Right, I’m back in the saddle and back online after a good conference in Oxford and a couple of weeks of holiday.
Let me just pause to welcome any readers who find themselves here from the link on the Church Times blog. I’m surprised that it has not been easier to identify more people blogging from a cathedral point of view.
What have I seen on my travels? Oh, lots of good things that I might blog about over the next few days. Let me just tease you by telling you that most of the meals that I had on the conference that I was on were taken in the place which was the model for Hogwarts’ Dining Hall. Curiously, however, the plates did not fly about.
Now, whilst you are contemplating whether or not to join the blogmeet on St Cathan’s Day, 17 May 2008 in Dunoon, take a read at the Secret Underground Guide to Social Media for Organizations.
Of course, some of you won’t need to be sent in that direction. You will have been reading it already, won’t you?
The supposed lack of Cathedral blogs is possibly and indication of the wider failure of the Church to latch onto the possibilities of blogging software.
The Church Times as with too many in the Church still think that a blog is “diary” – rather than perhaps in Cathedral context seeing it as a much more interactive web-site.
A quick look at several Anglican cathedral websites reveals rather staid, very out-of date sites which they are probably paying through the nose to maintain. Where taking something like Typepad and an initial investment of time and they could produce something lively and up-to-date to which several contributers could make posts.
A model of good practice and what can be achieved ( worth a feature in the Church Times ?) is the Ramsbury Archdeanconary Team in the Salisbury Diocese where the Suffragen Bishop and and his team use a blog to communicate what is happening in the area see:
http://www.salisburyanglican.org.uk/jumpoff-existing.htm
Incidentally it is an indication of the editorial decline at the Church Times that it would highlight the series on gaiters as being the most interesting on your blog – one wonders whether they understood some of the other posts?
Tom,
Thanks for the Ramsbury link. I will add it to the ‘to post’ folder.
I thought the post on gaiters was an interesting (if quirky) read, which was why I linked to it. I’m trying to provide a good mix of serious content and humour on the Church Times blog – feedback is welcomed if you think I’m getting the balance wrong.
I know you’re no fan of the Church Times, but as far as the blog goes I make the decisions about what to post, so any criticism needs to be levelled at me.
Managed to post the wrong link for the Ramsbury team which should be:
http://crossramsbury.net/
Tom
Hi Father Provost, good to have you back. Thanks for “The whilst I am away” I really enjoyed reading Kate’s site.