Here’s the state of play:

1.The forum is now set up [took a lot of doing on the part of the host as there were many security issues] but I’ve just signed in and left a comment, so it’s working.

2.  Both the forum and the website are still largely unconfigured and that is part of today’s work – RL issues taking up the rest of the time.

3.  The host himself is taking on the initial costs, being of like mind to the rest of us here but any later alterations we’re going to have to spring for.

4.  The way the forum will work is not unlike my blog – anyone can come in and read but only known commenters can comment.  After the initial moderated comment, that person will be able to comment, unfettered by lengthy sign-ins.

5.  The webpage itself will use this theme initially but it can be altered at any time – it’s not an issue.  We’ll need to insert RSS comments button, of course.

6.  The website will mainly comprise categorized links in the sidebar, with our pic top right.  Simple.  For now, the logo/pic is the one you see here.  The shot of Britain seems a good base but the wording is up for suggestion.

7.  The site front page will have one post only on it – our statement of who we are and a request for you to be a signatory.  We’ll need to discuss whether forum users and signatories are one and the same or whether they are separate entities.

Administering the site

In these first few days, I can do it myself but it’s going to require two other people soon to help out as admin-moderators.  These people can have just as strong views as I do [see yesterday's and today's posts on my site] but these views do not come into the administration of the Albion site.  The only views on the Albion site front page are the Albion site’s views we’re all agreed on but the forum is a free for all within the bounds of decency and net etiquette [not quite as stringent as on my own blog].

It would be good if these two fine folk had some sort of admin experience in real life and it might be an idea if they would have a Skype connection so we could conference call on occasions.  I’m putting Skype in myself [haven't got round to it yet].  One requirement is that none of the admins, including me,  take a sort of proprietary view of the site – we are just servants of the Albion Alliance and are there to facilitate.

If you would like to be one of those two [our host being the fourth], please send to my email [link at the top of the inner sidebar] and then we’ll have this in place, hopefully, by tomorrow at 11 a.m.

Tomorrow’s launch

It’s going to be very low key.  It will just happen and much of the work will still remain to be done.  The text will be tweaked, the links altered and so on.  I’d envisage it might take up to two weeks to come up to speed.  some might suggest it is better to wait and have a grand launch but the views communicated so far seem to suggest we just get going and not get bogged down in peripherals.

Filed under: Life issues & people, Politics & economics