Do you think the cuts at the RSPB, are the reasons for the changes to this forum to save on money.

I do not normally speak out in forums, but I feel I must address the level of vitriol levelled at RSPB with regard to the forum upgrade.

Firstly let us speak about redundancies. Having been made redundant twice I know how devastating it is; both receiving the news and, more importantly, enduring the uncertainty during the drawn out process leading up to the announcement.

These are peoples’ jobs and livelihoods; there are an awful lot of anxious and stressed out RSPB staff. Some compassion and understanding here people

Secondly, I can’t speak for the rest of RSPB departments, but I do know that their IT pay is low. As an Ab Initio and Big Data expert I know that the pay at RSPB is roughly half that in industry.  Some of the IT staff are volunteers – working for free. We should feel privileged that we get the service we do.

Thirdly, I have worked in IT for over 37 years and have extensive knowledge of how it operates. The response by RSPB IT staff is phenomenal. You’ve been able to give feedback; many companies would not have provided that capability. That feedback has been acted upon in an extraordinary timely manner.  Other companies would have told you to take it or leave it.

Bear in mind that not everybody liked the way the old software worked, and were quite happy with the new software.

The Community forums are a luxury and a privilege; something the RSPB doesn’t have to provide.

What right do we have to be privy to the reasons why the forum software was changed? There are many business reasons why it might have been changed. The obvious being that the old software may have gone out of support, reaching its end of life or that the new licence fees were too exorbitant or that it was costing RSPB too much to support internally.

These forums are an extraordinary resource that should be nurtured and cherished; rather than being trolled endlessly.  Change happens, live with it.

Personally, I am bowing out of the forums until everything has calmed down. I may or may not see you all next year.

Instead, I will concentrate on supporting RSPB in my own way:  I have just donated five giclée prints of my latest acrylic paintings to the community fund raising team. The team was thrilled to receive them yesterday. Hopefully the prints will raise a couple of hundred pounds for RSPB.