Bridge that Gap: Great Central Railway News

In simple terms, it is going out to tender for the bit between the MML bridge, and the other side of railway terrace, with the hope a contract will be signed by christmas.

Not really a lot of detail other than that, everything else is just standard planning type stuff for such a build.

 

I rarely watch videos but I will look at something explanatory like this one. It is a bit rich that you refuse to watch an informative video and then expect other people to spend their time describing the contents for you !

 

Good point; but I still won't watch videos.

Noel

 

Look it up for yourself.

 

People who don’t watch videos on principle are in the same position as those who don’t view Facebook/Twitter, TV-news, certain newspapers etc. on principle. That’s fine but if these are an organisation’s favoured news-outlet methods such people will never receive first-hand news.

Sadly, detailed text updates to traditional websites are rapidly going out of fashion. Maybe ‘traditional’ websites were just a historical blip in the early days of Tinternet. Perhaps we should go back to the days when the only way to hear first-hand news from a railway was to join the society.

 

.. and it is so short but it gets the message over on all the social media they use. I spent more time getting to it than watching it!

 

Well, it's a good job they don't need any fund-raising then... imformation is part of a two-way street.
I'm not suggesting I am a particularly good target for fundraising, nor am I trying to impose my view on the society, but by not producing a text-based production it is ot reaching certain people. That's a cost/benefit decision for them, but "Perhaps we should go back to the days when the only way to hear first-hand news from a railway was to join the society." may not be the most helpful response.

 

This recent discussion highlights a very important issue - How do you communicate with such a disparate audience? Many of us are the older generation (Boomers) who were brought up in the print and public TV age (BBC television/radio). Then we had commercial (ITV, pirate radio etc) media. The use of computers followed with E mail, websites and forums like this. Now we have Tik Tok, Facebook and webcasts all on our phones.
There is no longer an obvious communication pathway which suits everybody, instead we just have to try our best to keep up.....whilst supporting our love of the steam age and its Victorian technology! (with apologies to 60's oil burners...)

 

I am generation X...
It's not just age, it's use case and personal interest.

 

It’s up to the comms people at each railway to try to strike a balance but they don’t have time to cover all channels so they’ll tend to concentrate on ones they find most effective- which means some of us’re excluded.

In the long term, no doubt, AI ’ll have the answer - publishing the same news rewritten reanimated & reformatted as much as necessary to suit all available channels & formats. And it’ll enable you & me to have our own customised news feeds in whatever format we each like best.

Can’t wait (first it’ll do it badly then it’ll get better)

 

Miff makes two very good points - "the comms people" are probably volunteers with lots to do....and if we feel neglected in our comms format, do we offer our services or just repost from one to the other ......or complain about being neglected?
The possible use of AI to provide personalised feeds could well be good - provided we know how the selection process suits our preferences.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to following the "Factory Flyover" construction phase of the Gap Project next year!

 

And I’m looking forward to following Flying Phil flying over the factory flyover (now where’s my coat?).

 

Me too; although with my luck, they'll only be posting videos! (Not images, like the MML bridge. That was impressive; like the installation of the span over the Dulnain River.)

Noel

 

People are strange creatures, aren't they?
A video link is posted to a forum. Some people watch the video. Fine.
Others take time to tell anybody who will listen that they don't watch videos. Also fine, I guess.
But, you could just go to the railway's website, and read a short summary here: Tender process begins to find a contractor - Great Central Railway
(You'll also find a pop-up link to subscribe to the newsletter, and a link for how to donate.)
They couldn't really make it much easier.

 

Yes we are strange creatures. Much that we do is highly irrational in the eyes of others.

I spend a lot of time watching videos about all sorts of things but I am very intolerant of music unless it really is "background" and very quiet, or present only for brief periods. If I find the music on a YouTube video too annoying I cheerfully stop watching and click on the thumb down. I remain bemused as to why the makers bother to include it. That must require some effort on their part, albeit perhaps not much.

 

I completely agree with @pmh_74. We are from the same organisation and have interacted frequently with each other when on duty and otherwise. I have also read and agree with many of @jnc's points (in particular to the NYMR's thread) but I'm sorry in this day and age if you are complaining to the point a video has been put out to explain the latest and you are refusing to watch it then I'm sorry but that is your problem. The information you require has been disseminated, if you don't want to watch it that is not the problem of those who have produced it. Maybe be thankful that there's actually been a useful update produced rather than nothing at all (as is so often the case).

I should also add I hate Patreon and all that it stands for before that is brought into conversation!

 

The moment someone seeking engagement and support (which, frankly, is why these reports exist) criticises a potential member of their audience for not liking the preferred form as “their problem”, they lose the argument. If you are seeking engagement, it is your job to adapt to the audience, not theirs to adapt to your chosen medium.

My view of video is similar to that of @jnc. If I for a moment thought that this was the official position of the railway, I would be reconsidering my Standing Order and drafting a very stiff letter. As it is, its forum comment and my money is safe.

For clarity, that is different from saying that a particular medium is especially effective and is therefore being prioritised. While I might disagree with the decision (not least as videos need to be scripted so the key points can be put in the blurb), I’d accept it as a reasoned decision even if I disliked it.

 

As a fan of MotoGP and Superbikes, I often find the ITV4 highlights really annoying because of the heavy bass music they add, to the point where it becomes difficult to hear the commentary clearly. Why do they do that?

PS. Apologies for going completely off topic.

 

It's times like this you need a "speech/music" button on your telly, like German radios had in the 50s.

 

And mine for continuing this serious thread drift! It is another instance of humans being strange creatures. YouTubers and the producers of films and TV programmes expend effort adding music that discourages some of us from watching. I surmise that they do it because it is fashionable, but that only means that they do it because others do it.