Deadlines dictate I am writing this at the end of August the month for cricket, not FEFC circulars. So my top website is www.cricket.org. This gives you ball-by-ball scores on every first-class match in the world, including the Oil and Natural Gas Commission (India) Xl. To someone who still believes the simplest e-mail is evidence of magic, this service is truly amazing.
Another not-so-secret passion is Leicester City. While appreciating that this will be less widely shared, there may be those who will enjoy lcfc.co.uk, the official site, and www.forfoxsake.com, the unofficial version.
Meanwhile, fefc.ac.uk published 42 new documents in August. Some of you may have known that. Me, I’m not so anxious to read the report on Cleckheaton Tech that I can’t wait until the hard copy comes. They published 97 in June, so some of them have been watching cricket too.
We had some internet-related excitement in August. when we started getting complaints from all sorts of people, accusing us of peddling pornography. Sre enough, there was our email address, attached to more unknown names, directing attention to various websites that were certainly not about cricket. I knew instantly that they could not have come from Solihull College, where I am principal, because the perpetrator could not spell the word masturbate. It turned out the e-mails originated in West Virginia. It’s called spamming, and the FBI (www.fbi.gov) is now on the case. Before that, I had my collar felt by two young men in crisp white shirts from the local police station. Not all our callers were angry. Some asked whether we had any more.
I tend to use the internet more to get away from work than to help do it, a stance that will not be sustainable for long. I visit www.cabinet-office.gov.uk, www.tesfe focus.co.uk and their ilk, but alt.food.wine and alt.quotations and amazon.co.uk are more relaxing.
When I really want to get away, there’s genesis.net.aulinksjobs, which tells you how to get a job in Australia.
Colin Flint@summer.holidays
