Njugle

You could try phoning the SIC housing department(0) 1595 744509 or Hjaltland (01595) 694986 , if you really want an answer.

I use mineral oil in me car. Works fine, but it tastes awful. If you hadn't looked on your bookshelf for it then according to Schrodinger it would still be there. Sounds like an awfully familiar scenario to me, happens regularly, especially with keys. Damned Schrodinger and his state changing paradoxes.

I've edited the title to a more neutral theme - so's people not reading all the thread content don't jump to conclusions and spread unsubstantiated rumours.

And more of Shetland will be forced into fuel poverty through increased energy costs to subsidise this and similar large scale developments, as another consequence. Getting this bountiful return to the consumers who need it most will be a difficult process, and all UK consumers will, in effect, be subsidising that local benefit when/if it comes. Very socialist, unless of course it doesn't work like that, in which case many will suffer.

Ticket sales were limited to two per person. Some folk genuinely only bought one, to leave more for other people. Quite heart-warming really.

For the same reason it is being held in a small venue, when the Clickimin could most likely have sold out.

Councillors and council officers attend community council meetings regularly and most of Shetland's CCs advertise each meeting on Radio Shetland. Reps for community groups also attend and inform/consult CCs on various issues. CC members are volunteers without expenses. That is current practice. It is an augmentation of this set-up that was hinted at earlier in this thread to increase SIC comms, per se.

The SIC did have a forum. It closed.

To further put perspective on this point (RSS), my relatively antiquated mobile phone lets me know via RSS feeds about when "Joe Bloggs" uploads a new photo to his private webspace, but the SIC, with its massive ICT section and humungous website tell me nothing in this manner. Seems a bit out of step in that respect. To use a less extreme example - the MET Office have a weather warning feed which I subscribe to. It's not localised, an SIC one could be. The SIC does circulate weather warnings. One small CMS plug-in and voila, direct feeds to the public, the media and the world.

That's six words.

Thanks JustMe.

An RSS feed on your own site could be generating content for Twitter and Facebook. Put the horse before the cart.

Where in Shetland can I buy sourdough bread?

I wouldn't blame Buchan for that one, though it is a shocking example of what has gone wrong. The blame there lies more with our elected members as I see it. The decision was allegedly taken at a seminar prior to the whole Blueprint process. Even those against the closures were party to it. Allegedly. As a prime example it stands though. If our elected members had stood up and said from the outset - "Times are hard money will be really tight, we need to make huge cuts and that means school closures. We're sorry, buy we have no option. We'd like you to help us minimise the impact of this on your bairns." That would have commanded a hugely greater amount of respect than the 'improve eduction provision for Shetland" tosh that the Blueprint was run with, and then subsequent.....well, you know how it went. Integrity, respect and public consultation? To stay on topic - that was what needs to be changed. Let the changes begin.

How do you feel about the communications record to date? Do you feel that the current outlets have been adequate? Do you feel well informed about council activities? I do feel well informed on many issues, personally speaking, but only through taking an active role in the community. However, in an ideal world The SIC website would be the main hub for disseminating info. If it were up to me I would equip it with RSS feeds and maybe email subscriptions to inform folk of ferry cancellations, school closures, road closures, weather warnings and all manner of essential info that originates from the council. This would then also be easier and more unified for the media to follow and pass on this info the those without internet devices. I think the role of a communications officer is more important for instigating this rather than the alleged spin being speculated upon. The current council and its departments are all "spinned out" with so called public consultations and individually autonomous representation. I don't think they have anywhere to go with spin, and I speculate that they know this. It's time for a culture change, which they appear to be attempting, and this means grass roots info being delivered to/received by the public to give some greater measure of value back to those who pay for these services. Good on them for trying, and in an inexpensive fashion at that.

I just pulled a few strings*, you know, I like to help out where I can. * On me guitar, and maybe the bog light.

Damned high fives and their high falootin ways. I hope this austerity crap cuts them down to size. Low fives will be back, you'll see. ...or maybe sideways fives, the 2011 variation.

Oh yee of little patience. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00ymxzl/No_Sleep_Till_Yell_The_Shetland_Folk_Festival/

Whatever happened to low-fives?

There was unrelated level 10 activity last night, just a damn shame it was so cloudy and brightly moonlit.

All good points S72. SIC employees need not "like" it if they didn't want to though. If the SIC Comms actively used a "page" and not a profile, they could broadcast without having a newsfeed of their 'friends' activities in return, except for the wall posts that "likers" deliberately added. Hmm, ponders.

If you (SIC Comms) want to put a more positive/beneficial light on things why not try a Facebook page too. By the very nature of FB people would have to 'like' SIC before subscribing to any info you spread that way, or any comments you get back in return AND it's not anonymous. Direct interaction with the interested public. I know a number of councillors and community figures are already FB members. It could spawn a whole local governmental sub-culture of communication. Works for clubs and societies already.

Can we keep specific windfarm issues to the windfarm thread. Thanks.

In any discussion of SIC communications, it should perhaps be reminded that community council's provide a direct link on local area, and island-wide, specific issues. Especially for reporting, in the broadest sense. I think many people perhaps tend to forget that. Where this conduit also falls short, perhaps, is in CC ability to report back to the community in any broad fashion, in most instances, and this is a common factor throughout SIC communications. Especially when feedback, in either direction, is positive. People should hear about positive events, improvements, resolutions but the most motivated in the community are those who are provoked through dissatisfaction, and perhaps no one wants to actively pay money toward such publicity because the nay-sayers will leap on it as "wasting money."

Not quite how it happened. But not too far off.