2 posts tagged “commenting”
When Team Vox isn't busy making elaborate jokes involving candy, shamelessly exploiting the office dogs to win Webby Awards votes and popping over to Honolulu for Vox user meetups, we actually do get a lot of real work done around here. Here's what's new for you today:
[comments are good]
We've
heard your feedback that you want more open commenting, and today we're
releasing the very first step in making that happen. Now an
unregistered commenter can type up their comment and when they click to
post it, they'll be taken to a streamlined version of our registration
form. They'll still have to register, but hopefully this setup will
make it easier.
This is the first step in a longer plan we're working on to make commenting more open, while trying to keep control over comment spam and avoid some of the downsides of anonymous commenting. More details to come!
Post and Asset Links
You'll
notice we shuffled the links around your posts and assets. When you're
viewing your own blog, your admin links (the links only you can use or
see - such as edit, add to group and delete) have been moved to their
own line, separated to show they are not part of the post itself.
Links for readers, such as comment and share, have been moved to the
bottom of the post.
Growing Groups
We've added RSS subscription links for groups, so your feed reader can stay up to date on when new posts are added. Just scroll down to the bottom of any group's home page to find it.
Another addition to the groups home page is excerpts of all the latest posts. We hope this gives you a quick way to skim some of the latest updates, and also a nice way to preview a group before you decide to join.
New Themes
You asked for it, and
you got it: a few themes for new moms and moms-to-be! We've also added the
much-anticipated winning designs from the French banner contest.
New in Beta: Blog Home Dashboard
For those of you who have opted in to be beta testers, there are new changes for you to test drive.
There's a new dashboard module on Vox Home and on your own blog as you are viewing it. It's a dashboard that includes the QotD, a few handy links and some tips about new features. Our stats show that many of you enter the site through your blog, so this dashboard is meant to give you a snapshot of Vox Home right from your own blog. The dashboard is only visible by you (visitors will never see it) and you can collapse it by clicking the Hide button.
This same dashboard is reflected on Vox Home, which means that the columns (including QotD and Vox Hunt) have been swapped. This is just phase one of the feature, and we’re planning on adding more editing controls going forward.
Just as you saw with the navigation strip, your feedback will help us evolve this feature before it's launched to the entire site. Give it a spin and let us know what you think via the Feedback link. If you want to opt in to beta testing, follow these instructions.
Feedback
Remember, the best way to tell us your feedback is by following the Feedback link.
-- Mena
P.S. Don't forget to vote! :)
A while ago, Voxer and friend of Team Vox Karen reminded us what every Voxer should know:
It feels good to get a comment.
We all blog about different things, for different reasons, to different people. That's the beauty of blogging: there are no rules. But if we were to establish some guidelines or tenets for Vox, we'd say that commenting is encouraged. Did you take the time to read someone's post? Have you read that book before? Did you go see that movie after they recommended it? Did that photo brighten your day? Tell them!
There are a few different ways you can let someone know that you heard them:
- Leave a comment. It doesn't have to be lengthy, deep or even grammatically correct. Just say something!
- Give them a [this is good]. You can check the box next to [this is good] at the top of any comment form and hit "Post". It's the quickest way to let someone know you enjoyed their entry.
- Mark something as a favorite. At the top of every post, photo, book, etc., there's a Favorite link. When you click that link, it creates a little bookmark that you can visit later. You can view your own favorites or the favorites of any Vox user by viewing their profile page and clicking on "Favorites".
Commenting only takes a few seconds, and it can go a long way toward encouraging someone in your neighborhood or establishing a connection with someone you haven't met yet. It's nice to feel you've been read, heard or understood.
