October 2, 2014
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Moving Forward
I'm rather humbled by John and the Team asking me to be a Community Liaison. After all, it's quite an undertaking.
However, as I've met many folks here on Xanga, and have connected with them both on this site and many others - including making many new friends... I look forward to helping facilitate some communication to get things started.
Hopefully we can do this together... all of us.
Since today is Thursday, let's venture with a little #tbt with what has happened this past year....
On September 3, 2013 - John shared The Four Phases of the Xanga 2.0 Launch.
It's been rather quiet for a year, and I know many of you are very frustrated at the lack of communication from the team.
My goal here is to address where we are at, and what we need to do to keep the process going forward with better communication.
So lets shake the dust off a bit from this past year and get ready to move forward...
First - let's go over the Four Phases of the Xanga 2.0 Launch:
Phase 1 was Data Migration - this has been taken care of - and is manageable
Phase 2 was site tuning - this has been taken care of - and is also manageable
Phase 3 is Feature Prioritization - basic features have been launched - but it's time to expand
Phase 4 is Building Together - where we take Xanga to the next level.
With the site now migrated over, and as John explained some of the challenges with that and site tuning - we're now moving towards feature prioritization and building Xanga together.
But before we continue - we first have to make sure one issue is addressed.
This issue has been at the core of many of conversations I've been a part of for the past couple of years - and it needs to be discussed...The issue is communication.
The past couple of weeks I've been able to talk and e-mail with John directly - and these channels of communication will remain.
The lack of communication this past year has been the biggest pain point with an overwhelming number of Xangans.
I've received many messages, e-mails, and even a phone call or two - asking what in the world is going on.
Comments on Xanga group pages on Facebook, and even on this blog have expressed everything from extreme frustration and anger, to sympathetic understanding. Suffice it to say, I've seen - heard - read - and understand where we are at - and can see why some in the community have already decided to call it quits and just move on.
I respect their decision - and want to say that the door remains open.
I appreciate John's openness about what has been happening, and his passion to really keep Xanga moving forward. He agreed, even in his blog update, that the lack of communication on some key areas is where they dropped the ball.
It's in this area that we need to improve first - and the first steps have already been made.
We will be talking to each other regularly to make sure that he gets a clear and concise picture of what the community wants - so we can all coordinate together on the usage of resources.
So, the ball is in our court, so to speak. It's up to us to make Xanga what we want it to become. I've shared this concept in the past...
s0 yeah, I know it's been awhile - but we're finally at that next step.
Now this doesn't mean that we can immediately change things at the moment... but it does mean that we can start organizing our thoughts as a collective - and start prioritizing what is next needed.
So, being that John and I are able to talk directly with each other and will regularly discuss what's going on, etc... what's next?
How we communicate with each other as a community.
Now, I could have had everyone just e-mail me their thoughts, ideas and interests - but when you send a message out to millions of folks - even just 21,000 people... and only 1% responds that way... that's a couple of hundred e-mails to sort through... many of which could be of a similar topic. Also, that's a lot of time to devote to such a thing - and therefore rather inefficient. It's also not community centric.
So I proposed to John that anyone can reach me here on Xanga at this blog - or via Xanga's Facebook page.
I'd like to keep the discussion as open as possible - allowing this to be a fully collaborative approach.
I know many folks do not have a facebook account. That's why I'm offering up my blog here on Xanga as a means for you to reach out to me.
I check my blog regularly - so you'd get a response in a decent amount of time. So feel free to leave a comment.For those that do have a facebook account - you can leave a comment - or send a message to Xanga's facebook page.
We've added a forums app to Xanga's facebook page - and we'll be expanding the usage of the forum as we get a sense of where we need to prioritize.Since we are reorganizing our efforts, I thank you in advance for your patience.
There may be some rough patches here and there - but we're all working towards a common goal - to make Xanga 2.0 better.
If you have interest, or are still interested in helping out - feel free to leave a comment. Also, if you have a preference on what needs to be focused on next in terms of functionality - please share. Many people have already responded - and I've listed their ideas and suggestions below.
If you have a question or comment regarding your specific xanga account, I will ask that you e-mail help@xanga.net with your xanga username and e-mail address associated with the account. Please allow some time for the Team to respond as I'm sure we will be sending a lot of fellow Xangans to that e-mail address in the coming days and weeks.
So... where would you like to help out?
From another previous Xanga Team Blog post - here are some ideas....
"* Spam fighters: to help us fight spammers and remove spam
* Themers: to help us design or find gorgeous themes to make available to all
* Plugin developers: to help us develop and deploy new features
* Plugin evangelists: to help us find and test new plugins
* Jury members and Judges: to help us resolve abuse complaints
* Helpers: to help members with customer service
* Documentation writers: to help us write up world-class documentation for the site.
