I have been asked to create a group on a web site for a local association. Originally the idea was to use Google groups, but that may end shortly to be replaced by a paying alternative.
I have no problem coding in html and have several web sites on line today.
But this group have no money to pay for hosting, I will offer my services for free as a member of the group.
I am looking for suggestions as to a platform to use and host, ideally for free, and just to make it more interesting the other members are French so the interface needs to be French
We need the following
Ability for any member to post an event on a calender
Ability to mail all members of the new events on bcc
Make requests for help on activities such as dog sitting, child minding, simple repairs (fuse replacement, Changing light bulbs, so nothing technical), ironing, gardening, moving furniture, simple things that people of a certain age may find difficult.
Also membership list and a system of payment for the service. NOT MONEY But in points
In France we have a system called sel (service exchange local) where I walk your dog, someone else does my ironing, someone else guards my kids… all for points which are exchanged instead of money. It’s a great system of meeting people and working as a community project.
Any bigger projects are paid using commercial services by the person requiring it. So I offer computer suggestions up to repair then I charge, so I identify your hard disk is faulty (free) I replace and install Linux the member pays for the disk and the time for installing Linux. Etc
Long description but hopefully help you think and make suggestions … for which I thank you.
If it is important that you can “pay” people and not just have the ability to distribute points freely, where everyone could fake the numbers, then I would buy tons of pieces from a shitcoin and use that as the internal currency.
This way you will have actual real currency, but it will cost only a few cents.
If you are comfortable with coding, you’ll find that for nearly all content management systems there are loads of plugins available for the services, you require. Check out Wordpress, Drupal, Joomla or so …
As for hosting, there are several alternatives. A quick internet search will show you, there are several free or inexpensive solutions.
The “expensive” parts are the domain name (if you wish to have a “proper” domain) and the necessary SSL certificate, usually provided by the hosting company. If you wish, I could give you some hints.
You can buy a 100000 coins for about 2 bucks. Then you distribute them across the users. Then they can pay each other by using that. Tamper-proof and it is an actual currency.
Thanks for the ideas
I don’t have a problem coding or finding hosting solutions
As I did my first web site before the internet arrived… BBC model b on dial up connections back in the 80s then moved to minitel for on line shopping. Then to pagemill on apple mac, through hot metal pro, frontpage and currently use dream weaver. Around 50 different sites over the last 20 years or so. Currently have 20 live and kicking today.
Main question was the free hosting and anything for comunity associations
The idea of a sel is a system of exchange and solidarity not money. We have several different types here in France of people working together on projects
Take the idea of Linux and community working on a project for no reward and put that into a village where we all help each other. Hence no money changes hands
I use PHP to make dynamic websites. I offer my coding experience to you for free. I would like to get details about what you want done and how you want it to work. You can email me at trekjunky@protonmail.com with the subject: Association Web site. Emailing BCC to all members is easy, event calendar may take some doing, making requests will take a little bit more of coding than the Emailing BCC, points per service will take a small amount of planning.
Many thanks for the offers I received a great help.
I now wait for the President to make a decision on where we go next … sadly not macron !
Like most French groups there will be lots of discussion and even more talking, time waiting, no one listening and even less understanding, many many meetings … you get the idea it’s not quick.
The current suggestion was to create a blog, use Facebook, or framateam, Google workspace is out due to cost as is Microsoft teams…
Many free associations in France use asso-web.com do started with
But not done much more than register it awaiting the meeting and a group decision… get the feeling …
You cannot please any of the people any of the time, so I please myself.
