News: WA website Bulletin 2010/13 Monday 12th July 2010

WA website Bulletin 2010/13 Monday 12th July 2010

• To use the links below, first login then press the Ctrl key on your keyboard whilst you click a link in this bulletin.
• It's easy to generate a new password yourself - should you forget it use the link in Welcome box on the Home page.
• Please read "Website Tips repeated" at the bottom of this bulletin and if in difficulty refer to the online Help Forum.
• You'll find more (cheeky) advice here >> Help request - unable to open document (a Neil Martin contribution).

Notice

Regrettably ill health has forced John Downs to resign as Honorary Secretary of the Executive Committee. John is currently undergoing treatment in hospital. An announcement will be made in due course about John's replacement.

What's new

Personal histories by John Lott, Danny Gunn and Barrie Bramhill are thoroughly recommended reading

The third of Danny Gunn's four part story is available to read or download at >> Personal histories; in the History section. The final part will be uploaded in time for the next website bulletin.

Newly available are two very interesting papers written by Barrie Bramhill 1951 relating to his time serving with the Ministry of Defence's LST Fleet. The first paper describes Barrie's time aboard LSTs and the second paper outlines the origins, construction and history of these vital military support vessels.

Between the membership there must by many personal histories worth telling. If you want your life story published on the website let me know. (Only life histories though - for other experiences create your own Topic in the Forum).

Website usage

• The number of unique visitors to the website in July has so far averaged 29 June (39 throughout June)
• There are 1,910 posts in the Forum, 1,086 photos in the Gallery, 4,120 names in the database including about 375 members.

Kind regards,

Chris Clarke 1959

REMINDERS FROM EARLIER BULLETINS

Online All Hands Editions

If you don't need a printed All Hands you could set an indicator in your website Profile denoting this, which will save us printing and postage costs. Unless you decide to change the default 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 should also let Neil Martin know.

All Hands Journal: If you have any articles for the Summer 2010 edition please email Ron Caine.

All Hands download times - The time taken to download All Hands from the website depends on size and the speed of your Broadband connection at the time. You may need to wait patiently sometimes especially as Broadband speeds vary so much. I usually indicate download times based on 5 Mb Broadband speed at which speed journals with few exceptions, download within 1 1/2 minutes and most under 40 seconds. There are a couple of exceptions but even so its well worth the wait.

TRY YOUR HAND ON THE WEBSITE (even if not computer experienced - you won't break it!)

Put more in - get more out of the website!

Try your hand in the Forum. It's not difficult and you'll find plenty of guidance here >> Forum.

We have a number of Forums where you can raise and discuss a host of issues for anyone to read and respond to. You can ask questions, start discussions or try to track down out of touch colleagues. See an excellent example here >> Warsash legends. Further examples:

• To help trace long lost colleagues visit one of these e.g. Ex-School of Navigation, Ex-College of Maritime Studies or Ex-Warsash Maritime Academy.
• To relate your experiences with a particular shipping company visit here >> Shipping companies. If your company name is not shown let me know and I'll create a new sub-forum.
• In need of a laugh? Then visit here >> Have you heard the one about? for the latest humorous entries. Try this one for size >> Navy Recruiting Office! Better still create your own entries.
• What do you get up to in your spare time? Tell all in this forum >> Pastimes and hobbies. It might be golf, reading, sailing, dancing, climbing - even train-spotting (once had a friend who read old train timetables before going to sleep)!

Fancy a challenge?

• Go to Gallery Home > Where in the world is this? for a picture quiz. Five photos, only two solved so far, both by John Marshall 1959. Clues added. See if you can identify any of them.
• Upload your own photos to this gallery for others to identify. But don't give any clues in the name of the file uploaded which could give the game away!

WEBSITE TIPS REPEATED

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 notify after the new password has been generated.
• Remember - passwords are case sensitive.

Step by step website instructions

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