I recently met David Derrick, Senior Webmaster at IPSWITCH.com, the makers of WSFTP software.  As Senior and an experienced Webmaster, David shares his thoughts on the important aspects of the Web pro challenge and what it means to the community from Web professional point of view.

David is a terrific guy and to support the WOW and the Web Pro Challenge, David was able to get his company to approve a substantial number of software licenses copies for the famous FTP Software for the winners of the Web Pro Challenge!

Way to go David and thank you IPSWITCH.com

 

 Interview with David Ferrick, Senior Webmaster IPSWITCH.com : Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Transcript of Interview with Tom Van den Eynde, VDE Projects Brussels Area, Belgium

BILL CULLIFER: Bill Cullifer here with the World Organization of Webmasters (WOW) and the WOW Technology Minute at Adobe MAX, Milan. I have the pleasure to be here with a Web Professional attending the event by the name of Tom Van Den Eynde. Tom, good afternoon and thanks for agreeing to this interview.

TOM VAN DEN EYNDE: Hello.

BILL: Tom, you and I were talking about the 2008 Web Pro Community Challenge and I’d like to ask you a question if I could. As a European Web Professional that has had the opportunity to review the premise of the Web Pro Challenge, could you share with the listeners and the subscribers to this podcast and those that might potentially be interested in participating in the Web Pro Challenge why it’s important for this community to develop a community challenge?

TOM: Yes. I think it’s actually an interesting initiative because most of these organizations don’t have the budget in order  to make professional solutions that clearly benefit people worldwide, people in need. I think, especially today with the financial crisis, budgets will be even lower for those who really need these kind of solutions.

The Internet technology is progressing these days for the last couple of years really makes it possible to make great applications that are easily distributed through the Internet to all parts of the world without great effort and people really can benefit there. So building Web applications for those organizations is really something that we should all do.

BILL: I appreciate that. To summarize some of the components of what you said, enhancing the productivity of the non-profit organization, the Web lends itself to that significantly. Correct?

TOM: Yeah. Especially the upcoming rich Internet application technologies can help.

BILL: Yeah, very well said. We certainly appreciate your perspective Tom and thank you for stopping by and talking with us today.

TOM: My pleasure.

 

 Flash Video: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Transcript of Interview with Fred Ryals-Adobe Community Group Manager, USA

BILL CULLIFER: Bill Cullifer here with the World Organization of Webmasters (WOW) and the WOW Technology Minute at the Web Pro Challenge Table Top here at Adobe MAX 2008, in the community lounge. I have the pleasure to be Fred Ryals. Fred, you volunteered to be a judge for the 2008 Web Pro Community Challenge, and I certainly appreciate that. Could you tell us a little bit about yourself and why do you think this Web Pro Challenge is important?

FRED RYALS: All right Bill. Basically I’m a Web Developer. I’ve been doing website design for about a dozen years now, getting more actively involved in the community as a user-group leader, giving user-group presentations and conference presentations. I feel that it’s important to give back to our environment, to our community. This contest presents a good way for experts and leaders in the field to collaborate together to solve a critical need.

BILL: Excellent. Well said. Thanks and Fred, we certainly appreciate your participation and we look forward to collaboration in 2008 and beyond.

FRED: Thank you.

 

 Interview with Fred Rylals-Adobe Community Group Manager, USA: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

WOW invited Child Family Health International (CFHI), the 2008 designated Web Pro Challenge non-profit organization to participate in the Max 2008 event in San Francisco.

I sat down with CFHI’s Executive Director, Steven Schmidbauer to learn more about the organizations process to link medical students with medical clinics in developing countries worldwide.

This interview covers and overview and the CFHI Web Pro Challenge website wish list.  Later in the day, I introduced him to the team at Adobe. I think it’s fair to say that Steve walked away with an improved understanding of the robustness of the Adobe technology and the incredible possibilities to improve the CFHI.org website for the both the short term and long term.

 

 Flash Video: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

San Francisco — November 17, 2008 —: The World Organization of Webmasters (WOW) announced today at Adobe MAX 2008 that it is heading up a Web Pro Community Challenge to benefit:

Child Family Health International (CFHI) is a leading non-governmental organization (NGO) placing health science students on global health education programs in Latin America, Africa, and India in ways that are socially responsible and financially just.

“The Web Pro Community Challenge is designed to test the artistic, creative, technical and business knowledge and skills of aspiring and practicing Web professionals while utilizing some of the best tools available, all in a peer environment and for a great charitable cause,” said Bill Cullifer, WOW’s Executive Director and Challenge organizer. “Adobe MAX is the annual event for Web professionals, and WOW’s thrilled to be a contributor,” said Cullifer.

