Can we get an automatic "Read More" link at the bottom of each post snippet on the front page? Right now people seem to assume that what they see there is all there is. A "Read More" link would increase the readership significantly.
Hello out there! As a blogger I would appreciate being able to email the Fearless City blog editors. I would like to be able to have some communication with you guys by email that is not public. At present I have no way of requesting individual technical support.
Hello out there! As a blogger I would appreciate being able to email the Fearless City blog editors. I would like to be able to have some communication with you guys by email that is not public. At present I have no way of requesting individual technical support.
A) could we please get some basic image tools on the blog page? It's already in a drop-down (whereas the almost-never-used audio is not). Adding basic size and alignment tools and making the image uploader more visible will increase the number of images in blog posts, which will VASTLY increase reader interest.
B) could we get a bulk comment management tool? It's unbelievably time-consuming to go through deleting each spam comment in this thread, particularly with the interstitial warning page.
Is it possible to arrange it so that an image uploaded is automatically posted in the blog as well? This would help keep blogs updated as well as give more exposure to the images. Otherwise the images themselves can be kind of hard to find and navigate around.
What, exactly, is the function of the splash page, other than to ruin our SEO? The front page of the site should be the one constantly updating; a static page both annoys readers and slaughters our googlejuice. I am not understanding the utility this is supposed to add to the site.
As well, speaking of SEO, it's probably a good idea, if we want to be prominent in searches for "Vancouver" or "Downtown Eastside," to add one or both of those as default tags on all blog posts for all users. Vancouverites blogging to Vancouverites about Vancouver rarely use the "Vancouver" tag.
Is it possible to have image uploading as an option on the Write Post page? We have audio uploading on that page, but to upload an image you have to LEAVE and go to a different page. If we had image uploading right on the page we'd have a better interplay of text and image. Also, I wouldn't keep forgetting we have image uploading and telling people to register Flickr accounts.
Actually the splash page should only appear for a user (incl. Google) once - the first time that they visit the site - after that they should get the 'real' home page (ie. the one that IS constantly updated with all new content). SEO should be provided mostly by the clean URLs that the site produces and by links to this site from other sites (hint, hint ;-)
You should be able to include an image in your upload but only if you're logged in. This is to prevent the site being spammed with junk.
Actually, as a top 20,000 Technorati blogger I must respectfully disagree about the SEO impact of a static front page. If that static page is the one Google sees, all of the rest of the site is downgraded because it's obviously not updating. A friend of mine dropped from a top 2000 site to 350,000 in one day because he set a static front page.
We really do need to move it. An About Blogs video is great, and CommonCraft really know what they're doing, but I'm a bit of an expert at SEO and we really, REALLY do need a front page that is constantly updating, most particularly if it only applies to search engine traffic.
Another issue with the splash page is that the majority of our prospective 150 bloggers will consistently access the site from public computers. That means that they will see this splash page every time they come to the site. Putting one more layer between them and the FC community is not helping their experience.
I just typed http://fearlesscity.ca directly into my browser and got to the splash page, not the front page, and I'm not using a public computer and this one has been to the site many times.
Perhaps it's a good idea to put the navigation hints ABOVE the video. The #1 question I'm asked in the blogging labs is "how do I get off this page and to my blog?"
I just double-checked, and the Blog Post page sort of hides the Upload Image function; you have to click on "Attached Images" to get the upload box. Could we change that to something more intuitive, like "Add Images?" and have it appear automatically, rather than be clickable to expand.
Am I going insane or did there used to be a Blockquote icon? Blockquote is a fundamental blog function and it's impossible to encourage responsible blogging without it.
Also, the audio uploader needs help. Either it's not functioning or it needs far better instructions. Five of us together couldn't upload a podcast last week, and it was only an MP3.
It looks limke you were able to upload an audio file (click Fearless Radio link to listen). If it's a large file it WILL take come time to upload due to the asynchronous nature of high speed connections (ie. upload speed is much slower than download speed).
Comments
Front Page
Can we get an automatic "Read More" link at the bottom of each post snippet on the front page? Right now people seem to assume that what they see there is all there is. A "Read More" link would increase the readership significantly.
raincoaster
Blogger Support
Hello out there! As a blogger I would appreciate being able to email the Fearless City blog editors. I would like to be able to have some communication with you guys by email that is not public. At present I have no way of requesting individual technical support.
Thanks!
Blogger Support
Hello out there! As a blogger I would appreciate being able to email the Fearless City blog editors. I would like to be able to have some communication with you guys by email that is not public. At present I have no way of requesting individual technical support.
Thanks!
Two requests
A) could we please get some basic image tools on the blog page? It's already in a drop-down (whereas the almost-never-used audio is not). Adding basic size and alignment tools and making the image uploader more visible will increase the number of images in blog posts, which will VASTLY increase reader interest.
B) could we get a bulk comment management tool? It's unbelievably time-consuming to go through deleting each spam comment in this thread, particularly with the interstitial warning page.
raincoaster
49 degrees latitude, 360 degrees attitude
Hit Counter request
Could we get a hit counter for individual blogs? Sitemeter is good, Google Analytics is better, Is Whoopra possible? thx
Image Uploading and the blogs
Is it possible to arrange it so that an image uploaded is automatically posted in the blog as well? This would help keep blogs updated as well as give more exposure to the images. Otherwise the images themselves can be kind of hard to find and navigate around.
raincoaster
49 degrees latitude, 360 degrees attitude
LAUNCH OF FEARLESSCITY WEBPAGE IS FRIDAY MARCH 28, 2008
WHY THIS data is not on FEARLESSCITY WEBPAGE?
