New feature: Blogs

[scott]

Hi All,

Over the years a few members have used the board more like a blog than a discussion board, and for a long time I have wondered how best to address this need.

Well I just finished most of the work for integrating a new blog feature into the forum itself. There are probably still some kinks to work out but I think it is mostly working properly.

If you'd like to have your own blog, first request membership in the new "Bloggers" usergroup. Once you are approved you can start blogging away.

It is a pretty full-featured system. Here are some highlights:

* Weblogs can be created by any member of the board
* Show/Hide certain blocks
* Full posting system with unlimited comments
* Calendar and/or a simple Previous/Forward link to view past entries
* Selectable styles for simple mode, and as a base for the advanced mode.
* 4 Levels of authentication to allow certain people to view their weblog (All viewers, Registered Only, Friends Only, or Weblog Owner)
* 4 Levels of authentication for each individual entry (same levels as above).
* Mood, and Action Icons per entry to specify the mood that the owner is feeling and what he/she is currently doing.
* RSS script for rss feeds.
* HTML and BBCode can be used just like how phpbb uses them.
* Fully functional friends list, that allows you to add a friend and then you'll be able to see all your friend's latest post all on one page.
* Also in the friends page, it will also show who has listed you as a friend ("Friend of...").
* Blocked user list managed by each weblog owner
* Weblog pages will show the "RSS" icon in the bottom right of the window for those using Firefox 1.0PR (for Live Bookmarks)
* You can edit the look and feel of your weblog very easily. Up to 30 options can be changed. This allows styles to be used as a base, where colors and fonts can be changed.
* Customizable simple mode (i.e. choose background colors, add music/background image, etc.)
* Recently updated blogs (by user or by weblog name) on the index.
* Personal shoutbox for each weblog. Allows bbcode and limited html (as per forum settings)
* Permalink for each entry
* Trackback support, for sending/receiving trackback pings
* Picture Uploading - Users can upload pictures (with restrictions on size/height/width), and then they can be placed whereever they want using the BBCode that is generated


Hope you all like it.

Best,
Scott

[rlortie]

Scott,

I just tried opening the new blog site and was told that I had to request membership. This is all well and good, but I can not find the link for the request application.

No big deal for me as I have no idea what a blog is anyway. But maybe it is time I learned.

Another thing, you need to add the word Blog to the spell check dictionary ;-)

Ralph

[scott]

Hi Ralph,
To request membership in a group, click the link in the top navigation area called "Groups." Select the group you'd like to join, in this case "Bloggers," and click "View Information." Then click the button marked "Join group" to request membership in the group.
-Scott

[rlortie]

Thanks Scott, I found it below the private forum list. I do believe I am your first charter member. Now all I have to do is learn what it is all for and how to use it!

Ralph

[pstroud]

Scott,

I signed up and was approved for blogs....

I went to your test blog and posted 2 replied. All was well, no problems.

I went to Ralph's blog and was unable to find a way to post anything. Since there is no subject in his blog, there is nothing to reply to.

Now, this is Ralph's created blog. Does he have to start the subject within his blog for someone to post within it or does he have to approve of others participating? How does it work?

Like Ralph, I have never used blogs either but I understand from your post that it is similar to how we have been using the forum but should be better organized....

Thanks!
Preston.

[ken_behrendt]

Well, at this point I do not really see the need to create a separate "blog" as I am quite satisfied with my ongoing "...Updates" thread in the Community Buzz forum. It sounds somewhat involved and I am trying to keep my life as simple as possible and avoid additional complications whenever possible.

Aside from all of the tweaking the blog might require me to do, I do not see any advantage to it over what I and other members are currently doing. However, I will try to reserve judgement until I see how this new feature is working out. Generally, however, I would prefer not to have to join any subgroups of members in order to access someone's blog information. I think this is one of the reasons the earlier push to stimulate members to start Private Forums failed. Many members, myself included, did not like the potentially exclusive nature of them. If these blogs ever get started, then I think that they could lead to increased tensions between members when one bans another from accessing his blog for whatever reason.

Anyway, good luck with this new feature...


ken

[scott]

Hi Preston,
I appreciate your questions. The new blogs are not objectively better than the usual forums and topics, they are just better suited for the way some people like to use the board. In particular "Ken's latest progress updates" and "Steve's Street" come to mind.

Only you can only post new articles on your own blog. Others can post replies or comments to the articles you've posted. You can choose who may post replies, e.g. anyone, forum members, friends, or no one but you. I would recommend restricting replies to at least forum members, since allowing anonymous guest replies may cause your blog to quickly degenerate into chaos.

If you want a more collaborative blog, you can also specify other members to be contributors to your own blog, which gives them the ability to post new articles as well.

