Pitches and Hits Increase at the CAS Web Site

CAS Web Site Celebrates Its First Year

The CAS Web Site is growing up. No longer a mere infant, the Web site is maturing steadily and September 1997 marked its one-year anniversary.

The CAS began offering online services in 1993 with the CAS Bulletin Board System (BBS). In April 1996 a membership survey conducted by the CAS Task Force on Electronic Services found the membership to be keenly interested in the possibilities of a CAS Web Site. The CAS Executive Council approved the idea in July, and the CAS Board of Directors was given the first look at the proposed Web site during its meeting in September. The CAS Web Site was unveiled to the membership on September 30, 1996.

The benefits of a Web site have shown themselves repeatedly over the past 12 months. CAS members and candidates now have quicker access to more information than they had previously. For members, the Searchable Membership Directory has provided the most up-to-date listing of phone numbers, snail mail addresses, and E-mail addresses for Fellows and Associates. While the Yearbook and Membership Information Update are published once per year, the online Membership Directory is updated monthly.

Candidates benefit by having passing candidate numbers more accessible than ever before. Previously, pass lists were first available through the BBS, which allowed access to only two users at one time. Now with pass lists posted on the Web site, thousands of candidates worldwide have access to this information simultaneously.

Other examples of better access to more information include the Web site's Calendar of Events, which is updated frequently with the latest information about upcoming continuing education programs and other CAS activities, and the searchable Online Catalog that will contain all citations listed in the CAS Bibliographies and include their abstracts.

The next year will see advanced interactive applications on the CAS Web Site such as event registration forms and online publication ordering. The Committee on Online Services welcomes your suggestions as to how the Web site should be further developed. Send questions and feedback about the Web site to Mike Boa by E-mail at mboa@casact.org.

"Members Only" Section: A Quiet Club

CAS members are using the CAS Web Site increasingly since its inception a year ago. With more than one-third of CAS members registered for the "Members Only" section of the Web site, the CAS is encouraged by the growing number of members online.

Using the "Members Only" section, members can search an updated CAS Membership Directory or participate in a Member Discussion Forum. Members can also complete an online change of address form and receive updates on CAS Committee activities, such as agendas and minutes.

Access to the Members Only section of the CAS Web Site requires a user name and password. CAS Members may choose their user name and password, both of which should be between 6 and 12 characters and are case sensitive.

CAS Members should send their selected username and password to Mike Boa at mboa@casact.org. The request may also be mailed to the CAS Office at 1100 North Glebe Road, #600, Arlington, VA 22203-4798, or faxed to (703) 276-3108. Those CAS Members who have previously submitted a request but have misplaced or forgotten their username and password should also contact Mike Boa.