news: New Customize, V-Gifts, NaNoWriMo & More

theljstaff (

theljstaff) wrote in

news,
@ 2007-10-25 16:26:00

Entry tags:

2007, contest, customize journal, nanowrimo, news, october, themes, v-gifts

New Customize, V-Gifts, NaNoWriMo & More
New Customize Area
The new Customize Journal area has officially arrived. Finding the theme you want has never been easier. You can now search by theme, layout, or designer. Read all about it in lj_design. Thank you to janinedog and chasethestars who worked on it tirelessly, and to all of our beta testers for their great feedback. Now, go forth and customize!

Searching for Something?
Aren't we all... Look no further than the control strip in your journal. We've added the search drop-down to all journal pages to make finding what you're looking for a cinch.

Snap: In the Picture
A few weeks ago, we told you about a new tool from Snap.com that provides visual previews on external links within your journal. Based on your positive response, we've enabled these graphics for Basic and Plus users. (Don't worry: If you already disabled the graphic previews, you will not have to do so again. Also, if you don't want to see graphic previews, you can easily disable them within your journal on the Viewing Options page under "Graphic previews.")

Autumn Holiday V-Gifts (and New Halloween Themes)
Autumn is a time of giving, so we added several new autumnal V-Gifts, including a pumpkin pie, red lantern and Diwali lantern.

What better way to give than to send a friend our charitable Give Thanks Turkey V-Gift? All of the proceeds from the Turkey V-Gift go to Heifer International, a non-profit organization dedicated to ending world hunger.

Not quite ready for November? We understand completely. Which is why we added Bats & Ghouls to our spine-tingling Halloween themes.

NaNoWriMo V-Gifts & Themes
Ever dreamed of becoming a novelist? National Novel Writing Month is your chance to make that dream a reality. Participants begin writing on November 1st with the goal of writing a 50,000 word (175 page) novel by midnight, November 30th.

We know a lot of writers on LJ participate in NaNoWriMo, so we've added some cool stuff to keep you motivated. One of our brand new writing themes may be just what you need to keep writing into the wee hours of the night.
(fFrom L to R: Typekeys, Typewriter, Inked and Writer's Block.)

You can also show your encouragement with one of our new Writers' V-Gifts. Choose from one of the four ribbon V-Gifts and we'll donate 50% of the net proceeds to the NaNoWriMo Young Writer's Program. You can also send motivation in the form of an inkwell & quill or a typewriter.

Find out more about LJ's writers' themes and charity V-Gifts and connect with other NaNoWriMo writers.
Are you participating? Let us know in the comments!

Frank's Feeling a Little Grey
So why not put a little color in his life? You still have one day to enter LiveJournal's "Where's Frank?" photo contest. The Grand Prize winner will receive a $100 gift certificate from Amazon.com, and the Runner-Up winners will both receive a $50 gift certificate from Amazon.com. Go to lj_photocontest for all the official rules on how to submit your photo of Frank.

Lastly, from all of us at LJ... HAVE A HAPPY HALLOWEEN! (And keep an eye out next week for a haunting Halloween site scheme.)

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(1571 comments) - (Post a new comment)

Snap.com bull

noelleleithe
2007-10-26 01:27 pm UTC (link)

we've enabled these graphics for Basic and Plus users.

And paid accounts, who aren't supposed to get this kind of crap.

(Don't worry: If you already disabled the graphic previews, you will not have to do so again.

That only works in YOUR OWN journal. If you go anywhere else, even just the comments page of a friend's journal, you'll still see them. You have to disable them directly in the popup box to get rid of them.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	Re: Snap.com bull component 2007-10-26 03:24 pm UTC (link)
	yep, im seeing them too >:^/ and no likey! (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)(Expand)

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spacecowb0y, 2007-10-26 03:29 pm UTC (Expand)

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component, 2007-10-26 03:32 pm UTC (Expand)

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spacecowb0y, 2007-10-26 03:35 pm UTC (Expand)

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component, 2007-10-26 03:37 pm UTC (Expand)

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spacecowb0y, 2007-10-26 03:56 pm UTC (Expand)

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component, 2007-10-26 04:11 pm UTC (Expand)

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spacecowb0y, 2007-10-26 04:16 pm UTC (Expand)

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component, 2007-10-26 04:40 pm UTC (Expand)

Re: Snap.com bull -

component, 2007-10-26 05:02 pm UTC (Expand)

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spacecowb0y, 2007-10-26 05:04 pm UTC (Expand)

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reservoir, 2007-10-26 06:26 pm UTC (Expand)

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spacecowb0y, 2007-10-26 06:33 pm UTC (Expand)

Re: Snap.com bull -

spacecowb0y, 2007-10-26 06:37 pm UTC (Expand)

	warnecke 2007-10-26 01:40 pm UTC (link)
	-.- Ok, I hardly understood the whole customize thing before, but at least I could get by. Now all the tutorials that people have made for me don't work no more. Why ? Why fix that which ain't broke! (Reply to this)

