March 25, 2008

  • Random thoughts

    A few random late-night thoughts on Recommendations:

    • We got 771 recommendations yesterday.  Many of those recommends were
      for the same posts.  We’re working on grouping those together nicely,
      so it doesn’t appear in your Inbox more than once .
    • I know some of my recommendations are better than others… but I don’t know which ones.  It’d be kinda cool to see how many of you guys click on each recommendation I give (just the total number, not who clicked on my recs of course)..
    • Patrick pulled together a list of the most recommended posts and it was neat to see – they were pretty good posts overall!  We’ll have to share the list later, and hear your thoughts.

    Ok that’s it for now… good night!

    John

    ps Oh, one more thing: I thought theblackspiderman’s post about Xangstas was awesome (in fact, I recommended it).  A
    number of people asked if we would create another badge for Xangstas. 
    Sorry guys, no more badges are in the works… isn’t two enough?

Comments (127)

  • yawnnn… good night too, John!

  • people love badges, so no, two probably isn’t enough.

  • I think two is great. Thank you :)

  • I don’t see any recs…where are they?

  • You’re missing a bet if you don’t offer more badges…seriously. You could tie it into some kind of revenue producing thing, too…

  • You never sleep, do you, John?

  • @CynaraJane - I’m sure we could make a lot more money selling more badges!  But that’s not our only goal here… I think there’s a limit to how many badges we can reasonably display at once.

    If someone can make a case for more badges, I’d definitely listen… but two badges seems like a good number for now.

  • @john - Okay, money isn’t everything. Granted, displaying a bunch of badges next to screen names of commenters is not doable (or at least not appealing to the eye). Maybe a type of badge that’s displayed on the Xangans site itself? Just a thought…I know peple who spend hours and hours earning Pogo badges. It’s a draw for them…and I know a bunch of people here who would love something like that, though maybe we all spend too much time here anyway? LOL, no, not possible!

  • xangsta

  • Wait, you have to buy badges?  I mean I know the LIFE badge costs $99, lol, but what about the TRUE badge?  I thought your friends just nominated you or something?  Forgive me for not being up to speed with the latest Xanga coolness…

    =Matt=

  • And holy crap, did TheologiansCafe shut down their Xanga????  Since when???

    =Matt=

  • I agree.  Spidey’s awesome.

  • what’s a badge? 
    i never thought about making a blog about the word xangsta but it’s always been used :p
    do u work at xanga f/t?

  • you mean there won’t be a jonasapproved badge? :p

  • Two badges is enough so far on Xanga.

  • I like the recommend feature, hope you work out the coding to put it all together in a group!

    -Heidi

  • yay, organization for the feature… cheers…

    I haven’t recommended a single entry… I need to start… :P

  • I really enjoyed the “mystical flight” post you recommended about guessing who’s a stripper! That was really entertaining… How many people are you subbed to, anyway?!

    btw, thanks for recommending my “accessories for lonely women” post yesterday! i felt so honored.

  • I am getting used to recommends… just like I get used to everything lol I have read some VERY good posts and some VERY Stupid ones. lol … I thought the Xangtas post was ok… I like their X sign…  IT’s all in the person who is recommending I suppose.

    Hope you got some sleep… you weren’t suffering from a bad choice of a late night movie like I was were you?

  • i would looooooooooooove a xangsta badge!! !  ! ! ! !

    Or at least a mini :)

  • Any more badges and we’ll all look like virtual boy scouts!  The new badges, minis and stars are fun but to carry on this way seems to be a move deep into the realms of kiddie-competition and SAHMs who have hundreds of little twinkly things at the sides of their blogs. 

    One site I like always ends his blog with a request not to forget to give him stars.  His last post was not to forget to give him stars and recommend him, so already its a game, a race.

    If, however, competition for the featured list is how you want to go, what about best (most stars, most recommendations, most props, however you choose) poem, picture, news/popculture, humour etc entry of the day or week?  It won’t really produce the best of anything, but it will show who has the most friends who will star/prop or recommend!

  • Haha, would you tell me if spideys post was #1 recommended yesterday?

    As for recommends, I think it’s okay the way it is now. just put in another tab at the Uni-inbox that is solely for recommendations.
    People can use the tabs then to see the normal posts, their feedback and such, just like it is supposed to be, and the Uni-inbox can also stay the same. Even though a grouping would also not be bad, especially for posts like spidey’s, who everyone recommends ^^

  • @MatthewSaville - No you can’t buy a TRUE badge… CynaraJane was saying that we could sell more badges if we wanted.  Re: TheTheologiansCafe, he said he’s moving… he’ll be back in a month or so.

