CONFERENCE SESSION BEGINS 8 pm.
Trevor S. – Call conference session to order at 8pm.
Christie N. – reads “Who is a Cocaine Addict”.
ROLL CALL.
Vote count – 176.
Quorum 117
Trevor S. – We are going to try to get through a few committees today, roll call has taken a while, so let’s see what we can accomplish the next two hours. FIRST UP: IT COMMITTEE
Tom P. -Are the closing reports in the box?
Trevor S. – Yes.
—need a refresh of page please.
Johan T. – Presents IT COMMITTEE
CLOSING REPORT
C.A. WORLD SERVICE CONFERENCE 2019
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE
INTRODUCTION AND OPENING COMMENTS
OPENING COMMENTS
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Working in this committee is both fun and humbling consider the vast scope of what we try to accomplish with just a few members. We cannot say enough about how grateful we are for this opportunity to do necessary work for the fellowship as a whole. We especially would like to thank all members of our committee, the members from the fellowship giving us great support, referrals, comments and cheers.
CAWS ITC STATEMENT OF PURPOSE STARTS WITH:
The purpose of the committee is to serve as a resource for the C.A. service structure in areas of emerging technologies.
This makes our work broad and inclusive, just like our fellowship. We have included work for databases, apps, websites, referral forms, information systems and structure.
WE WHO ARE THANKFUL OF BEING OF SERVICE ARE:
- Johan T, Chair
- Robby S, Vice-Chair
- Melissa L, Secretary
- Wade S, Trustee
- Gary M
- Johanna Ö
- Phil H
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- Bob S
- Bill R
- Wade S
- George M
- Gustav E
COMMITTEE WORK OR REFERRALS THAT RESULTED IN MOTIONS
NONE
REFERRALS OR ITEMS TABLED UNTIL NEXT YEAR; AND ITEMS THE COMMITTEE WILL CONTINUE WORKING ON THROUGH THE YEAR
DATABASE / C.A. APP
Committee members have already created a test system that hosts a small database that holds details of Regions, Areas, Districts and Groups. The idea is that CAWSO IT would support the Districts and Areas in obtaining meeting list information and assist them using a new data loading tool. This would create a single central repository of all CA meetings in the World. The IT committee will then assist and Areas and Districts that would like to access this central database and render the meetings pertinent to their
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district or Area on their own website. This pertains to referrals requesting Where to Find a Meeting.
This central repository of meetings can then in future be used by a mobile app.
INFORMATION SYSTEM
Working on putting an information system in place to provide a user-friendly centralized database for all members of the fellowship, to get personalized information in regard to upcoming events, conventions, business meetings and open service positions. Customizable from the world, area, district and home group levels based on the location chosen.
FRONT END WEB AND SQUARE SPACE/WORDPRESS
Ongoing work on integration of the new database to existing WordPress and Squarespace sites. Templates to to be made available to areas world wide.
IT 2018-1 FROM KERRY-JANE G. CAUK AREA (IN-CONFERENCE)
I struggled with the approval guidelines as laid out in the ITC guidelines (and PI handbook as the information is currently duplicated there). As a result, our CAUK delegates had not been aware of the WCSWD website
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launching due to me misinterpreting the guidance. I believe this document (or something similar) might help and be a useful starting point/addition to the ITC Guidelines?
Comment: We are implementing a simpler version of this referral by introducing some graphical representation in the IT workbook, since it has the exact same wording and structure it is a housekeeping matter and will be updated together with the after-conference report.
IT 2019-2 FROM AMBER H. LONDON AREA (PRE-CONFERENCE)
Over the years a number of members have stated they would like just one WTF to make looking for a meeting simple for the newcomer. Could you please ask the IT committee to create a universal electronic WTF by postcode , city , country for the whole of fellowship to use quickly no matter what area/region or districts you are from. Comment: This is within the scope of a future app
IT 2019-4 FROM AMBER H. WEST LONDON DISTRICT UK (IN-CONFERENCE)
Universal World / European Where to find (like A.A.) ie type in postcode.
Day time and nearest meeting comes up in seconds.
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Comment: This is within the scope of a future app
IT 2019-3 FROM MICHAEL M. LONDON AREA (PRE-CONFERENCE)
My experience of using the where to find meetings search engine is very fragmented and hard to use and is confusing for the newcomer. My suggestion is that there is just 1 where to find search engine worldwide like the one used in AA. Also on the AA search engine there is a map that appears showing the exactly location of the meetings using a red arrow Comment: This is within the scope of a future app
REFERRALS OR ITEMS REFERRED TO OTHER COMMITTEES; WORLD SERVICE OFFICE, OR BOARD OF TRUSTEES
REFERRED TO WSBT
A new line in the quarterly area delegate report asking for the contact information of their area/ district webmaster/ web-servant please make sure all of the reports are the same in all regions.
REFERRED TO LCF
Make a Social Media pamphlet outlining how we can use social media and still follow our traditions on anonymity. The does and don’ts and how to use
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it. For example, don´t check in on a meeting and don´t tag people on Facebook. And the proper use of photos.
