Web Site checklist

Read, print, complete the National Internet Site Checklist to ensure your site meets requirements:

The 5 Site Identification items (examples below) are included in your source code

1. The sponsoring unit is clearly identified in the site's HTML code. This information should be located in the <HEAD> section of the document, between the <TITLE>...</TITLE> tags.
Example source code:

United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, (NACO POLICY LTR 1-97)

<HTML>
<HEAD>
<TITLE>US Coast Guard Auxiliary, District 8WR, Flotilla 14<TITLE>
</HEAD>

Further, District 8WR websites shall include Keyword and Description <META TAGS> in the header. This way search engines (Yahoo, Google, Etc.) will pick up the search.
Example:

<META NAME="Keywords" CONTENT="U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, District 8 Western Rivers, Flotilla 14, Public Education, Boating Safety, Vessel Safety Checks">
<META NAME="Description" CONTENT="US Coast Guard Auxiliary, District 8WR, Flotilla 14">
<TITLE>US Coast Guard Auxiliary, District 8WR, Flotilla 14</TITLE>
</HEAD>

2. Either the Auxiliary banner graphic or the text heading "U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary" shall be located at the top of the site's home page.

3. Immediately below that heading shall be a subordinate heading that identifies the sponsoring unit.

For example, if you choose to have the Auxiliary graphic banner at the top of your page, below that, you must have the words, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, District 8WR, Flotilla 14.

4. When a graphic image is used for site identification, an alternate text identification shall be provided in the HTML code (ALT=attribute) that displays the image.
Example source code:

5. Alternative text labels (ALT=attribute) are included for all graphic images and links. The alternate text should provide enough information so that non-graphic users can successfully navigate the page.

Privacy & Disclaimer Statements

Optimized Photos

Photos and images must be optimized and sized for the web BEFORE you place them in your document. Use a photo editor such as Adobe® Photoshop® or Adobe® Photo Elements®. Merely using the crop/size tools of your HTML editor does not optimize the photos.

Generic Fonts

Use basic fonts such as Arial, Verdana, or Helvetica that are bundled on most PCs today. People browsing your website are unlikely to have unique display fonts. (Verdana is a font that was designed especially for viewing text on the web.)

Check your source code to make sure your fonts are named correctly. Don't rely on a visual display. Your operating system may be substituting a font without your realizing it, and MS FrontPage often inserts its own default fonts.

Webmasters planning to utilize AIRS hosting must understand and comply with additional, specific requirements. (Divisions and Flotillas are not required to host their sites with AIRS.)

AIRS advantages:
--free use of the Auxiliary Web Server
--sufficient disk storage space for an average site (2MB)
--a unique Internet Web Site address.

All sites hosted by AIRS must meet the standards established by the AUXILIARY INTERNET WEB POLICY. Browse AIRS References:
http://www.uscgaux.org/~airs/refer.html

AIRS Limitation:
--2MB is not very large, so you must make every effort to keep your images optimized and files small

Accessibility Compliance

Our goal is to achieve 100% compliance with web Accessibility Standards. We are asking you, our web content providers, to develop plans to achieve 100% compliance with these standards. Begin here if you are unsure what this compliance means:

After browsing the Accessibility information (above), choose an Accessibility compliance resource of your preference (e.g., Bobby, Tidy, AccVerifySE for FrontPage, etc.). You will find many free accessibility-checker resources. Check your site's compliance with Section 508 Accessibility requirements, in particular.

Note: Accessibility compliance is not required at this time for initial site approval and evaluation. You must make your plans now, however, because it affects your site design.

When You're Ready

When you are satisfied you meet requirements, request that the District 8WR DSO-CS submit your Site Notification. This is an online notification to National of the existence and URL of a Division or Flotilla website, and a request for evaluation.

Shorten the approval process by printing and completing this form for your own records, then emailing a copy to the DSO-CS for submittal to National.

When your site meets the requirements set forth (above), National will certify it as an 'Authorized Auxiliary website.'

Links to non-Coast Guard entities are not under the control of the United States Coast Guard, or the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, and are provided for the convenience of our customers. They do not, in any way, constitute an endorsement of the linked pages or any commercial or private issues or products presented there. We cannot make any warranty or representation concerning the content of these sites, or secondary sites from the pages to which they link.