MAJOR update to the boards

I'm not going round in circles again which is all we are doing here.

Dave, you insist that I have not tought through my design decisions, I am telling you that I have. This entire debate is "you haven't thought this through" - "yes I have, here is my logic" - *we all go on a tangent* - "but you haven't thoguht this through" - "but I HAVE, here is my logic AGAIN" - *some insults* - "but the point is you haven't thought it through" - "but I HAVE" ................................... ............................. ......................

I have been told by the President of IFAS that my two very simple design decisions are not beyond my remit and are good decisions so those decisiosn stand. I am locking this thread and will be setting up new threads with targeted questions for the users of this site so we can get constructive feed-back and move forwards.

For the last time, those 2 decisions are:
1) This site will use industry standard code complianmt with the World Wide Web Consortium ( www.w3c.org ) XHTML, CSS2.1 and WAI initiative standards and guidelines. The W3C is the industry standards body for the internet. Adopting their standards is choosing THE officially recognised web technologies and hence leaves things compeltely open for anyone to partake and to continue on from me later.

2) The site will NOT depend on any non-free or platform dependent software, again this ensures that EVERYONE can take part and NO ONE is excluded based on financial ability or choice of opperating system.

This matter is now closed.

Apologies for posting on a locked thread...

will be setting up new threads with targeted questions for the users of this site so we can get constructive feed-back and move forwards.

Feedback in the past has been a little thin on the ground when its been asked for. So people, please contribute ideas. Dont worry about the details of implementation of the ideas, that the webmasters job!

Cheers,
~Al

Sure, while posting to locked threads is in fassion I may as well post links to the new board I set up here too!

I have made public an old board that never took off (it was a web site working group that never really went anywhere) and re-named it "Web Site Discission Forum". The board is at the bottom of the boards list in the "Admin" section. ( www.irishastronomy.org/boards/viewforum.php?f=34 )

PLEASE READ THE RULES BEFORE POSTING: ( www.irishastronomy.org/boards/viewtopic.php?t=2891 )

I have also started two treads with things I need user feed back on now:
1) Input requested on design and layout of V3.0 of this site ( www.irishastronomy.org/boards/viewtopic.php?t=2892 )
2) IFAS Logo needs face lift, volunteers wanted ( www.irishastronomy.org/boards/viewtopic.php?t=2893 )

Please contribute to these threads as that would be a real help for the future of these baords.

Bart B.,
IFAS Webmaster.

I would like to appologise to the users of these boards for my part in allowing a discussion on something as nerdy as web technologies to de-generate into what I consider to be an overly-heated discussion. When I thought this thread had gone too far I tried to end it in what I thought was a good way. I was wrong. I should not have locked this thread and I certainly should not have addressed Dave P in a post that he could not reply to. Dave, you have my sinceere appologies for this lapse in my judgement.

Some people have attributed all sorts of malice to my actions, I can tell you catagorically that there was no malicious intent here. My actions were at all times well motivated and well intentioned, if a little miss-guided. If people don't belive I have IFAS's best interests at heart then I'd ask them to judge me by the work I've done here over the last few years and the work I continue to do here rather than just solely on one lapse of judgement. I made a mistake, I have learned from my mistake, in future I will not attempt to moderate any thread in which I am engaged in an intense way.

As you can see this thread has now been re-opened. All I ask is that everyone (me included) refrain from making this personal and that we keep things civil.

Bart B.,
IFAS Webmaster.

FYI, I have un-stikied this thread as the change isn't news anymore and I think this thread is better suited to not being the most prominent thread on the entire boards.

Bart, I'm sure me and all the folks here know that you wouldn't do anything with malice aforethought (or afterthought). And we all really do appreciate the behind-the-scenes work and hours you put in. Especially as that effort is rarely thanked.

And I'm sure we've all been guilty of making 'misguided' decisions at some point or another. Well, everyone but me. I'm perfect.

Cheers and I for one fully accept your apology in the way it is meant.

Dave McD