BMLT -The Basic Meeting List Toolbox
What is the BMLT?
The BMLT (Basic Meeting List Toolbox) is a complete NA meeting search and list system in one. It is a software program, called a “CMS” (Content Management System), that your Webservant (The technical administrator for your Web site) installs on your Web server. It creates an “instant” NA meeting list search engine, which includes maps, detailed listings, easy printing, and even direct Adobe PDF printable meeting lists.
Figure 1: A Map-Based Search
Figure 2: Simple, Attractive Meeting Details
The BMLT has a “hub and spoke” architecture. This means that your Webservant creates a central “server” (the “hub”), and other Service entities can connect to the “hub” (These would be the “spokes” -we call them “satellites”). This architecture is ideal for implementation by a Regional Service, and the “spokes” could be Area Service, or Metro Area Web sites. The central server (We call it the “root server”) contains all the data, but people who use the Area Service sites never have to know about the root server. They use their own Web sites, which have a local view of the data on the root server. In other words, the root server knows about all the meetings in the Region, but each Area can focus on only those meetings and locations within their own Service boundaries.
What Are the Main Benefits of Using the BMLT?
- Incredible, “natural” usability.
We use Google Maps, and display direct, simple, usable and relevant meeting data. Usability has been the #1 priority on this project since Day One. - Customization.
The BMLT satellites are designed to be tweaked and customized. It’s not difficult to make them fit into existing themes. You can also do things like have your local map appear in a region and zoom level of your choosing, so the Regional site may show the entire region at a wide zoom, but the ASC site shows only the area covered by that ASC, and zoomed in more precisely. - An opaque database.
No one needs to know anything about the DB. Heck, they don’t even have to KNOW there’s a DB. The database type is also flexible. You are not required to use MySQL. - Scalability.
This has been tested with as few as 120 meetings, and as many as 4,000+ meetings. It has no upper limit (besides the iron needed to process larger datasets). - Security.
Security has been designed in from Day One. We won’t invite hacks by saying it’s bulletproof, but it will resist your average M16 round. - Very easy administration.
The administration (editing) system has been designed to allow multiple logins, with the ability to edit only a certain subset of meetings. For example, the RSC administrator might be able to edit all meetings, but each ASC administrator can only edit the meetings in their ASC. Additionally, we have gone well out of our way to make administering the system as natural and easy as using the system. - Direct PDF downloads.
This system has the ability to provide a link that will create your entire meeting list for printing in one URL. It produces “live” PDF documents, based on the state of the database at the very moment the PDF is produced. - Future expansion.
This is merely a baseline system. More stuff is planned in the future. For example, we plan to implement phone support; especially for location-aware devices, such as the iPhone and most new Blackberrys. We have experience designing a phone interface for our SASNA site already, so we have a good idea as to what it takes. - Regional Relevance.
This system is absolutely ideal to help an RSC (Regional Service Committee) provide a hugely useful, popular and relevant Service to its constituent ASCs.
Download a Printable PDF One-Page Document that Explains the Operation of the BMLT
View a Short Movie that Demonstrates the BMLT
Download a More Involved PowerPoint Slideshow, Covering the Process of Implementing the BMLT
How Much Does the BMLT Cost?
Nothing.
Nada.
Zip.
It’s Free.
The only costs are those you would already incur for hosting, domain registration, setup, etc. The BMLT is an open-source project that is completely free.
How Difficult is the BMLT to Set Up?
Not so difficult, but you do have to have some ability to set up a CMS, like WordPress. You certainly don’t have to have the level of expertise necessary to write or extend the BMLT.
We provide an install wizard for the root server, and the “satellite” servers (“spokes”) can be simple, drop-in plugins for the three major CMS systems: WordPress, Joomla! and Drupal. We also provide a simple, standalone code sample in PHP, so that you can integrate it directly into your own site.
Basically, if you can set up a WordPress site, you can set up a BMLT root server.
If you already have a Web site, then the chances are good that you will be able to add the BMLT to your site fairly easily, giving you an amazing meeting search facility with very little effort.
Find Out More
Visit this page to see a live demonstration of the BMLT, and to get a lot more detailed information.