Greetings!
Firstly, will the authors of the Faramir and Venny blogs please send me an alternate email address, your information keeps bouncing back to me with "mailbox unavailable." Your blogs are waiting for you and they are eager to get to know you.
Second, welcome to the six new members I just created blogs for, may your time here be full of good bloggy juju!
Third, Happy New Year BlogsOfRoleplay! I'd like to thank all of you for making the first six months of this site worth every minute of the work and here's to much growth and success in 2004.
After a brief hiatus with the holidays, the flu and some nasty frozen pipes I am happy to say we are back in full operational swing! Woo! I want to update you all on what is happening behind the scenes so without any further prattle I move on!
CHANGE: All blogs that sit un-written in for three months will be removed from the system. This is ONLY for blogs that have never been written in three months after creation. If you've written once your blog will NOT be removed. As the domain grows, the need to clear unused space is a logical one. It is simple enough to re-create a blog if requested but I've seen people using the site strictly for the POP email and that's not what we're about.
CHANGE: Within the next week, we will be upgrading to the latest version of Movable Type. There have been a few significant changes made to MT (you can read about them at the MT website) and we want to keep up to date. This will NOT impact any of the blogs except you might not be able to rebuild for an hour. We'll keep you posted.
CHANGE: BoRCom author Websites and Banners will now become an active part of the site. If you have a website you would like listed on the Grimoire "BorCom Member Sites" link or a banner you'd like posted on the "BorCom Affiliate" link off the Index Blog, please drop me an email and we'll get that up for you.
TIP: I've gotten email from people frustrated who say they have written an entry and hit "save" but the entry does not show. Please note that directly under "Excerpt" at the bottom of the create an entry screen there is a drop down button with "draft" and "publish" for "Post Status." If you want your entry to be seen, make sure "publish" is clicked otherwise it will save the post as a draft and you will be the only one who can view it.
TIP: Use your @blogsofroleplay.com email, it is where email will be sent regarding the updates to the site (as well as posted here). These are POP email accounts with no set quota (within limits of course, let's not send an unzipped copy of Win XP via email), our gift to you for being part of this place.
TIP: Please make use of help@blogsofroleplay.com. Whether it's the template gallery or just a general question, email IS read and replied to.
PLEA: If you have a moment, please sign the Guestbook and/or visit the forums (both linked from the Grand Grimoire). The forums have been sorely neglected but we hope to liven them up.
DONATIONS: I've been asked about donations (Ye Olde Charity Cup) so I'll give a brief rundown. BoRCom is a free service, we offer no enhancements to blogs for donations, you can do as much with a free account as with a sponsor account. What donating does get you besides that warm fuzzy feeling of doing something nice can be any or all of the following:
* Your banner/website on active rotation on ALL THREE BorCom sites and our sister site, GamersColony.com.
* Your banner/website included in our "BoRCom Sponsors" section with a chance for you to submit a short promotion for your banner/website.
* A sub-domain (you.blogsofroleplay.com), which is great for group leaders as any blogs created by your group members will be located in your sub-domain (you.blogsofroleplay.com/member).
* Choice of basic or advanced (php) guestbook for your blog.
* Forums for your group with you as Moderator.
* A new real-world blog at BlogsOfRealplay.com.
* Your game's forums listed on the Grimoire.
* Customisation of your blog, forums or guestbook. However you want it to look, we'll do it.
There is no amount guideline for donations, anything donated will go directly to server cost (I rent the server the site lives on) and is deeply appreciated. Should you donate, you will note that the PayPal email address is wolfandpig@aol.com. Pay it no mind, my parents use PayPal for their online bookstore so it's set to their default email. Ok, enough on charity.
BLOG/SITE OF THE MONTH: I will be making a little graphic to send to those who make Blog or Website of the month, a little something to put on your blog or site that says you were given special kudos. We are committed to making a community here, I visit each and every website offered up by BoRCom members and it's a nice thing to give something back. I have not made the graphic yet but it's coming soon.
TECHNICAL: Once the upgrade goes in, the first thing I'll be re-doing is the Search function. If you've used it you'll notice it's a bit strange on what it will and will not pull up. I'll be broadening the search capability and adding to its functionality.
TECHNICAL: After the Search update, I will be finalising the automated recent update list. I have the plug-ins, I have the instructions, I know what needs to be done. It's just a matter of doing it and hoping the gremlins are off haunting someone else's machine for a change.
COMMUNITY: After the two above changes are in, the focus will move to the member pages. I'm looking for the same level of personalisation as a LiveJournal member page without the confusion. You will be able to use avatars, search on interests, enter as much or as little personal information as you want. I'll be sending out a notice on that as it becomes closer to going into production.
BoRCom STAFF: As of now, I am the staff. I've been thinking about taking on a staff member or two to help with the forums, creation of new blogs, general updates, etc. Experience not necessary, honour and integrity are. Of course if you're experienced in SQL/PHP and/or MT *and* happen to have honour and integrity, that's even better! I have nothing to pay you with but I can offer free webhosting or a doughnut. If you think you might be interested drop me an email and I'll open a dialogue.
Wow, I think that's more than enough for one update. Welcome again to the newcomers, hello again to the residents and here's to some really good blog in 2004!
Blog on!
Strega, Resident Muse