This website was created entirely by the volunteer contributions of time and effort by club members. Two members in particular, Keith and Bob, did the bulk of the work to get the website initially operational. This page acknowledges their significant contribution to the club. Keith did most of the initial work. Bob added some significant enhancements - in particular the website photo gallery. Club members should know that the foresight, thoughtfulness and huge amounts of freely given time by these two members has positioned the club well for the twenty-first century. Technological change and change in the way the club communicates was not always easy but the website is now widely accepted and used by an estimated 99% or more of the club members.Thanks Keith and Bob.
As Keith and Bob have moved on other members, Allan, Ron, Greg, Carl and John, have continued to make enhancements to the web site and keep it running. Of special note, John undertook the time-consuming task of modernizing the website in 2015, updating the code which allowed the addition of new features.
Significant milestones in the usage and changes to the Ramblers website:
- 2000 Club signs up with Cadvision with an e-mail account.
- 2001 website private members area created with trips calendar and trips database.
- 2002 Cadvision was bought out by Telus.
- 2002 originally only coordinators could submit trip reports to the website. In late 2002 the site was changed to allow all members to submit a trip report.
- 2003 Ramblers purchase their own hardware to host the website. Telus continues as internet service provider.
- 2003 Ramblers acquire Websupergoo software to generate trip sheets and other documents "on the fly" from data in the website database.
- 2004 Bob develops the photo section of the web site to enhance the clubs record on its fiftieth anniversary.
- 2005 Spearheaded by Allan the club purchases a digital projector and new server hardware. The digital projector and the website are used to enhance trip reports at club Wednesday weekly meetings showing trip photos and other information from the web.
- 2005 Website is attacked by a spammer and other viruses and internet vandals. The club purchases additional antivirus antispam software for protection.
- 2005 Greg reworks website code so that the annual Rammies awards can be easily generated from the trips database.
- 2006 Ron over the last year rearranges the photo albums and updates and improves the trips database with photo content.
- 2008 With the club's Windows 2000 server software support to terminate in 2009 the club decides to end using the existing server and switch to a web hosting service provided by LFC hosting which is no longer in business as of 2022
- 2008 Carl adds all the trips in the "More Scrambles..." book by Andrew Nugara to the trips database (that were not already there).
- 2015 John updates the website on the Visual Studio platform so that features such as email notification of trips and on-line trip sign-up are possible. Barb, Ron and others help with the extensive testing required.
- 2015 Website is moved from being on LFC Hosting to Microsoft's cloud platform Azure.
- 2021 Club successfully is granted nonprofit status with Microsoft from which the club receives $3,500 USD per year worth of Azure services from Microsoft which covers the cost of the website operation.