We’re very aware that the nav at the top must look a bit odd to those of you not in London or Boston. Why just those two cities? And for so long?

The plan was always to launch local sections in other cities and regions. We’ve been holding back until now, seeing what works and what doesn’t. But changes are a-coming.

Before the summer is too old, more local hubs should start appearing. Who, when, what, where is still to be decided, but will depend to some extent on user feedback (more on that in a future post).

As well as adding more hubs, we’ll also be changing what you get on them. Events and jobs should be relatively unchanged. The news section will be radically altered (again, more on that soon).

Local groups and forums – that’s an interesting one. These will probably be disbanded as, frankly, few people are using them. Instead, each city will have a big, prominent forum on the local homepage, where you can chat about any local science issues you like – upcoming events, equipment exchange, good pubs near your institution. Anything.

I just started a precursor for that forum. It’d be wonderful if everyone reading this could just pop over and ask a question, or answer someone else’s to get the ball rolling. Go on, don’t be shy. This will then become the One Forum To Rule Them All, when we change to the new-look hubs.

That’s the plan, anyway. We’re open to any suggestions. What would you really like to see at the local level?