{"id":4399214,"date":"2021-10-05T18:56:47","date_gmt":"2021-10-05T18:56:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mistservices.co.uk\/timetabling\/?p=4399214"},"modified":"2021-10-15T11:17:25","modified_gmt":"2021-10-15T11:17:25","slug":"start_blog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mistservices.co.uk\/timetabling\/start_blog\/","title":{"rendered":"Starting a timetabling blog"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; admin_label=&#8221;Blog Hero&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.10.6&#8243; background_color=&#8221;#00AEEF&#8221; use_background_color_gradient=&#8221;on&#8221; background_color_gradient_start=&#8221;rgba(0,0,0,0)&#8221; background_color_gradient_end=&#8221;rgba(0,0,0,0)&#8221; background_blend=&#8221;multiply&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;19px|0px|18px|0px||&#8221; animation_style=&#8221;slide&#8221; animation_direction=&#8221;top&#8221; animation_intensity_slide=&#8221;2%&#8221; locked=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;3.25&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;|||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;27px|0px|27px|0px&#8221; custom_width_px=&#8221;1280px&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;3.25&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.10.6&#8243; text_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; header_font=&#8221;|700|||||||&#8221; header_text_color=&#8221;#FFFFFF&#8221; header_font_size=&#8221;42px&#8221; header_line_height=&#8221;1.3em&#8221; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; text_orientation=&#8221;center&#8221; background_layout=&#8221;dark&#8221; max_width=&#8221;530px&#8221; module_alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; header_font_size_tablet=&#8221;&#8221; header_font_size_phone=&#8221;&#8221; header_font_size_last_edited=&#8221;on|desktop&#8221; locked=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h1>MIST Services should have a blog people have said.<\/h1>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.10.6&#8243; text_text_color=&#8221;#FFFFFF&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;16px&#8221; text_line_height=&#8221;1.9em&#8221; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; text_orientation=&#8221;center&#8221; max_width=&#8221;540px&#8221; module_alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; locked=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0Well today I\u2019m going to take the plunge and say \u2018Yes\u2019 let\u2019s do it.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m going into the unknown here, so any thoughts and comments are welcome \u2013 just email <a href=\"mailto:mist@mistservices.co.uk\">mist@mistservices.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.10.6&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;17px||14px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.10.6&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.10.6&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.10.6&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;#000000&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p>For those who don&#8217;t me I&#8217;m Chris Knights-Branch and I founded MIST Services in 2008.\u00a0 I&#8217;m the gentleman in the photograph above and if I started this blog in 2008 I would have had hair!\u00a0 I might do a back story to MIST Services on who we are and why the name in a blog, but for now put it simply we do everything timetabling!<\/p>\n<p>Although social in &#8216;person&#8217;, MIST has been less social on-line over the years but 2021 we are looking to change that.<\/p>\n<p>If you want to follow us on this journey then please:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Follow this blog<\/li>\n<li>Follow on Twitter (#mistservices)<\/li>\n<li>Subscribe to us on YouTube <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCGzrTtmQAAKSKKHCzcGbP8A\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>But really importantly if you have any particular topics, you would like us to cover then just let us know.\u00a0 Whether it\u2019s curriculum design, generating option blocks, scheduling, something in the news just let us know \u2013 as we say we do \u2018Everything timetabling\u2019.\u00a0 Doesn\u2019t matter if its software related or not, please just ask.<\/p>\n<p><strong>But where do I start?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When I used to meet new people outside of work, people often asked \u2018what do you do for a living\u2019?<\/p>\n<p>My response was along the lines of \u2018I work with school leaders helping them create their timetables\u2019.\u00a0 To which many people replied with \u2018but don\u2019t they have software that can do all of that for them\u2019!\u00a0 The more I tried to justify my job, the deeper the hole I was digging for myself, and I was met with more questions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Why don\u2019t they use last years timetable?<\/li>\n<li>Why do people need your help?<\/li>\n<li>Isn\u2019t it just a big Sudoku puzzle?<\/li>\n<li>Isn\u2019t timetabling just a data entry job?<\/li>\n<li>Do you need to be a mathematical genius?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>At times I wish I replied with \u2018I\u2019m a plumber\u2019, but never did just in case they needed a job doing!<\/p>\n<p>Anyway, what topic to start off with?\u00a0 In my mind it can only be<strong> \u2018Can software generate the school timetable\u2019<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Keep tuned and I&#8217;ll post our first article on that exact question.<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>MIST Services should have a blog people have said.\u00a0Well today I\u2019m going to take the plunge and say \u2018Yes\u2019 let\u2019s do it. I\u2019m going into the unknown here, so any thoughts and comments are welcome \u2013 just email mist@mistservices.co.ukFor those who don&#8217;t me I&#8217;m Chris Knights-Branch and I founded MIST Services in 2008.\u00a0 I&#8217;m the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4399266,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[46,19,47,18,45],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\r\n<title>Starting a timetabling blog - MIST Services - Everything Timetabling<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"AT MIST Services with do everything timetabling. 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