    @spiritedsherry - I’m subbed to 700 ppl or so.  But that’s over 8 years, so probably a few hundred are still actively blogging.

    @angi1972 - Nope was just up late working!

  • ok, how about a xangsta mini then?

  • ryc: i was planning on enrolling in this business certificate program at columbia but it was too expensive so instead i’m just taking an accounting class at nyu

  • I think we should be able to recommend/star recommendations themselves.. haha ok not really please no.

  • Does the recommended link on each site disappear after it is clicked?  I dont’ see any of yours from yesterday.  I clicked on 2 of them, I think.  The blackspiderman one was up there and then I went to look for it and couldn’t find it.  Weird….

  • @newbie2005 - Do you mean, if I recommend a link and you click on it… will it still show up?

    If so, it should still show up!  I’ll look into that one… thanks for the report.

  • yes i believe two are enough! 

    and maybe the most recommended posts could even become featured! 

  • Ya that’s what I meant, but I just tested it and the link still shows up.  It’s only yours from yesterday that have disappeared.

  • I don’t use the Universal Inbox (I think that’s what it’s called) — my private page is still the old style where I see my posts, not themed.  I use the new Feedback Log and the new Subs Page.  But apparently, there’s not a way for me to see Recommendations in my current set-up?  Can this be changed?  I use the feature to recommend others – it would be great if I could see what others have recommended as well.

  • I really am starting to like the recommended feature (and have even recommended a post myself), but… my one complaint is that some of the posts that people recommend get lost in my feed.  I think it would be spiffy to have a seperate feed tab that lists the recommended posts.  :)

    Just throwing my two cents in..

  • @snoochface - hello!  there’s a link to the universal inbox on the old private page.  you can check that out now and then, just for recs?

    @pxrxcowgirl - we’re working on it right now!

  • Man, and I thought I updated late.

    ryc: Nah, not jealous, just cranky. My usual temperment.

  • @john - I can do that, yeah, and that helps – thanks.  I do think it would be a lot easier if we had a tab on the Subs page like we do for Protected and Pulsing.  Just another tab for Recommended.  Then it would be one-stop-shopping for some of us old schoolers.    Is that what you’re telling pxrxcowgirl you’re working on, or will that still be just for the Universal Inbox users?

  • @snoochface - Ah sorry, I just meant we’re adding a new tab to the Universal Inbox for recommendations. Recommends aren’t really a subscription, so it doesn’t really belong on the Subs page conceptually?  I get what you mean though…

  • I think two badges is great.

    I think it would also be awesome to have a separate tab on the main private page for recommendations. I’m overwhelmed by the number of different recommended sites!

    Keep up the awesome work :)

  • theblackspiderman is a total star now! He deserves it. He worked darn hard on that post. I’ve been wanting him to get more star votes for some time now.

    I can’t believe you recommended my latest post! Thanks sooooo much!

    @maebemaebenot - Now THAT’S a fantastic idea. John! maebemaebenot has a great idea there! A Xangsta Mini! It could cost as much as the pirate and ninja varieties!

  • @john - It’s like a friend-of-a-friend thing.  Kinda.  Maybe I’m reaching….

  • Two is never enough! Two makes three if you know what I mean. ;)

  • ryc my pulse…. I’m really impressed that you know that.

  • Yeah I always click on most people’s recommendations. Most have been good content so far. AND PLEEEEEASE pls pls consider a Xangsta badge! One can never have enough badges. You can place it next to TRUE so that it would be TRUE XANGSTA and if someone gets lifetime, it would be TRUE XANGSTA LIFE.

  • Two badges is plenty.  I like the recommend feature.  700 PEOPLE!!!!   That is crazy.  How do you keep up?

  • I like what CynaraJane had to say! 

  • We don’t need no stinkin’ badges.

  • I’m rather sad to see you quote theblackspiderman on here, John–don’t you know he is an imposter? He’s not who he says he is! I regret to inform you, john, that the black spiderman really is not…black. That spiderman thing, though? Totally true. hahaha

  • i don’t know if u are the same… but covet-me’s blog was disgusting… i dunno, somethings i find so wrong… she talks about how she surfs the net all day at work..  made it sound like there’s things to do but she chooses to surf… lemme re read it just in case lol. 
    ok ya.. god… people like them keep the world from moving.  those are the same people who, in ten years, spend 300 seconds at the grocery till looking for a nickel and 4 pennies in their LV  change wallet that’s deeply entrenched in that played out fucking gucci bag. 
    please refrain from recommending such bullshit again!! 

  • A suggestion!