+ is any event happening for it anywhere?
Thanks.
"GOD"
Splash page, SEO and image uploading
What, exactly, is the function of the splash page, other than to ruin our SEO? The front page of the site should be the one constantly updating; a static page both annoys readers and slaughters our googlejuice. I am not understanding the utility this is supposed to add to the site.
As well, speaking of SEO, it's probably a good idea, if we want to be prominent in searches for "Vancouver" or "Downtown Eastside," to add one or both of those as default tags on all blog posts for all users. Vancouverites blogging to Vancouverites about Vancouver rarely use the "Vancouver" tag.
Is it possible to have image uploading as an option on the Write Post page? We have audio uploading on that page, but to upload an image you have to LEAVE and go to a different page. If we had image uploading right on the page we'd have a better interplay of text and image. Also, I wouldn't keep forgetting we have image uploading and telling people to register Flickr accounts.
raincoaster
49 degrees latitude, 360 degrees attitude
SEO and splash
Hi Raincoaster,
Actually the splash page should only appear for a user (incl. Google) once - the first time that they visit the site - after that they should get the 'real' home page (ie. the one that IS constantly updated with all new content). SEO should be provided mostly by the clean URLs that the site produces and by links to this site from other sites (hint, hint ;-)
You should be able to include an image in your upload but only if you're logged in. This is to prevent the site being spammed with junk.
cheers,
Scott
Actually, as a top 20,000
Actually, as a top 20,000 Technorati blogger I must respectfully disagree about the SEO impact of a static front page. If that static page is the one Google sees, all of the rest of the site is downgraded because it's obviously not updating. A friend of mine dropped from a top 2000 site to 350,000 in one day because he set a static front page.
We really do need to move it. An About Blogs video is great, and CommonCraft really know what they're doing, but I'm a bit of an expert at SEO and we really, REALLY do need a front page that is constantly updating, most particularly if it only applies to search engine traffic.
raincoaster
49 degrees latitude, 360 degrees attitude
Another issue with the
Another issue with the splash page is that the majority of our prospective 150 bloggers will consistently access the site from public computers. That means that they will see this splash page every time they come to the site. Putting one more layer between them and the FC community is not helping their experience.
I just typed http://fearlesscity.ca directly into my browser and got to the splash page, not the front page, and I'm not using a public computer and this one has been to the site many times.
Perhaps it's a good idea to put the navigation hints ABOVE the video. The #1 question I'm asked in the blogging labs is "how do I get off this page and to my blog?"
Uploading Images
I just double-checked, and the Blog Post page sort of hides the Upload Image function; you have to click on "Attached Images" to get the upload box. Could we change that to something more intuitive, like "Add Images?" and have it appear automatically, rather than be clickable to expand.
raincoaster
49 degrees latitude, 360 degrees attitude
Blockquote
Am I going insane or did there used to be a Blockquote icon? Blockquote is a fundamental blog function and it's impossible to encourage responsible blogging without it.
Also, the audio uploader needs help. Either it's not functioning or it needs far better instructions. Five of us together couldn't upload a podcast last week, and it was only an MP3.
raincoaster
49 degrees latitude, 360 degrees attitude
hmm...
It looks limke you were able to upload an audio file (click Fearless Radio link to listen). If it's a large file it WILL take come time to upload due to the asynchronous nature of high speed connections (ie. upload speed is much slower than download speed).
Scott
Thanks
Why did the uploaded audio not appear in the blog post, though? Should it not do so automatically?
raincoaster
49 degrees latitude, 360 degrees attitude
The language we use on Fearless City
Hi Scott and everyone
Just some thoughts about accessibility, new users, nervous users....
Had some test collaborations yesterday such as Ali was discussing
Blog language is a world unto itself and not very welcoming or easy to interpret
Can we think of ways to make the 'add content' procedure more friendly, plain English and with some more instructions?
Is 'create content' the best phrase?
'Add to Fearless City'?
*** *** ***
What does 'upload' really mean?
Is there a better word?
*** *** ***
Report 'bugs' - why not 'Report problems using Fearless City's website'?
*** *** ***
'Title' would 'Heading' or 'Headline' or 'Name of what you're adding' be better?
*** *** ***
'Keywords' what are they? What do they do? Why are they good?
We currently have:
'A comma-separated list of terms describing this content. Example: funny, bungee jumping, "Company, Inc.". '
Something like...
'Keywords are categories. Using 'keywords' to describe what you are adding to Fearless City helps people find your work.'
*** *** ***
'Body' a borrowed technical HTML/CSS term -
how about 'What I'm adding to Fearless City today'
'Preview' - Take a sneak peak at what you've added will look like on Fearless
'Submit' - Go for it and put my stuff on Fearless City
This is written quickly and some aren't right yet but can we get some ideas around plain, friendly, intuitive wording and descriptions?
Look forward to everyone's ideas
Take care
scjh