06.02.2003

Moved home or deceased?

Merv Davies summarises the contents of some local Socialist Alliance websites

These are what I found trawling the web. I think Exeter is one of, if not the best SA site that I have seen. The webmaster must have plenty of time, as it is so fresh with up-to-date news and looks very professional. http://www.exetersocialistalliance.org.uk. Sheffield is well up there too: local events diary ahead to March, etc. http://www.sheffieldsocialistalliance.co.uk. Haringey is up to date, including news of the recent by-election. http://www.haringeysa.fsnet.co.uk. So is Nottingham - very professional. http://www.nottinghamsocialistalliance.org.uk. Colchester under its new webmasters is certainly getting there (some restructuring is underway), with new articles or news links nearly every week. http://www.geocities.com/colchester_socialist_alliance The above are examples of how the ideal local SA website should be. Others are not far behind. York is professionally presented and up to date. http://www.yorksocialistalliance.org.uk. As is North Derbyshire, although they say they are affiliated to the 'Network of Socialist Alliances' (maybe wishful thinking). It carries latest details of the preparation for the February 15 anti-war demonstration and the next local Marxist Forum. http://www.n-dsa.org.uk. Telford is pleasant, but apparently with no local activity taking place to report on, it simply has links to news stories. http://www.telfsa.co.uk. Local SAs that do not have someone who can spend much time, but still want internet presence, should have a simple home page that states: who we are; what we stand for; contact email address for meetings, etc. A basic template on the lines of Dudley would suffice. http://www.socialistalliance.fsnet.co.uk. Far too many websites have not been updated since the general election. I believe many are actually dead, as I have tried to contact some by their email links and they just bounce back. I will list those I found in alphabetical order. * Ashfield is still challenging Geoff Hoon for his seat. http://website.lineone.net/~pirsong/AshfieldSA.htm * Bedfordshire is now dead. There used to be a page on this link, but if what we have read in the Weekly Worker is true about the machinations at this SA, then its hardly surprising they do not have the time for a website any more. http://www.beds-sa.org.uk * Bristol looks like they are learning as they go along, using the national site layout as a blueprint, but not smooth running yet. http://www.flagstation.org/bsa/site * Cambridge is brilliantly designed: simple and easy to navigate, but it still mentions the Socialist Party as part of the alliance, and has dead links to the Steve Lawrence Campaign; London SA and Eastern Region SA. Notice of a meeting Wednesday April 11 at 8pm - next April, last April, 2001, 2000? http://uk.geocities.com/cambs_socialist_alliance * Camden is more of the same: general election bumf, events diary up to June 25 2002, etc, etc, etc. http://www.camdensocialistalliance.org.uk * Coventry goes up to 2001! Must have been SP-run. http://www.cwn.org.uk/politics/socialist-alliance * East London: Apparently Kambiz Boomla is a candidate in the forthcoming general election in Poplar and Canning Town. Delve deeper and you will find dates to remember like June 7: election day leafleting! This is without doubt 'election frontism' on the web - please add to the homepage: 'Our next update will be at the next general election!' http://www.eastlondonsocialists.org.uk * Eastern Region will take off if the regional SA project takes off, I guess. I am not convinced of its necessity at the moment though. http://members.lycos.co.uk/ERSA * Hackney: "Put people before profit on June 7" (2001). http://www.hackneysa.org.uk * Harlow: It was at this address. Maybe they have moved, maybe they don't exist any more? http://www.hdsa.users.btopenworld.com * Islington: "We want to see an alternative to Chris Smith, minister for the dome disaster, which is why we are standing Janine Booth in Islington South and Finsbury." http://www.islingtonsa.freeuk.com * The Lancashire home page will take you to either Pendle, Burnley, Blackburn or Preston. I pressed Preston and was told: "Preston Socialist Alliance is relaunching in September. Click on the buttons on the left for news about our activities." So I did and the page said: "This page will carry details of our activities and campaigns, and copies of press releases." I gather they never relaunched in September? Pendle: up to date as far as November 2002. Blackburn: up to date as far as September 2002. Burnley: up to date as far as June 2002. http://www.lancssocialistalliance.org.uk * Manchester gives links to events, of which the latest is June 14 2002. Links to Blackley, Withington and Salford - all with notes about leafleting for the last elections. http://www.manchestersocialist.fsnet.co.uk * Norfolk and Norwich simply says "Under construction." That is what it said when I took a look about two or three months ago! http://home.clara.net/nnsa * The Oxford home page, as well as telling you who is standing in the general election, boasts a newsletter - alas from spring 2001. Latest local event is May 29 (2001?) http://www.oxfordsocialists.org.uk * Reading: Same again - last general election; local events stop at June. http://www.readingsocialists.org.uk * Teesside is very appealing to the eye and uses the latest in web design technology. If the homepage is anything to go by, the rest of the site, presently under construction, should be outstanding. http://www.teessidesa.s5.com If a branch is going to have a website, then surely it should have a simple, low-maintenance one like Dudley or an up-to-date one like those at the beginning of this article. Having out-of-date material makes it look like the branch has died or we do not keep abreast of the times.