The Garden Writers Discussion Board

So this weekend at the Garden Writers Association conference, the association's new website was 'unveiled' after 18 months of planning and design by the website committee.  It's not live yet, but we've already heard about one thing it doesn't have:  a discussion board for members.  This news resulted in groans from members who want some other way to communicate besides the (paper!) newsletters that GWA mails out. 

Maybe in the next version, we were told.  If they can find room for it in the budget.

I know I'm a techie lightweight, but I'm just not up on the kind of technology that takes a long time to implement and costs a lot of money.  I'm only acquainted with the fast and free variety.

So in the garden blogger session, I told the audience that GardenRant would launch a discussion board for garden writers.  I got home Sunday night, spent a few hours setting it up, and tested it yesterday.  And here it is--very much in beta, but live.  Check it out here.

This board is open to anybody who calls themselves a garden writer, including, of course, bloggers.  It's a place to talk shop about the profession of garden writing, but GWA membership is not a requirement.

We're just putting this out there as a free and easy way for garden writers and photographers to communicate.  I know there's already a garden writers listserv and a forum on GardenWeb devoted to garden writing, and this isn't intended to replace anything that's already out there.  But I think discussion boards have certain advantages--they're easy to read, it's nice to have more or less permanent forum topics to browse, and of course you can read it online or subscribe via email or RSS. 

So please--help us spread the word by re-posting this on your own blog or emailing your garden writer friends.  Because this is a private board, it won't turn up in Google searches.  So the only way people will know about it is through word of mouth.

After the jump, a step-by-step explanation for joining the board.

How to Join the Garden Writers Discussion Board:

1.  Visit gardenwriters.yuku.com.  If that doesn't work for some reason, try going straight to the login page:  http://gardenwriters.yuku.com/login/loginnow/Login-to-Yuku.html.  I'm showing you the URL for both of these so you can also type the link in manually if you need to.

2.  Sign up for an account by following the "Create a New Profile Here" link.

3.  You'll be directed to a screen that asks you if you want to see if you have any friends on Yuku. Forget about that for now.  Just hit the Later button at the bottom of the screen.

The next page will say "Getting Started Guide" at the top.  Also at the top it says "Back to Garden Writers."  Click that link. 

If you don't see that link or if you get lost somehow, after you've created your Yuku account you should just be able to go to gardenwriters.yuku.com again and you'll be right where you need to be for this next step.

4.  Here you'll be prompted to write a few words about yourself that would somehow prove that you're a garden writer.  A link to your blog, website, newspaper column, published book, etc. would be most helpful. But just give us something short and simple that lets us know that you're a garden writer and not a spammer.

5.  We will approve you just as soon as we can--hopefully within 24 hours. Once you're approved, you'll get an email from Yuku (oh, happy day!) and you'll need to click on that validation link to be approved.  If you have a tough spam filter, make sure it allows emails from yuku.com.  And if you don't get that email, just try coming on back to the board in a day or two and logging in.

Now you can start reading and posting!  Start with the 'About the Garden Writers' section at the top for some introductory information.

Questions? Problems?  Issues?  If you can't go there, post a comment here.

One follow-up:  someone wanted to know why a birthdate was required to sign up.  That's Yuku's way of preventing spammers--not my requirement, but theirs.  Many services now require birthdates.  I use a fake birthdate, and you can, too.  Just make sure it's one you can remember (and one that makes you seem a little younger!).  In fact, for most "personal questions," I give fake answers that I can remember but that cannot be easily guessed by someone else.

Comments

[Robin Wedewer]

Despite everything I say about HGTV, I'm not one to throw stones. But if GWA is going to upgrade its website, it seems that connecting members must be a priority and a discussion board is the way to do it. Shame on them for making something simple sound so hard.

Robin Wedewer
National Gardening Examiner
(and chicken lover)

[Robin Wedewer]

The links to join aren't working.

R

[Jessica Damiano]

Nicely done, Amy.

[Amy Stewart]

Thanks! Looks like Robin's glitch (mentioned in comments above) is un-glitched, but I added a little more to the instructions in case somebody else has problems.

I'm still testing things out, so if you have a problem signing up, re-read the instructions and failing that, post a comment here and I'll look into it.

[Amy Stewart]

Another update: I've approved 20 members so far. If you applied and didn't get an email back, it might have gone astray or gotten stuck in your spam filter. Try visiting the board, signing in, and posting something--you're probably all set!

[TC]

I have a feeling our organization is biased against garden writers who're also bloggers. I think I'll do a little investigative reporting and make a few phone calls. I want to know first hand why they didn't include a discussion board on OUR new Web site.