    And one that I hope does not fall on deaf ears.  As a photographer, blogger, and user of Xanga, Facebook, and Myspace, I have to say that I am disappointed with Xanga’s photo-sharing abilities.  In my humble opinion, Facebook has this in the best quality.  I have 18 albums, comprised over probably 300 pictures, maybe more.  I’m not altogether opposed to Xanga’s limitations to non-premium members, but I feel that the actual photoblog is simply not intuitive enough to be useful as a main way of sharing photos.  I love Facebook and Myspace’s albums which make it easier to find photos of a certain event, person, place, or anything.  Instead of my most recently uploaded pictures being shown on the left hand side of my blog, I would much prefer it to be individually clickable albums with customizable cover photos.  What do you think?

  • Yes, two is enough.

  • I’d like a “True” badge next to my “Life” badge.

    Please?

  • @fullmetalbunny - thank you!!!!

  • Personally, I’m thankful that we can opt out of badges.  The online now symbol next to our username is great, badges not so much.  Badges seem rather anti-humble.  Then again, I actually use the eProp system as it was originally intended, so I know I am in the minority.

  • Dear John,

    I came back from the dead and am still xanging. Can I please have my true badge?

    Love,
    December

  • @antisoccermom - Glad that you’re back and hope you get better!  I am subbed to your site so got all of your husband’s posts… it sounded so scary!

    We will be rolling out a TRUE badge page soon that will let you see how far along you are…

  • Haha a Xanstas badge sounds kinda funny actually.
    REPRESENT!

  • Two badges is enough. Hell, one seemed enough for me. But two should definitely be the limit. Three would just look silly.

    I had already read this entry, but somehow I forgot about it when I asked about the recommendation feature. Thanks for the response anyway. :]

    By the way, remember how everyone was complaining about the chatroom and webcam lagging?: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v256/AdiOpERsOcoM/wtfflashplayer.png
    I had to click through that 12 times for some reason. Worst lag ever, whoa.

  • if you are accepting recomendations, how about some other colors(please) for the xanga audio player? white is usualy not my first choice on web pages. as if.

  • So… what must one do to be featured?

  • baha, this is like boyscouts. two badges? NEVER enough.

  • I actually think two badges are enough, although I find CynaraJane’s ideas intriguing. I love the recommend feature – it’s an excellent idea actually. I’ve visited some of the recommends so far.

    @The_Palantiri - the blogging zeitgeist nowadays seems to be toward more photo and video sharing… maybe that part of Xanga can be built up. Not sacrificing the weblog capabilities, of course.

  • @squeakysoul - Yeah.  I actually talked to Eugenia about it, and then Eugenia and John via Office Hours and the problem I mentioned seems to be resolved; it was just a misunderstanding from me.  However, I think that the photo sharing still needs improved.  I’ve never gotten into video sharing, but the demand for current events and sports videos is massive, and I could see improving the functionality of this as well.  Hopefully Xanga will continue to improve dramatically as it has been doing for a while now.

  • badges? we dont need no steenking badges! :)

    thanks

  • I agree…one badge is enough. Especially after all the drama with the True badge

  • first time to your new site. been along time. really like your random thoughts. I will be back.

    jester

    jj

  • John,

    There’s a post entry in my Universal Inbox from CEC32.  But I’ve never subscribed to CEC32.  Is this someone I once subscribed to that has since changed his blog name and I remain subscribed under a grandfathering mechanism?  Or is this a clever insert of some other sort?

    - nfp

  • The Universal Inbox shows updates from both Subs and Friends… looks like you’re friends with CEC32:
    http://profile.xanga.com/friends.aspx?user=notforprophet

  • @john - thanks for the quick explanation, john.  looks like i don’t know who my friends are.  ha.

  • I check out every recommendation.  While some aren’t my taste / preference, I like to see the many different writing styles, perspectives and thoughts. 

  • Hi John,

    I was told you are the man to ask about what I need to know.

    I created a jukebox at “Jango.”  This site says we can copy and paste the code they offer to our own site…They said it can be posted at “myspace” e~blog, etc…. to name a few.  I was excited, because I put together a lot of the recording artists I love. 

    I came here..went into settings, and don’t know where I can add the code.

    Another member said since I have Themes..I won’t be able to add music to my blog. I would have to go back to the old way.  I am totally confused, since I don’t know what this means, and I am still learning how to navigate around. It can be a bit perplexing trying to figure out how to use all the different features Xanga offers.

    I really hope I will be able to add my jukebox to my blog…say..YES!, it can be done! You’ll be my favorite person for a month..lololol!