	Where is the search feature? galbinus_caeli 2007-10-26 01:46 pm UTC (link)
	I cannot see it anywhere on my journal or my profile. (Reply to this)

	mezzka 2007-10-26 02:07 pm UTC (link)
	насрали то сколько.... :D (Reply to this)

	gi_janearng 2007-10-26 02:15 pm UTC (link)
	It's so freakin' awesome that LJ actually listens to the suggestions of their users. /sarcasm (Reply to this)

	lmeighmy 2007-10-26 02:17 pm UTC (link)
	I'm participating in NaNoWriMo this year...for the second year in a row! :-D Last year I won with over 53,000 words. I'm hoping to add 22,000 words, at least, this year. I'm still not sure what I'm going to write, though. :-P (Reply to this)

	$\\muse//: porn makes the world go 'round$ mu51ng_drag0n 2007-10-26 02:22 pm UTC (link)
	SNAP IS CRAP. And I've yet to see a "positive response" to it. Poll if you have the balls to, or gtfo. PS. Are you still [quote]working tirelessly[/quote] on the policy update? (Reply to this) (Thread)

	component 2007-10-26 03:22 pm UTC (link)
	we have a poet in our midst! that said, i agree with everything you said XD (Reply to this) (Parent)

	slupine 2007-10-26 02:24 pm UTC (link)
	Is there a way to switch back and forth between the old and new customize systems? There are certain bits I like about the old one, and certain bits I like about the new one, so I imagine I would bounce back and forth based on what I was changing if given the option. (Reply to this)

	deborak 2007-10-26 02:25 pm UTC (link)
	The snapcrap is a fitting finale to my last week as a paid user here. (Reply to this)

Positive response about Snap?

galbinus_caeli
2007-10-26 02:46 pm UTC (link)

I am really curious about this. What was your testing methodology? How was your sample chosen? When and where was the testing done? And what were the actual statistical results?

I would also be interested in knowing what percentage of knowledgeable users disable it in one way or another within a month. Of course that is going to be hard to determine with there being at least three separate ways to do it. (LiveJournal Setting, Snap Setting, Adblock.)

Probably would require a survey. (Have you noticed the new feature? Did you know that you can disable it?. Then a week later: Are you using the new feature? Have you disabled it?)

(Reply to this)

a_blue_moon_cat
2007-10-26 03:02 pm UTC (link)

The new customization area is okay, except for the way one picks themes for the layout. I would rather be able to search by title of theme, rather than look at a bunch of pictures. And the "show all" doesn't work for me. :(

At any rate, thanks for no ads, but where is the news about all the stuff we asked you guys after the mess of Strikethrough and Boldthrough? We haven't forgotten, you know.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

I take it back! this sucks!

a_blue_moon_cat
2007-10-28 11:11 pm UTC (link)

The new customization area is crap! I tried it on another of my LJ's, and lost all my customization stuff! And this was in Expressive, to boot! Expressive used to save that stuff, now it doesn't, just when all I did was load a different Expressive theme?! WTF is wrong with you guys? The new way of doing things is a pita. I'm on dial-up and it's very slow. It's not user-friendly! Why fix something that wasn't broken in the first place. This new customization is fine for those kids who are clueless newbies on LJ who end up viewing ads because you jerks made the plus account as default when you sign up for a new account, and just want a pre-made theme with no customization. But what of your paying users, the ones who pay your salary, the ones who are older and pay paid accounts and extra user pic space and extra storage space? The ones who want to customize their LJs and now find it difficult? The ones who lose their layers because LJ won't save them anymore for them?

And what about that sneaky "flag this post" business? HMM?

I double-dare an LJ staffer to answer this post. In an honest fashion.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

	sreya 2007-10-26 03:05 pm UTC (link)
	LOVE the new Customize page! It's fantastic, very easy to use and it's nice to finally have previews of ALL the different layouts and themes. Also loving the search bar in the gradient strip. Thanks! (Now how 'bout that multiple userpic upload upgrade? :~P ) (Reply to this)

	mews1945 2007-10-26 03:07 pm UTC (link)
	I hate the new customize journal page. It's garish and confusing and I'll never use it. Maybe that's the idea. Why can't you let us choose whether we want to use the new stuff? I loved the old customize page. (Reply to this)

	smithereen 2007-10-26 03:16 pm UTC (link)
	I really like the new customize journal area. It seems much easier to test out new styles this way. Thanks! (Reply to this)

component
2007-10-26 03:18 pm UTC (link)

