about the SOC website
Navigation
We hope you find the website easy to use. If you're a regular visitor, you can see what's new by checking the list of recent updates on the Home page. The Home page also features a menu with links to the main sections of the website, but if you can't find what you're looking for, there's also an index page containing a list of website pages ordered by subject. Finally, on the left of every page is a set of 'quick links'. These vary from page to page; for example the Fife branch page has links to the Fife recorder page and local birdwatching sites.
Browsers
The website was initially tested using Internet Explorer versions 6 and 7, Firefox versions 2 and 3, and Opera version 9. New and updated pages are currently tested on Internet Explorer version 8, Firefox version 3, and Opera version 9. Pages might not display correctly on older browsers. The website will work best if scripting is enabled, but most features will work with scripting turned off.
Accessibility
If you find the text on this website too small to read easily, most modern browsers allow you to increase the font sizes. On Internet Explorer, click on View then Text Size. On Firefox, hold down the Cntl key and press + one or more times to increase the font size, - to decrease it, and 0 to return to the standard size. (In Firefox 3, click on View then Zoom, and select Zoom Text Only to alter the size of the text only and leave images the same size.)
Some browsers will also allow you to display a plain version of the website with all special formatting removed. On Firefox, for example, click on View then Page Style, and select No Style.
Symbols
If you see a link with an 'overlapping windows' 
symbol, it indicates that the target page will open a new browser window. This will usually be an external website. (If you disable scripting on your browser, all pages will open in the same window. You should use the Back button to return from an external website to the SOC.)
An envelope 
symbol indicates a link that will open a blank email, or a link to the email directory page.
Note that the symbols will be displayed by most modern browsers, but not by Internet Explorer version 6 or older.
Web Standards
We regularly check the pages of this website to ensure they conform to the latest World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) standards. As a result they should display correctly on most modern browsers, including mobile phones and other hand-held devices.
Troubleshooting
Are you seeing out-of-date pages on the SOC website? If so, click here for information on how to view the up-to-date versions.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to everyone who helped with the preparation of this website. I won't attempt to name everyone, but would like to credit Ian Andrews, who developed the original SOC website in 2000. Much of the material here has been retained from the old website.
Stephen Hunter, June 2008