In reply to Simon Caldwell:
> (In reply to Mick Ryan - Editor - UKC)
> Have you thought of setting up a new forum, devoted to people whingeing about whether News items are really news or not? I think it would be very popular.
In March I'm going to pen an article explaining our approach to climbing news, what defines news and how we gather it, and what we decide to publish. Also how news has changed especially as now all of us can be news gatherers and how that now we can actually comment on news as soon as it is published - no more being spoon fed and having no say in the matter.
As Whealiebob stated above, many people check the news with their early morning coffee or tea and rarely contribute to the forums and in some cases never read them.
Thanks for the positive comments and the more critical ones. The critical ones make us think, especially if they are well thought out, and the positive ones are very motivating indeed and motivation in this job is very important.
As an editor on the internet you do get used to taking it on the nose everyday, but are never totally immune to its effect, the positive comments make it all worthwhile (not they we are after positive reinforcement all the time of course).
At the end of the day we are attempting to make climbers more informed about what is going on in the climbing world. That is our intention. It is further complicated that climbers are a broad church with lots of different interests and a range of experiences and knowledge.
Mick