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[theljstaff]

100 Day Plan

Two weeks ago we announced a 100 Day Plan for LiveJournal, Inc. The team are getting their teeth into this now. Here are just a few of the things that we're working on:

Expanding Collapsed Comment Threads: If you have a paid account, you can have a first-look at a feature which will expand comments threads that have been collapsed

Comments

[penguin2]

After three-and-a-half years on LJ, I remain unimpressed - or negatively impressed - by pretty much all of the user changes you've brought in. I'm renewing my subscription anyway because LJ remains the only reasonably well-configured large interactive blogging site ~spits in the general direction of MySpazz and FarceBook and Bubo and WorstJournal and shrugs in the general direction of the rather staid blogger.com~ but I just wanted to be one of the early commenters here who'd be happier without all the recent bells, whistles, kerfuffle and bleh...

[yomimashou]

Seconded. I haven't been here nearly as long as the above commenter, but I agree with the opinion that there are a bit too many bells and whistles being added. I admire that the team is trying to make things better for users, but I would suggest trying to keep simplicity a priority.

[mopalia]

Agreed. Simple is best.

[mutantenemy]

No comment, really, except for thanks for keeping us within the Loopage.

I do have a suggestion though re: the new way to customize our journals. You have it nicely displayed where one can preview each layout. However, as helpful as the different categories for searching are (Light Colors, Dark Colors, Illustrated, etc.), would it be possible for us to "tag" our favorite ones so we can go to our Top 12 and select? Rather than repeat the search process? I was inspired by how Yahoo Avatars allows one to "star" their fave accessories.

Just a thought. :-)

Happy Holidaze!

[marta]

That idea sounds like a good one for suggestions! It's a good place to make sure it's seen by the developers who work on things like that.

[echoweaver]

Bouncing off this suggestion....

Maybe this should also go to suggestions, or maybe I don't understand how the layout browser works. But I'd like a view of the layouts that allows me to select a layout and THEN see what color schemes/graphic headers are available, instead of creating a new thumbnail for the Cartesian product of layouts and color/graphic schemes. That generates hundreds of entries, most of which are, to me, the same thing.

[magus]

Your Profile: If you have ever wanted more personalization and customization on your profile page, we think you'll like some of the features we're working on.

Interesting. This may coax the GreatestJournal users back over. I have a few free accounts and end up seeing ads on plus accounts, so I have to ask something. The question is in making the profile more customizable, will we have an option where to place the visible ads for those who have to see them? Having it right next to the userpics box is frustrating at times and can off set an table.

[magus]

I know a lot of people would try to hide it if given the chance, but allowing even an option of choices as to where to place it would be a godsend. I've clicked the ad so many times while logged out just because after a few years I know that's where I click to view user pics, heh.

And thanks! Fellow WoW players = love.

[yrena]

Not bloody likely. The dung hitting fans going on over there because the owner of GJ is an uncommunicative screwball is making them move- but not to LJ. They're going to InsaneJournal or one of the other lj format sites.

-GJ user

[therikkster]

Please make any major profile changes opt-in!

[vakkotaur]

Hear! Hear!

This is something that would show a significant improvement in the way LJ treats its users:

Opt-in is put in place by the competent.
Opt-out is put in place by scoundrels.

[pauamma]

So what are competent scoundrels supposed to do? :-)

[vakkotaur]

Be much more subtle.

[stardust9121]

Staying optimistic about the home page changes...I've been having trouble finding things since the last change, and I hope things will be a little more intuitive. The expanding comments option and the more convenient Rich Text Editor both sound like great ideas.

I'm wary of the new "customization" coming to user profiles, and hoping it's not going to be along the lines of MySpace or Facebook. Just because those sites added piles of applications and sent their design/ease-of-use to hell doesn't mean it's a good idea for LiveJournal. I've never seen LJ as being in competition with those sites anyway; it's fundamentally a [community] blogging site, in a category of its own, really.

But then I might just be jumping to conclusions here. Just...please, *please* do not go down that path.

Thanks for the update.

[mopalia]

Well said and seconded. If I wanted to be on MySpace or Facebook, that's where I'd be. I certainly don't want to be on a MySpace or Facebook wannabe.

[fredtheavenger]

I'm wary of the new "customization" coming to user profiles, and hoping it's not going to be along the lines of MySpace or Facebook.

I agree: and posts in news have promised us before that lj isn't going to become "that place" [MySpace].

[echoweaver]

Fourthed! I'm on LJ b/c LJ is cleaner, easier to use, and hasn't forgotten that the real point of the site is the content.