Purdue-Board Summer Updates
All,
It's hard to believe that in a very short period of time another academic year will begin. So, as we approach the first week of classes, I would like to share with you some updates on recent additions made to PurduEBoard.
As you already know, in fall semester 2008 Purdue eliminated sidewalk fliers on campus and chose to use PurduEBoard as the electronic alternative for communication of student events. The student body response was mixed during 2008-09. While the process for posting an announcement is simple and inexpensive, viewership of electronic communications fell slightly short of expectations and our folder views are down slightly from the previous two years.It was for this reason we took a look at making improvements to the delivery of the eSidewalk fliers.
The PurduEBoard eSidewalk folder was created to display electronic fliers, including a random, alternating flier display to approximate the previous “fortuitous discovery” experience with the sidewalk fliers. In addition, PurduEBoard provides a universal mechanism to push the information through an RSS feed into other communication tools such as digital signage displays or web pages.
As of May 6, 2009, all postings that are made to the eSidewalk folder in PurduEBoard are automatically posted to Boiler TV. This approach was recommended by a group of student government participants. Boiler TV has dedicated an existing channel on the system for continuous play of eSidewalk fliers posted in PurduEBoard.
Currently under development is pushing the public event fliers posted on the flyerboard in GetInvolved@Purdue.edu (a communication network for student organizations) to eSidewalk so they can appear on BTV. Coming this fall is a daily feed of PurduEBoard Weekly News folder and Purdue University Student News articles to the front page of the myPurdue student portal. In addition, the myPurdue student portal will feature an eSidewalk flier designed to spawn fortuitous discovery. Students interested in learning more about an event can click on the flier in the student portal and be taken to the eSidewalk folder to view details of the events.
A project currently underway is to place flat screen televisions in high-traffic indoor student areas that would be dedicated to the BTV station featuring the postings from the eSidewalk folder. While there is interest in placing many of these on campus, the first ones to be put in place by this fall are: the Colby Fitness Center exercise area at the Recreational Sports Center and the Fred Ford Dining Hall (both already operational); and Starbucks queuing area of the Purdue Memorial Union.
I know that a number of your areas have put a link to PurduEBoard on your home page. With the recent improvements to PurdueBoard, you may want to consider adding the eSidewalk flyer to your web site. Instructions on how to include the eSidewalk RSS Feed on your web site can be found at: http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~psg/purdueboard/. If as part of your web development process for your individual area you have created your own RSS feed process, you may want to consider posting all of your updates to your folder in PurduEBoard, then create an RSS feed from PurduEBoard to your website so that delivery of the information will reach a broader group.
With all of this in mind, it is important to keep posting to your folder in PurduEBoard and consider making additional submissions to the eSidewalk and PurdueBoard Weekly News folders as part of your communications. Additional outlets in the future will be on digital signs in different buildings across campus as well as outdoor signs.
To balance electronic and traditional vehicles for promoting student events, one outdoor bulletin board and five outdoor barrel kiosks have been constructed. There are plans to add four additional kiosks in the high-traffic locations: South side of CL50/East of REC; Southwest of SCHL; Northeast of LILY/Northwest of SMTH; Southeast of the entry plaza of LWSN.
If you need assistance in either setting up a new administrator for your folder, or you want assistance in getting your folder set up as an RSS feed to your web site, please contact me as soon as possible.
eSidewalk
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