We now interrupt your regularly scheduled programming ...

... to bring you this message.

A lot of changes over at BookCrossing today. Some are good, I guess - the interactive wishlist, and ... some more potential options ... I suppose these are good things. Could be good things. But personally I could have managed very well without them. And in any case: I deeply resent the fact that these positive changes for winged members (BookCrossing's member-plus program - go here to find out more; the info's under 'general') are being offered at such a huge expense to the non-winged members.

To get the members-plus advantages you either have to pay money for it or someone else has to pay money on your behalf.

Without members-plus, BookCrossers will now find themselves being restricted when it comes to posts on the forum (30 per month, which is NOTHING), personal messages to other members (10 per month - guess they don't want us to communicate with each other) and profile information. I see on the forums that some members may have accidentally deleted all their profile info. :-( Knowing how much time I've spent getting my bookshelf, ie profile, to look the way it does (and I know many others have spent much more time) I can totally relate to how some members feel now after accidentally deleting their entire profile's worth of info. My sympathies to anyone that's happened for. :-(

I just want to go on record with my opinion that this TOTALLY SUCKS. Bad enough that they did it at all. We've been told that the members-plus program only means gains for the winged/plussed members, and not losses for the non-winged members. Well, that's turned out today to be a BIG FAT LIE. Making communication between members so difficult is going to seriously damage the whole BC experience. BookCrossing is more than just reading or releasing - or at least it has been up to now - but management is now actively working against that. Good karma = priceless? My SHINY METAL ASS!!!

OK, so that's bad enough, but I seriously cannot believe that they did all this with no warning. And then Matt's trying to make out that it's a good thing. Do we have the word 'idiot' printed on our foreheads?? >:-(

Aargh ... !! I am so mad right now. I have been a good supporter of BookCrossing for almost a year and a half now, I have wings most of the time, I've bought lots of stuff from the Supply Store, I've registered a lot of books, released quite a few, been active on the forums with rings & rays and some RABCKs, and I've certainly done my share when it comes to OBCZs, meetups, mass releases and that type of thing. I feel like I've made a good effort. Now I'm going to have to pay to make that effort?? Way to inspire me more. >:-( And I am a pretty seasoned member. What is a new member going to think, when they're told that membership is completely free and you can get all the help and info you want on the forums, and then discover this???

AARGH!!!!

We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming. I just had to get this off my chest.