I am an editor for the student newspaper at Swansea University – The Waterfront. Along with 26 other editors, we spend a lot of time and effort putting together a fortnightly newspaper, a monthly magazine and a regularly updated website – which James and I built from scratch last summer. We work long hours and do it for free. So, imagine how we feel when the Student Union’s part time Web Editor plagiarises our content and uses it as his own. This has happened several times now and I’ve had enough.

Back in mid March, during the Student Union Sabbatical Elections, a group of editors worked throughout the night. The day started at 3pm and ended at around 7am the next day. In this time, we wrote 46 blog entries, more than 9 articles, kept a live commentary of the events, produced 11 podcasts and kept a photo blog. In addition to this, the editors put together an election special newspaper, printed it and distributed it around campus. A few hours later, when the part time web editor arrived for the day, an article written by Deputy Editor Tim Sculthorpe appeared on the SU website. There was no credit to either the Waterfront or Tim.

Last week was the 2007 Summer Ball. A number of editors attended the event to review the bands and take photos for the Waterfront website. Guess our surprise when the photos we posted to our PhotoBlog appeared on the Student Union website with yet again, no credit to the Waterfront or the photographer.

Now, either the SU web editor doesn’t understand that taking content produced by somebody else and passing it off as your own is plagiarism, or someone higher up in SU management doesn’t. For a university student union, that is extremely disturbing. We get told all of the time how plagiarism is wrong and the consequences of doing it are severe. However, the SU keeps doing it – setting a bad example to students.

Doing something like this reflects very badly on the paper and the union. As a further point, why are students going to continue contributing to the Waterfront when their efforts are stolen by the SU with no credit to their work?

This year we have applied to the Guardian Student Media Awards. This jeopardises any chance we might have of even getting a nomination. It looks as if we are the ones plagiarising the SU web editor.

So, what happens now? Well, firstly, any images used on the Waterfront website will now carry the Waterfront logo as a watermark. Secondly, the next time this happens (and I have no doubts that there will be a next time), I will walk away and resign from the paper.

Had a really good day, tried out some new rides that weren’t there last time I went or didn’t have the courage to go on. Their brand new ride – Speed – drops you vertically down (in fact, it curls back on itself so its more than vertical), spins you around upside down etc (photo on the left). Normally this wouldn’t be my kind of thing, but I decided to go on it. Absolutely fantastic – loved the adrenaline rush! Also had a go on Hydro – got absolutely drenched.

Anyway, lots more to do over the next few days – got Sarah’s goodbye party tomorrow (Friday), SUCS beach party (Saturday), a meeting on with Crickhowell Resource & Information Centre about a new website (Monday) and the 2007 Summer Ball (Wednesday).

Got a very busy week ahead.  work leaving party for Mark Overy on Wednesday, trip to Oakwood on Thursday, Sarah’s “last supper” party on Friday and SUCS beach party on Saturday.  Then the week after that we’ve got the Summer Ball again.  Should be a fun end of term.

Charlie’s headed to Plymouth for a few days to take the first batch of her stuff home.  I think I need to spend a bit of time having a clear out and sort out the mountains of unopened post thats sitting in my draws.  Oh well, I will get round to that soon.

Back to revision I think.

Dai

The first attempt at raising the motion was cancelled due to some last minute problems, but this evening it was heard at the SGM. After a bit of debate about a badly worded point (despite numerous people proof reading it, I’d made a mistake, doh!), the motion was passed.

This isn’t the end of my aim of making the sites more accessible, this motion will be followed up by an article in Monday’s Waterfront newspaper – written by Charlie Duff and supported by Discovery – the disability support charity operating in the university. I’ll post more about that as soon as it is released.

I’ve copied in the motion text below for anyone who is interested.

The Union Notes that:

1. There are 2 million people with sight problems in the UK (Source: RNIB 2007)
2. Sight problems and motor problems can both cause difficulties in using websites
3. The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995 makes it a legal requirement for all websites to be accessible by October 1999
4. The Internet standards body – W3C – runs a website accessibility initiative that provides 3 levels of accessibility – A, AA and AAA.
5. The RNIB recommends that websites should aim for the ‘AA’ standard
6. Many university departments make use of websites such as Blackboard for providing course documents and submitting assignments

The Union Believes that:

1. The Students’ Union website at www.swansea-union.co.uk does not comply with any of the three levels of accessibility
2. Other SU websites such as the Summer Ball 2007 website also do not comply with these standards
3. Swansea University websites such as Blackboard and Voyager do not comply with these standards
4. Failing to comply with these standards makes university life difficult for disabled students
5. Owners of websites that do not comply are open to legal action under the DDA

The Union Resolves to:

1. Ensure its website(s) comply with all UK laws regarding Website Accessibility to at least ‘AA’ standard
2. Lobby the University to maintain and improve the accessibility of its website
3. Lobby the University to ensure services such as Voyager, Blackboard and the Intranet comply with a minimum of ‘AA’ standard

Since the Summer Ball / Escape into the Park back at the end of June, we spent the week packing, cleaning and drinking in preparation for moving back home.  On the last Thursday of term Ian and I went out and joined Helen, Gemma, Gemma and Emma on their last night in Swansea.  Helen is spending the next year in New Zealand as part of her course and Gemma P is spending the next few months in Australia, so it was sort of a good bye party.  The photo on the right was taken at the end of the night in Time Swansea.  By this point in the night there were only 4 of us left – me, Emma, Ian and Helen.  More photos can be found in the media section.

