SITE CHANGES... and more

UPDATED 7.24.2012:

NEW UPDATES 7.24

Hey all,

Some of you had encountered intermittent problems posting blogs and comments -- the text boxes and editing buttons were not appearing and, we suspect, the page looked kind of funky; we believe all of you experiencing this problem were using Internet Explorer and, probably, an older version. We have fixed the problem. You should not experience it again. So, hooray!

We have a new "chat" function, which loads quicker, and works better. One of the biggest improvements is that your chats are now saved! To get to them, go to youngwritersproject.org/drupalchat/messages (you need to be logged in)... click on the username with whom you were chatting to see the full chat. NOTE: The functionality of this will be changing a bit, we'll alert you.

One challenge with the chat function right now, is that the "mute" button is hiding. When you bring up the chat window, there is a bar right below "chat" and right above "public chatroom." Just to the left of the indicator circle (showing whether you are available or not) is an empty square. That is the invisible mute button; click in that area and it mutes the sound indicator. It will soon have a little image of speaker on it, the universal symbol for "toggle volume." 

Also, we have resolved the sizing issue with profile pictures--these should be resolved, all profile pictures now have a maximum size of 200 pixels wide. Some of you will note that your picture is avatar size. You can reload a LARGER version (no limit) if you'd like it to appear larger on your profile page.

As usual, let us know what you think!

dd & gg

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Hi folks.

I re-entered the online world this morning (between vacation stops at places without a computer or internet access) and fixed something that had annoyed me and a few things that annoyed you:

• You will note that MESSAGES has disappeared from the toolbar. There was a mixed reaction to that, so state your feelings below if you feel strongly about having it there or NOT having it there...
• More importantly, I fixed the tab on your profile page so that a) it tells you whether you have a new message and b) contains a link to include "write new message."
• Also, when you log in you'll see "you have x unread messages" which is a link to your messages page.
• RE: Where's My Blog? and/or I Just Want To Read Someone Else's Blog ... Your "Blog" is now visible through the new tab that is on your profile page ("Posts" tab is gone)... and if you go to someone else's profile and click the "Blog" tab OR click to the link to their blog at the bottom of one of their posts, you can get to their blogs...
• I added a new view of your recent comments to the center of your profile page.

AND you will note that when you login, you will be taken to the front page, not your profile page.

cheerio, off to Quebec City...

gg

And I'm back. Awesome food. Amazing exhibit of Women Surrealist Artists. Monstrous walks and lots of French. ...

UPDATE: If you wish to receive emails when you get a comment on one of your posts, edit your account (via the profile page) and make sure the "autosuscribe" box is checked (near the bottom) and then save. This will work on NEW posts that you make.

The changes so far:

• July 3:
  • NEW PROFILE PAGE! You should be able to go to your profile page (click on Hello [username] in upper right after you log in.) And click the "edit" and the "user profile" and fill out whatever you'd like to share. NOTE: In the "About Me" part be general, but interesting. Try not to identify yourself; the other users can see this. Upload a new larger You can add a lot of other material about yourselves, though. have fun.
  • NEW CONNECT Page... You'll see a new feature that allows you to post 500-character items -- stories, rants, ideas, whatever and then add to them by commenting below them. ALSO you can add to others' ideas by commenting on their posts. Try it out.
  • The OLD SHOUTBOX 6-word story is back in a block on the right sidebar
• July 2:
  • More options with the TOOLBAR at top: This is where you now log in; READ link  has expanded options; "Recommended" list to grow through loves by mentors, administrators and uber-users
  • Collapsible right sidebar blocks.
  • Revised left sidebar. Hint: The left side is on the right and some of it will be going soon. We're reducing the options before we say goodbye to it. (Use toolbar at the top)
  • New LOVE system. Yes, we have a love lost situation here. Different set up; old loves gone. Now you have Blue Love; love a piece as you always have ... NEW: You can see who has loved your or someone else's  post (click title and tab "Loved By") AND click the Link "My Loves" on right sidebar in the block with your username as title (soon to be on your profile page) will let you see what you've loved ... Also, you get an email as soon as you receive a love. (If you don't please let us know...)
  • NOTE: PLEASE UPDATE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESSES TO YOUR HOME ADDRESSES NOT YOUR SCHOOL ADDRESSES. THANKS THANKS THANKS!
  • New notifications and ability to follow folks. Sorry, you are going to have to redo who you had been following, and we need some testers to see if you are, in fact, getting emails...
  •  
• New code throughout. (I know, yawn, yawn, but it's what makes this thing work so I love it!)
• New rich text editor when you post -- cleaner, works better AND has option of choosing Spell check as you type.
• New blog creation form -- cleaner with better order.
• REQUIRED genre tag choice. (I know this will annoy you, but, like the doctor says, you'll thank us ...
• New HTML5 audio player (will work on iThingies)
• Temporary retirement of direct records. We think we preserved all of them and reuploaded them as mp3, but let us know if you "lost" yours; we can retrieve from server and repost for you. Give us the url of post where it is missing.
• CHAT. OMG, LOL or HMHYWPLIM? (Holy Mackerel Has YWP Lost Its Mind?) This gives you a fifth way to communicate with each other -- Comment (the best), Love, Contact (in user profile and you can send an email), Message (send a private message) and now, CHAT. You can see it in lower right of your screen. This is a LIVE CHAT, meaning it vaporizes when you log out. I know, not the same as that other social media site, Pacemook, but we kinda like it this way. There is the option to chat with a specific (online) user, or send a "public" chat, that any users currently online can see. 
• Toolbar on top. We will be drastically altering (reducing) the links to go to a simpler cleaner approach. You can use the WRITE to create a blog, which will soon become the only content type. You can use READ to explore, but right now it only brings up the DAILY READS.
• MORE CHANGES COMING based on your surveys, the work of an active bunch of folks who came to our brainstorming session and have been working on our development site. Among the changes:
  • Enhanced organization around genres
  • and more...

THANKS TO ALL OF YOU and let us know in comments below what you think of the changes and what you hope for...

cheerio

gg (geoff gevalt) & dd (doug demaio)

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