After more than two years of hard work, we’re pleased to announce the new editors.ca website will launch at the end of this month! Our web development team will begin working on the launch process during the January 26–28 weekend, and we anticipate launching the new site on Monday, January 29.
Here’s what you can expect on the new editors.ca.
A healthy foundation
The platform the current website is built on reached end-of-life in November 2022. After spending over a year collecting information about the site, including its technical, organizational and functionality issues, the website task force came up with a plan for a new site, including what changes to prioritize within our budget.
Since the platform the current site was built on is no longer being supported, it is critical for the association to build the new website on a stable foundation for support, security and to facilitate future site redesigns. After much discussion and consultation, the national executive council approved our recommendation to build the new editors.ca on WordPress.
To stay within our budget, we are tackling the new website in stages. This first stage is mainly focused on rebuilding editors.ca on a stable platform. That means we aren’t overhauling the look of the site now; however, we are building the foundation that will allow those redesigns in the future.
While the site will largely look the same as it does now, there are some usability and accessibility issues we are addressing right away.
Single login
You asked and we listened! You will no longer need to remember one set of login credentials for the association website and another for Editors Canada’s Findjoo membership portal. When the website launches, you will use your Findjoo login credentials for both the membership portal and the new editors.ca website.
Need help with your Findjoo login? Visit our Findjoo membership portal and click the “Click here if you forgot your password” link.
A more intuitive layout
Using your feedback, we’ve restructured the website to make the pages you use the most easier to find. The site menu that features members-only content when you’re logged in will make it easier to find exclusive content like free member access to the Canadian Press resources and the National Job Board.
Pages have been redesigned to prioritize readability, whether you are using a computer, tablet or your phone. These design changes are to make your experience with editors.ca as smooth as possible.
Online Directory of Editors streamlining
Members will also be able to manage their ODE profiles through the Findjoo membership portal.
IMPORTANT: ODE updates you’ll need to make once the new website launches
1. Copy your ODE profile statement now
The website task force manually transferred ODE profile statements from our current website to the new one in 2023; however, you may want to copy your profile statement now and save it in case you’ve made changes since then. When the new site launches, you can edit your profile through the Findjoo membership portal.
2. Add your skills, working areas and languages
Your current selections for the Editorial Skills, Media/Genres, Subjects and Working Languages sections have not been transferred because the task force revised the options in these menus. When the new site launches, you’ll need to update these sections on your profile through the Findjoo membership portal.
3. Update your display settings
As a default, the website task force has hidden all contact info on ODE profiles. When the new site launches, be sure to log into the Findjoo membership portal to select what contact info you want to display on your profile.
A more accessible experience
The website task force has prioritized the website user experience based on your feedback. The new editors.ca website will feature reorganized content, improved site menu functionality, and dark and high-contrast modes.
IMPORTANT: Member services down during launch
When the web development team begins the launch process on Friday, January 26, Editors Canada’s free member access to the Canadian Press, the Chicago Manual of Style and Oxford resources will go offline. The EZProxy links will be moved to the new web server and will not function until the new website launches.
Please note that although our developers are planning the migration of our EZProxy links with the best guidance from our IT team and our web host’s technical support, they can’t test the links until they begin the launch process. It’s possible free member access to these resources will still be offline once the new association website launches. The web development team and national office are aware of this possibility and, if needed, will work as quickly as they can to fix it.
Missing content and broken links
Over the last few months, our hardworking volunteers and national office staff have already transferred most of the content from our current website to the new one. There’s still plenty to do, especially with our news archive and featured volunteers, so this work will continue after launch.
One larger component that hasn’t been carried over to the new website is the Membership List. Building this functionality wasn’t in the budget for the first phase of the new website, but we’ll look into it for future upgrades.
Broken links are customary with any new website. When our site launches, we’ll provide a form to report broken links.
Stay tuned for the launch announcement
Thank you for your patience as we enter the home stretch of this project! Keep an eye on your inbox for the new Editors Canada website launch on Monday, January 29. We can’t wait to share it with you.
Website Task Force
Editors Canada