Volunteers would receive free Xanga blogging memberships that they could gift to friends, and our most active volunteers would be invited to join our decision-making bodies.
* A product council: to prioritize product development efforts
* A frontpage council: to figure out the best way to promote member content"
So, let us move forward and see what happens...
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Since John's Update - I've received some of the following suggestions (in no particular order):
- add a page for subscribers to pay their annual subscription fees, including a link from their account.
- ability to create a new account on the site. (right now this is done manually after someone pays)
- what can be done to extend people's accounts by six months automatically (rather than e-mail Eugenia at help@xanga.net)
- Private messages between users
- the ability to modify a blogs look and feel (themes)
- improved 'real-time' comments (giving the xanga-esque social media feel)
- ability to sign in and or connect via social media sites like facebook and/or twitter to comment and or blog.
Comments (47)
When you drop the ball for an entire year, people assume it's over and they leave, thus making all that alledged work behind the scenes pointless. Nearly everyone's gone already and I don't imagine many (if any) will return. They've either quit bloggong or gone on to other sites where they've built a following. Xanga is now irrelevant to them.
You're still around, right? So are many others. Even to a few, Xanga is still relevant.
We have to woo our subscribers back into the Xanga fold. That I think is essential.
I would personally like other subscribers to access our accounts without having to fight the lock in barrier. I have tried to figure that out, and cannot make it easy to let others see my account.
We need to have emoticons and rec buttons and private messaging system re-established. Period!
I agree, we need to see about making this site more Xanga-esque... applying things that we were used to from the old platform to the new one is a good start.
Would you be willing to help BETA-Test any of these new things to make sure they work right?
It's too late for that. Short of giving them cash, I can't imagine there is anything that would bring about the return of those who left. And last time I looked, Xanga was wanting bloggers to pay them for the privilege of staying - an irony if ever there was one!
For those that participate in building the site - the cost of blogging on the site is a moot issue. The goal now is to get people active in building the site up - then eventually the team can look into providing a level of free service.
Well if the only people left are those who care enough to hel build the site then where is the money going to come from to pay Xanga's bills? I thought they had to go to a pay model because they couldn't generate enough ad revenue. Free labor, great as itay be, isn't gonna keep the lights on or pay for the servers or pay the rent or make it worth while for the Xanga team to continue working. I suppose they could do another pledge drive in the hopes of extorting another sixty grand from the community but, with so few left, they'd be lucky to walk away with a hundred bucks.
We have to remember a few things regarding the fundraiser and paying to blog.
The fundraiser was for the transition - new servers/equipment - and to be able to change over to the new platform.
The paying to blog is for daily operation after the fact.
Now - the Team is extending free blogging for those that have already paid for it by six months. They are also offering incentives for those who want to help build the site by offering some free blogging. To the team, it's an investment into the future of the community.
With no ads being on the site, it will allow for bloggers to eventually have their own ads, and have more control as to what is displayed on their site.
Essentially it's xanga premium of 1.0, but rebooted with allowing us users in this phase to help morph it into something that will benefit as many people as possible.
The big perspective we have to remember here is that with the new platform and vision for Xanga - there is a lot more opportunity for users to have significant influence over how the site will become. It's not all up to the Xanga team anymore. It's up to us. Xanga is facilitating a platform that we get to help design further. A site ran by Xangans, for Xangans.
What made Xanga a community? The front page, the universal inbox, recs, reply notifications, and private messaging. Those are the five basic things that led us to new blogs and kept us connected. To me, those are the most important features and should be at the top of the list. Themes and new features can wait.
saintvi - I'm glad you're still around. YES on all of the items listed!
Thank you, Joel, for taking the lead on reviving Xanga! As Xanga wound down towards 2.0, I didn't fully realize the impact of 2.0 on the community aspect of the site. We need to regain the ability to converse in comments -- to respond to comments without creating a new stream, and with email notification of replies as well as original comments.
That said, enhanced communication, both of this type and through comments, is key to letting people know that Xanga is alive and kicking! Simpler navigation of the site is also important, as well as private messages. More consistency of input protocols will help, too.
Thank you again for your proactive work! And thank you for addressing those of us who have been loyal to Xanga and not gone to FB or other sites!!!
Ditto saintvi's comments! And that is what I mean by responding to comments without creating a new stream!
I'm still not able to see my blog on my phone like I can yours and John's. Also, I moved 9 accounts & noticed different updates at different times created different outcomes from blog to blog.I don't seem to be able to access and use them all quite the same way. As the Team keeps tweaking & adding on, I would love to see an interaction/feedback page like John used to have so someone on the team can get feedback from a variety of users in real time so they can troubleshoot more efficiently. Looking forward to more capability.
