OIAA IGR Forum 24 January 2026

Thank you for participating in the IGR Forum!

IGR FORUM MEETING SUMMARY- 24 JANUARY 2026

Saturday 24 January, 2026
9:00 am HST | 11:00 am PT | 1:00 pm CT | 2:00 pm ET
19:00 pm GMT | 20:00 pm CET

ID:  839 1683 1125
Passcode: OIAA

“Nothing matters more to A.A.’s future welfare than the manner in which we use the colossus of modern communication.  Used unselfishly and well, it can produce results surpassing our present imagination”

Bill W.

Our international online intergroup lives and breathes in this “colossus of modern communication.”  Please join the next IGR Forum as we focus on technology…specifically, the current and future state of the OIAA website and the OIAA meeting directory.

AGENDA

Welcome & Opening	Mark M, Technology Chair
IGR Feedback: OIAA website and OIAA meeting directory	Opening Questions and Comments from participants
OIAA Website	General Navigation and layout Groups Page Group Reports Group Events Member Stories
OIAA Meeting Directory	Intro & brief history of the meeting guide Beta site demo – new features  How to find your meeting How to send feedback
Q & A	Open discussion
Closing	Mark M, Technology Chair

Recap

The OIAA IGR Forum focused on reviewing and discussing the organization’s technology with a focus on  the OIAA meeting directory and OIAA website. Mark, the Technology Chair, provided an overview of the OIAA technology budget and spend, highlighting recent investments in language translation tools for website improvements. 

Matt, Alt-Chair of OIAA Steppers and David from Code for Recovery presented developments for the next version of the OIAA meeting directory, highlighting features like improved search functionality and reduced load times. 

Kerri, OIAA’s Web Administrator, demonstrated recent website updates, including simplified navigation, group reports and events, and the OIAA calendar. 

The forum concluded with an open floor for IGRs to discuss a variety of topics such as group event submission processes, bylaws for online groups, and the potential implementation of an OIAA chat hotline. Participants shared feedback and suggestions for future improvements, highlighting a desire for IGRs to build communication channels between IGRs to allow for more exchange and discussion.

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Summary

IGR Forum pre-meeting discussion

Bob inquired about voting rights and meeting access, which Mark clarifying that OIAA events are open for all to attend with voting matters reserved for OIAA voting members. The group also discussed the importance of sending out meeting and event invitations and links in a timely manner to improve participation.

OIAA Technology Overview

The meeting focused on OIAA’s technology and its evolution, with Mark introducing the session and outlining the budget for technology, which consistently costs around $25,000 annually. 

IGR Feedback

Participants discussed the need for better communication among IGRs, with suggestions including email listservs and a potential chat hotline. Mike raised questions about banking for online-only groups, and Riley shared a solution using Home Group Online. The group also considered the effectiveness of technology in attracting newcomers and discussed the potential for a quarterly IGR forum. Mark emphasized the importance of feedback and collaboration in improving OIAA’s technology offerings.

New Meeting Directory Launch

Matt, OIAA Steppers Alternate Chair, and David from Code From Recovery introduced a new OIAA meeting directory system, with Matt explaining that they have moved from using Google Sheets to a database system to handle the growing number of meetings. David from Code from Recovery demonstrated the new features of the meeting finder, including improved performance with caching, the ability to filter by specific times and hours, and the option to view ongoing meetings. The team invited participants to test the beta site and provide feedback through a feedback form, emphasizing the need for user testing before going live with the new system.

OIAA Website Navigation Overview

The meeting focused on the OIAA website and its navigation changes, with Kerri providing a detailed overview of the site’s structure and functionality. She highlighted the three main audiences of the website: newcomers seeking help (“Get Help Now”), AA members looking for online meetings (“Find Meetings Now”), and OIAA members and trusted servants (“Inside OIAA”).. Kerri explained the purpose of various sections, including the OIAA member groups page, the IGR hot list, and the member stories feature. The meeting also covered the submission process for meeting updates and the importance of cleaning up the directory by removing inactive meetings. Mark announced opportunities for volunteers to help with this cleanup effort, led by Ken B.

IGR Feedback

The IGR meeting discussed maintaining the IGR hot list page, with Mark suggesting the need for a liaison to oversee its relevance. Kerri highlighted the importance of giving more notice for submitting group events during holidays to ensure events are posted. The group also addressed the creation of bylaws for online groups and the listing of meetings on the OIAA directory.  Clarification was provided that only online events can be listed on the OIAA Group Events page, not live events. Beth, PAC Chair,  announced a new subcommittee under PAC to assist new IGRs, and Mark encouraged participation. The conversation ended with discussions about AI’s implications on anonymity and the sharing of meeting notes on the IGR hot list page.

FOLLOW UP ACTION ITEMS:

Subject: OIAA Meeting Directory-New Version Testing

A new version of the OIAA Meeting Directory is on the way….OIAA Direct… and we received a demonstration of the next version of the meeting guide with full database integration  from Code for Recovery and OIAA at the January IGR Forum.

What’s new:

• Search meetings by time
• Easily find ongoing and 24/7 meetings
• View group profile pages and bookmark meetings
• Faster loading – only the next hour’s meetings download on page load

CALL TO ACTION: 

We are asking groups to visit the beta site to use the OIAA Meeting Directory and to provide us with your feedback!

OIAA DIRECT-NEW MEETING DIRECTORY BETA SITE

Please take a few minutes to:

1. Try the new features you find
2. Search for and find your group’s information – does it display correctly?
3. Check if all your meetings appear together with your group listing(s) or if they appear more “randomly” in the directory
4. Identify any meetings you still have listed that should be removed
5. USE THE FEEDBACK FORM FOUND AT THE TOP OF THE MEETING LISTINGS to TELL us what you think.

The sooner we get feedback, the sooner we can deliver a more reliable meeting guide for everyone.

Thank you for your patience and participation.

2. Subject: OIAA Meeting Directory-Meeting Listing Clean Up

Volunteers are gathering to coordinate an effort of validating current OIAA Meeting Directory listings by clicking meeting zoom links to confirm meetings are still active or not.

This is an important effort to maintain the integrity of our Meeting Directory and we need your help!

To join the effort, please email: cleanthelist@aa-intergroup.org today!