phsc.ca

The editor of the Jerome War Relocation Center’s newspaper writing the number on a blackboard following the printing of its last edition in 1944. However; we are not closing, just changing the guard.

Toronto. Just over 30 years ago on April 17, 1996, our society opened this website and joined the internet generation. At the time, few members had a computer let alone an internet connection.

A few months earlier  I had embarked on a website for our store. During a chance conversation with then president of the PHSC, Les Jones, he suggested I also establish a PHSC website, and as they say, “the rest is history”.

Having initiated our website, I continued to operate it and from time to time upgraded the look of the site. When I took on more serious activities for the society, I decided to use a free Content Management System so anyone taking on the website did not need specialized skills and editing software such a Dreamweaver.

I settled on WordPress and found the software to be both sensible and easy to use. Each post; each page; was added to a database and the posts were organized by date automatically.

After 3 decades, it was apparent we needed some younger new blood to infuse the site and revitalize its content. Since inception, the internet had expanded and become commonplace with numerous social media platforms for the younger set. Websites had matured and nearly every business and society had one.

Thinking back to when any serious news was reported by newspapers, many articles or the final pieces of copy ended with -30-. This was a code signifying all material related to a particular article had been sent.

And on that topic, as of tomorrow this site will have a new webmaster, Jeri Danyleko. Jeri is taking the reins from me but I will continue to add the odd post. Jeri will also be assisted by the ever enthusiastic and talented newsletter editor, Patrick Gunn.

NB. The image for this post is free to use and is under the commons copyright.

gettin’ there – pre website days (Robert at Miller’s in 1992)

Toronto. … is a familiar line from the theme to the TV program “New Tricks” which I enjoyed sometime ago.

Speaking of some time ago, Our PHSC website went live some 30 years ago at a time when few people had computers and even fewer had internet access.

Over the years this site was updated and modernized. In 2007/8 I tested various CMS platforms with the idea that any member could take on the duties of webmaster without recourse to specialized skills and web editing programs such as DreamWeaver. I settled on WordPress.

Just as well. That April at our annual meeting, as I was about to take on more serious duties, our then treasurer advised that he was resigning that night. His company had temporarily transferred him to California to manage a new acquisition there. After quick consultation with another senior member, I picked up the treasurer duties plus retaining the webmaster task.

I continued on to this day as webmaster, using WordPress to manage the site. Our membership now for the most part are computer literate and internet connected. We meet on ZOOM and distribute all material as PDF files via MailChimp.

WordPress has proven to be well managed and a delight to use. The various web editing programs I used over the years have faded into history now (however; many of the old site pages are still available on the internet via the “WayBackMachine” and “Google”).

Note: Here is the full song “It”s Alright, it’s okay” as sung by the late Dennis Waterman (Dennis was also an actor on New Tricks”).