Pete Clifton, editor of the BBC News website, looks back at a busy week in the newsroom, and invites everyone to look in on the "big stories" meeting next week.
READ ALL ABOUT IT
I'd better watch myself. There are loads of readers out there bristling with ideas about things we should be covering on the site. And yes, after last week's vote, you will be referred to as readers from now on in this column.
There were some interesting additional comments too.
Robert Holbach, from Pontypridd, Wales, UK, wanted to know how, "short of begging", he could get invited to the meeting of editors that will discuss our plans for the rest of 2005.
Well, that's all he needed to do. I have dropped Robert a line inviting him to join us, so hopefully he will be there.
The meeting was due to take place on 19 May, but has been put back to next week. Which should also make possible another suggestion from you.
Several, including our old "guest editor" friend David McDowell, asked if the meeting could be filmed and made available. This is on top of many people writing every week to say they would like a better insight into how our decisions are made.
Gulp. Well I think we should be prepared to try this as a one-off experiment and see what happens. It may well produce the lowest viewing figures in our history, but we can make the meeting available live and produce an edited version afterwards - but only if you want us to. So here's a vote (above)...
To keep up the vote-fest, you can also take a look at some of the ideas for this year's "big stories" we received from readers - and gratifyingly, they came from all corners - Nigeria, the US, France, Australia, Latvia, New Zealand, Thailand and Margate, to name just a few.
Some of them are interlinked, but the ones suggested most form the basis for the second vote. We'll take note of the result, and include it in our discussions.
We will arrange the editors' meeting once we know if Robert can get along. And you may see more of it, depending on the vote.
TECHNICAL TRAUMA
Just one of your technology pictures
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Last week we asked readers to send in images to help with our stock pictures illustrating technology reports. Bit of a mixed bag, but we are in better shape when we write stories about high-tech toilet initiatives. We lift the lid on them here.
This week, we'll have a go at anything to do with climate change and the energy debate, in case they do well in the vote earlier on. So any kind of connection to these issues - unusual weather, power stations, wind farms, the effects of climate change... anything you can think of.
And on the subject of pictures, what's going on here?
Some scamp is having a pop at abstract images on the site. I'm sure I should be indignant about it, but for now I've just cast the occasional vote...
(The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites.)
MEANWHILE, BACKSTAGE
BBC News as you've not seen it before... nor have I
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If people really want to do edgy, different things with our content take a look at backstage.bbc.co.uk, a beta site for developers who have new ideas for using our content.
This is an amazing place where people who are too clever for their own good amaze you with what's possible with things like our RSS feeds. How about this? A kind of BBC News feed meets the Daleks, but with real potential for the future.
Have a look around there, and let us know what you like.
GRUMBLE OF THE WEEK
Easy winner this week. A steady stream of people complaining about a rogue story doing the rounds on the web about a lion and midgets fighting. All in the worst possible taste and the instigator had placed it on a news template that looked exactly like a BBC News one.
This isn't hard to do if you're web-savvy, and one of these comes to our attention every couple of weeks. Among the inquiries this week was one from a UK newspaper, asking if we had really published the story. The url is always a clue, of course, but some people don't notice.
Our lawyers are sometimes wary about us kicking up a fuss, but I'm afraid I always pull on my pompous hat on this stuff. Sharing our content is a very worthy aim, but using our templates for this dross is a step too far in my book.
It seems to have gone from the original spoof page, but others are cropping up. I'll have to stay on the case.
PROUD DAY
The book is a collection of Ivan's diaries written for this website
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It's only May, but I can say with certainty that one of the highlights of the year is upon us, the publication of Ivan Noble's diaries in a book, Like a Hole in the Head.
Many of you will know already what an impact Ivan made with his regular "tumour diary" on the site during his two-year battle with a brain tumour. The diaries are still available on the site, of course, but to have them in a book is a lasting testimony to Ivan's wonderful work.
All the BBC's proceeds are going to a charity of Ivan's choice. The BBC's very strict editorial guidelines prevent me saying anything about seeking out a copy of the book, so I won't.
YOU WILL BE SAYING...
Rolled up to another meeting this week about the new software we are going to introduce to make sure more comments from the readers get used on the site. It's looking good, and we are hoping to launch the first versions of it towards the end of September.
Basic idea - we have our usual Have Your Say debates but we can allow many more comments to be published in a clearly flagged "unmoderated" part of the site if we wish. Readers can go through a simple registration process to become a trusted chum of ours, then they can read the comments and recommend them if they wish. Then the best gradually come to the top of the pool.
