UPDATE: Apparently, the worst problems have been fixed for now (though the site still kinda bites). 

I’ve made little secret of my respect for outdoor writer Ted Williams, so it’s a little startling to see this posted on his FR&R blog:

Note to My Blog Readers.

Unfortunately our new website refuses to let me and (some) others post reader comments. This and other (apparently uncorrectable) technical deficiencies have obliged me to cease posting indefinitely. When and if they are corrected I will resume. Sorry about this.

Best,

Ted

Ouch.

I’ll say it out loud; Fly Rod & Reel’s Web site makeover has been an absolute train wreck. It seems to have been designed with only a passing nod to current user interface standards, and though I’ve spent a fair amount of time over there, I’ve never been able to make the thing work.

You know it’s bad when your star attraction quits posting in a fit of technologus interruptus. (And Ted — if you’re interested, I’ll build you a blog that works this weekend. Just say the word).

See, the idea is…

The point of these new Web 2.0 technologies (like this here blog) is they’re supposed to make it easier for people to engage with each other, and yet the FR&R makeover has had the opposite effect.

I don’t mean to beat up on FR&R; they’re a literate, bold magazine, and I’d love to see them survive the fast-approaching publishing upheaval, but it doesn’t help when your online presence pretty much sucks.

The whole fiasco speaks to disconnected management or a Web development company without a clue (or both).

Of course, this plays nicely into the “future of fly fishing online” opinion piece I’ve been pushing around my plate. Be a good time to get that written.

See you online, Tom Chandler.

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