First, we're happy to announce that the team has identified and fixed the issue with the YouTube conduit; you can now find and add videos from YouTube to your library and posts. As always, thanks for your patience!
The other news we have today is about a new addition to the Six Apart family: TypePad Micro, a new free level of TypePad that is streamlined for microblogging. We see a new form of blogging emerging that lives between the quick status updates of Twitter and Facebook and the long-form posts of "classic" blogging; TypePad Micro is designed to meet that need. You can read more about TypePad Micro in Chris Alden's post on the Everything TypePad blog.
A lot of the new capabilities we've added to TypePad this year were actually inspired by some of the best things about Vox: favoriting, member profiles, a dashboard to follow other bloggers, and easy ways to post content from other social media sites. But the things that make Vox different from TypePad are still there: Vox has always been -- and still is -- the best place for "friends and family" blogging, where you're in control over who sees what. TypePad, on the other hand, is built for the blogger who wants, no, craves, attention.
Do you have a passion or interest you want to share with people beyond your Vox neighborhood? If so, we'd love it if you tried out TypePad Micro. Maybe you've always wanted to start that obsessive blog that's just about waffle restaurants. Or want a place to share videos of your favorite band (Jonas Brothers, anyone? Anyone? ...). TypePad Micro's great for those topic-specific blogs. Take it for a spin and let us know what you think.
On the Vox front, our designers are working on some cool new themes (coming soon!). We'd also love to hear your thoughts about where we should take Vox in the coming year. What are the key things you'd like to see for Vox? If you've had a chance to use TypePad this year, what are the features there that we should bring over to Vox? And, if you're thinking big thoughts, how could we connect the Vox and TypePad communities in order to bring together bloggers and their shared passions? Your feedback is really important to us, so please leave a comment here, or shoot me a message.
And again, thanks for your patience as we found and fixed the YouTube bug!
~ daisy
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would...and I really enjoyed the last third as all of the seemingly disconnected bits came together. I haven't read a book this strongly about "identity" since the Auster binge I went on about 15 years ago. (Speaking of which, his new book is next up in the queue...)
As many of you have noticed, the YouTube Conduit is not working. I am so sorry about this; I know how frustrating it is.
The team is looking into how to get this fixed and I will update you as soon as I hear something. In the meantime, not all is lost... There is a work-around for posting videos.
When you're in the Compose Screen, just click on "embed." Ignore the fact that it says "Widget" before everything because you can definitely use this to embed videos as well. You'll just need to input the embed code from the video, enter a title (if you want) and hit OK.
It might not show up perfectly in your compose screen, but when you hit "Save," your video should appear just the way you wanted it to.
Hopefully this will allow you to keep posting videos while we figure out what's happening on our end.
As always, thanks for your patience.
Go forth and fill your libraries with media.
Seriously, thanks to everyone for being so amazing and patient. You are the reason I love Vox.
I was just told that the Amazon Conduit will be fixed by tomorrow. I will post here as soon as I get word that it's back up and running.
I know this has been frustrating and I am sorry there wasn't more I could do to make it less so. I really appreciate your patience though.
Cheers,
I'm reading this article by Nell Scovell.
One frequent excuse you hear from late-night-TV executives is that “women just don’t apply for these jobs.” And they certainly don’t in the same numbers as men. But that’s partly because the shows often rely on current (white male) writers to recommend their funny (white male) friends to be future (white male) writers. Targeted outreach to talented bloggers, improv performers, and stand-ups would help widen the field of applicants.
I've never worked in TV writing nor comedy. So why am I nodding in cynical agreement?
Ah! It needs some mild rewriting:
One frequent excuse you hear from technology company executives is that “women just don’t apply for these jobs.” And they certainly don’t in the same numbers as men. But that’s partly because the projects often rely on current (white male) programmers to recommend their funny (white male) friends to be future (white male) programmers. Targeted outreach to talented bloggers, tech conference attendees, and niche discussion groups would help widen the field of applicants.
Bad news. As many of you have probably noticed, the Amazon Conduit was not fixed in the last week's release. Unfortunately, there was an undetected bug that is preventing the conduit from working.
We are working on this bug fix and hope to have the Conduit back up and running this week.
I will keep you posted.
Thank you for being so patient.
Check out these actual spider webs on the tree outside our house!
Blog Action Day is every October 15th, when blogger are asked to post something about a single issue to show our strength and conviction as an online community. It's a great way to feel connected to the greater good, and the participation of so many bloggers to support the world's leading non-profit organizations is something you can do to help, right now. By blogging today, you're supporting some of the world's leading non-profits and sharing your voice for change.
This year's topic is climate change, and we'd love to read your thoughts on the topic. If you participate, leave us a link to your post in the comments, so we know to check out your post!
Go to www.blogactionday.org to learn more, get a badge for your blog showing your participation, and see some ideas for your post on climate change.
Can't wait to read your posts!
~ daisy
Silent film festival today. This will be a test of stamina. The weather is foggy now but will be brilliant later, just when we get out of Bardelys the Magnificent. And there will be the usual game with the Castro Theatre--whether the balcony is open, though of course the showings sell out and you'll need it. Dammit, just open the balcony.
And there will be the usual smell of popcorn, a faint aroma of cleaning solvent, the sound of the toilet stall doors slamming, the glimpses of the story slides and the sound of the background music before the show, the undying anxiety that somebody tall or wearing a huge hat will sit in front of me and that somebody talky will sit behind me, the watching the crowd arrive: the newbies astounded that the only seats are down in front. The festival geeks wearing their t-shirts from Cinecon, the loudmouths soliloquizing to would-be dates.
Down front, stage right, the big cheeses in the little world of silent film. The Hillsborough-looking people who may sit in the enviable reserved seating for generous donors and schmooze with the guests of honor--these, ambassadors from think tanks, the French consul, the Japanese consul, sometimes a deputy, never a starlet or industrialist or pop singer. The San Francisco Silent Film Festival, something of a zoo of specimens from obscure bureaucracies, and scions of families related to the films we're about to see. Stories about having Harold Lloyd as your grandpa or John Gilbert as your dad.
These wretchedly uncomfortable seats at the Castro. All these crowds. That line for the bathroom. All those people who talk through the movies. The tedium of lining up out front. What if one of these elements were missing? I think I'd wax nostalgic for it. Sometimes comfort is the removal of the noticeable.
