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Steve T

Hi

When the club website was revised in 2005, I set up these forums / discussion boards / bulletin boards to go along with it. However, they didn't see any traffic so I closed them down to prevent any abuse.

Time has moved on, and email now seems to be the most common way of members keeping in touch and of new members approaching the club (most of whom find out about us through the website). I've therefore resurrected the forums, which are one better than email as anyone can join in a conversation. If you're not familiar with how they work, take a look at www.ukriversguidebook.co.uk/forum which is the most popular UK paddling forum (and where a couple of club members occasionally post). In effect anyone can post a message, to which anyone else can reply and start off a message thread or discussion. You can also post pictures or website links.

I see the most use for them being for organising paddling trips. As we approach the end of the summer Wednesday outdoor meetings we'll soon be in the pool and will be looking to organise a few weekend events to keep us busy. The "Events" forum is a good place to pass messages back and forward to support this.

There are other boards also - use them for selling gear, keeping in touch or for general discussion and sounding off on any club-related or paddling-related topic. Or even just for taking the Mickey out of each other - I've started by volunteering myself for ridicule on the "chat" forum. Prospective new members can also express an interest by posting here.

Please take a look round the forums, and contribute. As it stands anyone can read the boards, but (except for the "for sale" board) you have to register to post messages. Click on the "Join! (free)" link at the top to register - then you're free to post. There's a "test" forum to play on without clogging up the other areas, and if you need any help with any aspect of the forums, email me, or post on the forum so anyone can help. If you registered two years ago then your log-in will still work.

From a privacy point of view, when setting up your profile I suggest you set it so it does NOT show your email address (it defaults to this setting so leave it alone). It is still possible for people to contact you directly through the forum, using a "Personal Message" or "PM", and you are free to switch this facility off also if you want to. Graham & I are currently both "moderators" who can delete anything inappropriate, and as "Administrator" I can also ban users who abuse the forums on a regular basis. I think it goes without saying that I don't expect we'll have to do this.

Please use the forums if you think they're useful. If they prove popular, I'll link to them from the website. If they don't get used I'll kill them again as I don't want them sat there un-monitored.

Let me know your thoughts - suggestions as to new forums to include or any other ideas are very much appreciated.

Cheers,
Steve

_________________
Steve Thomas
Secretary & Website Editor

www.westhoughtoncanoeclub.org.uk
website@westhoughtoncanoeclub.org.uk