I.T. Administrator’s Report A.G.M. 1999

The position of I.T. Administrator is a non-officer position that was created after the 1998 A.G.M., basically to give me a responsibility on the N.E.C., as at the time I didn’t have one.

As I.T. Admin, it was my responsibility to look at ways of using computers to improve speed and efficiency within REVCOM and also to use computers to help promote REVCOM to the outside world.

To help me perform the first of my responsibilities, I have concentrated on using email for internal and external communications. To this end, I set up a computer recycling centre, where people could donate equipment that they no longer needed, and this could then be refurbished and re-distributed. After what looked like an excellent start, nothing happened, so this was scrapped. To date, I still have not been able to provide any equipment to the N.E.C. members.

To help me with both of my responsibilities, I have set up an Internet World-Wide-Web site for REVCOM. This site is currently available at http://www.revcom.dhs.org but will eventually be available at http://www.revcom.org.uk. Although still in it’s infancy, the aim of this site is to provide publicly available information about REVCOM, as well as provide a discussion area and information resource for REVCOM members. This should make access to documents and information within REVCOM easier and faster.

As well as using the web site as a discussion area, eventually there will be a number of mailing lists available. In this way, discussions can be held easier. Also, mailing lists will be used to supplement information posted to teams by the N.E.C.

To provide internet users access to the people and teams within REVCOM, email addresses in the @revcom.org.uk domain have been set up. Each person on the N.E.C. has an address, as does each position on the N.E.C. In this way, if the person holding a position changes, the address for that position will automatically go the new holder.

Email addresses have also been set up for each team within REVCOM, so that if for example someone had an event that they wanted Castleford team to handle, they could contact them at castleford@revcom.org.uk. Each team can then decide how they want that email message to reach them.