just in case... (Blurty)

sweetfacedlion — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 12:31:38 GMT

On the off chance that anyone wants to relocate to Blurty for whatever purpose, here is a comunity you will want to see.

Little guide through JF, GJ and IJ

slash_eater — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 21:57:47 GMT

I've been exploring all journaling sites I have right now: JF, IJ, GJ and LJ.
I made a little list about what they can offer and not. I am Free account user, so I can't tell much about Paid and Permanent ones.
You already know LJ, so I didn't make any list for it.

This is not comparison list, no pros and cons, just a list of what they offer.

JF:

ICONS:

10

VIDEOS:

No videos

FAQ:

So-So

LAYOUTS:

Bad offer of customization of layout and journal

Only one mood theme

You can set different style for Friends View, Recent entries View, Calendar view and Day View

Possible style creating and CSS overrides, but not sure It's working

No custom mood themes

25 links. Links are in S2

ETA: Found S2 system: HERE

Not good offer of layouts

ENTRIES:

NO TAGS (!!)

Bad Rich text

Entry is backdated - allows you to post entries and choose the date in the past so the entry won't appear on you friends' daily friends' list. Also, option for posting entry with date in the future (like Date out of order, just no specific button)

No Custom posting option (by your Custom groups)

You can easily switch to Rich text but there is no button for going back to HTML (easy from HTML to Rich text)

LOOKS AND GENERAL OVERVIEW:

Plain and simple

Portal with navigation sidebar is not really practical. And since there is no navigation strip bar on top of the page you have to go back to portal to edit or post to your journal

Not really maintained/upgraded). They have News and Developer Area, but there are no entries there. ETA: HERE is where they put updates about JF. They are planning upgrading soon.

You can't search users by username (!) only Random, by Region and by Interest.
But you can do this: "http://www.journalfen.net/users/username/".

Many people from fandom are there, and the site is run by fans

No viewing options (no different schemes)

No navigation bar on top of the page, which means no these quick links: Filter groups (on friends page), Manage entries, Post to journal, Add them as friend, Join/Watch, Leave community, View my friends page, Home, Recent comments
Invite only - you can request an account HERE

PROFILE:

No option of 'show DOB to:' - you must either: show them to everyone or no one

NOTIFICATIONS:

No birthday reminders

No Messages section

No notifications when someone friends you

E-mail notifications when somone replies to your comment/journal

No e-mail notifications as HTML or plain text

EXTRAS:

No polls

Creating communities as Free user HERE

Log IP address option

Friends Filter and Friends Group can be found and set HERE
No Scrapbook alike thing

No ads
No OpenID option

</div>

IJ:

ICONS:

100

VIDEOS:

No videos posting, but I asked into Support area and they told me they are planning it - many people asked about it. But there is place where you can post your vote for it. HERE

FAQ:

Good

LAYOUTS:

S1 and S2 Style System

15 links possible

Possible CSS overrides

Possible style creating but not for Free Patients (free users)

Good offer of mood themes

ENTRIES:

Custom option for posting (by your Custom groups)

Entry is backdated - allows you to post entries and choose the date in the past so the entry won't appear on you friends' daily friends' list. Also, option for posting entry with date in the future (like Date out of order, just no specific button)

There is button for going into Rich text mode and switching back to HTML

Rich text good, as Ljs

Tags option

LOOKS AND GENERAL OVERVIEW:

Resembles LJ. Reminds of LJ with portal (Quick update, Birthdays, FAQs, Latest friend's page, quick links, search...)

There is navigation strip bar HERE

Search same as on LJ, plus with search by Location (you get map)

Change of interface - not same as Viewing options on LJ, but HERE you can change it. I recommend Honeycomb (#2), Hand, Trails & Brown if you don't like default one. But they are all dark...

PROFILE:

Option on displaying DOB (month/day/year, month/day, year, don't display)

NOTIFICATIONS:

E-mail notifications when someone replies to your comment/journal

No e-mail notifications when someone friends you

E-mail notifications as HTML or plain text

No Messages section

EXTRAS:

Log IP address option

Ads by Google. But not on your journal while you're looking at it. When you click Lj-cut or reply form ads appear

Polls only for paid accounts

Possibility of making asylums (communities)

Custom Friends group

Friends Filter

Private messaging

Cheap paid and permanent account (6 months=10 $, 12 months=20 $, permanent=40 $)

No Scrapbook alike thing

1000 people on flist

OpenID option

</div>

GJ

ICONS:

2000 icons - if you don't use some icons for some period (I don't know what period) they delete them.

