A Brief History
Over the roughly eight years (1996-2004) that it was maintained, Britlinks aimed to provide a comprehensive web based resource for Christians involved in British and Irish music. It sought common ground between those who would uncritically import a US-style 'CCM' scene to the British Isles, and those who wanted to entirely blend into the mainstream music scene.
There are many reasons why that US approach is not an appropriate approach for British Christians to take in their relationships with the music industry, but there are also good reasons for Christians who are musicians to connect with one another, just as in any other area of employment and interest.
In the attempt to find that common ground, the site broke new ground with its use of web standards (it was one of the earliest sites of its size to be developed with structure in valid XHTML and layout specified using CSS) and technologies that were innovative at the time, but which have since become mainstream, such as RSS for news syndication.
Britlinks was a regular draw for a large number of visitors over the years in which it was regularly updated. Email lists brought news and concert dates to thousands of subscribers, and the site was often referenced (and sometimes plagiarised) by other publications.
Ultimately, however, there was not sufficient support available to continue maintaining and updating the site. As pressures on my time increased and few others emerged who shared the site's vision and had the time to commit, the site foundered. It is preserved here as a resource, but naturally I cannot guarantee that the information is up to date.
For those who are still seeking the community that this site was an effort to support, I would highly recommend attending Greenbelt. If anyone would like to flatter me by following my new activities, I can be found on twitter and very occasionally maintain a blog.
James Stewart
Britlinks founder, developer, and editor