Suggestion Box, January 2014 Edition! in Suggestion Box

  • Jan. 1, 2014, 11:42 p.m.
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Sorry if I haven't been as responsive to recent suggestions - been getting a lot of them and I've been pretty busy.

Anyway, just wanted to let you know that the big feature I'm currently working on is user blocking, and no, it won't be a premium feature. It will be available to the masses. It will be bi-directional, as suggested by a few users. In other words, if you block a user, they won't see any of your Members Only stuff. But you won't see any of their Members Only stuff either. I exclude public entries since it's a simple matter of logging out to see the entries - seems pointless to include them for blocking - other than blocking the user from leaving comments.


Comments are closed.
banker chick January 02, 2014

Awesome!

Cat Mommy January 02, 2014

Excellent! I like the way you're implementing it on top of listening to the masses who objected to it being a pay feature. :)

Leanne 🌈 January 02, 2014

Me and hubs ended watching season three of Dexter last night. Kick ass show so far oh and thanks for kicking ass on PB as always big big thanks for all that you do for PB. Carry on :)

Deleted user January 02, 2014

I agree that to block someone, their COMPUTER should be blocked. It's easy to create additional accounts to bug someone from. It's been done to me before on other sites.

I'm also hoping you'll allow for customized backgrounds on free accounts as well as premium. Maybe you can allow others to turn off backgrounds on free accounts, but disallow them from doing so on paid accounts???

Cat Mommy Deleted user ⋅ January 02, 2014

I'm pretty sure he's made it clear that backgrounds are going to be a premium feature only. If he lets everything go for free (and customizing is a big draw) then he won't make enough money to cover the site let alone make a profit. I know selfishly you might think this is a good idea but it's not from a business stand point and I don't think it's even fair to ask.

Deleted user Cat Mommy ⋅ January 02, 2014

Well, I'm sorry you think I'm "selfish" and "unfair," but a suggestion box is for suggestions, is it not?

EvequeFou Cat Mommy ⋅ January 02, 2014

Revenue could be approximately the same between ad-funded and self-paid users. If SM chose this balance, then all features would be available to all users, and ads would be the only difference. It's not necessarily unfair to suggest that model.

Alternatively, he can try to get more revenue from paid users than ad-funded ones, in which case you're right -- there need to be features to justify paying more. (SM could even offer a middle option, full-featured, lower price with ads.)

Cat Mommy EvequeFou ⋅ January 02, 2014

From what he's said the pay option will be to get certain features including ad removal and backgrounds (plus other things, I'm sure) so pay features will only be for people who pay just like Open Diary.

Overachiever Deleted user ⋅ January 27, 2014

Blocking by IP can restrict whole groups of people who share an external IP (such as colleges and large companies) and getting around that is as simple as using a VPN account or going to the Starbucks down the street. There is no way to block a computer permanently because computer IDs are not shared on the public web...for obvious reasons.

anyahs January 02, 2014

Thank you for everything that you're doing! Do you plan to change members only / favorites only features specifically for single entries, not just entire books like we currently have?

EvequeFou January 02, 2014

Hopefully simple.... Rather than clicking "Next" or "Previous" and landing on the same page you were on with a nasty note at the top that's easy to glance past, could you just gray out or hide the Next/Previous button if there is no next/previous entry?

simple mind EvequeFou ⋅ January 02, 2014

Well, it's currently easier said than done. It was adding some database overhead to try to figure out every possible navigation option when the entry screen loads, so I just pushed that calculation back to the server side. So it doesn't know until you actually try.

EvequeFou simple mind ⋅ January 02, 2014

Yeah, I can see where that would be a lot of database lookups. Given that users probably aren't going to be going straight to the button, but reading the entry they just got to, maybe some JS that makes a background call to decide whether to disable the buttons while the user reads? The same call could pick up the URL for the entries that do exist and update the link, which would save a round-trip calling the intermediate lookup page that's just going to (I presume) 302 you to the actual entry after doing a lookup.

Doesn't solve the increased DB load, but it does avoid delaying page render while you do the lookups.

Deleted user January 02, 2014

Regardless of what you do, as long as there aren't drastic changes or tons of bugs, I appreciate anything you do here! I understand the need to make some money in order to keep the site up and running.

