Why User Blogs are a Good Idea

Activeworlds, Inc. recently unveiled a few updates to its official forums. Besides resolving some annoying issues like the blank page that appeared every few pages (no, it wasn't just you), AWI systems administrator Martin also decided to add blogging functionality to the vBulletin software.

Not long after the release Martin chimed in on AWRadio's The Goober Zone, revealing that the blogs were a spontaneous decision between himself and Flagg.

Initially receiving mixed opinions, the blogs have been in use for a few weeks now, so what are we seeing in them? We tend to associate blogging with our real daily lives - but this is Active Worlds. Hence, it's almost confusing to describe the content as it's turning out to be an odd fusion of many topics.

Among the posts, we've found:

Rants - Bound to be present, a number of bloggers have found the space useful for posting their complaints about AWI's community decisions and the like.

Promos - The blogs are accounting for a reduction in GSK's project announcements within the forums. You'll also notice releases such as Gnu64's AW utilities.

Real Life - Like a personal blog, you'll spot of a number of posts about happenings in users' everyday lives.

AW Life - Perhaps most intriguing and appropriate, the blogs offer a place to share one's Active Worlds experiences - something that might not fit anywhere else. Some of the most rich and exciting times are simply exploring worlds and chatting with a friend or two, and now you can share these joys with others. Bach Zhaa has made prominent use of the blogs in this way, posting his stories of exploration along with screen captures.

Once you get past the "silly factor" of everyone having an individual blog on a place where we can already make posts, you'll probably enjoy the unique content. Although Martin and Flagg weren't sure how the community would take to the new feature, they do fill a void: they let people share unusual posts that would seem petty or turn into a flame war in the forums. On top of that, they're fun to read when the forums get slow.

Chances are, you won't treat the blogs as individuals once you start browsing. The handy list of Recent Entries seems to be the best way to take a look at what people are saying.

Some have even mentioned that this is their first time blogging (while for others this is a second or third blog). If you'd like to get to started with your own AW blog, log in to your AW forums account, click Blogs at the top of the page, and click "Post to your Blog." Your blog will be created once you make your first post.