• Issue 1
• The Making Of

Monday, 28 June 

15:07
Team meeting.  The good news: just over an hour after the announced start time, 14 of 15 people are here.  Bad news: the site launches in less than 9 hours and we’re talking about division of labour.

15:40
Labour has been divided—literally.  We’re now in three groups in two different rooms, hashing out plans for tomorrow.  Also, the website workflow is back up and running.

16:40
A brilliant suggestion saves us from the horror of working full shifts next weekend.

16:57
Quick web production lesson.  Everyone tries not to appear baffled.

[Extended discussion ensues]

15:25
Launch time is shifted back from midnight to noon so the morning news can be included.

18:15
With most problems solved and plans in place to tackle the rest, everyone goes home to work.


For the first time in a month, I’m unreservedly optimistic about getting the site launched.  That’s not to say I ever doubted the finished project would be a success, but after potentially interminable wrangling over mission statement semantics and repetitive derailing of dozens of trains of thought, I had begun to seriously question whether we would get off the ground before the end of the year.

Perhaps we just needed a rainy bank holiday to focus our thoughts.  Of course, now we need sun so we can send out the cameras.  There’s always something…

13 hours and counting.  If I can just get one more piece subbed and three written, we’ll be in good shape.