The easy way to say thank you

You will have read before about this virtual #bellringing platform called Ringing Room that enables bell ringers from all over the world to ring together in a virtual world, given we have not been able to ring much in the real world.

I started using Ringing Room in May 2020.  It had been around for a few months already by then and the developers were still making changes to it, enhancing the user experience, fixing bugs etc.  I even managed to get it featured on the BBC 10pm News in June.  It has revolutionised ringing from being able to ring with our friends, meeting new friends, ringing with people from anywhere and everywhere, and ringing things we never thought we could in a tower.  There are even several groups of new ringers who have only ever rung in Ringing Room and never stepped foot in a tower and tried real bells. 

The development is ongoing, and Wheatley was introduced more recently.  Wheatley is basically a bot that will ring all of the others bells unassigned to people, so if you want to ring something on 8 bells but only 6 people are there, Wheatley will fill in the gaps.  I think Wheatley will be greatly missed when we go back to tower ringing and meet one or two short! 

The developers were rightly rewarded earlier this year by winning a large financial prize at the Association of Ringing Teachers awards.  And still the platform goes from strength to strength.  What started off as a big of a hobby experience rapidly has been the saving grace of ringers everywhere.  It has 5 servers in 4 different countries. I ring in 2 or 3 regular sessions per week, with the occasional extra practice every now and then, so get good use out of it.

Ringing Room is free to use.  It doesn’t spam you with emails once you’ve signed up.  It doesn’t bug you if you haven’t visited the site in a while.  It quietly sits there, ready when you are. Every now and then I remember to send a donation.  There is a facility to do this on the Ringing Room site, but again, it’s a button that quietly sits there, doesn’t shout out at you, doesn’t draw your attention to it, makes no expectation and there’s no pressure.

I was about to make a donation again when I saw a new option – to become a Patron by making a regular contribution.  Being able to donate regularly would be easier for me, so I wouldn’t forget, but also provide the developers with a more regular stream of income to support the platform and future developments.  There were 3 options, £3 per month, £10 per month and £20 per month.  There was still the option to make a one of donation of any amount.  I had no hesitation in supporting the £20 per month option. The value I get out of it is more than worth it.  Patrons would also get access to exclusive voting privileges on new features to be added to the platform. 

There are I don’t know how many thousands of users of Ringing Room now, and if each of them made a small contribution to the upkeep and development of the platform, it would be a small way towards thanking the developers for the extraordinary work they have done in creating Ringing Room.

Some people might think that Ringing Room will have its day once we are able to get back into towers to ring real bells, but I for one fully intend to keep using it, even if its for my own practice.  I don’t think I’m alone in that thought.