    Thanks in advance, John~

    Cyn59

    Oh..one more question.  I have a friend that was featured on the home page. He can’t for the life of him figure out how he was recommended?  He usually just has a few close friends that enjoy his blog. He was amazed he received so many responses to an older blog page.  He had over 200 responses, when he usually only gets about 4 – 6 responses….lolol

    His question, how did that happen?

    Again, Thanks ~

  • i agree, there should at least be a xangstas mini

  • You are one of the familair name I have seen on Xanga [actually the only one] so I would like to ask you something. I wrote it in my blog today so basically my question is in there for you to answer.

    How was Xanga started and why?  I am interested to know!! Because I totally owe to whoever came up with Xanga. Thank you so much!!

    Kaytee

  • p.s.  I agree with you about the Badge!! It rocks

  • Thanks for reading my blog..

    What do you think of it?

  • Two badges are enough, really.  Yes, that entry on Xangstas was appealing. 

  • Hey John, I just recommended this weblog entry about 5 minutes ago and nothing seemed to change in my universal inbox (I’m actually subbed to myself to see how my posts appear). So I signed into my band’s account (rufustree) and I didn’t notice a rec. over there either though both accounts are friends and subbed to eachother. Just curious, did my recommendation show up in your inbox? Thanks much!! Pete

  • @pedrothepoet - Does it show up when you click on the “recs” tab in your Universal Inbox?

  • @john - No I didn’t see it there either. I just recommended your weblog to double check but so far nothing’s seems to be showing up for me..

  • jw, i noticed that it doesn’t display the list of people who recommended your blog in the order that they recommended it, so I was wondering what order DOES it use?

  • i just wanted to say THANK YOUR FOR MAKING XANGA POSSIBLE…

    and one day, i hope to get as many comments as you on one of my posts

    Also..how many credits do i need to get xanga premium???

  • i just subbed a couple new ones today. 
    u still haven’t told me if xanga is ur f/t job.  it seems like it. 

  • @electroactive - of course it’s my full time job!!

  • Hey! You can’t dodge the question! I already have a Wii anyway.

  • And when am I going to get my credits for the two surveys I completed last week? :(

  • RYC:: I’m not sure what you mean. Create another CuteMami site? That’s the name I had for the past four years, I don’t want it anymore. I want to give it back to Xanga, so that someone else can use it if they want to. You can make it available if you want to. Let me know what you mean!

  • I leave for a little bit and you guys have seemed to revamped the place for basically the better.  Oh don’t worry about “basically”, I’m just very nitpicky.

  • I think there should be a xangsta mini you can give.

  • RYC: Don’t feel bad, you’re like the 9th person on my friends so far to do it.

  • Argh! I hate double-posting.

  • Thanks so much for subscribing!

  • how do we get one of our posts to be reccomended by you???????????????

  • dude, cm’on when are you gonna start writing your OWN posts

  • Could you make an “RT_4_LYF” badge?! !!!!! plx plx plx plx .

  • I love the whole Xangsta theme myself, I’d happily tote it!

  • Good form!  Just wanted to say, that was very well-pplayed with Fullmetalbunny’s vote… I’ll have to remember that tactic… Oh, wait… this has to be more cliche….

    Nice post!

  • Badges are like flair! The more the better, do you really wanna just do the “bare minimum” for your fellow Xangans? Think about it. :P

  • @Legendairy - haha… i’m not competing for the mini!  i just thought u might appreciate a mini .

  • It was never really about the mini for me either, but when a friend says be shameless and nobody else will…. What else was there to do?  I just thought the whole situation would be funny.  I do appretiate the mini though, and I cast my vote in your favor for all to see.  A generous undercut (though not intended as such I know) deserves it.  Ultimately it’s all entertainment anyway.

  • loved the tale of woe. to quote VeggieTales,”I laughed, I cried, it moved me, Bob”….anyway, I voted for you too.

  • This is a neat feature.  Seriously, you guys never cease to amaze me.  I was so excited over the whole post-archiving feature that I nearly jumped out of my chair.  I was really close to going ahead and just buying a Xanga Lifetime membership and then someone bought me premium so I guess I’d feel like a douche to buy a Lifetime membership after someone already bought me premium.  I want a little ‘Life’ badge!  I think I’m a lifer, anyway.  I’ve literally met some of my best real-life friends through Xanga.  Four years of blogging here and I’m sure there will be many more.

    RYC:  Belly dancing is going to be a blast…I have a fellow Xangan joining me in the class.  I’m sure there will be lots of silly pictures and videos to follow.

  • God, that’s a ton of reccomends. 
    Xangstas are awesome.

  • I hereby award one John this big giant huge Mini, as he is the winner of my “Talk Me Into Giving You A ’1,000 eProps!’ Mini Bwahaha” event.

