tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174756573570334952.post5390095866788071632..comments2024-03-27T04:46:33.198-07:00Comments on Portable Antiquity Collecting and Heritage Issues: Karaoke FLOs in a People's PAS? Paul Barfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10443302899233809948noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174756573570334952.post-83046109313349215202014-04-09T22:52:33.157-07:002014-04-09T22:52:33.157-07:00"If it's kicked into touch, what then?&qu..."If it's kicked into touch, what then?"<br /><br />I wouldn't worry about that, bringing in such a massive and fundamental change without wide prior consultation is pretty obviously to prevent it being successfully opposed.<br /><br />They don't even have a funding excuse, they've been treated better than the whole of the rest of the heritage sector.<br /><br />It's a bit of a hoot really, they're the only organisation that has actually volunteered for the Government's Big Society con! The Treasury must be amazed. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174756573570334952.post-19086312020013463122014-04-09T01:11:53.937-07:002014-04-09T01:11:53.937-07:00I don't believe they would ever think their ex...I don't believe they would ever think their expertise is dispensable but as they probably aren't going to get anymore money for more specialist paid recorders then what are they to do? <br /><br />They could either all turn round and say we need a lot of money or do what they are doing at the moment, something which may not be as bad as feared. <br /><br />If it's kicked into touch, what then? <br /><br /> <br /><br /><br />Detectorblokehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02300313707264856997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174756573570334952.post-34065265020974593072014-04-09T00:32:14.163-07:002014-04-09T00:32:14.163-07:00I actually think PAS is intellectually out of cont...I actually think PAS is intellectually out of control. <br /><br />Supervision of Fred Public to outreach to Joe Public was NOT what they were set up to do. So who gave them the authority to plan exactly that? And why have they planned such a thing without widely consulting with the profession which would undoubtedly kick it into touch, as would any profession that feared it's expertise was being made a mockery of.<br /><br />And finally: PAS has failed to reach a large number of detectorists with it's message. The implication of this plan is that they reckon having more people (of whatever calibre or status) will increase the number of detectorists that behave. WHY? It's a childish proposition. "We archaeologists can't persuade them so let's send hundreds of non-archaeologists out to do it. That'll work!"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174756573570334952.post-52559424702177461752014-04-09T00:24:03.820-07:002014-04-09T00:24:03.820-07:00But above all, why is there NO public discussion o...But above all, why is there <b>NO public discussion</b> of any of this? Why are Britain's dozy jobsworth archaeologists and heritage professionals (as always) not engaged in any discussion of what the PAS is up to behind closed doors and what it means for them?Paul Barfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10443302899233809948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174756573570334952.post-61032999970164101912014-04-09T00:21:17.278-07:002014-04-09T00:21:17.278-07:00Absolutely, it sends out totally the wrong message...Absolutely, it sends out totally the wrong message, that the highest professional standards do not need to be upheld, amateur recording on the cheap "is nearly as good as" what we've had up to now. That's why I ask what the FLOs think about the idea that their expertise is dispensable. <br /><br />Paul Barfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10443302899233809948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174756573570334952.post-56299286145735559402014-04-09T00:13:08.133-07:002014-04-09T00:13:08.133-07:00"My cynicism aside it will all be in training..."My cynicism aside it will all be in training / retention and quality of the volunteers me thinks."<br /><br />Well that's what Big Society advocates in every field always say, but the reality is that unpaid amateurs can't perform as well as full time professionals even if the excuse is trotted out (as here) that they'll be well trained and supervised. You know that in your area of expertise, I know it in mine, nurses know it in theirs and no doubt FLOs know it in theirs. I expect EH are about to launch amateur Ancient Monument Inspectors, controlled by a Master Inspector in London - not.<br /><br />The other problem is, the more PAS defend the use of unpaid staff the more the Treasury is likely to say fine, let's slash the funding. It all seems like a bit of a suicide note.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174756573570334952.post-35145332609026448192014-04-08T13:49:11.164-07:002014-04-08T13:49:11.164-07:00My cynicism aside it will all be in training / ret...My cynicism aside it will all be in training / retention and quality of the volunteers me thinks.Detectorblokehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02300313707264856997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174756573570334952.post-1757552114795925212014-04-08T13:10:19.572-07:002014-04-08T13:10:19.572-07:00If so, it's the beginning of an end for a prof...If so, it's the beginning of an end for a professional PAS and the beginning of an end to its legitimisation of artefact hunting and collecting. Good riddance if so. Let artefact hunting stand on its own two feet, without the nanny-state-subsidised prop. <br />Paul Barfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10443302899233809948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174756573570334952.post-75853049659072564742014-04-08T13:06:24.493-07:002014-04-08T13:06:24.493-07:00I really struggle to see any benefit of this propo...I really struggle to see any benefit of this proposed new system. Are they using unpaid volunteers to cut back on costs ? If so surely they are going to spend a heck of a lot of dosh to pay professionals to train them. Wouldn't it be a wiser move to instead take on more professional staff in part time roles if cost saving is a priority, rather than spending money training possibly total amateurs who may still end up being, well, amateurP2Pinvestedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17031753975898233577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8174756573570334952.post-45589138164575132392014-04-08T12:43:10.330-07:002014-04-08T12:43:10.330-07:00Its a bit like legal aid, a field I used to work i...Its a bit like legal aid, a field I used to work in. It was slashed to smithereens and with some funding given to charities to train volunteers to mitigate the effects of the cuts. <br /><br />Why have paid specialists when you can have volunteers instead. It's the big society don't you know. <br /><br />When it comes to funding I wouldn't want to criticise my paymasters for fear of oblivion. Sad I know.Detectorblokehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02300313707264856997noreply@blogger.com