Press room ... 1997 archive

Project Inform Announces Redesign
of HIV/AIDS Website: www.projectinform.org

November 4, 1997

San Francisco, CA—In its continuing effort to provide easily accessed, comprehensive HIV/AIDS treatment information, Project Inform, one of the nation’s leading HIV/AIDS treatment information and advocacy organizations, announced today a major redesign of its HIV/AIDS Treatment Information Web Site. The changes enable users to more easily review and access Project Inform’s wide range of resources. New features include easily identifiable icons to ease navigation through the site, expanded treatment information resource pages, updated pages about Project Inform services, direct access via electronic mail to Project Inform departments, and the ability to easily make donations to support Project Inform programs.

Development and Funding of the Web Site
Since its launch in April of 1996, use of the web site has grown dramatically. Currently the site averages over 114,000 requests for information per month from over 80 countries. Inspired by a group of staff and volunteers convinced that Project Inform needed to be represented on the World Wide Web, initial funding came via a $25,000 grant from Pacific Telesis; crucial donations of creative energy and technical expertise came from volunteers Grahame Perry, Dave Thompson and Paul Buckley; equipment donations followed from Apple Computers and Bay Networks. Whole Earth Network hosts the web site free of charge. The redesign, made possible by a new grant of $50,000 from Macy*s Passport ’97, includes graphic design elements created and donated by FCB Healthcare and donation page software and expertise donated by North Tower Technologies.

“While still maintaining a relatively small staff and budget, Project Inform has been able to continually expand its quality treatment information and advocacy services due to the incredibly creative partnerships between PI’s staff and volunteers and individual and corporate sponsors,” said Annette Brands, Project Inform’s Executive Director.

The Web Site as a Source of Treatment Information
Treatment information on the web site is updated as it becomes available. The relative ease of electronic updating enables Project Inform to publish and distribute information quickly in a field—AIDS care—where life-enhancing information can change daily.

Such updating requires extensive technical support. “Our goal is to get information online as soon as it’s published in-house at Project Inform” said volunteer web master, Grahame Perry. “We realize that many people make important treatment decisions based on the information they get from us. We’re ready to use the latest Internet technology to get information to people affected by HIV. For this reason, new web-experienced volunteers are constantly needed to help keep the site current. If you’ve got the skills, contact us at volunteer@projectinform.org to volunteer.”

Resources at www.projectinform.org
At the home page, www.projectinform.org site visitors can choose from several options:

Clicking on the Publications icon, one finds new PI publications including the latest PI Perspective; WISE WORDS, a newsletter focusing on treatment issues for women; fact sheets on treatments like indinavir and other protease inhibitors, thalidomide, DMP266, 141W94 and IL-2; discussion papers on Antiviral Strategies, Adherence to Treatments, Dementia and Drug Side Effects; and a growing compilation of PI information in Spanish. PI publications are organized by subject and may be searched by key word.
Clicking on the Outreach and Education icon, one learns of Project Inform’s National Town Meeting and Technical Assistance programs. Copies of overhead slides from the latest series of Town Meetings are provided for those unable to attend.
Choosing the “Donation Programs” icon, one learns of the numerous donor programs available to support the organization as well as special fundraising events.

The Volunteer icon leads one to information about volunteering in the organizations various projects.

In addition, the home page includes access to a calendar of upcoming events, an index of files, and links to other HIV treatment sites.

The web site also provides visitors with reports from important scientific conferences, PI policy and advocacy alerts, the Project Inform Annual Report and job announcements.

New Technical Features
In addition to the new graphic look which enhances visitors ability to navigate through the site, other changes have been made. While the site’s HTML-formatted documents contain all of the information of the original printed documents, many of the site’s most popular documents are now available in Adobe’s Portable Document Format (PDF) which preserves the original appearance to facilitate electronic distribution and duplication.

“Now you can tell us what you think of our site by filling out our questionnaire,” commented Perry. “You can subscribe to our mailing list to receive the PI Perspective or have the Introductory Treatment Packed mailed to you.”

Accessing Project Inform Via the Internet
To access the site, load any Web browser (e.g. Netscape, Internet Explore) and point to http://www.projectinform.org.

Site visitors may contact the following departments directly via electronic mail:

info@projectinform.org: To make comments about the site’s treatment and policy information or suggestions for better organization of information, etc.

outreach@projectinform.org: For details about Project Inform’s outreach and education services including the National Town Meeting program, national and Bay Area PI-in-Person program, and Technical Assistance programs for healthcare and service providers.

support@projectinform.org: For details about extensive donor opportunities, donor services, and upcoming events. Site visitors can access web pages to learn how to support Project Inform activities and make donations via MasterCard, Visa or American Express.

tan@projectinform.org: To join or get more information about Project Inform’s Treatment Action Network (TAN), the largest national grassroots network of individuals working on HIV/AIDS research and treatment issues.

volunteer@projectinform.org: To register for volunteer opportunities.

web@projectinform.org: To make comments and suggestions about the web site.

In the Future
Future plans include electronic access to Project Inform’s National HIV/AIDS Treatment Hotline to ask treatment and access questions via the Internet. Until that time; all of Project Inform’s written information is available on the web site for review; treatment and access questions are best answered by calling the Hotline via telephone at 800-822-7422 (toll-free in the U.S.) or 415-558-9051 (for local San Francisco or international calls). Upcoming publications include: a discussion paper on Women and HIV, fact sheets on saquinavir and ritonavir, and November issues of PI Perspective and WISE WORDS. Like last year, Project Inform will provide nightly updates on each day’s events at February’s Conference on Human Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, one of the year’s most important AIDS conference that takes place in the United States.