First off, I want to make clear that I was given express permission before and after the call to blog about it. I hope this clears things up on that front. As for the call itself, I won't get too specific about all the details since the new website will be launched very soon. Rather, I'll give my general impressions about what we heard (If you want a flavor of the features you should expect on the website, check out our discussion threads here and here - a good number of these ideas will be seen).
My favorite planned aspect of the new website will be its ability to provide each user with a personalized experience. While the details are still up in the air, the DPVa hopes that users will be able to log-in for information relevant to them. In the same vein, users will be able to build their own online communities as well. Users will also get the relevant tools they need to volunteer, speak out, and be active.
Speaking of communities, the DPVa also hopes that the improved central website will help develop the local Democratic parties. For example, the local committees will each have their own space on the new website. And each committee can take advantage of the ability to build an online community. Even better, the DPVa staff on the call is hoping that they'll be able to reach out to the local committees to assist with their own websites. They want each locality to have a presence on the Internet, and some local committees surely need help with creating advanced websites.
Finally, we were promised a more dynamic webpage with more updates and new media. The DPVa staff admitted that the website has been too static in the past year, and they promise a site that will be updated much more frequently to give Democrats a reason to visit continuously. In the same vein, expect more interaction via e-mail, too.
Once the webpage is up, I'll be promoting the hell out of it here. And everyone should promote the hell out of it on their blogs and in their everyday lives. The DPVa should be commended for reaching out to the blogging community beforehand for feedback and, if they pull off the upgrade, for creating a new interactive and dynamic website. However, "interactive" is a two-way street. We should all plan on making the DPVa site a part of our routine Internet experiences, doing our part to make their interactive vision a reality.
Thank You from Nelson County and the new Blue VA