Considering the size and reputation of the RSPB - don't you think it's time this forum was taken offline until such time that a forum that is fit for purpose is implemented?
This has to be the worst forum implementation that I have come across in years.
There are thousands of sites out there implementing third party solutions at very little, or no cost, which have already set the trend in the way boards such operate. Why on earth go for this bespoke solution which looks like it has been knocked up in house?
Stick to what you are good at and for goodness sake take this offline until until a proper solution is put in place.
PS: What kind of discussion forum allows end users to lock their own posts??? Kind of inhibits 'discussion' don't you think?
I do hope that people will not leave the Community, or the Society, as both depend on input and support from you all to carry them forward. I know that it is very early days and there is work to do here but, from what I have read, we have some very knowledgeable and supportive contributors. I know that over the years Richard and his team at Loch Garten have always been delighted with the interest and support shown by LG enthusiasts. They love all the comments you leave and try to answer any questions - osprey action permitting of course! If a problem shared is a problem halved then they have gained enormous comfort during some of the darker times. I am really looking forward to the growth of our Community in which you all have such an important part to play.
Watch out for swifts
I could not agree more with you ValO. It is sad if people leave the Community or the Society because of a few misconstrued words. We all love the ospreys and we want to encourage others to do so as well. Many of us contributed towards the tracking this season and in that way showed our commitment to the project. There are always going to be differences of opinion on how this site should be run. There is no right or wrong way in this matter. We have to be positive and try to move forward gaining more members and more support.
Hi to All,
After reading recent posts I thought I would offer my opinion.
I think we all have idea's as to the way we would like to see the site run and yes I have voiced my opinion on this in the past and so have others. I am sure the powers that be have noted these views and will act as they see fit in the future.
I must admit I have not taken part in the forum on Ospreys but that does not meen I am not interested my interest is for wildlife across the board be it in this country or abroad.
I do however think that when mature adults cannot voice their opinions without receiving uncalled for remarks from others it is becoming a sad state of affairs The RSPB slogan is A Million Voices For Nature, Lets keep our voices to discuss the nature that we all should love and respect then maybe we will all be members of a happier forum.
To those who have mentioned leaving the forum I would ask you to reconsider after all it would be a shame to start loosing some of the Million Voices. The wildlife needs every one of us.
Graham
Be Inspired,
Dream it, Crave it, Work for it, Live it.
Can't believe what I've just been reading. Its such a shame that people are resigning their memberships to the RSPB. ?
I for one think the little amount my husband and I pay is worth every penny. The knowledge shared by RSPB staff and volunteers at reserves and in newsletters received and allowing us, through webcams, to see things that would be well out off our everyday capabilities is quite amazing. The Osprey blog is an added bonus, totally surplus to anything I would expect from Wardens, Managers and staff from a charity such as the RSPB .These people are dedicated to the task in hand, work long hours and are not greatly paid.
Surely we are members of The RSPB bcause of the lobbying they do to enable Conservation and Protection and to enable continuation of the work they do in reserves. Obviously individuals are free to do what they wish with their money, but its a sorry state of affairs if RSPB are blamed and suffer for a bit of petty squabbling, which can easily be ignored on one of their blogs.
I know many new members have joined BECAUSE of the blogs but surely thats only been an introduction to RSPB and surely its the bigger picture, the aims of the Society, that is the important thing . The purse of the RSPB empties every 3months, they do not have rerserves of money put away for rainy days. Its constant, and they rely heavily on members and donations daily.
Apologies in advance but Ithink its Petty and Needless.
All I ask is the chance to prove that money can't make me happy. Spike Milligan
Totally agree Soosin. I was absolutely astounded when I read about certain people resigning from the RSPB.
The expertise and dedication shown by staff and volunteers are more than worthy of our support .
" Rerseves of Money" sorry, no pun intended lol.
Thanks Alan and Sandy for straight forward talking.
hopefully that'll be the end, - well until the next time : )
hi there
Not been the best with the contact on this Forum, as my Broadband has been down for 2 months. So now it is catching up time here. Need to get to know all the subjects now and what has been said, and get up to date with things on the Forum in general.
Thank you for the straight talking everyone who has contributed on this thread, and yes, it is a good way of getting issues of ones chest. There again, I really hope that there are no more threads like this, and the couple of others currently on the go on this Forum. IMHO this is not the place for them, and they just do not belong at all. Life is too short and what we all need to do is enjoy our birds as we do that is our aim.
The Osprey Blogs - sadly I have not managed to post on them this time, but I will contribute next time around. Love to talk about the Ospreys at Rutland, and of course to hear about the Garten Ospreys too. Seen the Garten Ospreys lots of times in my younger years so I would love to read up about them too.
Yes, to have a bloggers diary of all the up to date events with 'noted' nesting birds would be a good idea and add to a bit of team work between members - good idea!!
Looking foward to knowing everyone better.
Regards
Kathy and Dave
Hi again. I've been back from holiday a couple of weeks. Have been catching up with the ospreys and eagles and the forum. I saw Mallachie on the cam before she left. I had seen all the family at LG before Rothes headed off. When I got home I noticed that she had crossed the M5 at the Highbridge Exit which is where we left it. I am writing to this thread, rather than the chat or blog because I am rather sad that the forum is causing such problems. I must say that before this forum was set up I had thought that the LG blog diary was sometimes getting too big over the course of a week and it was difficult to track certain subjects unless you had time to be on a lot. I thought having a forum would help as we could still follow and reply to the blog provided by staff, while having more organised forum threads when we wanted to digress. I initially started to get my way around by logging on to the LG Blog and the threads on the LG Group and only looking at other bits of the Forum occasionally to see if anything would interest me. I have always enjoyed all the extra fun bits and personal chat on the Blog and have no problem about some of that stuff still being on the Blog, but, as more and more people joined in I think something had to be done to develop the site. Otherwise we would have ended up needing to pay more staff at LG just to manage the Blog. Considering there are other Blogs, e.g. Mull Eagles, and many other topics of interest e.g. Hobbies, (and I am now interested in Cranes on the Somerset Levels ) it seems to me that this forum is a good way forward so the online work can be centralised and shared. it certainly does take some getting used to, and I have been lost a few times already. I hope we can stick it out. As a LG Blog it was a great, fun, friendly, supportive, informative site and I really hope we can keep the Forum that way. Do we have an editor who can stop contributions which are unnecessarily personal or hurtful, I have been on forums with that possibility, ( It can cause arguments though).
Well said Alan, miss your weather reports already. The site was fantastic and won't be the same knowing that we keep having to write things in different places.
JILLIAN
Oh dear, I have only just found this "forum". I am so sorry to read all these comments. I agree the main blog didn't seem quite like it was last year but I didn't realise all this was going on behind the scenes.