But who is Simple Mind, I wonder, and where is he? Just curious. :) I get the feeling you're in Europe.

simple mind Deleted user ⋅ January 02, 2014

Never been to Europe, actually (though it's on my undocumented bucket list). I'm in Utah, USA. Just your average married guy with a toddler son and a career in software. :-)

Deleted user simple mind ⋅ January 02, 2014

I can vouch for him! :-)

EvequeFou January 02, 2014

Oh, note editing would be handy, but not essential. Might make a nice paid feature...?

EvequeFou January 02, 2014

I'm not sure the icon-scaling on comment replies is working properly.... By the third layer, my icon is just a dot. I don't know that the scaling is needed, since you're already indenting, but if you like the scaling maybe make it less... aggressive?

Cat Mommy EvequeFou ⋅ January 02, 2014

I always wondered about that. It's been that way for awhile. Found it odd.

Deleted user January 02, 2014

Will there be a search feature where we can search our books? If so, will that be a free or a paid feature?

lua January 02, 2014

Hi, I am having a problem with my entries not showing up in other people's bookmarks, is there anyone I can email or speak to about it?

lua January 02, 2014

Oh, ignore my previous comment - it was something being set to private! Thanks!

theinkykitkat January 02, 2014

I'll be honest in that I don't know if this has been asked at all yet, but maybe an option to delete our own notes that we leave for someone would be helpful. :)

Katren...In Conclusion January 02, 2014

When I have saved something draft, reviewed it and found it as I wish it to be, it would be most convenient to Publish without going back through edit -- or did I miss something?

simple mind Katren...In Conclusion ⋅ January 02, 2014

No, I've already thought about adding a more convenient Publish button.

Emmy Lou January 03, 2014

HOORAAAAYYYYYYY

Thank you :D

edna million January 03, 2014

Something that I've just realized would be very helpful is a way to easily search comments. Even a way to sort comments by diarist name would be nice. I was just starting to note someone I don't think I've noted before, involving specifics about a town I grew up in that they'd mentioned in their entry, and then I started thinking, "wait... have I already said this practically same thing to them awhile back? And am I going to sound crazy/stalkerish if I leave a similar note again??" SO then I ended up going through all my "comments left" to see if I had done that, which took quite awhile.

It would be a very nice feature for the more air-headed among us-

Deleted user January 04, 2014

Maybe you could get a little extra support for the site by collecting a referral fee from Amazon when people click-through book images on book reviews, and buy the book? I'm sure you wouldn't make much that way but I'll bet it would be worth doing.

https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/gp/associates/join/getstarted

The draft book review template in the FAQ is being used, and it could be altered to encourage click-throughs.

Deleted user January 05, 2014

An ipad app would be awesome!

.Java.Junkie. Deleted user ⋅ January 31, 2014

agreed! An app!

woman in the moon January 05, 2014

I hope when you have a paid ad-less version the ad boxes disappear too. I'm sure you intend to do that.

Also have you thought of accepting donations - through PayPal or otherwise?

woman in the moon January 05, 2014

Sublimejen January 06, 2014

Can you please, please put an edit entry button at the top of the entry? Every day I wish for this when I go through and catch my million grammar errors after I've posted and have to scroll allllll the way down through my entry to edit :) Thank you in advance!

Sublimejen January 06, 2014

Also , A way to respond to notes on the note page?

simple mind Sublimejen ⋅ January 06, 2014

That one is in the works, but I plan to offer as a premium feature (when that option is available).

TruNorth January 06, 2014

I support having paid features. You need to earn a reasonable income from your work on this site and I think reasonable people understand that and are willing to pay for features that provide added value to the basic diary.

Deleted user TruNorth ⋅ February 04, 2014

Yes. This.

I need tea. January 06, 2014

I've not read through the other notes so sorry if this has been said but how about the ability to change books around, 2013 seems to be my default but is a bit annoying as I now have a 2014. Hopefully that makes sense as I am about to go to bed.

Thank you for all the hard work you have put it. x

Deleted user January 09, 2014

There was talk of being able to import our OD entries. Will that ever be the case, I wonder? Thanks for all your work!

ammie January 10, 2014

Sorry if this already exists - is there a way to add a some html as a footer (ie a counter) on every entry?

Princess Buttercup January 10, 2014

when I deleted a comment the confirmation box that popped up was waaaaay over on the right side, I had to actually scroll over to click the button to confirm delete. Not a big deal, but I assume you didn't intend for it to show up way off to the side like that.

simple mind Princess Buttercup ⋅ January 10, 2014

Yeah, I've noticed that. It's something in some of the themes. Default theme doesn't do that.

