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The Church of Scotland Online
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SITE INFORMATION
Technical details
How many pages does this website have?
When relaunched in March 2006, this website had approximately
750 html (web) pages and hundreds more images and downloads.
Links across this site total more than 35,000. We also
have a further 300 pages on our extranet site, specifically
written for staff, office bearers and those in the ministries.
Do many people use
this site?
Since 2002 the hit rates (individual page impressions)
on this site have rocketed from 750,000 per year
to more than two million in 2005 alone. Users from
more than 200 countries around the world use this
site, firmly establishing the Church's online presence
on a world wide platform. |
Illustration of our climbing hit rates since the
Church's website was launched in 2000
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The Church of Scotland's first website was launched in
the year 2000 and has since undergone three significant
rewrites/redesigns to meet changing technical and organisational
developments, including accessibility requirements laid
out in the Disability Discrimination Act and the Church's
major organisational restructuring ratified by the General
Assembly in 2005.
Which browser should I be using to get the most from
your site?
We are committed to accessibility on this website so that
it is able to be viewed around the world on most browsers.
The site is optimised, however, for versions four and
above of Netscape and Internet Explorer.
Editorial and content details
How often is this site updated?
This website is updated on a continual basis. On average,
the webteam carries out 4,000 individual page updates
a year. News releases are posted on this site within approximately
15 minutes of them being made available from the Media
Relation Unit with all other information posted online
as quickly as possible. The website has 24 hour cover
in partnership with the Media Relations Unit in case of
emergencies and we endeavour to post information and resources
online as quickly as possible in the event of major world
events. For example, our coverage and worship resources
posted in response to the Asia tsunami in 2004 was so
swift and comprehensive that the National Libraries of
Scotland archived our site as an outstanding example of
the Scottish response to the tragedy.
Where does all this content come from?
The webteam is led by the Media Relations unit which has
day-to-day responsibility for ensuring the quality and
integrity of this site. You can the unit using our online
feedback form. Content is generated from the councils,
committees and departments of the Church's central organisation,
as well as from external off-diary events. There is also
a small team of trained 'coders' within the Church who
provide content for these pages.
Can I use your content in my own site?
Content on this website is copyrighted.
Click here to read our copyright policy for those
wishing to use content and also those who may want to
contribute to our pages.
I think the information I'm looking at is out of date.
What's wrong?
To ensure you are viewing the most up-to-date material
click the refresh or reload button on your browser every
time you visit. That will prevent pages being cached (whereby
your computer takes a local snapshot of a page rather
than automatically refreshing each time from the internet).
You should be able to adjust your preferences to prevent
this occurring. Please note that we are a small team with
finite resources. Updates to sections such as our Have
your say discussion board and online
clickable map containing minister and parish details
are not automatically updated but are manually posted
by the web editor following your submissions.
With so many pages online, how do I find anything?
There are a number of ways to find information on this
website. You can use our search
facility, subject index,
site map and help
pages. If you are still having difficulties, use our
online feedback form
to get in touch for assistance.
I still can't find what I'm looking for.
If you have tried our search engine, site map, subject
index and help pages and you still cannot find what you
are looking for it is likely that the information is not
currently online. Contact us via our online
feedback form if you require more assistance.
Why are downloads offered in different formats?
| We offer a vast array of information
and resources to download on this website. Where
a document is text-based only it is provided in
Word [.doc], rich text [.rtf] and text only [.txt]
formats to make it accessible for most operating
systems internationally and those with sight or
reading problems using text reader software. |
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[.doc]
(51KB) |
[.rtf]
(26KB) |
[.txt]
(18KB) |
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Where a document has many images and graphics, in a bid
to keep download times down, we will offer it in portable
document [.pdf] format and text only [.txt] formats wherever
possible. Should you require the information in an alternative
format, information is provided on these resources pages
for who you should contact for more details.
I don't know what a lot of your words and terms mean.
Can you help?
While this main site is written with new users in mind,
if you are having difficulty understanding the terms of
reference used by the Church of Scotland visit our glossary
page by clicking here which provides a quick guide
to the common words we use in the organisation and across
the site. The
extranet site, however, has been written specifically
for our staff, office bearers and those in the ministries
who we expect to have an understanding of these terms
already.
I still have a query. How do I get in touch?
If you have any problems accessing the information on
this site or have a query that is not answered here, please
use our online feedback form
to get in touch with the webteam.
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