08/01: Best wishes for 2008
It seems extraordinary that yet another year has passed - it was just this time last year that Ian (our webmaster) and I were battling to give maclean.org a complete make over. Then, within a few months, Ian had delivered the site as you see it today in terms of design and much of the content. But it didn't stop there: we launched the blog in time for me to be able to report from the International Gathering as it happened and then, in the autumn, we launched the MacNet Community, a social networking site which is within the maclean.org environment and there are now 139 members.
The development of the website is a labour of love by Ian, a professional web designer who runs his own hosting company in Glasgow, Scotland, and we are all very grateful for his efforts and his commitment. And this goes well beyond just MacleanNet members - at the International Gathering, the Chief was pleased to recognise the huge contribution that Ian has made to the development of the Clan Maclean Associations by developing and maintaining the website. Well done, Ian and I look forward to working with you again this year.
The new challenge for 2008 is to extend the functionality of the website and we will be launching a history wiki and I am hoping that there are plenty of history buffs out there who would like to contribute their knowledge and expertise all of which will help build the wiki into the first point of reference for all Macleans around the world.
I wish you all a very happy, prosperous and successful 2008.
The development of the website is a labour of love by Ian, a professional web designer who runs his own hosting company in Glasgow, Scotland, and we are all very grateful for his efforts and his commitment. And this goes well beyond just MacleanNet members - at the International Gathering, the Chief was pleased to recognise the huge contribution that Ian has made to the development of the Clan Maclean Associations by developing and maintaining the website. Well done, Ian and I look forward to working with you again this year.
The new challenge for 2008 is to extend the functionality of the website and we will be launching a history wiki and I am hoping that there are plenty of history buffs out there who would like to contribute their knowledge and expertise all of which will help build the wiki into the first point of reference for all Macleans around the world.
I wish you all a very happy, prosperous and successful 2008.
The Annual Scottish Gathering of the Clan Maclean Association will be held again at the Normandy Hotel, Inchinnan Road, Renfrew PA4 9JE (by Glasgow Airport), on Saturday 20th October 2007.
As usual the Gathering will start with a Reception at 6.30pm followed by Dinner and an address from the Chief, after which, there will be a short break before the entertainment and dancing.
Full details and booking form are available on the CMA Scotland website.
As usual the Gathering will start with a Reception at 6.30pm followed by Dinner and an address from the Chief, after which, there will be a short break before the entertainment and dancing.
Full details and booking form are available on the CMA Scotland website.
13/08: Website Developments
As you will all be aware, the development of the Maclean.org website is an ongoing affair in which Ian (Glasgow) does all the work - and our thanks go to him for this - and the content is more or less masterminded by me, Alasdair (Belgium), as the MacleanNet president. However, neither Ian nor I create the content unless specifically in our areas of interest and we rely on others to submit items to us for inclusion. So, if you have anything you'd like to publish on the website, then send it to me at alasdair@maclean.org.
As to what is coming up: well, Ian and I have had our thinking hats on and a number of new developments are currently in the pipe-line and the first has already become available - there is now to be a Gaelic-language blog running and as soon as Anne Landin gets her mind round it, I expect we'll see Gaelic on the Blog.
The second development is that Ian has or will put on the website the four talks given at the Gathering so that all those who were unable to attend will be able to see what was talked about.
Then there is the History Wiki - this is currently being worked on and will be overseen by Don Kiely in Alaska. The idea here is that we will run a wiki (like Wikipedia) but initially this will be about Clan and Scottish History. Don is getting his mind round this at the moment and I expect we'll have it fully up and running by the end of the month.
We have other plans - social networking, some sort of forum to replace the newsgroups and a general improvement of the introductory pages to each section. And, on top of all that, Ian is making it possible for all the Clan Maclean Associations around the world to edit and upload material to their pages via a browser. All these changes will be taking place over the next few months and will be announced here on the Blog.
As to what is coming up: well, Ian and I have had our thinking hats on and a number of new developments are currently in the pipe-line and the first has already become available - there is now to be a Gaelic-language blog running and as soon as Anne Landin gets her mind round it, I expect we'll see Gaelic on the Blog.
The second development is that Ian has or will put on the website the four talks given at the Gathering so that all those who were unable to attend will be able to see what was talked about.
Then there is the History Wiki - this is currently being worked on and will be overseen by Don Kiely in Alaska. The idea here is that we will run a wiki (like Wikipedia) but initially this will be about Clan and Scottish History. Don is getting his mind round this at the moment and I expect we'll have it fully up and running by the end of the month.
We have other plans - social networking, some sort of forum to replace the newsgroups and a general improvement of the introductory pages to each section. And, on top of all that, Ian is making it possible for all the Clan Maclean Associations around the world to edit and upload material to their pages via a browser. All these changes will be taking place over the next few months and will be announced here on the Blog.
This is part of the North Assynt landscape, scene of a rather ruthless clearance but now part of the North Assynt Crofting Association. The estate was in the hands of the Vesty family until the latter part of last century when it came up for sale. Unfortunately,as is sometimes the case with such buy-outs, the current owners really don't know howbest to use the land, housing and assets to the best advantage and the quality of the land is going down. Sad to say, this was the usual reason why many of the clearances took place 150 years ago.
01/06: What's on at the Gathering?
Things are moving on quickly and it is great to be able to report that the pre-Gathering programme is looking really good -
The Maclean Genealogy, History and Gaelic Centre at the Aros Hall in Tobermory will be open from 09h30 on the Tuesday to enable visitors to drop in and discuss history or to update the Clan Maclean genealogy database or to ask questions about tracing their ancestors or simply to chat in Gaelic. We will be located close by the registration desk and the Clan Shop.
The Maclean Genealogy, History and Gaelic Centre at the Aros Hall in Tobermory will be open from 09h30 on the Tuesday to enable visitors to drop in and discuss history or to update the Clan Maclean genealogy database or to ask questions about tracing their ancestors or simply to chat in Gaelic. We will be located close by the registration desk and the Clan Shop.
With only 18 days to go before things "kick off" in Tobermory for the 2007 Gathering, we've installed this blog so that all cousins can follow what is happening there. Initially, it will be run by Alasdair, our president.