Princess Buttercup simple mind ⋅ January 10, 2014

Oh ok. I am using the original dark theme

Sapphire January 12, 2014

Couple of things for me , not sure if they're already there and I'm being daft. Exporting the books would be fab .... Also being able to change the individual post access ... So my diary is members only, but some entries I might like to be friends or private.

Deleted user January 12, 2014

In my view the biggies remaining are 1) some means of note previewing 2) Means of searching received notes, sent notes, and entries 3) Means of exporting an entire book to a local file (txt or html). 4) It would be nice to have a hit and/or visitor counter for each entry to estimate amount of interest in different subjects.

I'd gladly pay a subscription fee, say via paypal, for an enhanced feature set of this sort

Raven January 13, 2014

One that I think I am really missing from all the sites I've used in the past is backdating. Say you start an entry at 11:30pm... but you get distracted by other things, and don't actually hit Submit till midnight? That entry which was for the day before is now posted on the current date. Is there any work around in progress for that? Or a similar feature? Just wondering.

simple mind Raven ⋅ January 13, 2014

Yeah, that's a common request, it's on the to-do list. :)

Raven simple mind ⋅ January 14, 2014

Awesome! You're the man! Keep us posted. <3

Dirty Numb Angelboy January 14, 2014

Sweet. I'm loving this more and more each day. Don't even miss open diary at all. Thanks for the great site.

Deleted user January 14, 2014

Awesome!! Thanks. :)

Ginger Rogers January 15, 2014

When will I be able to import my diary from Open Diary?

simple mind Ginger Rogers ⋅ January 18, 2014

Not sure at this point... so many things I want to accomplish, so little time. You know how it is.

Deleted user January 16, 2014

Hi, I have a small layout suggestion here: https://www.prosebox.net/entry/50143/

Deleted user January 16, 2014

Great idea with the user blocking feature! I was wondering if perhaps there could be an 'interest matcher' or something of the sort, so we can find people that way? Not sure if that's been suggested already, I'm still figuring the site out. :)

simple mind Deleted user ⋅ January 18, 2014

Yeah, I want a comprehensive search feature with tagging. That should pretty much give you what you want.

Flame is Love January 17, 2014

I'd like to be able to set a default book. I rarely want to write in the 1st book alphabetically and forget to change that drop down nearly every time.

simple mind Flame is Love ⋅ January 18, 2014

I'll probably change the sort so that books are listed in the order you last wrote in them - should solve the problem for most people I think. :)

banker chick simple mind ⋅ January 30, 2014

Will that also go for how they're listed on your profile page? It makes me twitchy that my 2013 book is above the 2014 book.

Deleted user January 19, 2014

weird bug: This bit me when posting a URL, but I have simplified it: If I leave a comment consisting of the 7-character string

(letter x)(underscore)(letter x)(space)(numeral 8)(underscore)(letter x)

the underscores get eaten and do not appear in the posted comment. Simply

(letter x)(underscore)(letter x)

or

(numeral 8)(underscore)(letter x)

by themselves are fine. What could it be?

simple mind Deleted user ⋅ January 19, 2014

It's a Markdown thing, underscores are used for adding emphasis (italicizing). Example:

Markdown is _messing_ with my underscores!

Markdown is messing with my underscores!

I tried adding an extension that ignores underscores in the middle of words since that's usually not the intent, but one of the extensions was causing issues. I may try adding that one back though.

simple mind Deleted user ⋅ January 19, 2014

Oh, and I forgot to mention the workaround. Any underscore you don't want interpreted by Markdown can be preceded by a backslash to "escape" the character:

Markdown leaves \_these\_ underscores alone.

Markdown leaves _these_ underscores alone.

Deleted user simple mind ⋅ January 19, 2014

Thanks. Markdown, I should have known. I'll remember to underscore anything that might be a metacharacter.

ebin. January 21, 2014

i would like to be able to bookmark someone's book.... not all of their books! sometimes i JUST want to read someones recipes... but don't follow their day-to-day entries. sometimes i look at my bookmarks and think "why the heck did i bookmark this person" only to got to their account and realize only a single one of there several books is what i am interested in...
has anything like this been considered?
xx,

Deleted user January 25, 2014

  • I saw an entry complaining about the "blind" navigation buttons. I know that you have to do a database query for each link, and that's computationally intensive. So it's done the way it is to make pages load faster and to lessen the burden on the server.