COMMITTEE WORK – REFERRED TO THE WSOB
IT 2018-1 FROM CAREY T. CAUK AREA (REFERRED TO WSOB)
A member has come to me, as the IT Chair for CAUK. and asked for this proposal to be put forward as a referral: That the Quiet Peace reading for the day be displayed on the ca.org website in a prominent location, so people can read it from the website.
The member felt that other members (and newcomers) would benefit from having this available. I explained to him that he would have to make this a referral, since it involves a change to the WSM and the IT workbook. The website was not working for him, so I am making it in his place.
IT 2019-1 FROM DANNY H. ARIZONA AREA (REFERRED TO WSOB)
There are a ton of amazing speaker tapes that newcomers or those in remote areas who can’t make a meeting could benefit from. Currently, they need to go to YouTube or XAspeakers in order to hear these tapes. I request this body create and maintain a space online where anyone in
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need of a meeting would be able to listen to speaker tapes submitted from CA groups around the world.
IT 2019-5 FROM JONATHAN H. ARIZONA AREA (IN-CONFERENCE)
The referral is to simplify the process for making online one time / recurring donations to the newly named freedom fund. Currently this process is difficult and very hard to find on the website. My suggestions would be to include a simplified process that is very easy to access from the main ca.orghome page.
REFERRALS THAT DID NOT RESULT IN MOTIONS NONE
NEW COMMITTEE STRUCTURE AS OF THIS CONFERENCE
(along with name, email and telephone numbers please)
Chair
- Robby S
Vice-Chair
- Phil H
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Secretary
- Johan T
Members
- Gary M
- Johanna Ö
- Wade S
- Melissa L
- Bob S
- Bill R
- Wade S (lead trustee)
- George M (2ndtrustee)
- Gustav E
CLOSING COMMENTS
We are committed to, in any way possible to, assist the fellowship in use of digital tools for communication and information. Our aim is to support and assist in the growth of Cocaine Anonymous.
With a database ready for information that will help map and find you nearest meeting, information and documents for all of CA to use. Usage on
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any site, anywhere, anyhow. All material gathered on ca.org. Shared information, events, conventions, service meetings open service positions customizable from you home group to world level.
Our committee hope to have a first beta version of an app at conference next year.
Respectfully submitted
Chair, Robby S
Trevor S. – Alright, this is your only announcement during closing reports for comments or questions, just go to the mics if you would like to speak to the committee.
Sarah T. – One of our European members had mentioned an app in the FUTURE, is there a time scale as to when that date may be?
Johan T. – No, not really, it will be referenced next conference after determining budget, goals and working with the World Service Office.
Robby S. – Working with the database we will have to find every webpages for each area individually, or have help from the fellowship, its web servers and chairs to gather the information for us which is quite large.
Bill R. – So, you are talking about developing an app, but not even starting until next year?
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Johan T. – The framework has been created and is ready, but the database is being built. We need to scrape together many, many meetings, and align it with the intention so that it works forever and not just momentarially. It is not very easy, it is a lot of information.
Justin C. – Thank you, I have a question on design phase, literature, will that be connected within the app for use?
Johan T. – Good question, please bring this to a referral so we can further discuss that within the committee when we get to that point.
Ian Y. – How can I, as a member move this forward, how can I help? Johan T. – I think Phil should answer this question.
Phil H. – So there are a number of things happening here, the many facets to create a mobile app. Past the technology and technical sides, we have to figure out what people want to see in the app, such as geolocation to their current nearest meeting, literature to apply within the app and coding all of these things. It would be helpful to have people who like to design the look and feel of websites, terms and features for mobile release. A base (beta) product that is useful, so that our reviews can be positive and move forward to build. We need someone to build the app properly. we have some team skills and coding to get this off the ground.
Ian Y. – I am really excited, in theory, we may see a beta in the next 8 months, or by the next conference?
Phil H. – yes, there is a lot more time to invest into this than technological advancement.
Ian Y. – Right.
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Robby S. -The money involved is to keep everything in C.A.’s ownership and not have separate servers and other peripherals that do not belong to C.A. The maintainability of this app is important. I could write it now, but no one would be able to understand the code, and it wouldn’t be able to be maintained, we need to ensure that it can be understood, easy to hand off to another member, and follow all the requirements simultaneously. Ian Y. – I would love to see this happen.
Johan T. – We are not allowed to release anything to the fellowship unless okayed at conference, so we bring this forward to work on to present more next year.
Justine K. – I would like to ask about Referral 2018-1 sent in on the website, when was that referred to the WSOB committee? Johan T. – At this conference
Justine K. – Why has it taken 9 months to get this item referred? Johan T. – It wasn’t moved until now.
Justine K. – I am just trying to understand why it’s taking so long since it was inputted.
Johan T. – When we got it, we tried to work with it, and discovered it was a corporate issue. We are unable to put it on the website, we discussed it and tried, but it needs to go to WSOB, because the website is, and we cannot use it anywhere. It may be managed with the WSOB committee, because it is C.A.’s intellectual property.
Trevor S. – With no further questions, now we can move to H&I.
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