    This was no small accomplishment, as John was competing with an otaku, the ever-persuasive RaVnR, and some individuals who threatened me like Mafia goons. But tales of woe conquer all! Xanga loves John.

    Congatulations, John! Enjoy your Mini, and remember how many people wanted you to have it! Huzzah!

  • @john - Hmm I don’t see the new recommend module either. Here’s a screenshot..

  • @pedrothepoet - Ah is it possible you have a small monitor?  We haven’t yet added pagination to the list of modules…

  • @john - 

    I tried on another computer and everything showed up fine. I probably won’t use that module now but I like having that option. Thanks! Pete

  • I’d say we’re in disagreement on the Xangstas (I don’t find the topic partuclarly interesting). Though I would agree two badges are enough.

    Truthfully, I hate these minis. Mindless decorations are for Facebook man!

    I miss the old school Xanga days. Though the new private screen is helpful in reading new blogs from my subscribers. So kudos on that.

    Sorry, just catching up on things. I’m a bit lazy in the feedback department.

  • Why is the Welcome Wagon not updating?

  • @fullmetalbunny - Yay!  Celebrations.

    -Anna.

  • the cool thing about Xangstas’ badge is that it NOT official!

    I love the recommendations feature!
    It has made me connect with others that I would never have met otherwise! Maybe a top list of the most rec’d posts would be cool as a tab on the weblog front pages.

    How do you feel about being able to recommend photos/videos?

  • Yes, two  badges are enough
    Take care,     ~Alice~

  • Hi!
    There is something about Xanga that bothers me for a long time already.
    Whenever I finish posting an entry or updated my profile or photo album, someone from “District of Columbia” AND “New Jersey” always comes to my page the minute I post it.
    I’m worried about that. I don’t know who that stalker is, and if it’s from some companies that are trying to steal my pictures or info from my blog.
    I was wondering if those scary stalkers are actually people that work for Xanga that comes to check our pages to see if there are anything bad or what.
    Hope to hear an answer from you soon.
    Thanks! Hope you’re having a good day!

  • If I was going to make some faddish “Xangsta” sign with my fingers … I’d be banned from Xanga forever.

    Hazzar!!!

    Dr. E

  • xangasta for life! 

  • I can’t tag you, so come over and read my post today.  : )

  • I don’t know dude!

    J. Jonah Jameson’s been whining to me about Spidey and his gansta finger signs. Richard Simmons told me it reminded him of his days of the Austrailian penis wrestling matches during his highschool varsity wrestling days. But I told him to shut the hell up and to get in the back of the bus and if he showed people his “Hello Kitty” lunchbox one more time that I’d blast Jimmy Hendrix music in his mothers window at 2AM after I fucked her.

    But he did give me his American Express Card to be nice. Don’t leave home without it. Because I’d break into his house and steal it anyway!

    Yay Xanstaz! Sean Connery Still can’t pronoce that name properly!

  • Errm I mean *pronounce!

    See if you can spell that properly after your 10th beer and 2nd shot of Jack Daniels at 2Am. Fuck, I tried!

  • yes two is enough!
    it will get too messy.

  • hehe. That would be awesome, a xangsta’s badge.

    The xangsta blog might be my favorite of all time cause it’s not just mine…it’s everyone’s.

    …and you has spellin error in yo’ entry.

    Word.

  • @theblackspiderman - fixed, thx!

  • Can we have a feature that allows one to digg or stumble a specific post— similar to Myspace’s blogs. there are links under each blog to stumble, digg, etc each particular post. This would be a useful feature. 

  • aaah =[

  • Two is plenty…any more than that would be considered gloating.

  • Couldn’t resist this mini – rofl!

  • I think it would be really neat to see a listing of the most recommended posts!

  • no comment

  • good noght too

  • Yea, I absolutely love the Xanga badges. I do feel that they should be limited to subscription status otherwise the badges will become pointless. I think the “True” badge serves as a badge that anyone can earn. It is basically a badge that the free members can  have. I would hate to see Xanga go into having anymore badges than what they have now.

    The badges are supposed to point out specific users and if everyone has a badge then it will basically defeat the whole purpose. Like when you look through comments you attention is grabbed by those with badges. If there become to be so many badges everyone has one then it will make it where the badges will be pointless to show in comments as they will just stand out from every commentor. Just my opponion, but I’m glad Xanga is standing by their word.

  • badges make you feel good, but I don’t have one yet. :( You have to admit, wouldn’t having a xangsta badge be awesome?

    I’m sorry you keep on dropping your ice cream.

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