Posts Tagged: Integrated Web Platform

IWP Update: Migration & Cleanup

Dear Colleagues:

This message provides essential information on the implementation of UC ANR's new website using the Drupal Content Management System, focusing on migration and cleanup of Site Builder and Blog sites.

This is a follow-up to the IWP 101 ANR Update that went out on June 27, 2024.

Migration to Integrated Web Platform (IWP)

Migration means that content will be exported from Site Builder and become available in Drupal. The goal is to migrate existing, relevant content to Drupal while avoiding migration of irrelevant, outdated, duplicate, and unused content, images, and files. Site Builder editors should complete the Site Builder and Blogs Cleanup actions provided in the last section below. 

The list below provides information on what will be migrated. The migration is estimated to start in November 2024 with a targeted go-live in December 2024. If these dates change, we will communicate it broadly.

Migration and conversion will be for existing sites and blogs on a specific date that will be communicated well in advance. Anything created before the migration date will be captured.

What's Migrating

Only Active Sites and Blogs and their contained content

Active sites are defined as published on Site Builder and/or Blogs. Draft and inactive pages with their containing assets will not be migrated. There will be no date of publication restriction on the content. Published Content in Site Builder will be set as “Published” in Drupal. This will avoid the risk of content issues across the entire website due to missing owners, editors, challenges with resources, etc.

Images and Files

Only files that are in use (i.e., published) will be migrated. “In use” is defined as published on the same site where the associated file library exists. Images and Files have the option of Alt and Title attributes as well as Captions; these will be migrated. Because Site Builder converts original file names into numbers, the Alt and Title Attributes become very important for identifying what images are about. Editors should ensure images on Site Builder have these attributes and captions populated.

Meta Descriptions

Each Page in Site Builder should have a unique and descriptive Meta Description. Existing Meta Descriptions will be migrated.

What's Not Migrating

Site Builder comprises approximately 700 websites, thousands of pages, and thousands of files and images that are no longer being used. The overhead is enormous. Blogs suffer from the same issues. Over 465 Blogs exist and contain as many as 47,000 posts. Many of these blogs haven't been used in years. Site Builder and Blogs use different underlying technologies, and some features or customizations won't translate directly to Drupal due to technical incompatibility.

Not migrating

These may be assessed for possible future migrations:

• Some Site Builder assets (e.g., ANR Survey Tool integration with sites, Site Builder blog comments, Newsletter subscribers).
• All custom Site Builder assets – These include assets that are widgets built by ANR IT for one site or one unit's use (e.g., Universal Review System, custom databases and media players, custom survey result pages).
• Removed and inactive Site Builder pages and assets – These will be available on Site Builder during the transition period and eventually will be permanently deleted. If desired, individuals should back up this information onto a cloud service like Box.
• Unused images and files will not be migrated. These are files that are not being displayed in/inserted into any Site Builder pages.
• Sites hosted on other content management system platforms (e.g., WordPress, SiteFarm, UC IPM Cold Fusion site).
• Sites with no owner, no traffic, or no content – These will be made inactive and will not migrate. IWP team will reach out to admins/responsible parties/editors prior to inactivating any sites.

Not in scope

• ANR Portal applications will not be affected or changed (e.g. ANR Survey Tool, Collaborative Tools, Bibliography, Repository, Volunteer Management Systems).
• Customized websites are not part of the foundational build, which will provide a solid platform for enhancements in the future.

This may cause some disappointment. We appreciate your patience as we focus on delivering the foundational release. After the IWP system stabilizes, more information will be shared about alternative tools and how to request these items to be migrated in future stages. Non-Site Builder site migration can be evaluated post go-live on a case-by-case basis.

Site Builder and Blog Cleanup

As part of the IWP content strategy, not everything should exist in the new site. Please take some time to review your websites and pages. Start by following instructions/tips on the links below.

Site Builder Cleanup Checklist: https://ucanr.edu/sites/sb3help/bestpractices/site-builder-maintenance/Site_builder_cleanup_checklist/

Delete unused sites, pages, and assets: https://ucanr.edu/sites/sb3help/administration/deletions/

Site Builder Maintenance: https://ucanr.edu/sites/sb3help/bestpractices/site-builder-maintenance/

As part of Site Builder cleanup efforts, Stephen Dampier is holding a weekly open office Zoom Session to answer your questions.

