December 1999
Society Website Receives 1 Million Hits
Opens Access to All Sections
By Paul Sinegal
November marked two milestones for http://www.nysscpa.org-- a record 1 million "hits" and the end of password access to committee and chapter areas.
A "hit" represents any item retrieved from a web server. For the first time, the Society's site recorded more than 1 million hits in a one-month period--1,029,974 hits in November 1999 compared to 540,133 in November 1998, close to a 100 percent increase.
November also saw the elimination of password access to the site's committee and chapter areas--a direct result from member input at the Leadership Forum in August, where NYSSCPA chapter and committee leaders met to discuss policy issues and future plans for the Society. Although website activity has increased steadily, several leaders felt that the use of the committee and chapter areas had become stagnant, in part because passwords inhibited use.
Society members no longer need to enter a user name and password to get the latest information about committees and chapters, including meeting minutes, newsletters, officer listings, event calendars, and other highlights. In addition to facilitating use for NYSSCPA members, eliminating passwords opens all sections of the site to other users and increases the potential audience for committee and chapter activities.
The Society also plans to introduce new services to the revamped committee and chapter areas, including committee action plans (a statement of the range of each committee's operations), member directories, and many useful links to other sites of interest.
"We have an enormous responsibility and opportunity to utilize the Internet," NYSSCPA Public Relations Manager Wayne Whalen said. "Our website is the ideal communications tool. We can push out up-to-the-minute announcements, information, and resources to our membership."
The Society encourages member feedback. Post comments at the Website Suggestion link at the bottom of the home page, or send a message to staff@nysscpa.org. *