“Adobe is excited to work with WOW to provide a way for the passionate community of web professionals to showcase their skills while helping non-profit organizations,” said Ted Patrick, group manager for developer relations at Adobe. “It’s a wonderful combination of technology hand-in-hand with philanthropy.”

The Web Pro Community Challenge is an opportunity for the international Web professional community to showcase their skills while giving something back to the global community by designing and developing a website for designated non-profit organizations. Participants will use a wide range of technologies, including Adobe Flash Platform software, such as Adobe® Flex™, Adobe Flash® and Adobe® AIR™ to build enhanced Web capabilities for both of these deserving organizations. The Web Pro Community Challenge is launching at the Adobe MAX conference but anyone around the world is eligible to participate.

“We’re ecstatic to be recipients of this year’s Web Pro Community Challenge. We hope that with an improved website, we will be able to place more students in underserved communities around the world,” said Steve Schmidbauer, Executive Director of CFHI.  “On behalf of the health science students and the communities we work with in developing countries, I’d like to thank the WOW organization and Adobe for making this site redesign possible.”

The Web Pro Community Challenge launches at Adobe MAX 2008 in San Francisco and then calls on practicing Web professionals from around the globe who have interest in contributing their services for charity to participate. The WOW organization will podcast the process with interviews of the Web professional experts, the participants, and the selected non-profit charity selected so others can use these resources in a classroom setting as a teaching tool.

For additional information and to participate visit: http://www.webprochallenge.org

About WOW
The World Organization of Webmasters is a non-profit professional association dedicated to the support of individuals and organizations who create, manage or market web sites. WOW provides education as well as certification, technical, employment and member advantage services to thousands of aspiring and practicing web professionals worldwide. For more information visit: www.webprofessionals.org

About CFHI
Child Family Health International (CFHI), vision is to advance quality healthcare for all by setting the standard in global health education for health science students through programs that are socially responsible and financially just. These programs not only emphasize professionalism through social justice but also benefit the grassroots communities—where our students live and learn—by supporting these developing communities equitably and sustainably in recognition of the expertise and hospitality they provide.  For more info visit: Child Family Health International (CFHI),

WOW Announces 2007 Web Pro Community Challenge Winner

Folsom, CA — December 9, 2007 —: The World Organization of Webmasters (WOW) announced today that it has selected the winning team for the 2007 Web Pro Community Challenge to benefit the SayYesToGreen.org initiative. dStudio Distinctive Design of Great Falls, Montana, after intense months of planning, designing and developing a fully functional Web site for the energy educational initiative, won the Grand Prize and bragging rights as the winner of the 2007 Web Pro Community Challenge.

The Web Pro Community Challenge is an opportunity for the international Web professional community to showcase their skills while giving something back to the global community by designing and developing a website for designated non-profit organizations. Participants use a wide range of technologies, including those from Adobe, such as Adobe® Flex™, Adobe Flash® and Adobe AIR™ to build enhanced web capabilities for deserving organizations. While being launched at the Adobe MAX conference, anyone around the world has been eligible to participate.

“The Web Pro Community Challenge is designed to test the artistic, creative, technical and business knowledge and skills of aspiring and practicing Web professionals while utilizing some of the best tools available, all in a peer environment and for a great educational cause,” said Bill Cullifer, WOW’s Executive Director and Challenge organizer. “Adobe MAX is the annual event for Web professionals and WOW’s thrilled to announce the winning team,” said Cullifer.

Participants in the Web Pro Community Challenge were tasked to:

• Design a high impact and visually appealing website
• Develop robust backend technologies such as database resources, energy calculators and Web services
• Develop Web 2.0 marketing strategies for promoting green energy resources and technologies

Brad Gardner from the SayYesToGreen.org initiative said, “It’s incumbent on everyone to understand that we have limited resources and that we have the ability to be stewards of those resources that are fast diminishing. We’re ecstatic to be chosen as the recipient of this new and innovative Web site provided by the Web Pro Community Challenge. On behalf of conservationists everywhere, I’d like to thank the WOW organization, Adobe Systems, and dStudio Distinctive Design of Great Falls, Montana, for making this site redesign a reality.”

The Web Pro Community Challenge ran through the end of October 2007, when finalists presented their work to the non-profits for review and final selection.

About WOW
The World Organization of Webmasters is a non-profit professional association dedicated to the support of individuals and organizations who create, manage or market web sites. WOW provides education as well as certification, technical, employment and member advantage services to thousands of aspiring and practicing web professionals worldwide. For more information visit: www.webprofessionals.org

 

 Flash Video: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download