Managed to sort out the web site backup system. Just needed a more recent version of the software - now works a treat.  we now have a number of Vintage Radio presenters who are creating their own web pages to tell listeners abouttheir programmes.

This is where Content Management Systems really come into their own. They are so much more flexible than vanilla html based web sites. They have their downsides and relying on a database system to maintain the underlying structure has its own potential problems   but the overall flexibility is a lot better. I have installed a number of these CMS systems when in gainful employment and the functions and applications available are pretty amazing. A triumph for Open Source software. Our package - Joomla, is used for for thousands of web sites world wide from individuals through to large corporate sites.

Further to my post on 2erd august. We are setting up a small training studio with spare bits and pieces and one item required was a PC for a playout system. As mentioned on 23rd we acquired a free and  elderly nth hand single core Win XP system but adequate for our use. A lot of TLC was required to clear out duff software and sort the registry out. 

Then disaster struck - having thought it was all back to factory new condition (well I think a car sales paper would decsribe it as a good little runner with 10months MOT that will give a number of years attention if looked after) it wouldn't work with any of our monitors in the studio. The Windows resolution setting had been altered or corrupted so some software displayed correctly but text was blurr, too small to read clearly even if yu had 20-20 vision and our playout software had large parts of its on-screen graphics missing which rendered it unusable. The VGA socket also proved to be flaky,  loose solder connecton probably, and the internal CMOS /BIOS battery had failed. I put in a new graphics card, changed the battery and reset the Windows screen resolution which was the main problem.

At times I wonder bif using second hand PC's is really viable. Having said that once revamped they are usually good for a couple of years. We have some new PC's for the critical studio functions but can use old PC's for browsers in the office and studio which aren't required to be broadcast critical.