(Interactive) League Director pledge progress!

[Shteve0]

Hi guys

Figured I'd start a thread - almost a blog, of sorts - for keeping you up to speed with how I'm progressing against pledges.

First a reminder of my targets for the end of this year:

[*] a website for any league that wants one with relevant links to resources new and existing coaches will need
[*] a forum section for any league that wants one
[*] free, GW store legal posters that can be printed out by LCs and put up around their town or city to advertise their league
[*] access to the wealth of commissioner experience out there in the shape of a support group forum section, for example, for seeking and offering league management advice
[*] wherever possible, a thenaf.net web address for every league with an online presence, in addition to any existing affiliations, linked through to the league locator, and other methods of increasing the NAF’s visbility to league coaches in non-intrusive ways
[*] research into what can be done to support LCs getting the hardware they need to support a new or growing league: pitches, dice, dugouts, special play cards and so on

I've opened that thread up ina public area over at http://member.thenaf.net/index.php?name ... pic&t=6601 so that non-members and members alike can see what I/we've been up to and can follow progress as we go - I'd hugely welcome the input of anyone who cares to contribute, so please get in touch either in that thread or PM here if you have anything you'd like to share!

Cheers!

Steve

[Shteve0]

Update update update!

As we close in fast on my target of a launch in early November, some real big value adds are starting to show in the new software.

- Funnyfingers has introduced a change that allows permalinking to league pages. This not only allows league commissioners to link interested parties directly to their league page, but also means we can start to implement an improvement way of navigating through to individual leagues, which I'll be working on next.
- We've confirmed that permalinked pages retain their skins for navigation, and I've built the first custom skin for inclusion with the launch. I expect more will follow after the initial launch.
- I've also updated the icons and community rosters to reflect the most available version of the rosters we'll include. Next step is that funnyfingers is working on a method for league commissioners to be able to select which of the small number of included, optional community rosters they wish to recognise as legal (and therefore selectable) in their league. This is an exciting proposition and one that will be explored a little more in a NAF announcement just as soon as we've 100% confirmed it's workable!
- Vanguard is working on a few tweaks to Doubleskulls' League Preference Administration panel before go-live. This panel allows a league commissioner to manage the important aspects of their league's rules, direct forum link, introduction, name, even skin, and best of all which seasons/competitions are featured in the tables on the league's main page!
- Rythos42 has been working on a mobile (cellphone) mode for managing and viewing your team on the go. I'll incorporate links to that from the user menu in the reboot.

As ever... open issues: https://github.com/TheNAF/naflm/issues
Live preview version: http://thenafdev.obblm.com/

Suggestions and requests can be submitted by anyone, and if you think you might be able to help of have a contribution idea of your own, please get involved!

Thanks once more to everyone who's contributed their skills, time, energy and brainpower to this cause so far, it's really coming together nicely and your contributions have been invaluable. And last but not least, my congratulations and go out to Rythos42 as he departs on his honeymoon. That he found time in the run up to his wedding not only to contribute the mobile code but also dig into a particularly cryptic announcement bug is seriously going above and beyond the call of duty. Wishing you a long, healthy and happy marriage, Craig!

[celticgriffon]

Hey Shteve0,

I was just curious on your thoughts in how to support leagues which do not use the NAF OBBLM service?

We are currently using Casper's Aross BB setup and really like that platform. We have a visually appealing site which helps promote the game locally. We love that we can print off match slips which are functional and contain all the necessary details to record the game and easily view pertinent data.

League prize support or custom Block Dice would likely be good ways to garner interest.

Cheers,
Michael

[celticgriffon]

Hey everyone,

Just a bump re: my last post.

I would love to see where things are at regarding how the NAF may be able to support my league (which uses the Aros BB tools and doesn't use OBBLM).

Cheers,
Michael

[Shteve0]

Hi Michael

Apologies not to have come back to you sooner.

The purpose of the NAFLM work was primarily to establish better access to league management tools for those who don't already have them. As such it was never a focus to expand technical assistance to league that already operate using one of the established league management tools - at least, not in the immediate term.

There is, however, a league locator tool on the naf website at www.thenaf.net/leagues/leagues-locator/ I'd encourage you to sign up to. There are also fliers and posters I'd encourage you to use to promote your league, links to which you can find at www.thenaf.net/leagues/

Hope that's helpful, apologies again for the ridiculous delay in my response, and sorry it's not a more expansive answer!

Best regards

Steve

[Shteve0]

Hi all

Today over on thenaf.net I've announced that June 30 will see the official release of the OBBLM update we've been squirrelling away on. This release is the culmination of a year's work by a number of volunteers and represents a fantastic addition to the NAF's suite of services. Read more about the release here: http://www.thenaf.net/2016/05/naflm-mil ... june-2016/

As that release will come year in to my role, and represents so much of what I set out to achieve at the outset of my campaign, now's also a good time for me to take stock on what it is the role needs over the next year. In doing so I think it's fair to say that with the planned 30 June upgrade to the NAF's league hosting, we have in place an excellent platform to support the 32 leagues we already host, and hopefully transition more to make use of the service, especially looking towards the forthcoming boxed game release. While the posters haven't taken off quite as I'd hoped, I think they still represent a useful tool. And while the forum section pledges haven't quite seen the light of day yet, those discussions have been had with the rest of the committee and made it into the requirements for the NAF's future website.

Over the next year though, I think we all hope - no, expect! - to see a wave of new and returning players, and looking to engage with and sustain that support should be the first priority of the League Director role. In particular I believe that, having delivered what I believe to be a significant step forward in the league software support on the NAF's behalf, the time is right for me personally to step down from the role and pass the opportunity on to somebody who feels better equipped to take on the task of working more directly with the new wave of players, and potentially with representatives of the GW store network, to help initiate, publicise and sustain potentially hundreds of new and returning leagues. I think at this point I've achieved most of what I set out to do, but feel ill-equipped personally to take up the next phase of the role to best effect, and as such I've submitted my resignation to the committee to allow plenty of time for the recruitment of a successor, and for them to implement their ideas and plans ready for the new release. I will of course continue to support the NAF (and my replacement as League Director) through the ongoing NAFLM project, as a (hopefully occasionally useful) casual member of the tech team, and as the NZ RCO.

Just quickly, I'd also like to take a moment to thank everyone who's provided their support in the last year or so; be it at committee, through the RCO structure, in the various tech teams, or beyond. You're too numerous to name individually, but you know who you are, and it's been a privilege working with each of you.

Cheers all

Steve

[sann0638]

Thanks to Steve for his great work over the past year.

Question from Facebook Steve - will the NAFLM development be available to non-NAF OBBLM users?

[Shteve0]

Yep! From the article:

The launch will take the form of two download packages for public distribution and inherits all permissions of the terms of the original OBBLM user agreement. Those files will be separate install and update zip packages, hosted at thenaf.net/leagues/using-obblm, and include extensive release and instructions to help users get to grip with rolling out the software to their own league.

[plasmoid]

Wow. Very impressive.
Congrats on a job well done.

[Blammaham]

Awesome! S.

[nicholasmr]

This was the reason I chose a GNU license for OBBLM, it ensures "derived products" must be equally freely accessible for all.

[Jembo17]

Hey, sorry for my ignorance, but my mates and I have always used the 'Halfling Scribe' setup to document our rosters/matches, etc and find that to be great. Will this League Director setup be similar? Or better...? I only ask because now that we're older and wiser, we also fear change...
Thanks.