Earlier this year, Roots and Recall began requiring users to login, thus becoming a R&R member. Frankly, this was something founders, Rusty Robinson and I didn’t want, but were assured, it would make R&R safer, ultimately “serious” users would return, members would provide increased financial support, and the website’s outstanding internet rankings wouldn’t suffer. These have come true, R&R has so much for which to be thankful – you, our members and supporters!
The goal in rethinking Roots and Recall’s platform was to provide members an enhanced website experience, not just provide bursts of historic information. We wanted to attract and define an audience who truly appreciates local history, family stories, building traditions, and old houses. Thus, we began requiring memberships and initiating improvements such as: the monthly feature articles, showcasing a special R&R page, and implemented other changes. Some of these we know you have noticed such as: posting GPS coordinates, increased linking of pages via Threads, expanded geographic coverage, a forum to help with research, and tons of additional historic images! As a result of login requirements, the number of individuals randomly using the website has frankly plummeted! But, on a positive note, this has resulted in a large membership base who uses the website more intensely as well as new scholars providing information, updating addresses, sharing great images, and offering constructive input. Though we want everyone to freely use R&R, one of our long-term goals has always been, to attract an audience that engages in actively using the website, not just looking at a page or two. We are pleased to report that after just six months, members now routinely access nearly three times as many pages as did non-members. This goal has been met with overwhelming success!
Another positive result of having implemented memberships, has been working with R&R’s outstanding group of contributing authors, who continue providing interesting articles, images and insights!
Thank you for becoming a R&R member and for many of you opening your wallets in 2017. Members financial support has helped to stimulate so many constructive engagements – resulting in our ability to better engage R&R’s audience. Did you know, that in the last 60 days of 2017, over 4,000 images, postcards, an early 20th century store ledger, and numerous publications have been donated for preservation and display? Many arrived digitally but several thousand important images, had to be digitized remotely, requiring travel expenses. Your financial support facilitated our ability to more easily respond and preserve these collections!
Once again, we sincerely thank you for your interest in preservation and hope that you will look carefully at what you too have worthy of sharing on the pages of Roots and Recall.
A R&R Note: In the coming days, expect to receive, short emails from R&R sharing new and updates pages, pertaining to your specified sphere of designated influence. Oh, what will 2018 bring to advance preservation on the pages of R&R.com?