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My name is Graeme Ford from Oxford Brookes University (having just submitted my PhD in Cultural Geography).I am writing to you with an idea of setting up the Critical Geography Forum online in terms of an interactive message board (and eventually in time; a full and comprehensive website). I have been working on the project for about one month now, and have purchased the website and web space possible for this, and set it up. The website is: www.cgfonline.co.uk It would be great if people were to start sing the message board in conjunction with the mailing list. At present, this links directly to a comprehensive and professionally looking message board, which allows users to register and discuss topics relating to Cultural geography in exactly the same way as they would via the emailing list. It would be great if people could start giving it a test run as I believe it will become a most valuable addition to the mailing list, and in time, will help build greater networks with academic bodies.(I have already received permission from the list owner for this). The benefits of such a message board are numerous, which include: the ability for users to sustain discussions via the message board; topics and conversations are never lost and are stored into the data base of the forum (which users can locate using the boards search function); the ability to sort subject matter into relevant topic areas for discussion (including news on job vacancies and conferences); the ability for members to post pictorial, audio and video data into the message board; be able to contact other members individually with ease for private discussion (via private messaging); and the possibility of expanding the website into a main website that can store and host numerous of articles, events, pictures, audio interviews, video interviews etc. This is just a small list of the benefits that could arise from testing such a system and would also help raise the profile of the forum on a global basis (by linking the site with other academic sites and search engines). I believe that there are no disadvantages to such a system, given that all forum members have already got internet access through the use of email, and this way, members can log onto the webpage from any location to add comments etc. I would like to know what you think of this idea, and maybe, we can give it a test run to see how it works, and in time, maybe I can start thinking about designing a website for the forum (including branding) to benefit and expand the group. Kind regards Graeme ---------------------------------------------- Graeme Ford Research Student / Lecturer in Human Geography School of Social Sciences and Law Department of Geography Oxford Brookes University Gypsy Lane Campus OX3 0BP ---------------------------------------------- Tel: +44 (0)1865 741111 Fax: +44 (0)1865 483937 ---------------------------------------------- Email: [log in to unmask] Website: http://www.graemeford.com