andreas
Joined: May 02
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Posted: 2007-10-31 18:06:00
Hi everybody,
as mentioned yesterday, we made a major update on the registration section. The GLOBO version has just been installed and brings way more improvements that that:
HOMEPAGE:
- Todays top members are replacing the destination guide icons. They are now located further down on the homepage. You might wonder where the landscape format comes from as it was not available before. We have developed a method to crop the images in a way that over 95 % of the images already online look good in landscape format. You do not have to do anything, if you had a picture online of yourself a new landscape one has been create for you. However you might want to check if in your case the image looks OK. The user images bring more community feeling to the main page just underneath the new "what we are" field.
- Latest top publications: This shows the latest top travel reports. Even if there is a 24h overview it might be to far down for first visitors and it the top publications brings one of the best content on GLOBO more into the visibility of new users
- Premium sponsors: This is a great spot for companies like Expedia where they can place their logo and a link to their sites. This non intrusive but effective brand advertisement will help to bring more development to GLOBO (by hiring development staff) and reduce the risk of failing income streams as we will get more independent from monopoly companies like Google. Do you have a travel related site? Contact us and you will get a great deal as first customer!
REGISTER FORM
- We are lowering the entry barriers of the sign up process with this update. It required 5 steps to become a member of GLOBO in the past. Now it is just 1! Additionally we bring great user interaction with this update that will enhance the experience while entering data to the form. As soon as a new member starts to fill in data GLOBO is checking it in the background. Try to fill in some info yourself, for example your user name. It will tell you that it is already taken without that you do have to click the sign up button! Functions like this will find it's way into GLOBO in the future and will make it more fun to interact with each other and to publish content.
BUXFIXES:
- Some minor bug fixes in various areas
I hope the new GLOBO version will help us grow the new member base and bring more fun to the existing members.
Best regards,
Andy
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andreas
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Posted: 2007-11-01 09:11:00
There seem to be some minor bugs inside that update which is quite normal in such complex processes.
Knows bugs:
- Pictures from pioneer members that have never been replaced have not been converted into landscape format. No problem here we will just rerun the converting script after adjusting some parameters
- The signup does not require a city anymore as many have failed on that spot in the future. That will be a triky one as I would personally like to keep it that way and have the people only enter info that they really want to offer and in the other side it looks like the GLOBO framework needs that info for several reasons. I believe that this problem will go away with the next update that includes some more interactive member account changes and people will start putting in more member info as soon as they are comming from the registration process. So we will get that info without forcing them to do that in the first seconds of the sign up.
Feel free so post more if you discovered any and they will be fixed a.s.a.p.
So far no serious bug has been found.
I will leave today for a one day hiking trip to the alps. We have a major holiday today in Bavaria and the weather is perfect!! Will post some pics tomorrow.
Best regards,
andy
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andreas
Joined: May 02
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Posted: 2007-11-02 13:45:00
Bug fixes on this update:
- Member pictures that have not been replaced since the last improvement on member picture since (somewhere 2005) are now holding the landscape size as well.
- Members that have signed up after 2004 are now also holding the landscape size
- Formats of member pictures that have been already in landscape, but in a ratio over 4:3 convert now nicely as well
The whole picture resize functionality has been rewritten and hold improvements not only for the member pictures, but also for all other image uploads. Black stripes on the side due to a non fitting ratios are now a relict of the past (for new uploads). Those black stripes on the homepage always looked a bit odd but there was no solution at hand to solve it. The new image functionality now has a solution for any kind of image ratio to prevent black stripes.
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andreas
Joined: May 02
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Posted: 2007-11-02 15:11:00
Adjustment:
For more consistance on the homepage and to finally bring the MoM to the first page, the last top report pictures are replaced by pictures of the recent MoM's. The last top reports now show next to the Report of the month.
The top row now contains only member pictures which I do believe does more represent the spirit of a community.
The right side next to the MoM shows the todays top members without the MoM. That has following reasons:
- It looks a bit odd to have two same pictures on the homepage
- You receive one of the best places on the homepage if you are a MoM and listed in the left upper row, giving even more exposure on that page would overexpose that profile.
- The MoM's are leading, let the others follow their foot steps while they try to get on the MoM section as well. I believe it is more interesting to see new members each day that are running for the MoM. In the future it might not be possible to become a MoM if you have received a MoM award within the last 4 months. That fits into the concept of the pictures on the homepage.
Bugfixes:
Some minor layout adjustments.
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andreas
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Posted: 2007-11-02 16:44:00
Bugfix:
- The GLOBO framework requires a city location where the users are from. Due to the fact it is not possible (so far) to handle registration process within on step. One additional step as been included to solve that situation.
The new user list will now start showing new members again as soon as they come in.
- Minor bug fixes in the registration forms
Improvement:
- Removed security code check from member registration as this is not needed as long as the user has to confirm via e-mail.
- More consistent user sign up process with the right column holding the "what our members say about us".
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marianne
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Joined: Sep 03
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Posted: 2007-11-02 17:22:00
Would it be possible to have a (small) space for the four latest tips on the home page. These are very important because they provide a lot of information, besides they are easy to write which means that all members can participate. ---
“I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” Robert Louis Stevenson
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andreas
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andreas
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rangutan
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andreas
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Posted: 2007-11-03 01:09:00
Hi Rudi,
thank you for your suggestions and bug report. The saratoga.globosapiens one is an important one. That is actually one of the development servers in the GLOBO office, so I could not recognize the difference as long as I was there. Now from home I can clearly see that it does not work. I have just fixed it.
I believe it is way more interesting to come to GLOBO each day and see new faces than always the same ones. The left row is for contest winners. The right one for recent changes. The top 3 down on the left show the top 3 from last week while and do not show an image. I already found it quite interesting to see new members showing up there. I hope that this will help to get them more involved. It is lowering the entry bars, since it is quite hard to get into the top 3 of the last week list. Usually only senior members achieve it.
Spelling mistakes will be corrected on Monday.
Best regards,
Andy
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