,

I am actually fairly impressed with the quality of all of the military sites.. government sites tend to be pretty poorly put together.  With regards to the Army website the overall usability is good but god do I hate flash.

I don't really have any complaints with that site in particular but if you know the folks who work on the CFLRS site (http://www.cflrs.forces.gc.ca) could you tell them to fix the script that keeps sending me to: http://www.cflrs.forces.gc.ca/lib/GetFlash.asp

I have to disable javascript to get past the entry page.

 

[TimCadieux]

Is there any way to code that stuff so it makes it through the firewall at work?

Actually, within the last 8 weeks or so, we have implemented a sister server inside the firewall that is allowing us to serve up the same content as what we serve on the Internet.  Did we miss something?

 

[TimCadieux]

Hey Tim,

I am actually fairly impressed with the quality of all of the military sites.. government sites tend to be pretty poorly put together.  With regards to the Army website the overall usability is good but god do I hate flash.

I don't really have any complaints with that site in particular but if you know the folks who work on the CFLRS site (http://www.cflrs.forces.gc.ca) could you tell them to fix the script that keeps sending me to: http://www.cflrs.forces.gc.ca/lib/GetFlash.asp

I have to disable javascript to get past the entry page.

Is there a particular reason you dislike Flash, we use it fairly heavily as our video medium, the files tend to be crisper and smaller.  As for the other, i'm sorry, i do not have any contacts with the Admins of that site.

 

[skydiver]

Tim..
I am glad to see that you have used these means to ask for input since the official system seems to be a tad..stuck.
I have passed a couple of points on through the "feedback" function and also through the PAO at this FMN HQ.
Quite some time ago as I recall.
Somebody in your organization is having a real hard time doing research for this web site. There were a whole list of wierdisms on the "Unit, Formation" etc section, not too long ago but I see that some have been fixed (3 CMBG?, PLF in wrong brigade etc).

I understand you guys must be busy as ol get out but there are a couple of funnys that I see are still not fixed:

1. 8th Canadian Hussars are not (and never have been) based out of Saint John NB. RHQ and A Sqn are in Moncton. B Sqn is in Sussex

2. The Bde crest shown for 37 CBG is not accurate (not even close). What you have is a trial version that was never accepted. The correct version has a Viking Longship and a Galley.

Other than the unit crest stuff, I think you are doing a great job. I sure wish Baseline would allow for viewing videos etc at our place of work though. We must be the only army in the world that is not allowed to see their own stuff.

Have a good one.

 

[TimCadieux]

Tim..
I am glad to see that you have used these means to ask for input since the official system seems to be a tad..stuck.
I have passed a couple of points on through the "feedback" function and also through the PAO at this FMN HQ.
Quite some time ago as I recall.
Somebody in your organization is having a real hard time doing research for this web site. There were a whole list of wierdisms on the "Unit, Formation" etc section, not too long ago but I see that some have been fixed (3 CMBG?, PLF in wrong brigade etc).

I understand you guys must be busy as ol get out but there are a couple of funnys that I see are still not fixed:

1. 8th Canadian Hussars are not (and never have been) based out of Saint John NB. RHQ and A Sqn are in Moncton. B Sqn is in Sussex

2. The Bde crest shown for 37 CBG is not accurate (not even close). What you have is a trial version that was never accepted. The correct version has a Viking Longship and a Galley.

Other than the unit crest stuff, I think you are doing a great job. I sure wish Baseline would allow for viewing videos etc at our place of work though. We must be the only army in the world that is not allowed to see their own stuff.

Have a good one.

SkyDiver, thanky uo for your comments, I agree about the "official system" which is why i am here.  Btw, feel free to also use the Feedback, that comes straight to myself.  Just so you know, our office is new and small (3yrs old) and we are only 3 fulltime staff, the research gets done by our Reserve students so...

As for the first Unit link, I will change it immediatly, as for the second, this is the logo i received from CFJG, do you know where i can acquire the correct version.  Also, can you be more specific when referring to RHQ, A Sqn and B Sqn?

As for videos, which are you referring to, as of August '06, we have dual posting of videos, both inside and outside the firewall, therefore you *should* be able to view them all?

 

[Nfld Sapper]

Here is the current brigade badge for 37 CBG.

or just go look here http://www.army.dnd.ca/37CBG_HQ/37home.htm

 

[TimCadieux]

Excellent, thank you!

 

[TimCadieux]

I have updated the image as requested.

 

[BernDawg]

No Tim.  I'm just out of the loop, that's all.  Thanks eh.
Bern

 

[McG]

Where have the links to LFDTS and all of its elements gone?  I can no longer find it under the units & formations.

