Torchbox's Team Drupal has been working on Greenpeace UK's website for a couple of years now. One of the major single pieces of work we've done is to redevelop what was originally a separate PHP application for their network of local active supporters. Greenpeace's campaigning relies heavily on the enthusiasm of this network: promoting campaigns, raising awareness, even taking part in actions. So it made sense for them to want to move their supporters' site into the main Drupal site, and take advantage of the permissions framework and content management there to help active members become active online, and also publicize their offline events as easily as possible.
We built Get Active using Organic Groups and a sizeable amount of custom module and theme development. It was quite an uphill struggle, as Drupal 5's themeing isn't particularly flexible compared to what's demanded of websites these days. Also, OG is quite a walled-garden module, with a limited UI and (certainly before D6) very few easy inroads in terms of extending it. Still, we were very happy with the result and pleased that so many of Greenpeace's supporters, quiet before on the separate site, have become enthusiastic contributors in their new home.
So it was an extra accolade, a welcome if completely unexpected surprise, to hear that the Get Active site was made a Webby honoree in the "Activism" category. Although I was a (decidedly hands-off) technical lead, the real work was done by Garrett, David B, Sam and the designers, who should be really proud of this recognition. Nice one, guys: have a drink on me. Well, on James. Right, James?