Hope this clears up some of the confusion, but I'm sure there will be more questions.

Best,
Scott

[pstroud]

Scott, Thanks for the clarification!

Ralph, That makes you master of your newly owned blog. I guess you'll need to start a subject so we can make it spin.

Preston.

[scott]

Generally, however, I would prefer not to have to join any subgroups of members in order to access someone's blog information.

The default visibility setting for new blogs is "open to the public," including unregistered guests. However each blogger can decide just how public or private they want their blog to be. E.g. since your "Latest progress updates" topic is in Community Buzz, you can make your blog visible to registered users only. Likewise, you also have total control over who may post replies on your blog.

The new "Bloggers" group is just to allow me a modicum of control over who may start a new blog.

Scott

[ken_behrendt]

Scott...

Well, your explanation about the blog format has done something to calm my apprehensions about it. Of course, if I do start one, then I would make it open to everybody including non-members. And they would be free to directly post information on it. If there was a "descent into chaos" then I could function as a kind of sub-Administrator to ban those that I deem responsible from future postings. Generally, however, someone would have to act like a real jackass to get me to do something like that. I value diversity of opinion just so long as it is made in a serious manner.

Now my next question is how are these blogs to be advertised to the newcomer to this Discussion Board. For example, I just clicked on the main Forum Index page and the existence of these Blogs is not immediately obvious. It would be nice, I think, if, when a newcomer chances upon this Discussion Board, he would immediately see some notice somewhere that said "Here are the member's Blogs" so he could then read those that are Open to non-members. If this can not be done, then the existence of these blogs might be missed by the majority of non-member first time visitors who, if they could access them, might be simulated to join the membership so that they also could start their own blog.

Well, this sounds complicated, but, maybe, in time it will all work out and become a standard feature here. For the moment, however, I think I'll continue to sit on the fence and see which way the wind is blowing...


ken

[rlortie]

Scott,

When I click on 'Blogs" there are two, one is Labeled rlortie's blog and the other "Your Blog" both contain my first entry. Is this normal or does one of these need to be eliminated?

Ralph

[scott]

Well, your explanation about the blog format has done something to calm my apprehensions about it.

I'm very glad to hear it.

Of course, if I do start one, then I would make it open to everybody including non-members. And they would be free to directly post information on it.

Well, just so we are clear, your current "Latest progress updates" thread is in the Community Buzz forum, which means it is only visible to forum members. Also, only registered members are allowed to post anywhere on the forum. We came to this decision a couple of years ago after going through *a lot* of turmoil caused by anonymous guest posters.

If there was a "descent into chaos" then I could function as a kind of sub-Administrator to ban those that I deem responsible from future postings.

Remember, you can only ban a registered member. For anonymous guest posters, there is no accountability at all.

Now my next question is how are these blogs to be advertised to the newcomer to this Discussion Board...

I will see what I can do here.

Thanks,
Scott

[scott]

When I click on 'Blogs" there are two, one is Labeled rlortie's blog and the other "Your Blog" both contain my first entry. Is this normal or does one of these need to be eliminated?

This is just the current behavior. Both links go to the same blog. Your own blog is handled as a special case in that list while you are logged in, as a convenience. If you are logged in and have a blog, a "My Blog" link appears at the top of the list. After that follows the regular list of blogs that everyone else sees (including your own again). If this is too confusing I can look into changing it.

Thanks,
Scott

[John Collins]

Total respect to you Scott, for providing such an excellent service, but for me the blogs are a step too far. I view Ken's potential blog with considerable trepidation, bearing in mind his tendency to literary diarrhea, (no disrespect intended Ken) and will probably end up by not reading it. The same goes for other blogs as, to me, they simply provide another portal for the same as we already have. I think the same thing will happen as seems to have occurred with the private forums, and they will eventually fade and die.

For me the problem lies in the amount of time which is taken up each day, in reading the current postings and possibly responding to one or more of them. Having to read the blogs as well will eat into my time and I'm 61 already and time is precious!

John Collins

[scott]

Hi John, thanks for your kind remarks.

But to be honest your post had me thinking "deja vu all over again!" :-)
http://www.besslerwheel.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=441

My goal here is and has always been to provide a service; to enable communication on a subject that otherwise probably would not have happened. I don't care if that communication is between 2 people, 3 people, 10 people, or the whole world. Whatever. When it comes to solving this problem I want to help out in whatever way I can.

And I do think that communication and community will ultimately be the key.

I also understand your trepidation. A change from the norm is never easy. Of course I could be wrong, but I think that this is the right direction for the web site at this point:

Best case: it expands the capabilities of BesslerWheel.com as a communication tool for bringing people together around Bessler and free energy ideas.

Worst case: it dies on the vine.

Either way is ok with me.

Best,
Scott