The Vision

WoodfordValley.net is The Bridge on-line. A local magazine that is updated in real time, with photos and videos. That is written by all of us – not just a few. A place where we can respond as well as listen. Most of us now have broadband and regularly turn to the internet for information. Before long the web will be on all of our phones. In order to take advantage of these things then we need the information to be there. Our hope is that WoodfordValley.net is the place to go to read and submit local information.

• Where are Great Durnford CC playing this afternoon?
• Help I'm at the wrong Church!
• Can we have some swings in Great Durnford?
• What's the food like at The Bridge Inn at the moment?
• Is anything happening on June 29th?
• Where can I upload this photo of a lost dog?

Web 2.0

WoodfordValley.net has been around for a while but it is a lot of work for a few to maintain. Now, however, the arrival of web 2.0 means that it is possible for a whole community, with no technical expertise, to work together to create their own website. Examples of web 2.0 websites include wikipedia - the on-line encyclopedia and youtube – the video sharing website.

WoodfordValley.net is now built using the web 2.0 system drupal. Any resident can register and then submit pages for others to read, maintain blogs, discuss matters in the forums, create and vote on polls, upload and comment on other people's photos and add events to the on-line calendar. Now it is easy for

• any club or organisation to provide information about themselves and details of when their next meeting is.
• The Olsen's Nature Notes can appear as and when the nature happens together with photos of it happening.
• The vicar can blog her sermons and we can all tell her how marvelous we think they are.
• We can all submit our local photos and at the end of each year publish a yearbook of our favourites and sell it to make money for real local causes.
• The Investment Club can discuss their shares between meetings and post useful research for all members to see.
• Self Employed people in the valley can have their own forum for discussing good accountants, software and a joint Christmas Dinner.
• The On-line book club can choose and discuss their book of the month
• Minutes of the parish councils can be published for all to see and comment on.

What about The Bridge?

The Bridge is not going to disappear over night. There will of course be plenty of overlap but there is no reason why the two cannot happily co-exist. The Bridge has the advantage that everybody can read it. WoodfordValley.net has the advantage that it can be updated in an instant, can support different types of media, has no restriction on space and provides an opportunity for readers to react to articles.

What should I do?

• Register. If possible use your.name rather than timelord24 or something similar.
• Start submitting your own information and persuading your landlord, vicar, akela, neighbour, etc. to use it as well.
• Add your events to the calendar
• Upload your best photos
• Open your heart in the discussion forums.