A few days later, I completed my move back to Abergavenny and am now living in my new bedroom in the extension.  I’ve also started my traditional summer job in Cardiff so I spend most of the week down in the wonderful Cardiff Bay.

The past few months have been a very busy one for my business.  I’ve spent a lot of time and effort developing 3 new websites and am about to embark on another.  My greatest achievement this month so far has been the launch of a new website for the town of Crickhowell in South Powys.  This small town relies heavily on its community atmosphere, and maintaining this is one of the purposes of the new website.  Since early this year I have been working with Jan Morgan at the Crickhowell Resource & Information Centre to develop the design of the site as well as implementing the systems in use.  The new site has made use of systems I have previously built such as a news module, events calendar, links and contact forms but also incorporates some brand new systems.  One of which enables all community groups, tourist attractions, accommodation providers and businesses to have their own updatable page on the website.  As you might be able to tell, I am quite proud of this website!  It doesn’t end there though!  Plans are currently being drawn up for the second phase of developments which could include a community blog and visitor photo albums.  Feel free to check out the website at http://www.crickhowellinfo.org.uk.

Another website I have been working on recently is a site to promote a book containing a series of bike rides within / around the Blaenavon World Heritage Site.  The new book has been written by a local cycle enthusiast – Alwyn Thomas – who has spent the last few months compiling these rides.  The website I’ve produced – all though very small has been designed to give visitors a taste of what can be found in the book.  Extracts from the book are available on the site as well as details of where the book can be bought from.  I’ve also included a PayPal buy now button so the book can be bought online easily.  Again, feel free to take a look at the site at http://www.odynbooks.co.uk.

The final website I have produced this month is an internal website for Herford Sixth Form College.  The website has been developed so that the college can efficiently gain access to applicant’s qualifications before final interview at the end of August.  On GCSE results day, every applicant will log into the website with their username and password provided to them by the college and input their GCSE grades.  These will then be automatically added to the college’s student records database.  The system is expected to be used by well over 1000 students!  This is another website I’m very proud of.  It is the first of a series of systems I am producing for the college that aim to improve the efficiency of the way in which the college operates.  I would provide a link to the system, but it isn’t really any use as you can’t log in without a username and password .  The best you’ll get is the screenshot on the right! Sorry.

There are a few other bits and pieces I could mention, not least including Project Metis, but these can wait for another time and another update (maybe later today depending on how I feel).

But for now, I think I will say goodbye and go make myself some food.

Like last year, James and I signed up as safety stewards – which basically means we stand around looking important all night.  This year we were also joined by Ian and his girlfriend Sarah, although we were posted to different locations.  My job for the evening involved stopping people from jumping the rear fence behind the bar vans and stopping students from crossing the barriers between the bar and the fence.  The main reason for this was that there was rather a lot of alcohol stored back there!

James was positioned at the emergency services entrance just down from me – his job was to stop people getting in/out of the entrance and removing the fence should the emergency services require access.  Luckily, in this case they didn’t.

To be honest, the evening was pretty boring.  There were very few people who tried to run the fence – much to my disappointment, and it was totally useless trying to stop drunken people getting behind the bar who were desperately in need of the toilet.

The music wasn’t the greatest either, there were a few bands I just didn’t recognise and Rachel Stevens (who – to be honest – was extremely disappointing).  The final two bands – Hundred Reasons and Idlewild – were both really good, it’s a shame most people were too drunk to pay much attention.

The ball mainly caters for first years, but there were a few second / third years there.  Kate was there dressed in an absolutely gorgeous red dress – she looked absolutely stunning.  If I wasn’t still a bit gutted at her not being interested in me I most probably wouldn’t have mentioned that, but such is life.

Anyway, generally the ball was better managed than last year.  The site was better designed and at least we knew what we were doing – where as last year we had no idea whatsoever.  But other than that, I was still quite disappointed and certainly would never spend the £40 on a ticket for the event.  If I hadn’t been paid £50 to work I certainly wouldn’t have been.

Finally, there is a small selection of photos from the event are available in my media section.

Good night, although just as badly organised as last year – it really doesnt help when the whole management are drunk.

I’ll post a decent update tomorrow (with photos) as I need to tidy my room and have some breakfast before Dan gets here. We have Escape into the Park over in Singleton this afternoon/evening. Hopefully will be lots of fun.

On Monday evening after our last exam, James, Ian, Sarah, Gareth, Helen and I all headed out for a meal at Frankie and Bennie’s on Wind Street.  Had a very nice meal albeit slightly expensive – but it was a celebration so what the hell!  We followed this by a few games of pool at a quiet pub in which Gareth slaughtered me twice – although he did seem to be making up rules as he went along.  I’m not a regular pool player so I wasn’t really sure what was legal and what wasn’t.

At this point the group separated and James, Helen and Gareth headed off while Ian, Sarah and I went in search of Que Passa – a cocktail bar.  A few drinks were had there before heading off to Mambo – another cocktail bar on the Kingsway.  By this point we were all feeling a little tipsy.  We finally ended up in Envy nightclub where we were joined by several other comp sci students and spent the rest of the night.

I spent the next morning recovering from a rather nice hangover.  Even so, it was well worth it – a good end to exams.

Of course end of exam celebrations have yet to come to an end, we still have the fun of the Swansea University Summer Ball 2006 (which a few of us are staffing) on Friday, and of course Escape into the Park 2006 on Saturday.  I am prepared with a set of band new batteries ready to take lots of photos of both events.

It is rather hard to believe that I have finished my second year here.  I am now half way through my course!  Very very scary.

Until next time