Getting a website

At present the options for branches are to either get an Accredited MS Society branch website, or create their own website. You can have an entirely independent website that links to the national site, or a website hosted by the MS Society. This means that you avoid some costs, but you do have to liase with our web team to launch and update the site.

Before your branch sets up a website, however you go about it, you need to consider how you will keep it up to date. Unless you can guarantee that you can do this (something that is hard to do unless you can edit it yourself) then you need to consider how you can make the website 'timeless' so that it doesn't date.

Paying for a designed website
One quick route to getting your branch website up and running may be by paying someone to design and build it for you. However there have been a number of cases recently where this has not given a good and cost effective result. Unless you plan carefully, you may be paying for something that you can't keep up-to-date yourself and so will lead to future costs.

Some designers/developers have copied designs from the national website and the accredited branch websites. Copying one of these designs is not the best option as you are paying for design work that has already been paid for once. Using this design could also confuse people because it gives the appearance that the National Centre is more involved in the branch website than it actually is. 

Chat and message boards

It is not recommend that branch websites host chat rooms or discussion boards, because there are a huge amount of risks involved, and the legal responsibility for the chat or discussion content rests with the site owners. Risks include:

• Harassment and abuse


• Slander and Libel


• Advertising of something that may not be safe or reputable.


• Safety risks to the people who use the service. Even if this is caused by a person's own negligence, this could legally be seen as the website owner's responsibility.


• Users joining with the sole intention of provoking people (these people are known as 'flamers')

 

» Branch website guidelines
Since February 2005, all new links for branch websites have to be checked against our simple website guidelines, and existing links are now gradually being audited by a volunteer. The guidelines form part of a document which also gives more information about how to go about getting a website.

Find out more about the branch website guidelines and download a copy.