[Christopher C NC]

I don’t know much at all about the GWA and nothing about their inner workings. I am not computer genius either. Amy comes home after the conference and sets up a discussion board in the blink of an eye with the fast and free stuff after hearing that the GWA’s new website is still not live after eighteen months of work and won’t have a discussion board.

This is a thought you may want to consider. Sure the technology exists for the fast and free stuff. You can’t just set it up and walk away though. Someone will have to maintain and monitor the discussion board and keep it running when tempers flare and the technology crashes. Maybe the GWA did not have anyone willing to put in the time required to do this.

Amy it’s your baby now. Are you going to raise this child all by yourself?

Now I will go over and sign up. I’m a garden writer too, ya know. I’s been paid real money for articles and photographs printed in Asheville, NC’s Mountain Xpress weekly paper. I even blog like a garden writer.

[Amy Stewart]

Thanks, Christopher! You're right--fast and free isn't always ideal--all free services have their downsides--but I figure it's better than nothing.

Once you get into the discussion board, you'll see my "about" post where I say that we're not going to police the board. I'll log in every day or two and approve new members, and maybe talk one of my partners-in-crime into covering for me if I'm out of computer range, but I don't intend to babysit it.

And if the technology crashes--well, it's not my technology. I can't control it or fix it. It would be like if TypePad crashed or Firefox stopped working. I'd just wait it out.

[Christopher C NC]

Smart women. When it's not your computers fault that things crashed, just wait.

[Rich Pomerantz]

Amy, you are so cool. Thanks for doing this.

[greg draiss]

Sounds like GWA is getting very corporate. I was a member for a year and found no benefit. More fun in the blogosphere anyway

The(TROLL)

[Daniel Mount]

Amy, thanks for setting up the discussion board and for your lively and inspired part on the garden bloggers panel at GWA Symposium. I'm re-awakened to the value of blogging. Daniel

[Graham Rice]

Thank you, Amy. I hope this will prove to be a venue where writers can talk with each other about the nitty-gritty of garden writing - rates, rights, the behaviour (good and bad) of publishers, professional and creative editor, intransigent and uncommunicating editors etc - and not plant IDs and opinions on the latest gadget.

[commonweeder]

Once again the Ranters come through. thanks Amy. I'm going to head on over. It will be wonderful when I can get DSL at home (another 6 weeks Verizon says) and I'll be able to make more use of what GWA and you have to offer. Many thanks.

[Scott Calhoun]

Great work Amy. I'm glad someone is dragging the GWA toward web 2.0! It was great meeting you. I'll post a photo of you in your orange leather jacket soon.

[greg draiss]

I love leather.
same one you wore in Chicago?

the TROLL

[Duncan Brine/ Garden Large]

Down boys.
Click elsewhere for a leather scene.
Back to your bridge troll.

[Therese Ciesinski]

Wow, Amy, no grass grows under your feet! You weren't kidding that morning at GWA when you said you'd start a board.

Thanks for setting it up; I just joined and am looking forward to some interesting conversations. I'll pass the word along about it.

It was great meeting you in Portland!

[Germi]

I tried 10 times to create a profile - no go. It seems the first name "Ivette" has too many numbers and spaces in it - ???

Boo! I want to commune with garden writers!

[Amy Stewart]

Yeah, you do have to create a unique user name that isn't already taken by a Yuku user--I was able to get AmyStewart, but if you don't want to use your full name, or if that's already taken, you can try something like AmyinEureka or AmyWriter or something like that. Hope that helps. Like a lot of these kind of communities, everybody has to have a unique user name.

[Kathy O]

Amy, I tried to join the garden writers discussion group on Friday. I haven't heard back. Did I screw up?

[Amy Stewart]

Probably not--the email might have gotten stuck in your spam filter. Have you tried to just go back to the board and log in?

[maxjimbk]

Hi guys,

I am new to this forum www.gardenrant.com and hope that somebody can
give me an advice on the forex market - I am looking for an introduction
for noobs. I have already some knowledge about shares. (Hope "The Garden Writers Discussion Board" is the right category.)

I have the expectation that the recent turbulences in the forex exchange promise
quick and easy money not only for the experts. Help is so much appreciated.

Thanks,
Max

[maxjimbk]

Hi guys,

I recently registered to this forum www.gardenrant.com and hope that anybody can
help me with the forex - I am looking for an introduction
for noobs. I have already some knowledge about shares. (Hope "The Garden Writers Discussion Board" is the right category.)

I have the big hope that the recent turbulences in the forex exchange promise
quick and easy money not only for the experts. Any help is so much appreciated.

Thanks,
Max

[adult personals]

alright i see the big picture.