When: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3 p.m.-4 p.m. PST

Zoom Link: https://ucanr.zoom.us/j/97937501529?pwd=Zm1PaGRuc0htcnVZbmZQaGcya3oxQT09

Remember, while we're not immediately shutting down Site Builder, this cleanup prepares us for a smoother transition. We will be sending out more reminders leading up to the final migration.

Questions or Concerns?

Check out the IWP FAQ page, and email iwp@ucanr.edu with any concerns that are not addressed there.

IWP Core Team
Kit Alviz
Dustin Blakey
Stephen Dampier
Linda Forbes
Jaki Hsieh Wojan
Mike Hsu
Scott Leaf
Andrew Waegli

IWP Project Sponsor
Tu Tran

Lawn-pocalypse! Surviving Drought

Ah, summer! The season of sunburns, pool parties, and… lawn droughts. If your once lush, green carpet now looks like a crunchy brown doormat, you're not alone. Let's dive into why your yard is staging a dramatic death scene and what you can do to...

Bermuda grass and weeds overtaking drought stressed turf grass.

A patch of former lawn, mostly dead, with a few green weeds and Bermudagrass

Integrated Web Platform (IWP) 101: Understanding the Basics

Dear Colleagues:

This message provides essential information on the implementation of the new UC ANR website using the Drupal Content Management System (CMS).

Integrated Web Platform (IWP) Background

The IWP project will enhance UC Agriculture and Natural Resources' digital presence for both internal web editors and our clientele. In the coming months, UC ANR will transition from the homegrown Site Builder to Drupal – a more stable, flexible, and powerful CMS that will make our content more discoverable to the communities we serve. This much-needed change will bring significant improvements in how we manage and present content, as well as optimizing our content for search engines.

There have been challenges with transitioning from Site Builder and the Blog system in the past, and that is why we are now working with Kanopi, a new vendor that has experience joining projects and taking them to launch. The IWP core team is leveraging the work of previous UC ANR committees and vendors (including UC Davis IET) who provided feedback, initial planning efforts, and prototypes.

What is changing and what is staying the same?

Site Builder and Blogs will be retired; Drupal is the replacement. As part of this change, UC ANR will have a whole new navigation and look and feel for our web editors and site visitors.

As we work through the development and implementation of IWP, additional changes will be identified and communicated.

SITE BUILDER & BLOGS	DRUPAL
Discoverability / UC ANR's Web Presence
Analytics tell us that most website visitors use Google to search and find UC ANR content.	Website visitors will utilize the Content Hub, Drupal's dynamic search feature.
Site Builder crashes.	Drupal has modern and continually updated technology to reduce the likelihood of crashes.
Tags are inconsistent between Site Builder and Blogs. Anyone can add a new tag in Blogs.	Consistent tags drive relevant information to the Content Hub/search. Tags and taxonomy will be established and maintained by a governance group.
Editing Experience
Editors would create a page and populate it with text and assets.	After considering the audience and where the information would be reflected in the Content Hub, editors create content using pre-defined Content Types, rather than creating a page. Content Types allow for more flexibility in the future and improved management of UC ANR information and resources.
Anyone with ANR Portal can create a new site or Blog.	There will be an approval process to start new sites (e.g., content editors) and new procedures to add additional site managers (e.g., groups). This will reduce duplication and stagnant sites that exist in Site Builder, and ensure content is discoverable navigable, manageable, and on-brand).
Sites and Blogs are managed in different interfaces and systems.	Sites and blogs will all be managed in Drupal.

Timeline and transitions

• UC ANR Employees should begin cleaning up Site Builder now: https://ucanr.edu/sites/sb3help/bestpractices/site-builder-maintenance/. Additional reminders and resources will be forthcoming.
• Employees are invited to Zoom training sessions about cleaning up Site Builder (see link below).
• Drupal is expected to go live in December 2024. If the launch date changes, we will communicate it broadly.
• Once Drupal is live, you will no longer be able to create new sites on Site Builder.
• Site Builder and Blog content will continue to be available during the transitional period.

About Drupal CMS

Drupal is a content-oriented CMS that allows for dynamic content delivery and can provide an array of benefits:

• Improved Content Organization: Drupal's taxonomy system enables sophisticated categorization, enhancing content discoverability.
• Enhanced Searchability: Content in Drupal is structured for better SEO (Search Engine Optimization), making it easier for our clientele to find what they need.
• Greater Flexibility: Drupal's Content Types provide templates for various kinds of content, allowing for consistent but also dynamic presentation.
• Scalability: Drupal can handle large volumes of content and traffic, accommodating our growing needs and improving system stability and availability.
• Consistency: IWP will help ensure a uniform look and feel across the website, enhancing the user experience and promoting UC ANR branding.

