8 North Shore Towers Courier n March 2015 BY STEPHEN VRATTOS Founding member and website creator Toby Horowitz had no interest in writing, editing or designing the content of the Men’s Club website when he proposed one for the fledgling North Shore Towers organization two and a half years ago, soon after he and his wife moved into the coop. A career businessman himself, Toby naturally connected with the other charter members, who all had business backgrounds. Even before the small band of brothers that would become the NST Men’s Club had solidified their vision of the club, Toby had the concept of a website for the organization in the back of his mind. No surprise, given his career as a system’s analyst/consultant. At the forefront of retail technology from the birth of point-of-sale operating systems, Toby worked for such prestigious companies as Alexander’s and Macy’s, through the rise of the internet and online retailing (e-tailing), developing websites for the likes of cosmetics giant Estee Lauder and retail behemoth Century 21. So it was only natural that he envision a website for the club. He even began doodling what would become the Men’s Club logo and researched the availability of email address, northshoretowersmensclub.org, during these early stages of its development. But first the club had to decide whether it would be nothing more than just a social gathering or dedicate itself to something deeper. Toby was a vociferous advocate of the latter; he had no interest in a group, which simply got together on occasion “to tell jokes.” Fortunately, the others agreed. The founders then set about defining a mission and hammering out a charter, and not long after, The North Shore Men’s Club was born. Still, despite Toby’s floating the idea of a website to the Men’s Club, the decision to create one didn’t manifest until another member excitedly approached the group about a site he’d been shown by a friend of a similar club outside North Shore Towers. Toby had the go-ahead he’d hoped for, but he’d have to alter his usual approach. “Normally, I’d ask a client what it is they want; what is it they wish to accomplish,” he says. But knowing his fellow members did not share his online knowledge, Toby set about drawing a basic schematic of what he believed the Men’s Club site should entail, which he presented to the group. The Excel spreadsheet of copy and columns was difficult to visualize, so Toby went further, designing a PowerPoint Presentation (digital slideshow) to help illustrate his vision of the Men’s Club website. “The guys couldn’t wrap their heads around the animated nature and interactivity of the web with the static images of the PowerPoint Presentation,” he explains. Twenty or so iterations later, a basic design was agreed upon, at which point, Toby set about outlining the content—articles, images, photos, graphs, calendars, etc.—he would need his fellow members to provide to complete the site’s construction. Three months and 300 files later, the North Shore Towers Men’s Club website was launched. Toby understands that in order for it to be successful, the site needs to be robust, continually active with the latest information and graphics, so he updates as quickly as he gets new information and is even able to work on the site remotely. He hopes to add live video to the site in the future, film Men’s Club events, like the group’s recent dinner at The Swan Club, and podcast them as they happen for remote members or interested non-members to experience and enjoy as they happen .
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