News: WA Bulletin 2011/23 Thursday 1st Sept 2011 - (new All Hands available)

WA Bulletin 2011/23 Thursday 1st Sept 2011 - (new All Hands available)

All Hands 2011/2 (Summer Edition)

The summer edition of All Hands is now available for downloading from the website here >> All Hands 2011/2. Printed copies should be in the post next week. The following are extracts from 'Notes from the Editor' by John Downs.

'You will have noticed from the Spring 2011 Edition that we have retained the same printing firm, Meon Valley Printers, for All Hands and even more importantly that a new layout format has been introduced. For this new format both John Turner and I are grateful for the efforts of Chris Clarke who now edits and fits the jumble of articles and photographs which I email him, into a quality journal. Chris then sends the finished product to Meon Valley Printers, who in turn produced in my view a good quality magazine for us in the last edition.

As you may be aware, All Hands can be downloaded from the Association website for those with internet access and the advantage of this is the fact that you can do so before printed copies are available. Also the website copies have colour graphics inside whereas the paper copies to save money, do not.

In view of a comment from a member in Australia, who quite rightly reminded us that Summer, Winter and Spring are opposite to the UK's seasons we have reverted to the original naming of All Hands editions i.e. issue number instead of the season! Hence this issue is 2011/2 and not Summer 2011.

Any articles for inclusion in forthcoming issues can be sent to: johndowns@buryhalllane.freeserve.co.uk by email, by ordinary post to 32, Bury Hall Lane, Alverstoke, Gosport, Hants. PO12 2PN, or by email to John Turner: jeturner7@aol.com.'

Preference for the online All Hands journal?

Currently 81% (350) of all members are online (83 not online). Of the total membership (433) 66% (286) have opted for a printed copy of All Hands and 34% (147) have opted for the online copy. This include Australian and New Zealand Branch members although I believe all of them are sent printed copies anyway by the Branch. If these Branch members are excluded 78% have opted for a printed copy and 22% for an online copy.

If you would like to change to the online version instead of receiving a printed copy all you do is to set the All Hands indicator to zero in your website Profile. This will save us printing and postage costs, both of which increased in 2011 due to rising VAT and postal charges. Unless you decide to change the setting you will of course continue to receive printed copies.

To read how to set the indicator go to sub-forum >> Member's Profile then load the Topic Profile - opt for online or printed All Hands. Anyone belonging to our Australian or New Zealand Branches choosing to rely on a downloaded copy only please also let Neil Martin (Australia) and Darrell Daish (New Zealand) know.

Maintaining your own personal details

You will recall our website is what's known as an 'interactive' site, which allows members to create and maintain their own content e.g. personal details, Forum messages, Gallery photos. As an organisation with 430 members worldwide run solely by a handful of volunteers it is important that online members maintain their own personal details.

Each of us from time to time will change our home and email addresses. To help our Membership Secretaries, if you are able to please keep your personal details on the website up to date. Instructions are in the Forum (hover over the 'Help' link and select 'Member's Profile'). If not please remember to let the WA Membership Secretary or Branch Membership Secretary know whenever your details change.

Several email addresses have recently 'bounced' which means those members will not receive website bulletins and other information until they are corrected. Please always keep your email address in particular up to date on the website. If you have any difficulty let me know at wawebmast@warsashassociation.net and I will help you.

Website link doesn't work?

Sometimes a website link may be broken accidently or another website we have a link to may be moved or closed down. If you click on such a link it will present an error message. If this happens please email me here >> wawebmast@warsashassociation.net and tell me which link you used so I can correct the problem.

Website usage

• The averge daily number of unique visitors to the website in August reach a record 91 (78 in July).
• The Warsash Association website now contains: 4,126 names, 147 News articles, 22 Events to date, 1,353 photos in 236 Galleries and 2,398 Forum posts
• Website uptime in the month of Agust was 99.89% (independantly monitored). There were 2 outages in the month totalling 1 hour.

Kind regards,

Chris Clarke (1959)

Website Tips

Your first actions after logging in:

• List recent messages and photos created on the website using the function "View" in the top right corner of your screen.
• Click on "View - Posts since last visit".
• Click on "View - All photos last 4 weeks".

Lost your password?

• Generate your own new secure password via the website click "About this website/ Unable to login?" in the drop-down menu.
• This will email to you a link to change your email address and then another email to let you know the new password which has been generated.
• Remember - passwords are case sensitive.

Gallery hints:

• The pictures you see in the galleries are only thumbnails. Hover your cursor over the thumbnail and the caption appears.
• Click on the photo and it'll load up full size showing the caption and ID (Username) of member who uploaded it. Click Username and the member's profile loads up.

Step by step website instructions

• Click here >> Forum Home then place your cursor on the forum "Help".
• Lessons from the "Help" forum are sent out periodically from the website.