 

[TimCadieux]

Can you please be more specific ?

 

[McG]

I belive that all these used to be reachable by searching units:
http://armyapp.dnd.ca/lfdts/org.asp
http://www.army.forces.gc.ca/cfb_gagetown/index_e.asp
http://armyapp.dnd.ca/clfcsc-cceftc/choose.asp

 

[Klc]

There seems to be compatibility problems with the flash on many of the updated sites, CFLRS being the worst. It seems there is no way to view the page under normal means in Mozilla based browsers, and even in IE the flash version repeatedly forewards to /getflash.asp.

Flash is all fine and good for a high speed connection, but the site needs to be accessable to the maximum number of people. Please please please make basic information available in a lite format. There is a reason why most sites have a splash screen allowing you to choose with or without flash. In my experience, flash is simply not reliable in enough situations. You risk limiting the audience of the website.

Yes, there is a option to turn flash of from within the page, but this is AFTER the splash screen you have to get through - making it useless if you can't open the main site in the first place.

 

[TimCadieux]

THE Common Look and Feel rules of Treasury Board state that every site MUST offer all content in HTML, then and only then may they use other formats.  Recruiting has been exemoted from this rule directly by the PMO, but I doubt this other site you are referring to has.  I will notify my OPI but that's all I can do.

Thanks for pointing it out however.

 

[TimCadieux]

I belive that all these used to be reachable by searching units:
http://armyapp.dnd.ca/lfdts/org.asp
http://www.army.forces.gc.ca/cfb_gagetown/index_e.asp
http://armyapp.dnd.ca/clfcsc-cceftc/choose.asp

I believe I had to take those links offline unitl i had the proper logo.  I will verify once i get back to work.

 

[Kiwi99]

A great site indeed, with a lot of user input. And the fact that you are always trying to improve it is a great thing that Canadian Recruiting website should offer for making ads. 

One thing I have noticed during my short time associated with this site is the most important. It is operator/ user relations.  Now, I will be the first to agree that when asking a question, cinduct a search first.  But the common thread through many of the posts  is that the Directing Staff on a regular basis cut down people.  Yes, there are stupid people out there, but simply because they have adiffering opinion doesn't make them wrong or and idiot.  Many threads mention ideas for the future, or points raised from the current mission in Afghanistan.  And these are the ones that recieve most of the slamming from the DS.  I suggest that time served in the forces is not a replacer of experiance, nor does it create the be all and end all of opinions.  As for the pers whom post some of these comments, i amsure they didn't post just to have some cold war vet jack them up for maybe not being as smart as they should have been.  Thats why we learn.

Like I said at the start of this post, a great site and a useful resource.  Just reign in some of these Directing Staff, or recruit more people from the modern armed forces to be Directing Staff as well.  That would at least give two sided to discussion; a historical one and a new age one.

Great site, keep up the good work

 

[Michael OLeary]

A great site indeed, with a lot of user input. And the fact that you are always trying to improve it is a great thing that Canadian Recruiting website should offer for making ads. 

One thing I have noticed during my short time associated with this site is the most important. It is operator/ user relations.  Now, I will be the first to agree that when asking a question, cinduct a search first.  But the common thread through many of the posts  is that the Directing Staff on a regular basis cut down people.  Yes, there are stupid people out there, but simply because they have adiffering opinion doesn't make them wrong or and idiot.  Many threads mention ideas for the future, or points raised from the current mission in Afghanistan.  And these are the ones that recieve most of the slamming from the DS.  I suggest that time served in the forces is not a replacer of experiance, nor does it create the be all and end all of opinions.  As for the pers whom post some of these comments, i amsure they didn't post just to have some cold war vet jack them up for maybe not being as smart as they should have been.  Thats why we learn.

Like I said at the start of this post, a great site and a useful resource.  Just reign in some of these Directing Staff, or recruit more people from the modern armed forces to be Directing Staff as well.  That would at least give two sided to discussion; a historical one and a new age one.

Great site, keep up the good work

Kiwi99, I believe you are confusing army.gc.ca and army.ca.

With regard to your comments which appear to be directed at the latter, perhaps the DS wouldn't have to step in as they do if others (like the non-Cold War vets you suggest?) stepped in to offer those explanations we all know are in the existing threads.  Please feel free to do so at any time.

 

[Kiwi99]

No, I just wanted to make a quick dig at the CF recruiting ads, as brutal as they are.  Thanks for the prompt reply, and it actually cleard things up a bit.

Kiwi out