Hinckley Visit

[Carl Hibbard]

Yours truly will be at Hinckley on Saturday if you want to either thank me, criticise me or suggest anything the forum should or should not be doing.

[Ben Purton]

Ben Purton for Moderator?

[David Robertson]

Yours truly will be at Hinckley on Saturday if you want to either thank me, criticise me or suggest anything the forum should or should not be doing.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

I won't be at Hinckley (I will be at Daventry), but I wanted to add my support here for Carl and the work he does with this forum. Carl, if you ever need more than support (i.e. any actual help with anything), I am sure you only have to ask. It can't have been easy over the past few weeks - hopefully things will settle down somewhat.

[Michael Flatt]

Carl,

There is no doubt that your forum is a great success. One only need to see the traffic it generates and the range of subjects it broaches to appreciate how well it serves Chess enthusiasts.

The light touch that Jack Rudd and yourself apply in moderating posts encourages meaningful debate. Long may it continue.

[Carl Hibbard]

We had 8,912 unique users during the month of April as reported by the frankly scary Google analytics.

[David Robertson]

That'll be because everyone, just everyone in the active ECF membership wants to know exactly when, and perhaps why, you plan to visit Hinckley Island

[Mike Truran]

Indeed. Maybe not an entirely helpful thread from Mr H.

[John McKenna]

Probably just a courtesy call - after all the craic is legendary.

[Carl Hibbard]

I can report that a meting took place yesterday at 4NCL between Bob Kane and Chris Fegan from the ECF and Carl Hibbard and Jack Rudd of the EC Forum. This meeting was arranged and chaired by Mike Truran.

A series of propositions were put by the ECF to Carl on a joint way forward but Carl said that he felt all of them were unacceptable to him and he preferred to remain with the current situation. Therefore although the meeting was not unhelpful, it was inconclusive and the ECF will continue to search for ways to improve the workings of the ECF Forum, better to serve the ECF Membership.

The ECF will not be discussing publicly any of the details of what was a confidential meeting.

The ECF would like to thank Mike Truran for arranging and also chairing the meeting and to also thank Carl and Jack for attending.

At the end of the meeting and as a gesture of goodwill the ECF lifted Carl's suspension from the ECF Forum.

See the other place, I will not be commenting further on the matter but I will not be registering their either.

[David Sedgwick]

How was your trip otherwise?

[Carl Hibbard]

How was your trip otherwise?

Fine, the ability to wander around watching the stars was a little limited due to some space constraints and some big screens showing the internet coverage might of helped but otherwise as well organised as you can hope for.

[Roger de Coverly]

How was your trip otherwise?

Something set off the fire alarm. Perhaps it was all the hot air from the meeting with the ECF.

[Roger de Coverly]

See the other place, I will not be commenting further on the matter but I will not be registering their either.

It rather sounds as if the ECF read out a list of demands.

Any discussion of English chess has to be capable of discussing the ECF and that implies independence from the ECF. A forum whose existence is dictated by a perceived need to protect ECF Directors and Officials from hostile comment cannot provide that independence.

[Carl Hibbard]

I would suggest that web site of the year is unlikely.