An Update on Updates, Reminders, and 10th Anniversary News

Time for annother update on updates, with some reminders and birthday news thrown in for good measure.

Some Reminders

 1. Login! 

This is a reminder that logging in brings you added features of the site. If you log in, you will see everything, and will be able to edit and keep track of your submissions  much more easily. Here is our article on Logging In For The First Time, so you can retain your username. 

2. Profiles

This new feature enables you to promote yourself. It’s up to you what you want to share, but you can add links to other sites you use or like, describe your hobbies and interests. Only logged in users of the site are able to see your profile. You can edit your user information, update your email address, list your skills, and more by clicking on the various tabs at the top of the page. Logged in users can click on a username to get to a profile.

3. Share!

At the bottom of all stories and events is a button for sharing. This let’s you choose from hundreds of social media options, and share the link. This new feature allows you to promote your stories and events much more easily.

4. Free classifieds! And paid options, too.

This is pretty self-explanatory. List things for free, or pay a bit to add photos and more. Special categories for renting houses, and job listings. Check out this page to see all the categories available, and try listing something.  

5. Look in the iBrattleboro section for more tips and tricks and updates like this.

If you missed the launch of the site, you may have missed some useful information. Please look over the iBrattleboro section to see if you question has been answered. 

6. The Weather page has a new look and details. 

Lots of local weather information, now arranged in tabs. Weather buffs should check out Weather Spark in the links. It is an amazingly interactive timeline of incredible weather data, as well as predictive charts of average temperature, cloud cover, chance of precipitation, and more. Outdoor event planners can see guesses (based on averages) as to possible weather conditions well into the future.

7. Puzzle Page

Find Emma’s Mazes, Crossword and Sudoku and more. 

8. Today in Local History

Enjoying Today in Local History? If there’s a notable events that we’ve missed, let us know.  There are also a few days throughout the year that we couldn’t find anything about in the files. If you see a blank day and have a suggestion, let us know. We can all fill in the year together.

Recent Site Updates

We continue to work down the list generated by your feedback, noting and keeping a list of all questions, suggestions, bugs, and problems, and working our way from major issues to minor ones, while doing a few small fixes in-between. 

–  Most Read (in last 24 hours) and Most Discussed are pretty much under control now and counting correctly. Most Discussed, btw, are items (with the highest number of comments) that have had a new comment in the last 24 hours. 

–  Recent Comments are also working correctly. The latest comment now jumps to the top of the list like before. Note that comments on polls and events are now included.

– After changing some settings, we think we’ve fixed embedding of Videos and Flickr slideshows.

 – We’ve experimented with and tested a few different ways to add images to stories, and have decided to try something new. This allows for up to three images in your story. (Upload your image, and insert it where you’re cursor is located.) Note: Use the embed option from Flickr if you’d like to present a photo essay of many photos (at least for now). Well update our image help sections soon if this works out for everyone. 

 – All of the section headers now take you to the main page of the section if you click on them. If you are reading a story and want to see other stories in that section, just click on the header image. The iBrattleboro logo always takes you to the home page, too.

– We are working out issues with Groups and Profiles. Thank you, testers.  There will be improvements and updates coming.

– The old RSS feed has been redirected to the new one.

– Did a bit of work under the hood to make sure things run smoothly.

– Fixed the links in the instructions at the top of each submission form.

– There is a sidebar badge to take you directly to the Election 2013 page, which is now organized with nifty tabs and looks great. All candidates have received questions and invites to particpate. 

– We’re hoping to update Polls tonight or early tomorrow.

– NOTE: we’ve cut down the time in which people are counted as being online. It’s sampling a shorter timeframe now, and is more reflective of the moment than the old iBrattleboro. The old site checked about every 30 minutes; this one looks every 10 or so. (If you aren’t logged in, you don’t see any of this).

10th Anniversary Updates

Your first present, of course, was the new site. We hope you are enjoying it, and we promise that we’re going to have it humming smoothly asap.

Today’s present to you is a pair of e-books. One is a user guide for iBrattleboro. The other is an electronic reprint of a 19th century promotional booklet to attract residents and businesses to Brattleboro. Check out our books page. 

Feed The Kitty is available in the iBrattleboro section if you want to support the site and give us a present.  We don’t like to ask for support, but we can definitely use it and appreciate it if you are in a position to help underwrite some the hours we put in. No one pays us a salary. You can also benefit your business by buying an ad here.

It’s not all about presents, though more are coming your way this year.

We’ve got a 10th anniversary logo up now.

We’re inviting special guests (and anyone interested – get in touch) to write about their impressions and the impact of what we’re all doing here, and will publish them occasionally throughout the year.

And once it gets warmer, we should have a party.