On January 21st 2010, Ostomyland will be celebrating it’s 12th birthday. To celebrate this event, I’ll be launching version 2 of the Ostomyland Wicked Wiki. The original Ostomyland wiki launched approximately 3 years ago, and was the first and only wiki dedicated to Ostomy subjects (I believe this is still the only one!), and just like all wiki’s content could be added and edited by you, the Oland readers.

Version 2 of the Wiki brings a software upgrade with lots of new features and ease of use-updates included, and  a brand new graphical design which makes the whole wiki far more appealing to look at, and less clinical than the current one. Also, there is a major content update which will see v2 of the wiki launching with over 250 pages of ostomy-related material which is an increase of approximately 75 pages over the current wiki.

The new wiki is now in final testing and the last few pages of new content is being added and edited. But even with the launch, the wiki will be an ever evolving feature with new content forever being added to it. In the meantime you can find the existing wiki here, and as a sneak peak of the new wiki, here’s a few screen shots to whet your appetite…

Fig1	Fig2

Fig3

Key:
Fig. 1 = The new wiki’s homepage
Fig. 2 = A sample page from the new wiki
Fig. 3 = The content categories covered in the wiki

I’d just like to take this opportunity to wish all our members and visitors a very Merry Christmas and a happy, prosperous and a hopefully as-healthy-as-possible New Year.

As a special thank you to all our members for their support and friendship over the last year, I’d like to offer you this Christmas gift of an Ostomyland Christmas screensaver. It’s a 1.15MB download, and works on Windows (unfortunately I dont have the system or software to create Linux or Mac screensavers). It comes with an uninstall system too if you should wish to remove it after it’s been installed, and it also has a built in RSS Reader to bring you the latest Oland website and board postings direct to your screensaver.

You can download the screensaver from here:
http://www.ostomyland.org/xmas2009ss/oland_xmas2009.exe

And if you wish to preview the SS before downloading you can see a video of it running here:
http://www.screentoaster.com/watch/stU0NdREBIR19fQ1pfWV9dU1ZX

Merry Christmas one and all. I look forward to seeing you all in the New Year.

Best Christmas Wishes,

Jason.

The winter 2009 edition of the Salts Medilink Linkline magazine is hitting doormats around the UK at the moment. A free magazine published on behalf of the UK company, Salts, this edition of the magazine features 12 pages of Salts products promotions and stories and news from the Ostomy world.

Features in this issue include:
The Stuff of Legends
News from the Branches
Salts Brothers in Cook-Off
Take a break with Breakaway
…and lots more.

The magazine is available free to all Salts mailing list members, and is also available to UK ostomates by phoning the Salts customer care team on 0800 626388

The Ostomy Lifestyle’s (UK Based Ostomy Support Charity) Ostomy Awards 2009 winners have started to be announced.

I’d like to offer all the winners my very hearty congratulations, and I’m certain they will all be excellent ambassadors for the Ostomy world in their respective specialised areas. I’d especially like to congratulate Robert Azevedo Gilbert, (Chairman and founder, Inside Out Stoma Support Group) especially heartily as he has won the award that myself, O-land favourite Jules Bastin, and Barbara Andrews were nominated for. So congrats to him! Robert is a VERY deserved winner.

For More Information:
http://www.ostomyawards.org
http://www.ostomylifestyle.org.uk/