The new customize page isn't very intuitive. Yes,

chasethestars and

janinedog worked tirelessly on it. Doesn't make it good. Firstly, the horizontal navigation made far more sense because I didn't need to scroll down just to see all my options. Secondly, it was nicer when we had drop down menus for the names of the layouts because 1) this saved a butload of space (i.e. we're not all retards who need to see every single thumbnail of every single layout like on vox) and 2) not everyone wants to search for layouts the way you do. Also, its basically like a carbon copy of Vox's customize page. If i wanted to to be on vox.com I'd go to vox.com, not LiveJournal. I'm here because this is LJ, not vox. I tried vox and it sucked in my opinion. It might be pretty, but it's got nothing on LJ. Don't fix it if it's not broke.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	mirazandar 2007-10-31 10:10 pm UTC (link)
	Yep. Letting people with butt ugly LJs design a new style system sounds like a bad bad plan. Now I ended up changing my layout and suddenly I too have an ugly Lj and can't figure out how to make it pretty again. fuck it. I'm reverting to S1. At least that one made sense! (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)(Expand)

(no subject) -

component, 2007-11-01 04:26 pm UTC (Expand)

	pedros 2007-10-26 03:19 pm UTC (link)
	http://www.realmusic.ru/bobroezh (Reply to this)

krysaia
2007-10-26 03:24 pm UTC (link)

Don't worry: If you already disabled the graphic previews, you will not have to do so again. Also, if you don't want to see graphic previews, you can easily disable them within your journal on the Viewing Options page under "Graphic previews."

Riiiiiiight. Was I dreaming when I disabled them the first time, then? Because I had to uncheck the box again this morning.

(Reply to this) (Thread)(Expand)

	katrinaholloway 2007-10-26 04:29 pm UTC (link)
	same here... (Reply to this) (Parent)

(no subject) -

baby_kitty_toes, 2007-11-03 05:55 pm UTC (Expand)

	component 2007-10-26 03:27 pm UTC (link)
	p.s. i must say that the pumpkin pie v gift is pretty adorable and looks delicious XD (Reply to this)

	sira 2007-10-26 03:32 pm UTC (link)
	Adding my vote for making the new Customize Journal page optional. :\ It's great for newer users, but very very disorienting for the rest of us who have been customizing our journals with the old page for years already. I mean, a lot of layout-designers are going to have to change their tutorials as well, and that's not going to be fun. The new v-gifts are cute! ♥ (Reply to this)

	totally_fierce 2007-10-26 03:34 pm UTC (link)
	Well, so much for renewing my paid account. What's the point when LJ implemends ads that paid users can see? FUCK YOU and this damn SNAP.COM bullshit!!! (Reply to this)

	ms_treesap 2007-10-26 03:56 pm UTC (link)
	The search bar at the top of every page is very nice. I didn't realise the Snap boxes were coming, but I suppose that ties in with being ultra-careful about the websites we link to. I understand why you did it, but I still don't have to like it. You hate us wizard-wand and TARDIS abusing perverts anyway :P (Reply to this)

marilla_pm67
2007-10-26 04:09 pm UTC (link)

Actually, I found the "new improved customization area" for shit...

1 - it's not practical, it isn't functional, it's annoying as hell trying to figure out how to navigate.

2 - we aren't all techtard, most of the layout tweaker are very good to figure out some thing, but there ....

3 - Drop down menus were better : at least I knew what I choose... there's it's a mess.

4 - An choose option like in the viewing option, would be great.

Thanks.
Sam.

I'm not happy at all that you switch without that possibility.

(Reply to this)

	filkerdave 2007-10-26 04:16 pm UTC (link)
	OK, I have that godsrotted Snap tool disabled by disabling graphic previews. Why, when I go to comment on a friend's journal that I'm reading on my friendslist, does it come up? Fix your code, kindly. I don't want to see that crap, ever, and I shouldn't have to opt out on an external site. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	spacecowb0y 2007-10-26 04:42 pm UTC (link)
	http://spacecowb0y.livejournal.com/281574.html Hope it helps. :) (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)(Expand)

(no subject) -

filkerdave, 2007-10-26 05:16 pm UTC (Expand)

flexor
2007-10-26 04:26 pm UTC (link)

A few weeks ago, we told you about a new tool from Snap.com that provides visual previews on external links within your journal. Based on your positive response, we've enabled these graphics for Basic and Plus users.

While ignoring the hordes of commenters who told you in no uncertain term to take your fucking popups and put them where the sun don't shine.

(Don't worry: If you already disabled the graphic previews, you will not have to do so again. Also, if you don't want to see graphic previews, you can easily disable them within your journal on the Viewing Options page under "Graphic previews.")

Strange you should say that... I did disable this waste of my bandwidth when first you announced it. It's back. Why?

Get this crap off my screen thank you very much.

(Reply to this) (Thread)(Expand)

	gwenhyffar 2007-10-26 04:44 pm UTC (link)
	I had the same. I had disabled it when they first introduced it, but hey presto, all of a sudden it was back! (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)(Expand)