New Features

[Joe V]

new features

• wish list / think tank
  
• kudos system
  
• new private message tools
  
• highlight thread starter
  
• tagging thread within firstpost
  

wish list / think tank

have an idea for the site? share it - use wish list / think tank to suggest improvements, new concepts, or preview new and exciting features prior to going live.

previously, wish list / think tank was a private area but we decided to move it for public viewing. this will provide us with a larger pool of feedback and requests.

giving kudos

we are implementing a new "thank you" system called kudos.

giving kudos is an expression of approval or admiration.

why should you use it?

1. promote quality content
   
2. promote your favorite threads
   
3. promote important, informative, or entertaining comments
   
4. become popular
   

what's different?

1. unlike the "thank you" system, this new system will allow you to promote threads as well as comments.
   
   • allows members to quickly glance over page for quality threads (eg. blogs)
     
   • allows members to quickly give kudos to promote their favorite threads
     

[*]better feedback (interface)

• when clicking one of the actions (ie. giving, removing), a small progress image is now available to indicate that the system is sending and receiving in the background.
  
• more checks are in place to prevent errors
  

why change?

we need a system that is flexible.

for example, one of the problems we had with the "thank you" feature was that it didn't make sense or it wasn't appropriate in some sections.

examples on how the kudos system helps:

in the testimonials section, giving kudos to a threads means that you agree with the message.

"agree!" vs "thank you"

in the blogs section, giving kudos to a threads means that you want to push the informative message.

"push it!" vs "thank you"

in the wish list / think tank section, giving kudos to a threads means you hope they add the posted request.

"add it!" vs "thank you".

what's left

we are gradually rephrasing text and replacing the "thank you" buttons throughout the site.

new tools for private messages

1. you can now search private messages.
   
2. you can now view past communications between a single private message. for example, when you receive a message from another user that is in reply to something you sent them, you can now view a history of replies. (this feature will only work with messages that were sent after march 16th)
   

thread starter identifier

highlights comments made by thread starter.

this is done by changing the background color of the post to tan.

tagging a thread

for those who actively tag your threads, you can now tag your threads without leaving the page.