Learn more about Drupal at https://www.drupal.org/. 

Starting Simple

Based on learnings from previous challenges, we are starting simple with a foundational build. This approach allows us to:

• Lay the groundwork for a more sophisticated platform and build future enhancements.
• Build confidence as we familiarize ourselves with the new system at our own pace.
• Test and learn Drupal's functionalities.
• Become scalable to allow for further growth and better management of content.
• Iterate and make improvements based on feedback and performance data.

We need everyone's support in this major undertaking. We will communicate when and how you can assist with the above processes for a robust, efficient, and orderly transition.

Contact Us!

For the latest updates on the IWP project, please visit our Integrated Web Platform (IWP) Project Webpage or email us at iwp@ucanr.edu.

Site Builder Cleanup Office Hours

As part of Site Builder cleanup efforts, Stephen Dampier is holding a weekly open office Zoom Sessions to answer your questions.

When: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3 p.m. - 4 p.m. PST

Zoom Link: https://ucanr.zoom.us/j/97937501529?pwd=Zm1PaGRuc0htcnVZbmZQaGcya3oxQT09

IWP Core Team
Kit Alviz
Dustin Blakey
Stephen Dampier
Linda Forbes
Mike Hsu
Scott Leaf
Andrew Waegli

IWP Project Sponsor
Tu Tran

Climate-Change Resources

University of California UC ANR Green Blog (Climate Change and Other Topics) https://ucanr.edu/blogs/Green/index.cfm?tagname=climate%20change (full index)

Examples:

     -  Save Trees First: Tips to Keep Them Alive Under Drought https://ucanr.edu/b/~CdD 

     - Landscaping with Fire Exposure in Mind: https://ucanr.edu/b/~G4D

     - Cities in California Inland Areas Must Make Street Tree Changes to adapt to Future Climate  https://ucanr.edu/b/~oF7

Drought, Climate Change and California Water Management Ted Grantham, UC Cooperative Extension specialist (23 minutes) https://youtu.be/dlimj75Wn9Q

Climate Variability and Change: Trends and Impacts on CA Agriculture Tapan Pathak, UC Cooperative Extension specialist (24 minutes) https://youtu.be/bIHI0yqqQJc

California Institute for Water Resources (links to blogs, talks, podcasts, water experts, etc.) https://ciwr.ucanr.edu/California_Drought_Expertise/

UC ANR Wildfire Resources (publications, videos, etc.) https://ucanr.edu/News/For_the_media/Press_kits/Wildfire/ (main website)

      -UC ANR Fire Resources and Information https://ucanr.edu/sites/fire/ (main website)

            -Preparing Home Landscaping https://ucanr.edu/sites/fire/Prepare/Landscaping/

UC ANR Free Publications https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/ (main website)

- Benefits of Plants to Humans and Urban Ecosystems: https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8726.pdf

 -Keeping Plants Alive Under Drought and Water Restrictions (English version) https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8553.pdf

  (Spanish version) https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8628.pdf

-  Use of Graywater in Urban Landscapes https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8536.pdf

-  Sustainable Landscaping in California https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8504.pdf

 

Other (Non-UC) Climate Change Resources

Urban Forests and Climate Change. Urban forests play an important role in climate change mitigation and adaptation. Active stewardship of a community's forestry assets can strengthen local resilience to climate change while creating more sustainable and desirable places to live. https://www.fs.usda.gov/ccrc/topics/urban-forests

Examining the Viability of Planting Trees to Mitigate Climate Change (plausible at the forest level) https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2927/examining-the-viability-of-planting-trees-to-help-mitigate-climate-change/

Reports and other information resources coordinated under the auspices of the United Nations and produced through the collaboration of thousands of international scientists to provide a clear and up to date view of the current state of scientific knowledge relevant to climate change. United Nations Climate Action

Scientific reports, programs, action movements and events related to climate change. National Center for Atmospheric Research (National Science Foundation)

Find useful reports, program information and other documents resulting from federally funded research and development into the behavior of the atmosphere and related physical, biological and social systems. Search and find climate data from prehistory through to an hour ago in the world's largest climate data archive. (Formerly the "Climatic Data Center") National Centers for Environmental Information (NOAA)

