From the AustMS Secretary, Deborah Jackson. (15 August 2025)
Dear AustMS Members
This is a call for Expressions of Interest for the role of AustMS Webmaster/Webeditor.
After many years at the helm, Ross Moore will be stepping down from this role as soon as a suitable replacement is found and trained.
The work is intermittent, depending primarily on when information becomes available, warranting a change to what appears on a website page, or pages.
For example,
- AustMS Executive and Council members — changes to positions, after the Annual meeting;
- medal and prize awards, scholarships, grants, etc. – after an awardee is known;
- receipt of citation documents for prize winners — when supplied by the Secretary;
- adding a link to an uploaded policy document — when provided by the President or other Exec.
You will have Administrative access to the whole site, which allows use of many tools and interfaces.
For example:
- Occasionally someone will request permission to edit pages on the Society’s website. This will require an adjustment to that person’s ‘Users’ entry, and maybe issue a Password Reset (when the originally-assigned password has been forgotten or never known).
- You may get requests for help from the Office (at ANU) for help with some task, such as advertising a conference or Event. If this means adding a new Page or Post, then best is to ‘Clone’ and existing page having similar material. Rename and Edit the resulting Draft page, before Publish when it is (almost) complete. Further editing can be done later if required.
Sometimes you will need to search out missing information for yourself, using Google, say. This could be adding a logo or illustrative image to accompany words. Check with the Executive that the result is OK for public viewing.
This is a voluntary role. There is no way to specify the number of hours of work per week, as the work will not be evenly spread at all.
- Your own pride in doing a good job (i.e., having the information be clear, concise and looking good to others) will dictate how long a particular task may take to complete.
- As a member of Council, you will take part in online discussions and meetings (online or in-person). You’ll need to be able to recognise when decisions taken will require an update on the website.
- Confirm with the executive the exact nature of any addition or change of wording.
- Familiarity with WordPress, or other browser-based editing software is desirable.
- A knowledge of HTML tagging is highly desired, especially when the point-and-click interfaces of WP fail, or are not adequate to produce a desired effect.
Ross will be able to help with any difficulties encountered. Otherwise Miscible (the company that created our new website) may be able to help.
- Liaison with Miscible may be required when something is needed for which there is no easy WP interface.
Please email your Expression of Interest to the Secretary, Deborah Jackson at secretary@austms.org.au by Friday 26th September 2025.
