Radical
Statistics
A RADSTATS WEBSITE
Progress Report by Ray Thomas 26 February 1999
Discussions have been held with Richard Naef of Triumph Computer Services on the design of a Radstats Web site for some months. It is expected that a contract will soon be agreed. A demo page can be inspected at http://www.rex-web.freeserve.co.uk/radstats/. But it is expected that the Radstats Web site would be hosted by
A major feature of the design of the Radstats site would be facilities that would enable different pages to be updated by different Radstats activists. There would be a facility for the editors of the journal, for example, to control Web pages which relate to the journal. The editors of books would also have the facility to control Web pages. This feature is seen as consistent with the decentralised structure of the Radstats Group, and would be an important way of keeping the Web site up-to-date. Editors, conference organisers, sub-group organisers, etc. would be able to post information direct without having to go through the centrally provided support for the Web site.
For this feature to work well it will be necessary for Radstats activists to learn some basic Web skills. It may be that the main skill required is to be able to use a program, such as Office 97, that can save .html files, and to post such files onto the Web page. But the technology is changing rapidly.
The site would have a facility for searching the Web site. This facility would offer quite new possibilities for use and appraisal of the work of Radstats in that it would be possible to search across a range of Radstats associated publications. But the success of this feature will depend upon the support given by Radstats editors and writers to 'publication' on the Web site. The more Radstats associated publications are available on the Web site, the more useful a search facility will be.
The comments of members on these proposals, suggestions for other features and facilities would be welcome. Offers of technical help with design and maintenance will be specially welcome. Please get in touch with me or any other member of the Troika.
Ray Thomas
Social Sciences
The Open University
35 Passmore
Milton Keynes MK6 3DY
Tel: 01908 679081 Fax: 01908 550401
E-mail: r.thomas@open.ac.uk
