Web Site Developments

Regular visitors will have noticed a number of changes earlier this year. The entire web site has been given a new look & feel with much more information directly available on the front page. Each page now has an expanding menu which gives direct access from almost anywhere to almost anywhere else on the site. The information on the BPS itself and its work has been revised and expanded. We've also added a number of new features such as the Cultivated Fern Herbarium project and direct access to the BSBI maps of native pteridophyte distribution.

There's lots more in the pipeline. We plan to soon have an expanded 'where to see ferns' section and much more on recording wild pteridophytes. The BPS has decided to make digital versions of its journal back numbers available on the web site. This will start with recent issues but gradually include the older ones too. I believe this project, as it develops, will make a very substantial contribution to the availability of on-line pteridological information.

The BPS is committed to making the best use that it can of its web site and other Internet technology in support of its objectives. We are aware that many people, especially younger people, now see the Internet as the primary source of information on any subject. We must not neglect them nor, of course, those who prefer their information to be delivered by more traditional means.

In 2000, I wrote the following in the BPS Bulletin; I think it's still important:

"I make no apology for encouraging the BPS into all this new technology - I see it as the means of keeping the Society alive and relevant. Like most of you I expect, I love the timeless, peaceful qualities of ferns, I also love to feel the fine ink printing of a Victorian fern book. I see no reason why the BPS, which has spent most of its time in the 20th century, should not also be firmly rooted in both the 19th and the 21st."

Welcome to the Editor's Blog

Welcome to the Editor's Blog at Fern World, the web site of the British Pteridological Society.

This blog (web log) aims to share some thoughts about the web site, the BPS and Pteridiology - rather like an editorial in a printed journal. We'd like to hear your views and comments too - again, rather like 'letters to the editor'.

Comments on this blog will be moderated, that is, when you submit a comment, we will read it and decide whether to publish it. We aim to include as many comments as we can, but we won't publish any which we think are inappropriate. We don't have a written moderation policy but to get the idea, you might like to look at the BBC's House Rules, which seem sensible, if a little heavyweight for our purposes.

Your comments should be based around the original post and subsequent discussion. If you want to make a more general comment, then please e-mail us. We'll try to respond to every e-mail, but it may not be immediate.