I need to create a website FAST for rapidly changing information
March 10, 2011 7:16 AM Subscribe
I need to slap together a website FAST that contains a map and a (sortable? filterable?) list of Wisconsin-related protest/rally events. I'd really, really like it if people could enter their own events and they'd show up on the map without a lot of intervention on my part.
Here's where I'm at right now: I have a Google spreadsheet that I'm letting people request editing rights to. Several times per day I cut and paste the spreadsheet data into a batchgeo map. I have shortened is.gd URLs for both spreadsheet and map, and I'm probably annoying the fuck out of my twitter followers because I'm posting them frequently.
The map and list need to be in one place, and the process needs to be more automated. Events are being created and changing every hour. People are PISSED OFF in Wisconsin, if you hadn't noticed. I can't keep up with it and still pay attention to my real job.
I have a domain name. I have hosting. I know enough HTML and CSS to be dangerous. I don't have to use WYSIWYG editors. I do not know javascript or PHP or whatever the cool kids use these days. I don't even care if it's pretty at this point, I can make it prettier as I have time. Help.
Here's where I'm at right now: I have a Google spreadsheet that I'm letting people request editing rights to. Several times per day I cut and paste the spreadsheet data into a batchgeo map. I have shortened is.gd URLs for both spreadsheet and map, and I'm probably annoying the fuck out of my twitter followers because I'm posting them frequently.
The map and list need to be in one place, and the process needs to be more automated. Events are being created and changing every hour. People are PISSED OFF in Wisconsin, if you hadn't noticed. I can't keep up with it and still pay attention to my real job.
I have a domain name. I have hosting. I know enough HTML and CSS to be dangerous. I don't have to use WYSIWYG editors. I do not know javascript or PHP or whatever the cool kids use these days. I don't even care if it's pretty at this point, I can make it prettier as I have time. Help.
Have you considered something via Googlemaps? I admit I don't know how it's done, but I know that Googlemaps lets you save an "editable map" to a website where people can just click on a given site to place a marker and add details.
Sorry I'm being vague -- I just know it IS possible, but don't know further details.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:22 AM on March 10, 2011
Sorry I'm being vague -- I just know it IS possible, but don't know further details.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:22 AM on March 10, 2011
Response by poster: valrus - definitely willing to learn, but I just want to get SOMETHING up there RIGHT NOW (especially before the big Saturday rally) and I hoped there was some out-of-the-box application I wasn't thinking of.
Empress - I know where you're going with this, and I thought of something similar to this (but less flashy), only I need to be able to filter/display by date. Also, that site is super-slow, but I'm not sure that's the map causing it.
posted by desjardins at 7:31 AM on March 10, 2011
Empress - I know where you're going with this, and I thought of something similar to this (but less flashy), only I need to be able to filter/display by date. Also, that site is super-slow, but I'm not sure that's the map causing it.
posted by desjardins at 7:31 AM on March 10, 2011
EmpressCalipygos has it. A Google map that is open to everyone to edit. Here's a map of restaurants and bars that people could edit themselves for a conference.
If you need something on your own domain, install wordpress. There are a mishmash of widgets out there that would do. Mappress (pro) is really good for mashups, but you'd have to combo it with some kind of event widget. I've done something similar with this site where each post is listed on a map and each post is listed on a page, in a sortable table. You don't have to do the latter bit of listing on a page, as mappress will generate that automatically for you if you want. The tricky part would be making the event widget work with mappress. Shouldn't be crazy, but it is something you'd need to look at a bit. Depends on your comfort level of getting in the html and php.
posted by jlunar at 7:34 AM on March 10, 2011
If you need something on your own domain, install wordpress. There are a mishmash of widgets out there that would do. Mappress (pro) is really good for mashups, but you'd have to combo it with some kind of event widget. I've done something similar with this site where each post is listed on a map and each post is listed on a page, in a sortable table. You don't have to do the latter bit of listing on a page, as mappress will generate that automatically for you if you want. The tricky part would be making the event widget work with mappress. Shouldn't be crazy, but it is something you'd need to look at a bit. Depends on your comfort level of getting in the html and php.
posted by jlunar at 7:34 AM on March 10, 2011
Oop. You need that list sortable. Mappress won't do that, so you'll have to make a sortable table another way. Either with some easy javascript code (it's used on the main page of that corkage site), or you can download a widget for wordpress that'll import your spreadsheet. I'm not sure how to link that secondary method up to your map, however.
posted by jlunar at 7:38 AM on March 10, 2011
posted by jlunar at 7:38 AM on March 10, 2011
Every self-submission site I've seen ends up getting spammed pretty hard, either with silliness, or, on political sites, malicious crap. So, building in some moderation is important.
posted by theora55 at 7:44 AM on March 10, 2011
posted by theora55 at 7:44 AM on March 10, 2011
Response by poster: What I need is something where you can enter in a location and/or a date, and get a map and list of what is going on at that location. Sortable wasn't the right word.
I can't tinker around with wordpress and stuff while I'm at work, but will keep that in mind.
posted by desjardins at 7:44 AM on March 10, 2011
I can't tinker around with wordpress and stuff while I'm at work, but will keep that in mind.
posted by desjardins at 7:44 AM on March 10, 2011
Google Fusion Tables sounds almost EXACTLY like what you need.
posted by schmod at 8:50 AM on March 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by schmod at 8:50 AM on March 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
You want to self-host WordPress with either the GeoPlaces theme or the Events theme, both available from Templatic. Both themes cost a little money, and will take a little tinkering for the initial setup, but they fulfill all your requirements.
posted by Asparagirl at 8:58 AM on March 10, 2011
posted by Asparagirl at 8:58 AM on March 10, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by valrus at 7:22 AM on March 10, 2011