<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=windows-1252"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;">Hi Phil,<div><br></div><div>I hope my comments will be taken as constructive criticism - as you will remember I was a regular participant in the original toolkit forum, but since the re-vamp my contributions - and pretty much everyone else’s - have mostly dried up. We need to fix that, and I’m not convinced funding will resolve that.</div><div><br></div><div>I do support what we’re trying to do with the toolkit - it’s a very worthwhile project (note the “we” there….)</div><div><br></div><div>The one thing that surprises me about the community radio scene in the UK is that there is no active web forum. Think about just about any hobby/sport/pastime/activity, search around a bit, and you’ll find a wealth of volunteer-run web forums. Whether it’s Land Rover maintenance, or theatre technology, or skateboarding, or hillwalking, or photography, or people who live in a certain town, or one-legged blind naturists….. you get the idea.</div><div><br></div><div>I’m involved with several, and they’ve grow from being initially a place where like minded people could chat, through being a repository of useful information and knowledge, to being the de-facto reference site for any technical or non-tech queries on that subject. In one that I am involved with, we have an active membership ranging from school kid know-it-all wannabe’s through to industry professionals at the apex of their profession.</div><div><br></div><div>It’s not funding that makes these work - the web hosting is often paid by google adverts, or out of the pockets of the admin team. There are no paid admins, authors or moderators - it’s done by the community, simply because it’s THEIR community.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>The toolkit is never going to happen without formal funding - but what our community lacks is a community forum. Which is a bit sad, bearing in mind that community is what we’re all about! It doesn’t take money, it just takes a bit of time and some community buy-in.</div><div><br></div><div>Bruce.</div><div><br></div><div>(ps - I made up the bit about one-legged blind naturists. I don’t think it exists - unless one of you know different?)</div><div><br></div><div><br><div><div apple-content-edited="true">
<div>Bruce Rodger</div><div>Celtic Music Radio 95fm</div><div><a href="mailto:bruce@celticmusicradio.net">bruce@celticmusicradio.net</a></div><div><br></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline">
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<br><div><div>On 15 Sep 2014, at 16:11, Phil Korbel <<a href="mailto:phil@radioregen.org">phil@radioregen.org</a>> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr">Hi Bruce<div><br></div><div>The site is un-funded and we've not had the resources to support new content or the forum.</div><div><br></div><div>Watch this space for the re-launch...<br></div><div><br></div><div>Would hate to see you when you're being critical ;)</div><div><br></div><div>best wishes</div><div><br></div><div>Phil</div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br clear="all"><div><div dir="ltr"><font size="1">Phil Korbel FRSA - <font color="#6aa84f">Director,</font> Radio Regen, charity no. 1077763</font><div><font size="1"><br></font><div><font size="1"><a href="http://www.radioregen.org/" target="_blank">www.radioregen.org</a> </font></div><div><a href="http://www.communityradiotoolkit.net/" target="_blank"><font size="1">www.communityradiotoolkit.net</font></a></div><div><a href="http://www.connecttransmit.org.uk/" target="_blank"><font size="1">www.connecttransmit.org.uk</font></a></div><div><br></div><div><font size="1">Please note that I work at Radio Regen under 2 days a week so responses might not be as quick as we'd like. Many thanks.</font></div><div><br></div></div></div></div>
<br><div class="gmail_quote">On 15 September 2014 14:51, Bruce Rodger <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:bruce@celticmusicradio.net" target="_blank">bruce@celticmusicradio.net</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr"><div><div><div><div><div>Phil writes: "...The much loved <a href="http://www.communityradiotoolkit.net/" target="_blank">Community Radio Toolkit</a> is re-launching soon "...<br><br></div>I really don't want to be a wet blanket here - but I've got to ask. Is it really "much loved"? The document itself is fine, but the website aint.<br><br></div>The "Forum" section - which is potentially one of the most valuable and useful areas - has had 3 posts this year, the last one 3 months ago. The "News" section has had 3 posts this year, and the "Feature" section - which claims "Every now and then we put the spotlight on a different community radio
subject. These features allow us to look at particular topics in more
depth, with articles, website links and interactive contributions from
members" - has not been updated in four and a half years.<br><br></div><div>I don't find it a particularly user-friendly experience.<br><br></div>Before the last "rebranding", it was quite a useful resource, with an active forum. But I'm now just a very occasional visitor, and any time I do visit, I get the feeling that the only footprints in the sand are the ones I made last time I visited.<br><br></div>It's a concept with great potential, but needs more buy-in and participation from the community to make it work.<span class="HOEnZb"><font color="#888888"><br><br></font></span></div><span class="HOEnZb"><font color="#888888">Bruce.<br><br><div><br></div></font></span></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><div class="gmail_quote"><span class="">On 15 September 2014 11:04, Phil Korbel <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:phil@radioregen.org" target="_blank">phil@radioregen.org</a>></span> wrote:<br></span><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div><div class="h5"><div dir="ltr">Hi colleagues<div><br></div><div>The much loved <a href="http://www.communityradiotoolkit.net/" target="_blank">Community Radio Toolkit</a> is re-launching soon - allowing far easier access to our huge free library of 'how to' resources for the sector.</div><div><br></div><div>As you'll know if you've delved there - it has a lot of writing in it - which looked great on the printed page and pdf's but frankly runs the risk of looking a tad dull on a web page so - we need more pictures! If you'd like a name-check on the new site and have a photo or cartoon that really says something about community radio would like to share it with us - and the sector?</div><div><br></div><div>No prizes - this is just about sharing. Please send images by email to this address in the next couple of weeks along with a short caption and photographer credit if required.</div><div><br></div><div>More news about the re-launch soon</div><div><br></div><div>best wishes</div><div><br></div><div>Phil</div><div><br clear="all"><div><div dir="ltr"><font size="1">Phil Korbel FRSA - <font color="#6aa84f">Director,</font> Radio Regen, charity no. 1077763</font><div><font size="1"><br></font><div><font size="1"><a href="http://www.radioregen.org/" target="_blank">www.radioregen.org</a> </font></div><div><a href="http://www.communityradiotoolkit.net/" target="_blank"><font size="1">www.communityradiotoolkit.net</font></a></div><div><a href="http://www.connecttransmit.org.uk/" target="_blank"><font size="1">www.connecttransmit.org.uk</font></a></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div></div></div></div>
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