I think the frustrating part for those of us who have been around a long time is that we either must stick with the "new and improved" system or start all over. I have successfully re-adopted my boards and have played around in the system a bit. I personally do not like it -- but my reasons really stem from requiring people to register/sign in each time they want to post a message. A free system should be free -- meaning no dumb signin phase. I am not slamming RW or this new system because as a professional webmaster -- this is a really common part of most BBS systems on the market today -- they all ask for this information. My frustration comes now in deciding whether to keep the new system or find my own BBS. The sad part is that if I decide to find another system that is more to my liking I am asking my visitors to start all over (we have over 5000 queries posted to my county site). I am keeping them from being able to access these county statistics just because I don't like the format/layout and steps required to use the system! It is not a comfortable place being between a rock and a hard spot -- I am sorry that the volunteer is being asked to choose here -- that should never have been done to us. Best Wishes, Carol Hepburn chepburn@qwest.net Phoenix, AZ USA

Carol, You make some interesting points though I would also say that while this may have been feasible back in the days of old for us dinosaurs, in the modern day of UCEers, the vulgar, and the nasty (well maybe just more of them) that having some restraint on posters only is not a bad system. Personally, I truly don't see the login process as burdensome and see that advantages that amass from it as well outweighing any negatives. Also this system IMO allows better management and control for the novice in message boards. Yet while saying that it is still takes a little to get the full appreciation for the process until you have had a really good wander. Of course, I am involved with the system so am not completely unbiased. Plus having been crawling through boards doing some work and cleaning out junk as I wander, I become even more biased <g> that this will be a cleaner less abused system (well very hopeful anyway). Regards Andrew On 24 Jun 2001, at 15:10, Carol Hepburn <chepburn@qwest.net> wrote: > I think the frustrating part for those of us who have been around a long > time is that we either must stick with the "new and improved" system or > start all over. I have successfully re-adopted my boards and have played > around in the system a bit. I personally do not like it -- but my reasons > really stem from requiring people to register/sign in each time they want to > post a message. A free system should be free -- meaning no dumb signin > phase. I am not slamming RW or this new system because as a professional > webmaster -- this is a really common part of most BBS systems on the market > today -- they all ask for this information. > > My frustration comes now in deciding whether to keep the new system or find > my own BBS. The sad part is that if I decide to find another system that is > more to my liking I am asking my visitors to start all over (we have over > 5000 queries posted to my county site). I am keeping them from being able > to access these county statistics just because I don't like the > format/layout and steps required to use the system! It is not a comfortable > place being between a rock and a hard spot -- I am sorry that the volunteer > is being asked to choose here -- that should never have been done to us. > > Best Wishes, > > Carol Hepburn > chepburn@qwest.net > Phoenix, AZ USA > > > > > ============================== > Join the RootsWeb WorldConnect Project: > Linking the world, one GEDCOM at a time. > http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com > -- Andrew Billinghurst <billingh@rootsweb.com> Genealogy mailing lists: http://lists.rootsweb.com/ New Databases (check often): http://searches.rootsweb.com/ Data Submission Form: http://userdb.rootsweb.com/submit.html

Carol, I think you will find after using the boards that they really ARE new and improved. The free system remains free -- you had to "sign in" to be on this list, and it is still free. The boards are no different. You've heard from others what the technical details are. Think about the person who has posted 1000 GenConnect messages on various boards, and then changes email addresses. There really ARE such people -- with GenConnect, their two choices were to respond to all 1000 messages with their updated contact information, or to contact the board admins, and have THEM update the e-addresses, one at a time. With this system, that user merely needs to log in using their old email address, click on My Profile, and update their email. Presto-chango! Their email address has been updated! There is NO way to do this without a maintained database, and that requires a username, email address registration, and a password. Valorie "Carol Hepburn (by way of Elsi )" wrote: > > I think the frustrating part for those of us who have been around a long > time is that we either must stick with the "new and improved" system or > start all over. I have successfully re-adopted my boards and have played > around in the system a bit. I personally do not like it -- but my reasons > really stem from requiring people to register/sign in each time they want to > post a message. A free system should be free -- meaning no dumb signin > phase. I am not slamming RW or this new system because as a professional > webmaster -- this is a really common part of most BBS systems on the market > today -- they all ask for this information. > > My frustration comes now in deciding whether to keep the new system or find > my own BBS. The sad part is that if I decide to find another system that is > more to my liking I am asking my visitors to start all over (we have over > 5000 queries posted to my county site). I am keeping them from being able > to access these county statistics just because I don't like the > format/layout and steps required to use the system! It is not a comfortable > place being between a rock and a hard spot -- I am sorry that the volunteer > is being asked to choose here -- that should never have been done to us.