VIDEOS:

Yes, but NOT with CSS overrided layout

FAQ:

Good

LAYOUTS:

5 links possible

S1 and S2 Style System

Possible CSS overrides

Good offer of mood themes

ENTRIES:

Tags option

Entry is backdated - allows you to post entries and choose the date in the past so the entry won't appear on you friends' daily friends' list. Also, option for posting entry with date in the future (like Date out of order, just no specific button)

Bad Rich text

You can easily switch to Rich text but there is no button for going back to HTML (easy from HTML to Rich text)

LOOKS AND GENERAL OVERVIEW:

You can change color scheme/interface (from the red one, you know?) HERE and you can also switch navigation sidebar from left to top of the page. Just click Top_navigation (follow the link)

Portal with birthdays, 10 top FAQs and quick update

No navigation strip bar on top of the page which means no these quick links: Filter groups (on friends page), Manage entries, Post to journal, Add them as friend, Join/Watch, Leave community, View my friends page, Home, Recent comments

Search like on LJ, PLUS search by 'tag'

PROFILE:

Must show your birthday to everyone or no one (possibility of showing year, month or day only)

Possibility of showing your contact info (AOL, ICQ and e-mail) to everybody OR Friends only

NOTIFICATIONS:

Notifications - something like Messages/Recent comments on LJ. Where you can find recent comments and replies to your entries and comments. Deletes after a while or certain number of notifications.

EXTRAS:

Polls (for free users too)

Creating communities (for free users too)

Friend groups

Friend filters

Forum

Log IP address option

No ads

Private messaging

Phone posts - free of charge. except phone company bill for long distance call...

You can see when someone from your Friends list is online. You can turn off that option HERE

Hit counter - how many hits on your page Daily, Yearly and Per day

No Scrapbook alike thing, but you can upload pics to GJPixs and then send it to an entry. (You go to GJPixs, upload pic(s), then you have option 'Update GJ', you click it and the picture is sent to your writing space, so you just add text in entry.

GJPixs - online album

Free accounts only

No OpenID option

</div>

I hope you all understand what I meant by some terms, i.e. that I explained right. If you don't understand, feel free to ask.
And if any of you know better, or if I listed something that is wrong, just say. I'll change it. :D

If I find some more I'll add it...

RSS Feeds/Syndicated Accounts: How they'll help us out.

vichan — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 21:38:07 GMT

While we're all waiting for Scribblit, how do we keep track of those who have already jumped ship?

My suggestion is to use RSS feeds (or syndicated accounts), which you can add to your friends list. Syndicated accounts are feeds of content from an outside website, which can include other journals or blogs.

For those that have no clue what they are, or for those that know what they are but might want to find out more about them: you may want to check this out. I wrote up a VERY basic tutorial on how they work, as well as instructions on how to use them at LiveJournal, InsaneJournal, GreatestJournal, and JournalFen.

Find the tutorial here.

Contributions/comments/questions are more than welcome.

A side note/rant/observation: While I was writing this tutorial, the word came down on Six Apart's decision when it comes to placing LINKS (not actual pictures, but merely a link) to content that could be deemed in violation of their ToS - that links would ALSO be in violation of their ToS, and that users could be held responsible for them. See this post for more information. I don't agree with it, but that's apparently their decision.

I've asked LiveJournal what their policies are on syndicated accounts, since syndicated accounts are feeds of websites/journals/blogs from outside LiveJournal. Something in violation of their ToS could easily come through these RSS feeds, but what could be done about it? No user on LJ is responsible for a syndicated account, and those responsible for the content reside off LJ.

According to LiveJournal, no one owns a syndicated account, and they cannot be deleted. Also, on all syndicated account pages, LJ has put the following disclaimer: "LiveJournal.com makes no claim to the content supplied through this journal account. Articles are retrieved via a public feed supplied by the site for this purpose."

I submitted a support ticket concerning this matter on Thursday, but I have not yet heard anything back. I asked them if they would in any way take action against syndicated accounts - how could they, though? The most they could really do is delete the syndicated account, and they've already state they are not able to do this.* They can't hold any user responsible for a syndicated account - it would be like subscribing to a newspaper, and then being held legally responsible for the newspaper's content.

_{Although I've seen ONE syndicated account get deleted in the time I was here, so I'm sure they're bluffing.}

Just something to keep in mind. I'll let you know when (if) I hear back from LJ support.

the great fandom migration, redux

just in case... (Blurty)

Little guide through JF, GJ and IJ

RSS Feeds/Syndicated Accounts: How they'll help us out.