As a new member, I have been avidly reading this site and do find that the occassional missing link/pic is somewhat frustrating. You guys do a fantastic job in keeping the site together, how sad then when information and pictures become unavailable to the site archive. Perhaps some of the following ideas may help.
Pictures: Add a clause to the membership agreement that allows Hidden Glasgow (HG) the right to keep a digital copy of all pictures posted directly to the site or hosted by the members own computer. Members should be aware of copyright issues, eg if you took the pic you own it, if not someonelse owns it. If this is the case, the posting member should obtain the owners permission to use the picture and confirm this in the post with an acknowlegement of the owner. If the picture is owned by another site and is being linked to, then HG admin could contact the host site and acquire the permission to host the link and keep a digital archive of such material so that HG has a permenant copy of the information and pictures. Loads of extra work I hear you SCREAM at me. I am sure that there are a lot of members who would welcome these improvements and would be more than willing to assist in the admin associated with this idea.
Links to other sites where these have to be used, the moderators of the forums should put it onto a list of links that is checked occasionally and perhaps a button could be added to such posts allowing the site visitors and members to notify admin if the link becomes broken.
I also understand that to host all of this information may create problems with storage capacity on the HG server, that may require additional equipment, creating financial problems for the site admin. However, solutions can be found to resolve such issues. For example members may be willing to sponsor, fundraise to fund this or as we are a Glasgow based electronic community, perhaps the City Council would give us a grant to fund this eg they have responsibilities for Planning, arts, culture, recreation libraries education etc etc., other agencies may also be willing to assist, Scottish Executive, Scottish Heritage, Arts Council, Lottery funding etc.
Other issues:
Many of the forums are somewhat fragmented e.g. talk of tunnels under the city runs through several different threads perhaps some reorganisation of these posts would help this material become better interelated, again a lot of work, for which I am sure that there are sufficient volunteers to assist.
As a new member, I am unaware of the policy background within HG but I for one would definately be willing to assit in the continued development of HG. I consider this one of the best Glasgow sites ever! I have been interested in Glasgow all of my life and have found this site to offer the widest range of information, pictures and discussion of the social history that has ever existed. It is well worth ensuring that it develops and survives as it is an amasing social document. If we are all up for a bit of work, this site could ultimately become as significant as the Statistical Accounts of Scotland and other such valuable resources.
I know that this post has been somewhat critical and sycophantic however I do believe that in raising contentious issues, that the conflict it may cause may also motivate the change that leads to improvement. So guys well done
credit where it due.
John O'Brien