I don't know whether anyone has noticed that I have been writing an IT column in Advertiser and Diary. This gets published most months, but has been bumped a couple of times for lack of space.
I suspect forum members are the most likely to read this, so a few questions ...
Is this worth continuing?
Should I also publish the articles here so it is easy to comment and ask questions?
Any ideas for future topics?
Topics don't have to be restricted to those relating to the club's IT.
Paul,
I read your articles and hope they continue, and I think it would be a good idea to publish them on this forum for comment and question, if you're prepared to put up with that.
Experience with a regional committee suggests you have got an awfully long way to go to convince those people that IT is not just a flash in the pan which will go away if they ignore it long enough, as they have managed to do, with increasing resolve, for the last 30 years or so. For example, and rather by coincidence, my suggestion that we should use the club website's event attendee list, as described in your current column, was recently greeted with open hostility.
Maybe a drip feed of cheery IT articles will finally convince folks that we are no longer in the 1970's?
Thanks for your response. East Midlands is the only UK region without a web admin. David Wright and I were talking about this on Monday, so I hope things will move forwards. All regions have been offered workshops in Wroxton to show them what they can do and how to do it. So far, Mid West and Midland have taken up this offer and left enthusiastic. North West Region has also expressed an interest. If anyone here wants to join one of these workshops just out of interest, let me know. It doesn't commit you to doing anything on the site!
When I organised the Blenheim event last year, I was surprised how many people decided to go directly rather than join a regional run. The effect of this was that I had to mail out about 60 sets of rally plates and instructions to individuals as well as the sets I sent to the regions. I had not been a great user of mail merge before this as I had never needed it enough to learn what to do, but I was amazed by the ease of producing mailing labels from the list of participants on the web site. The French tour I am organising is a much smaller event, but I have still found mail merge of emails useful.
In the past, there seem to have been fewer people knowledgeable about the more recent cars, we seem lucky to have the offer of expertise from John Robison. Perhaps a further plug for the forum with an example of a recent helpful posting. Also, as you do, a reminder that IT is vital to the smooth running of the club and that help is available, people have short memories.
Thanks for your response. East Midlands is the only UK region without a web admin.
Hi Paul,
Thanks for that. It looks like I had extrapolated from one bad experience to conclude that the entire club was resisting the 21st century. It just goes to show that one shouldn't generalise, if that's not too much of a generalisation.
A big-up for the forum would be good, and many organisations do this by having a short "from the forum" section in their paper publication.
Also I get the impression few members are aware of the searchable members database. I have found this useful as it means we've effectively got an up to date members list in our phones. Handy if you're away and decide to visit someone but don't have Members & etc with you.
Thanks for the comments and suggestions. I have a forum article planned, but am waiting until we get the single sign-on so everyone has access without having to get a new login. I had hoped to have that by now as C-IT started work in January. However, things seem to have ground to a halt. I will chase it. Stephen's suggestion was the member directory, which I did in October last year. But you are right, Stephen, people still don't know. While I was in France last week, I bumped into Rita Jonas. She mentioned a member living close to the hotel we were in, and she was amazed not only that I could look up his address, but that she could have done so herself.
Since I need to do the April column this week, I may go for John's suggestion of an overview of the club's IT. But any further ideas will be very welcome.