    However, might it might be possible to do the database query in an AJAX-y way, when a user hovers the button?
  • Another possible way to save real estate: move the breadcrumb line just above the title in the title panel, with the repetition of the title removed.
  • Maybe the next/previous author buttons could moved into the title block, too. I think we could do without navigation with "current book" and "my bookmarks". I never use them. If I want to navigate through the book or my bookmarks I'll use the book page or the bookmarks page because I rarely want want to navigate linearly through those; I pick and choose instead. However, I do use the current author next and previous buttons a lot, especially when I find a new author.
FormerlyMe January 27, 2014

is there a mobile site, I have a dumb phone and sometimes update from my phone.

MissMeg January 27, 2014

I'm sure this has been discussed many times, and you'll probably get an influx of this same question as OD is now officially going to be shutting down, but can we pretty please have a way to import our Open Diary history here? Or at least the possibility in the future? I'm assuming an XML format would be the way to go, so I'm downloading both XML and Text now just in case. (Although currently it keeps timing out when I try to download the XML.. go figure)

MissMeg January 27, 2014

Also... Entry Calendar please :) So useful for those of us who like to 'look stuff up'!

banker chick MissMeg ⋅ January 30, 2014

I like this idea for down the road when I have a million entries again. :)

Ad Astra Per Alas Porci. January 27, 2014

I was wondering if there was a way to talk directly to someone without comments on their specific entry?
Or if there is a area for technical support? I've looked for a link to anything but found nothing other than "comments" to get in contact with anyone. I could totally be blind though. XD

Specifically looking for technical help more than anything, and nothing like "How do I use markdown" more like, my stuff is broken on this site and needs devine help from the prosebox hands. :3

Jane Says January 27, 2014

TAKE MY MONEY!

;D

in the middle January 27, 2014

First of all, thank you for this site. I am relieved that if I can ever get my ass in gear to write again, I'll have somewhere nice to do it. You rule. :)

And please forgive me if someone has already asked and had this question answered, but for the life of me if it has been, I can't find it at all, so here goes... I notice when I'm reading around in any one user's book, to get to the "next" entry, I have to either click "back" and manually pick it or (what I found much much later) is the "More Entries" box over there on the left... I guess the reason I didn't see it is that (at least on my PC? Maybe it is a setting or something?) it is waaaaaaaaaaaaay at the bottom, and not easily found without scrolling forever... is this something that is just my issue and not a problem for anyone else?

simple mind in the middle ⋅ January 27, 2014

Well hopefully you don't have to scroll too far down... it should get pinned to the left side once you scroll past the main menu items. Been experimenting with placement and that's the latest place it landed.

in the middle simple mind ⋅ January 28, 2014

Well, it's pretty far... I guess far enough that I didn't see it on 90% of the entries I read last night because it was way below the end of their entry, after an ad. Although as I was scrolling up on THIS to see again what I experienced so I could accurately describe it, I noticed that the next/previous just came along with where ever I scrolled! Is that new since last night? I like!

in the middle simple mind ⋅ January 28, 2014

Oh, now I see... its different on this page for some reason. I usually have to scroll past the user search box, and the overall PB "help" box and a long ad picture as well as all of my user menu to get to the "next/previous" box. I guess a lot of what I read were much shorter entries, so I had no idea the next/previous was there.

Overachiever January 27, 2014

Not thrilled with the location of the "more entries" box. Putting those boxy ads and only using up a fraction of the vertical space they take bothers the artistic and business sides of me. Heck, put two ads there if they'll allow it. At least it's not wasted space.

~jillybean~ January 28, 2014

A "bookedmarked by" or "followed by" button and list.

RavenSunset January 28, 2014

a front page/intro sort of thing would be nice..... =)

Deleted user RavenSunset ⋅ February 01, 2014

:)

Ditch Witch January 29, 2014

Is there a way to see someone's previous and next entry names? I am hitting previous to see if I have read their last entry which is time consuming when you are a mad lurker..am I an idiot missing some obvious solution to this problem? I could be..its happened before..many many times. ty!!!!!!

Deleted user January 29, 2014

Could we have a search function where we could search by location or interests? At the moment we can only search if we know a username and only see people if they are recent entries/signups. Would be a good way to find more and develop the community!

Raven January 29, 2014

Hey, SM. Not sure if there's a limit to how many times we can comment on suggestion box entries, but I just had another thought. Any plans for a notification system (email notifs on comments received on specific entries...things like that?)

Darcy0207 from OD January 29, 2014

Is there any chance that paragraphs can be used? I hate seeing my post all in one block, when I know I wrote it in separate paragraphs.

simple mind Darcy0207 from OD ⋅ January 29, 2014

Add a blank line between paragraphs. Then you should be good.