Anyone can still send a comment without registering, of course, and we are around to step in if someone complains about a particular post. Of course, this being the BBC the agonising will be about how much we open up to comments and how much control we still seek to impose. My view is we should be as open as possible, but the first September trials will be very interesting.
YOU WERE SAYING...
My minor discrepancy of the week was picked up by many of you. My apologies, I know where Scotland is, and have fallen over there a number of times.
Quoting a part of my ill-considered outpouring, Amy of Falkirk, Scotland, currently in Zaragoza, Spain, wrote: "'Plenty in favour of the ramblings, from Scotland, Germany, India, New York, Australia (not Jarrod), and around the UK, including Northampton of course' - in the seven months since I left the UK, has Scotland gained independence? I do pick up on these things more than most people as I teach English to adults who were previously used to saying "England" to refer to the UK. Now I've got them well trained!"
There were stacks of upbeat comments about the column (Ida Jensen, Denmark, keep in touch), but of course the rude ones are still the best value.
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Your left wing bias is most evident in your hatred of President Bush
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Pin-up Andy Birchwood, London, UK: "This is a rubbish column. Get your ugly face/ego off the front page." And Ginia Hickley, also from London (clearly a problem in this area): "What a load of self-justification. I'm sure this is your job but it makes tedious reading!" And disappointingly, from a fellow Northamptonian, Ray O'Shaughnessy goes for the more thought-provoking: "What the f*** are you on about."
Sam Leader, Sydney, Australia, asks "why oh why" isn't there a link to the Magazine on the BBC News homepage. Well, there is on the UK edition of the site, because the Magazine tends to be more focused on the UK. If you are looking at our World edition, click on "UK" on the left hand navigation, and you will see Magazine is a sub-section underneath. Simple or what? Yes, you're probably right.
My bouquet of the week goes to Zafar Noman, London, UK, for saying a few things slightly more directly than I might get away with...
"Bravo on your comment that 'newfangled interweb' coverage is far too ignored in reviews and assessments of the BBC. If your website isn't award-winning, it certainly ought to be. And millions of people - both in the UK and worldwide - depend on it as a key source of news and information. It never ceases to amaze me how little this service is mentioned when people talk about the BBC. It may have something to do with the fact that such review panels are usually half made up of people who have their secretaries type up their e-mails or are simply from 'traditional' (i.e. television, radio) media and therefore have a bias towards understating the importance of the web as a medium."
BBC balance of the week is provided by two comments about George W Bush.
Tom N Morris of Boca Raton, Florida, USA, observed: "I used to be a hard core BBC News fan, but since George Bush came onto the world stage the BBC treats him like a demi-god."
It looks as though about 20 minutes before that, our inbox received the following from Peter, La Marque, Texas, USA: "Your left wing bias is most evident in your hatred of President Bush. Not only can you report anything about him in a negative tone, but you always choose unflattering pictures."
Adam Addis, from Lancaster, UK, says he searched the election website in vain for the total number of votes cast. We did do it, but we buried it away a bit. It's here, and no doubt further fuel for Michael Cule of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, UK, who says we should be writing about electoral reform before the next election.
Kevin Waite, from Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland, asks for a paragraph describing the editorial decision I'll make in covering the BBC staff strike this Monday. The decision will be simple for the site - it's an important story, and I would expect us to cover it in a balanced way. How many are on strike, what services are affected, the unions' point of view, the BBC point of view. And it could be me typing it.
James E Fox, of Huddersfield, UK, rekindles the capital letters device, last seen by me in Jennings books.
There may be some deeper message, but here's an extract for you to ponder...
"'And Finally': I Noted your use of language: "parking"(!) an Issue: do YOU realize that in many ways ALL B.B.C. Output is like PUBLIC TRANSPORT! & for a similar/lesser fee per day! Hmmm? I will be reading your Column with Interest as YOU use the word "user" & yet invite us to Vote on what we should be called? & YES, I (along with over 50% of the Voters at the time of Writing) AM A READER. I'll be even more Frank as middle-/upper-management "speak" (is a) "has been" found in your Column & you CAN'T "fox" me."
Slightly off the wall, but I'm already looking for next week's star entry.
You can send me your comments using the form below. Don't forget, though, that if you want to point out an error or have a complaint you want dealt with, the best place to go will normally be our Feedback page.
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