BCSS home page

[Chris in Leeds]

Hi All
just looked at the home page and F & GP minutes are there if you want to read them:)
and have you looked at the survey on forum use recently?

[Bill]

Thanks Chris,

So 20% of respondents joined the BCSS after using the forum, interestingly from some comments in the F & GP minutes you would have thought we were having the opposite effect. I personally don't find those sort of comments to be helpful nor a true reflection of the forum.

I'll probably get told of for that now.

[Phil_SK]

The focus of comments seems to be on ill-informed axe-grinding which must give a terrible impression of us to those on the committee who do not use it regularly or at all. Little mention is made of the sheer volume of discourse on diverse and, in some cases, highly specialised topics. It comes across as a stagnant, introspective moaning shop, which is very disappointing.
[quote=the minutes]He [David Kirkbright] said that despite a lot of very good material being posted, it seemed to be a vehicle for anyone with an un?informed axe to grind to sound off. Even when correct information was supplied they change tack slightly because they don't want to give up. He felt that this will be giving a bad impression to outsiders who visit the forum from our website. Instead of seeing it as welcoming they will get the impression that we are a bunch of moaners.[/quote][quote=the minutes]There had been a misinformed comment on the B.C.S.S. Forum asking where the gift aid money had gone and suggesting it would be better spent expanding the Forum than fencing some overseas field!![/quote]

[Julie]

This gives an even worse impression!

[Bill]

[quote=Juile]This gives an even worse impression!
[/quote]

As you saying Phil and I are wrong to comment on criticisms of the forum particularly when they are unjust, Julie.

If you look at the 100 newest threads I don't think you'll find one of the nature mentioned by David K. Over 75% of his words are critical when I bet you won't find 1% of the posts being on the nature he mentions.

[Tina]

Have to admit I saw these & wasn't impressed,This one was taken totally out of context and was when the forum had been trimmed & we were wondering if it was because of cost so someone mentioned they would rather buy forum space than fencing, which is just an opinion !.
[quote=There had been a misinformed comment on the B.C.S.S. Forum asking where the gift aid money had gone and suggesting it would be better spent expanding the Forum than fencing some overseas field!!] [/quote]

[Tina]

Hi again

I don't think we should dwell on this as it's in the past now & it was a turbulent time as I'm sure you will all admit.

It was the first forum software upgrade and was a bit of a surprise when it happened but I'm sure we won't experience these problems again and the new system is much better than the old one as I'm sure you will all agree:)-D.

Must admit I spent most of saturday in the greenhouse & it really does seem like summer is just round the corner with lots of new growth & buds bursting thru .

[Ernie]

Looking at this from a down to earth point of view and applying the people factor; I suggest there will be officials in the BCSS who dont like the forum simply because its a vehicle for members to make adverse comments about the society or those running it. Its not so easy for everyone to travel great distances to an AGM where concerns can be raised therefore the forum is very usefull for that purpose.That said any comments must be supported by facts, be logical, intelligent and not attacking a personality.Negative vitriol serves no purpose.

I hope that the majority of the illuminart'e support the forum and thus dismiss the ill informed comments of those who may see it as a challenge to their positions or harmfull to the society

The vast amount of information being exchanged on here recently is fantatsic and a very good advert for the society.

[North Lincs Mike]

When I try to read the minutes I get a lot of gibberish and I do not mean the content but rather the physical print-out which consists largely of small squares and other symbols. What am doing wrong?

[Bill]

Probaly something to do with document type.

When I downloaded it to Word 2003 it said it had to instal a document convertor before opening it, so it appears not to be a bog standard word document. I read it on the screen.