Linda January 29, 2014

I am not able to insert photos using the WYSIWYG or using old html code. Are others having this problem? I don't know if it matters that I use a Mac, host my photos on flickr!, and use Safari as my browser, but since you changed to the WYSIWYG window, I am unable to post photos.

Linda January 29, 2014

P.S. when I try to post a photo all that shows up is a little blue box with a question mark in it.

simple mind Linda ⋅ January 29, 2014

You probably have the wrong photo URL. It most likely ends with .jpg. If you paste it into your browsers address bar you should see just the picture on a white background.

.Java.Junkie. January 29, 2014

I noticed quite a few people have had the same thoughts as I when it comes to bookmarks. Is it possible to get the bookmarks in more of a uniform list that we can scroll down to see date of last visit and date last read? it's just becoming too confusing and time consuming to scroll through 8 pages of "bookmarks" to read each and everyones entries since the last visit and hopes I am staying up to date on their recent happenings... Then having to arrow up in the "book" etc etc.... Where as if we had a list (to scroll down) like OD had instead of entries of each bookmark to scroll through. It just seems unorganized and cluttered now that we are getting more & more bookmarks added to our "lists" now that more OD refugees have made their way over here and reconnected with each other.... Having the unread feature does help but it still seems like a mumble jumble mess when your trying to find your "list" because well....there isn't one. ;)

Deleted user .Java.Junkie. ⋅ February 01, 2014

:)

Naiad January 30, 2014

I'd love to be able to look diaries up by location. :)

Deleted user Naiad ⋅ February 01, 2014

:)

Deleted user January 30, 2014

Hi, for premium features.

  1. Notifications by emails when : A. friends and bookmarks update their diaries; B. Receiving notes; C. Being added as friends; D. Being Followed (you can charge ultra premium rate above the basic premium rate); E. Friends groups (ultra premium rate)

LinkedIn has various degrees of premium rates which include letting members know who visit their pages. In addition to this function, xing.com lets premium members know how many times that those visitors visit them, dates, hours and from typing what (eg: members from same industry, friends of etc etc,)

Would be cool to have all these.

Deleted user January 30, 2014

Cont'd:

The bi-blocking should not apply to the ultra premium subscribers. Meaning, they can still view and read all members - only entries by their blockers, or their blockees (ie if it is them who initiate the blocking first);

a guestbook. Ie for random visitors and friends who just wish to write without having to scroll/browse entries to do so; followed by notification by email for every guestbook entry received;

Ability to set privacy setting so that only members, or public, or faves only can write in those guestbook;

Internal mails ;

colojojo January 30, 2014

I think some sort of interests section would be cool. As much as I like using this for my personal use and writing, I really enjoy finding other people who have similar interests as I do and connecting with them, reading some of their entries I can relate to as well. You can't necessarily just look up random screen names. I enjoyed that aspect in previous diary sites I've used, and I'm hoping to only stick with PB now. But that would be a great way to find others who we can connect with and read their entries too. Not sure if this has been brought up yet or not. I'm just getting started on here.

Deleted user January 30, 2014

Contd:

Label depicting the diarist's membership status, such as premium member or super premium, therefore wont dare to lurk in their diaries knowing that they are able to know who/when/how long/ how, with regards to visitations.

I know of several people who (similarly like me) would be willing to pay for these features.

Etoile Filante January 31, 2014

I has a request! Is there anything you can do to add a scroll bar within the field for typing entry text? If I update on my mobile I can only write freeform and can't go backwards to edit because all that is visible to me is the dimension of the text field. Thankyouplease! xXx

simple mind Etoile Filante ⋅ January 31, 2014

Yeah I really want to revamp the editor. There's lots of weirdness there.

Deleted user January 31, 2014

It would be nice to see the title of the post. Right now there is just their icon and name. The title of their post would help me determine if I want to read it and make new friends. Thanks

Noodlebugs! January 31, 2014

would like to be able to easily nav to the next (or prior) entry in a book without having to return to the entry list for that book.

Noodlebugs! January 31, 2014

oh...I see where that is now. N/M

softea February 01, 2014

Would love to see something like the od "circles". I found so many of my favs that way! Maybe hashtags could work?

eight of nine February 01, 2014

Hello, the ability to limit some entries to your friends list would be awesome. Thanks.

Deleted user eight of nine ⋅ February 01, 2014

You can do that now by putting Friends Only entries in Friends Only books.

Comments are closed.