Mar 16 2007
AAR Has Gone Crazy
All About Romance has been having technical difficulties with its message board system. The decision has been made to move from the rolling message board that needed no registration to a more traditional message board system. Instead of one board, however, AAR will now have 7 boards and for each board, you will have to register. Log in and register.
- http://aarboards.com/atbfboard
- http://aarboards.com/reviewsboard
- http://aarboards.com/rtrboard
- http://aarboards.com/potpourriboard
- http://aarboards.com/writersboard
- http://aarboards.com/entertainmentboard
- http://aarboards.com/hobbiesboard
This is sad because as great of a resource as AAR is, much of its vibrancy was the result of the reader to reader communication. The requirement to log in to several different boards to comment is, well, crazy. We are lazy, lazy people. I don’t like to sign in and register for one board let alone 7 different ones. This may be the impetus for me to set up an easy to use message board here at DearAuthor for readers. WordPress has a companion message board that is clean and easy to use. I’ll have to look into it.
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Mar 16, 2007 @ 13:17:29
WordPress does? Hmm, interesting. I’ll have to check into that myself. That might be the answer for Reader Network. I’d really rather have a board there and limited bloggers, which is why I’ve been dragging my feet on it. That and other things in my life interfering lately.
As to adding a board here, I don’t necessarily think it’s something one has to do just because of any lack elsewhere. For one thing, I’m not sure there would be a lack. Do it because you want to, have the time and it’s the right decision for you. Besides, sometimes AAR just does weird things. In an odd way it works for them. Except when it doesn’t. ;p
Mar 16, 2007 @ 13:17:49
I like the idea of a more updated board from them, because it’s always frustrated me that threads get buried so quickly, rather than being bumped back to the top as they’re commented on.
It looks like Laurie got the idea that registering for each board was a bit much:
I usually cruise past AAR once a day to see what’s being commented on, and I will be interested to see how the transition works out. Like I said, I think it will be nice to have topics bumped back up. The old format of the board was not something I ever quite understood, though I’m sure there was a reason for it!
Mar 16, 2007 @ 13:19:48
Angie W – I love the idea of new boards but to have to register for all of them seems way crazy. I’ll take a wait and see approach like you.
BevBB – It is BBPress and i like it because its very clean and easy to use. Loads fast. But it does require registration to post which I am not a fan of.
Mar 17, 2007 @ 09:39:19
Actually, I’m really excited about the change, now that I know that they’re going to consolidate the boards. Being able to see ALL the boards at once — as individual subforums on the same board — will ultimately reinvigorate discussion at AAR, I’m thinking. Now older discussions won’t disappear entirely; people will be able to contact each other via PM; everyone will be able to post under a particular, reserved username; and there will be space for conversations about movies, tv shows, etc. Yeah, I’m jazzed!
Mar 17, 2007 @ 13:13:42
Please do consider starting a board here, one with a broad focus, romance–all types of romance, readers, writers, industry and commentary folk. Some people love AAR but it’s never appealled to me.