Ringing Forums

How do you find time to do the watering?

Very interesting blog, I especially enjoyed

I was allowed to hold one of the oldest books in the library, the 1668 Tintinnalogia, or the Art of Ringing, for 17 seconds before Alan started to get nervous and put it back in its fireproof case. — Simon Linford

Could I request, for good accessibility practice, that links described as 'here', be replaced in future with an actual description of where the link is going? I understand that speech browsers have a facility to list just links on a page, so repeated 'here' is not that useful.

Thanks - I am glad it is enjoyed

To put this into perspective, I think it probably takes about 6 hours to write this, on and off, including the final polishing on Sunday evening/Monday morning before getting it to Will for Friday's RW. He knows it is coming so is lenient on my deadline. Sometimes late on a Monday night I will get a "is there a blog coming" nervous email! There is a slight different print version to web version. I write aout 1050 words and then spend a lot of time editing it down to exactly 1000.

Then I put the web version onto the CC website myself using the content management system, find a picture to upload, creating each link, making sure they open in new windows. When it is previewed and tested I put it live. Then I post it to the Forums and send to email lists. This is not done by a workgroup or secretary - it is just me. Now I add a summary so that some people can decide whether to read it or not.

So yes I could not look at adding descriptions on the links, or I could put in fewer links!

Michael Church said to be about a year ago "you've created a rod for your own back with this blog". Maybe so, however it does seem to be a useful way of conveying information.

The blog is excellent and important.

Yes, lots of information in Simon's blog, but as i asked elsewhere in this forum, how do societies best communicate with ringers nowadays? What is read and what is not used because it is duplicated or out of date before it is received?

So as a specific, can the CCCBR web team add "hit counters" to the blog and the pages on the CCCBR web page please. In this way we should get a rough guide to how often your blog and other content is read.

I still meet a lot of people who never see any information about ringing or ringers, and some don't even know where to find it! Many people put a lot of effort into a wide range content in different formats and media, but which of it offers new information in a timely and effective manner?

I wouldn't describe it as making a rod for your back, but rather taking on an ongoing commitment. (Having delivered exactly 1 page of TLC every month for 8 1/2 years I know what that means.)
One of the main aims of the CC reform was to make it more open and more widely understood. Yiur blogs have done that in a far more effective way than your predecessors, who pioneered the idea of a presidential blog.
Another aim of the reforms was to change from an organisation with a habit of not doing things if they felt too difficult to one that would try to do what was needed despite that, or as JFK would have said 'because it is hard.
So please keep it up.

a big +1 to that. The blogs are great not just because of the content but also because they are written in an informal style. They also reach an audience who (like me) don't subscribe to RW who otherwise would hear very little from the CC.

I have launched a Crowdfunding website to enable individual donations to the new Mobile Belfry project. Enough ringers have expressed willingness to chip in for it to be worth orchestrating this fundraising campaign to complete the funding. This is specifically about having a very transportable and realistic belfry (in terms of ringability) that we can get into schools and shows. All information is on the crowdfunder website here – many thanks to Alex Runting for piecing together my different videos, pictures and voiceovers.

School teachers will be used to the mild panic that seems to arise from the arrival of OFSTED inspectors. Cathedrals have been going through something similar over the last few years, with SCIE, the Social Care Institute for Excellence, carrying out safeguarding audits (a complete list of completed audits can be found here ). The comprehensive audits also cover bellringing, and so far, cathedral ringing arrangements have fared well. — Simon Linford

Not using 'here' and having descriptive links is no more work.

In the first example "is on the crowdfunder website here" deleting 'here' and using 'crowdfunder website' as the link will do the job.

The second example "(a complete list of completed audits can be found here )" with a minor rewrite could be "(here is the complete list of completed audits)" with 'completed audits' as the link description.

This isn't a comment on the content of the blogs (which is excellent), it's an observation on accessibility.

ah I understand now