Training Courses - What do people want?

[Nemesis]

Interesting that the composting toilet course is now full!!!

Hmmm.... obviously a popular topic. I must investigate further - we could maybe re-use our privy.

Here's a list of SPAB courses too. The lime course for contractors - I think anyone with a modicum of skill in plastering would be welcome, it's just not designed for absoloute beginners. Clearly there's a need for those already with expertise in getting the stuff pushed onto walls to be able to transfer those skills to the use of lime.

Also note the limecrete floor course, I sent the other half on the one held by SPAB earlier this year - very, very useful. Theoretical yes but informative.

http://www.spab.org.uk/noticeboard_events.html


Also:

http://www.buildingconservation.com/courses/short.htm

 

[Moo]

My word, those worthy organisations use minute type.

 

[Nemesis]

Have you no way of enlarging? I know you Mac users are alwys crowing about how much better they are... but a hold down of the conrol button and a scroll of the wheel on the mouse enlarges most things on a PC...

 

[Moo]

Yes, I know I can, but I don't understand why they don't use a readable size in the first place.

 

[Nemesis]

Ah - it's cos all these worthy organisations are always short of funds... they are penny pinching and saving space. Even online... old habits die hard!

 

[Nemesis]

Here's a link to Essex CC courses info page:

http://www.essexcc.gov.uk/vip8/ecc/ECCWebsite/dis/faq.jsp?channelOid=15274&guideOid=37944&oid=37989

 

[Penners]

Ah - it's cos all these worthy organisations are always short of funds... they are penny pinching and saving space. Even online... old habits die hard!

I like the idea that using a smaller typeface saves money on your website! I know that very small people can save VAT by wearing children's clothes, but an ASCII 8-pt letter uses as many bits as a 10-pt letter, I'm afraid.

There's no justice, eh?

 

[Nemesis]

Oh, really? Here's me sending e-mails in tiny typeface as I thought it saved bandwidth (or whatever it's called...)

You'll be telling me next I can remove plugs from sockets as the electrickery doesn't leak out and cost a fortune.

 

[Penners]

My dear wife's dear old mum really believed that!

 

[Geoff Flegg]

I personally have no problem with Peter's posting of this - he's not hiding the fact that it's a commercial venture, and from my point of view it's meant that I've found a lime course local to me that I didn't know about. I think we're all adult enough to make our own decisions on what type of course we want and with whom we wish to train.

Feedback on what people want of a lime course, no matter if it's a commercial course or not, must be a good thing.

 

[Penners]

I agree, Geoff.

 

[Nemesis]

No problem - as long as you accept that this forum does have rules, and SPAB maybe isn't actually an accrediting body...

Very real care needs to be taken when 'advertising' to be accurate. I know I'm not the only one concerned.

 

[Moo]

So do I, Penners.

 

[Nemesis]

I think none of you has really seen the bigger picture here...

 

[Penners]

Sorry we're all out of step!

 

[Nemesis]

Yup.

It has been raised in the appropriate quarter. And not just by me.

 

[Penners]

Well, I've taken another look at the original post, and frankly I don't know what the fuss is about. OK, there's a bit of an angle to it, in that the courses are commercial - and are described as such. But the information about these courses could be genuinely useful to some people on this forum (Geoff Flegg for one).

The poster is a regular on the forum, he's been totally up-front in declaring a commercial interest, and there is no reason to suppose that the courses are anything but kosher and respectable.

As Geoff says, we're all grown-ups (well, almost in my case), and I reckon this is a very mild case of commercialism with plenty of arguable benefit to the fundamental purpose of this forum.

So what's this mysterious "bigger picture" that you and your covert army are marching against? If you want us to see it, you really should explain.

 

[Nemesis]

For a start - what happened to the 'no advertising' as insisted on when people registered for this forum? Or has that now been forgotten? As long as it's by someone who has posted the odd post?

And as for the rest ... I think that is in the hands of others now.
I think this not the appropriate place to expand further really.

If people do wish to go on 'fun' courses, that is of course up to them, although I do like to consider that the people teaching and leading the courses I attend may have some skills backed up by a few qualifications in training. But I'd be wary of claims that these are endorsed by anyone.

And where real skills training is concerned, the sort that means I would employ someone, I'd like to think that people at the end of a course would have a certificate or two.

That's the way the world is.

I'd not like an enthusiastic amateur to carry out brain surgery on me either.

So far, Peter has been very quiet about a great deal. Is he or isn't he teaching for example...

 

[Geoff Flegg]

I agree with Penners - I can't see what the fuss is about. If the people who own and moderate the site object to a mildly commercial posting, they will intervene. No rights or wrongs here, only opinions.

Geoff

 

[Penners]

For a start - what happened to the 'no advertising'

You don't seem to be averse to regular advertising of a number of organisations.

Personally, I have no objection to this at all, but if you feel so strongly about it then shouldn't you be practising what you preach?