Saturday, March 03, 2012

The Club’s website is a rich resource to verify identification of Carder’s glass as well as other research resources. It’s been an expensive proposition to build the website and the board of the Club has continually encouraged our webmaster, Marshall Ketchum to take steps to improve the site, with tweaks to the programming. Translated, that means the board has continuously authorized the spending necessary. Subtle things get improved. Such as, if you’re looking at a shape, and want to see what comes next or before in shapes, well that’s now just a push of a button—or should I say “click”. Also, photos are posted where available and all the factory drawings. Now you can search with or without including factory drawings or photos. As so it goes—on and on. We’ve appreciated the many new members who have signed up for membership, at a mere $35 per membership. While not large dollars, they have paid for the many tweaks that enrich the site. All of this helps with positive identification of Carder’s works for the unwary public. The next Gazette will speak more to fakery and perhaps this is a subject for good discussion going forward.

Marshall Ketchum keeps the board posted every month with web statistics on our Club website. www.cardersteubenclub.org Total web page views have more than doubled this past February v. February of a year ago. It looks like lots of folks are viewing the site and using it hardily. Marshall posted 236 new pictures in February. The site richness increases every month in a meaningful way with so many shapes covered with actual pictures of the piece. As a reminder, if you have a piece that’s not yet pictured, send a picture to Marshall. Easily arranged through the website.

Scott Hansen of Briarcliff Manor, NY proudly notes:

Alan –

I’ll quit noting this every month but you can’t help but be impressed with the photographic additions to the web site – 236 in February – a one third increase over January. Marshall averaged 8 a day in February versus 6 a day in January. Maybe even more impressive is that total page visits increased by 50% in January from 14,000 to 21,000.

Scott

www.cardersteubenclub.org

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2012 Carder Steuben Club annual Symposium will be held at The Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, NY from September 20-22, 2012.