2024 ICG Technology and Web Committee Report

Philip Gust, Committee Chair

The ICG Technology and Web Committee provides technologies such as web services, social media, YouTube channels, discounted software and hardware, and online meeting support to the ICG, chapters, and SIGs. It also provides technical advice to ICG committees, chapters, and SIGs

Committee Membership

Committee members include:

• Philip Gust [Webmaster] (Chair)
• Leslie Johnston [Gallery Webmaster]
• Nora Mai [Gallery Administrator]
• Patrick O’Connor
• Pierre Pettinger [Archivist]
• Kevin Roche [President]
• Jeanine Swick [Treasurer]
• Andy Trembley

Web Services

ICG’s web services are hosted with a reseller account at Midphase that provides 

• Web hosting for the ICG website 
• Web hosting for seven ICG chapters and SIGs
• Domain names (name.costume.org) for hosted chapters and SIGs
• Pre-configured software services such as WordPress and MySQL database

Chapters and SIGs who want a hosted website should contact webmaster@costume.org.

Note: The International Costumers’ Gallery is hosted by a company who specializes in the Omeka archive software used by the gallery. The gallery is independently managed by the ICG Archives. A link to the gallery site is provided on the archives’ resource page of the website.

Recent updates to the ICG website include:

• Updated “International Costumer” page with blog posts and newsletter issues
• Enabled ICG officers, committees, chapters/SIGs, and members to create International Costumer blog posts directly, by email, or by importing MS Word “.docx” documents
• Updated generating Issues of the International Costumer newsletter directly from International Costumer blog posts
• Updated printing and creating PDF files of blog posts
• Updated multiple authors for blog posts
• Updated links to ICG Board and chapter/SIG Google Calendars
• Updated Board & Meeting Minutes page with records from earlier meetings

Social Media

The ICG provides social media services through its Google for Nonprofits account including

• Google Group for the “ICG Board Online Meeting”
• Google Group for a member “ICG Costume Chat”
• Google Groups for ICG committees, chapters and SIGs.
• Google Group for sending announcements to members
• Google Drive space for board, committee, and chapter/SIG activities
• Google Suite tools such as Calendars, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Forms
• Custom email addresses for roles such as ICG officers and committees

Chapters and SIGs who want to have their own Google Groups and Google Drive space should contact the committee at icg-techcommittee@costume.org.

The ICG also has a Facebook group where members can post about costuming related topics.

The archived “ICG Board Meetings” and “ICG Member” Yahoo Groups are available through the “Social Media” page of the ICG website. Links have also been added to the “ICG Board Online Meeting” and “ICG Costume Chat” Google groups.

The archived “#boardofdirectors” Slack channel that was used temporarily for ICG Board business with the demise of Yahoo Groups is available through the “Social Media'' page of the ICG website. A link has also been added to the “ICG Board Online Meeting'' Google group.

The Maryland Costumers and Cosplayers (MCC) was recently onboarded with

• a domain name “mcc.costume.org,”
• email accounts for current officers
• email accounts for chapter officer roles delegated to current officers
• A discussion group for MCC members

ICG Youtube Channel

The ICG Youtube channel has videos of general interest to ICG members. The channel is available on the “Social Media” page of the ICG website.

Videos and a playlist include videos on authoring International Costumer blog posts.

Note: The ICG Archives independently manages a separate YouTube channel for archives-related content that is available on the “Social Media” page of the ICG website.

Discounted Software and Hardware

Discounted software and hardware are available to the ICG and GEL-participating chapters and SIGs through a non-profit account with Tech Soup. This includes

• Office 365 office suite from Microsoft
• Adobe Creative Suite
• Accounting software from QuickBooks
• Computer security products from Norton.
• Web conferencing products from Zoom
• Refurbished computers from Dell and other suppliers

Online Meeting Support

The ICG provides online meeting support for the board, committees, chapters, and SIGs with a Zoom account through Tech Soup.

Committees, chapters, and SIGs who want to use the ICG Zoom account for meetings should contact the ICG Zoom administrator at zoom@costume.org.