I agree - real-time comment threads along with ease of finding and reading blogs I've subscribed to via web and/or mobile.
If you want us who have been missing for a year to come back, you should leave a notice on how we can re-join. I entered the site and there is a message that my subscription ended October of last year - 2013. But there was no mention of how I could or should re-join.
Please let me know how I can re-join and also put on your page so others will know. Also, I'm suspect of an organization that doesn't have a Help link where I can send requests like this directly to the organization. There should be a "Contact Us" link for such messages.
Good points, very valid.
If you already have an account with Xanga, e-mail help@xanga.net with your username and e-mail address.
As far as the front page - you should refresh the page and the update from the team should be able to be seen.
I agree with saintvi and slmret completely. I am a dedicated blogger on xanga posting nearly daily but it is so difficult that when I respond to a comment it doesn't go to my commenter - it just sits in my comment section until they return to read it. Very unfriendly. If xanga is to survive there needs to be that give and take that was essential to the original xanga!
that is something that real-time comment/social media thread could help considerably don't you think?
I completely agree as well.
I think most of my thoughts about this will become a post later today. To reply to just the things I feel are pertinent on this post, I've volunteered to help out on so much and had those offers just overlooked, that my 'volunteerism' button is almost broken.
I care about what happens to this site. I cared when they were a site with people of all ages and interests that were simply ... communicating ... with each other. I care more now, after years of posts and friendships.
I don't know how long you have been part of Xanga, before the Autistable part of the Xanga"ish" extra sites showed up I had never seen your site. If you've been here since the start, you should know what Xanga was like at the beginning. They have strayed far from that, and that is part of why they have lost people now.
As I said before, my site is depressing to me now. I can't easily find anyone I used to know. People who used to blog show up, make one post about how much has changed for the worse, and they disappear. People who paid are leaving because they have had no communication, have seen no improvements, and are unhappy with what is here now.
As an old timer, I will offer one time more to help. It really doesn't matter much to me where I help, I like graphics and codes, but am not overly familiar with writing WP code, or making specific things for WP/Xanga. Had we had the ability to work with the site a year ago, I'd be a wiz now! But I am teachable! And I did test some of the page set things Xanga had before. Maybe that's the spot for me.
I also like to think I'm a fair person, so the judge/jury thing sounds interesting, though I am pretty blunt, so that may not be the best spot for me...Judge Judy is tame next to me in Judge's robes.
I don't have all day to hunt up plug ins on dial up, but I'm sure lots of others can do that. In fact, others can probably do anything I can do, and do it better, they just have to want to do it.
So, what is there really for me to do?
I've been around Xanga since well before the "ish" sites came about. It was because I blogged so much on Xanga and through talking with the team over the years in how I came to manage Autisable.
I think you can help in many ways. Even feedback like what you are sharing is a major form of communication we need at this time.
As far as further help, maybe stay tuned to see where you can 'plug-in' to assist. Happy to keep everyone informed from my end, and hopefully we can resolve some of these challenges together.
Side note: I left a comment on the Xanga Team blog post on October 1 and it is still awaiting moderation. Little things like that are frustrating when they say they are working on improving communication. If they are too busy to keep up with it, maybe they should give somebody they trust access to their blog to moderate and respond to comments there.
agreed. I've made note of that as well.
"The fundraiser was for the transition – new servers/equipment – and to be able to change over to the new platform.
"The paying to blog is for daily operation after the fact."
Okay well those who paid for the transition saw nothing happen month-after-month then left. After getting screwed over (some of them badly, pledging hundreds maybe even thousands of dollars to donate subscriptions), they're not likely to pay up again after their six month extension ends (and how exactly does nothing for a year get made good by six months free?). How then will Xanga pay for it's daily operations? They've alienated their existing customers and they're not exactly offering anything to entice new customers (Xanga 2.0 is pretty unappealing to anyone but those with nostalgia for Xanga 1.0).
What will it take for you to realize they've made you their patsy Joel? Don't be humbled that they've named you community liaison. Be afraid. Be afraid that those whom Xanga screwed may well be coming to you to demand their money back now that they've tpld everyon you're their point of contact.
I am humbled, Skanlyn. I started facilitating a year ago due to the fact that I had direct contact with The Xanga team.
You may think I'm representing the team, but in reality I'm representing the community as well. I'm in this in as much as the average user.
I'm in a unique position to share all the opinions from folks like you, directly to the team itself - via phone/skype/e-mail.