Think tank providing information, analysis, policy and solution development for addressing climate change and energy issues (formerly known as the: "Pew Center on Global Climate Change"). Center for Climate & Energy Solutions (C2ES)

Mapping Resilience: A Blueprint for Thriving in the Face of Climate Disaster. The Climate Adaptation Knowledge Exchange (CAKE) was launched in July 2010 and is managed by EcoAdapt, a non-profit with a singular mission: to create a robust future in the face of climate change by bringing together diverse players to reshape planning and management in response to rapid climate change. https://www.cakex.org/documents/mapping-resilience-blueprint-thriving-face-climate-disaster

Cal-Adapt provides a way to explore peer-reviewed data that portrays how climate change might affect California at the state and local level. We make this data available through downloads, visualizations, and the Cal-Adapt API for your research, outreach, and adaptation planning needs. Cal-Adapt is a collaboration between state agency funding programs, university and private sector researchers https://cal-adapt.org/

Find reports, maps, data and other resources produced through a confederation of the research arms of 13 Federal departments and agencies that carry out research and develop and maintain capabilities that support the Nation's response to global change. Global Change (U.S. Global Change Research Program)

The Pacific Institute is a global water think tank that combines science-based thought leadership with active outreach to influence local, national, and international efforts to develop sustainable water policies. https://pacinst.org/our-approach/

Making equity real in climate adaptation and community resilience policies and programs: a guidebook. https://greenlining.org/publications/2019/making-equity-real-in-climate-adaption-and-community-resilience-policies-and-programs-a-guidebook/ 

Quarterly CA Climate Updates and CA Drought Monitor Maps (updated each Thursday) https://www.drought.gov/documents/quarterly-climate-impacts-and-outlook-western-region-june-2022

 

 

 

 

Drought focus of Water Resources IMPACT magazine special issue

UC ANR experts address emotional toll of drought

Preparing the American West for prolonged drought is the focus of a double issue of Water Resources IMPACT magazine. The California Water Commission staff are guest editors for this special open-access edition of the magazine, which is published by the American Water Resources Association.   

Faith Kearns, academic coordinator of University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources' California Institute for Water Resources, is among the authors delving into how drought impacts people and the environment and how we can better prepare for the inevitable. 

The first issue, published on Feb. 14, focuses on water scarcity issues confronting California and the ways these issues affect different sectors. 

In “Trauma, Care, and Solidarity: Addressing the Emotional Toll of Chronic Drought,” Kearns highlights the effects of drought on mental health. She points to the spike in suicide hotline calls when wells ran dry in Southeast Asian communities in California's Central Valley.

By listening to Southeast Asian farmers, Ruth Dahlquist-Willard and Michael Yang of UC Cooperative Extension were able to “lighten the load” for them by providing pragmatic support, Kearns writes.

“The scale of some of these highly emotional issues – drought, wildfires, climate change – can make them seem incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to deal with,” Kearns said. “At the same time, they are affecting everyone living in the western U.S. on a daily basis. I wanted to highlight and provide models based on work that people – whether they are researchers, clinical psychologists, or Cooperative Extension advisors – are doing right now to ease the way.”

The authors who contributed to the double issue are a diverse array of Tribal experts, academics, nongovernmental organization thought-leaders, water managers and water policy influencers, each of whom brings their own perspective on the topic of drought. Their expertise and perspectives in climate science, water policy and water management will help inform drought-related decision-making and support policies that better prepare the state to thrive during periods of prolonged water scarcity.

In addition to Kearns, the first issue includes articles contributed by:

• Samantha Stevenson, University of California, Santa Barbara
• Jay Lund, University of California, Davis
• Ron Goode, North Fork Mono Tribe
• Andy Fecko, Placer County Water Agency
• Jeff Mount, Public Policy Institute of California, and Ted Grantham, University of California, Berkeley/UC Cooperative Extension
• Nat Seavy and Karyn Stockdale, National Audubon Society
• Kjia Rivers, Community Water Center
• Cannon Michael, Bowles Farming
• Michelle Reimers, Turlock Irrigation District

The January/February edition of Water Resources IMPACT magazine can be accessed, free of charge, on the American Water Resources Association website at https://www.awra.org under “Publications.”

The second issue, to be published in March, will focus on drought response, considering the options for adaptation. This two-part series complements the Commission's work on strategies to protect communities and fish and wildlife in the event of a long-term drought.

 

 

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