It is because of the frustration of the community that I reached out to the team to get more answers as to what is going on.
Xanga didn't screw anyone over. The reality is the situation took a lot longer then expected.
They did drop the ball on some of their communication - to which they completely accepted that fact.
Now we move forward into the next phase of making Xanga what was expected - a platform that folks want to be a part of...
This phase will transition the development of the platform from where it's at - to where the Community wants it to be.
My purpose is to ensure that the discussion to make this happen continues - ON BOTH SIDES.
John will communicate in as much as I will. Communication was a major problem this past year - and the work to address that is being done.
The title of this page is to move forward. The past is the past - we should use what we learned from it - and let it be lessons on what we need to do (or not do) as we move forward.
And a year from now if we're in the same place will you be saying the same? Five years from now? Surely not ten. That would just be crazy.
To be clear,I'm not attacking you. In my mind (whether it's correct or not) I feel you are being exploited. I simply don't believe Xanga 2.0 will ever move beyond it's current phase. Surely if all that behind the scenes work was truly going on they would have checked in with an update periodically. Surely they knew that if they didn't, everyone would end up leaving thus making all that work a pointless waste of time. They could not be so stupid as to not see that as the inevitable result. Could they?
I would be disappointed if we're in the same place a year from now. But, I am a bit on the crazy side.
I know you're not attacking me, but rest assured I am not being exploited. I offered to help where I can - primarily because of all the responses I was receiving as to the current status of the website. John and the Team asked if I could be a liaison because they know I was already being point man in communication for the past year or so.
It's a mutually beneficial arrangement for several reasons. For the community, for Xanga, and for me - as much of what is going on I will take notes for the further development of Autisable.
There's always more to the story as well - but we all know that it's going to be tougher to deal with issues and growth due to the lack of communication.
We'll see how things progress. As always, thanks for your input.
Would it be wrong to say that I'd like to have SKANLYN's children? lol That's a joke, sort of.
I hear you SKANLYN. And I get it. I don't agree on every syllable, but I agree on a lot of what you have said here and in other posts.
I hope eventually things change...but I'm not holding my breath. I am however, willing to wait a short while longer to see if the 'uniqueness' of Joel's abilities with email and phones and such things that HE can do that apparently no one else can will make a difference. And I'm willing to help, if there is ever any sort of change that allows us to actually DO anything other than bitch.
It's going to be a long road - but I'm glad you're willing to help out.
Feel free to share suggestions/ideas on how we can improve. Looking forward to your feedback.
Thank you for asking if I can help. I would love to, but I need guidance. I am not very savvy in technical know-hows, but am willing to learn. Just let me know.
No one likes to ask a question and not get an answer to that question! It feels like we are ignored. Many of us have asked different questions at different times, but the team hasn't bothered to respond. A good company has to have excellent PR, and know how to please its clients. I sincerely hope that John and his team will pay attention to this and resume the beauty of the old Xanga that was so therapeutic to so many of us.
Glad to help where I can.
We're all just getting back into the swing of things - but I'm glad to share that communication lines are something both John and I are working on as we all move forward.
As for help - I'm sure there will be a need for BETA-testers to check out new features as we launch them.
If you have an idea for a feature that you'd like to be a part of 2.0 - even if it's something that was on 1.0 - just let us know.
To be frank, I think that Xanga will eventually die out. I know you mean well, and I know it won't be for a while as long as you're heading things, but without people, this site is nothing. You need advertising power and innovation to succeed. What can the site offer that other existing sites don't already have? Things to think about. That being said I can help in anyway you may need.
That's great! Glad you're willing to help out. Feel free to take a look at what plugins should be looked at and researched. If you're able to program, or beta test plugins, that would be great as well.
I don't know if there are enough bloggers around anymore on this site. A lot of people have moved on or stopped blogging for whatever reason. I have a lot of good memories here. There's a lot of stuff on the basic free WordPress (like seeing responses to comments) that aren't here. It's tough to see Xanga like this and knowing how much work it will take to move forward.
It won't take thousands of folks to make a change on Xanga. It shouldn't even take hundreds.
We just need people willing to help out and be a part of the community - so we can bring it up to what we as a community want it to be.
So far, there are a few dozen that have responded.
Autisable started by connecting with connecting with fewer bloggers then that - and grew from there.
Challenging? yes.
Possible? Of course.
Joel, the Xanga Team has demonstrated time and time again that they have no interest in hearing our suggestions. Their emotionless "update" proves how tone deaf they have been this whole time. It seems like the site is being managed by engineers that are micro-focusing on the wrong issues and don't have anyone that is looking at the bigger picture. The simple fact is, NONE of the Xanga Team members even uses their own product! Imagine if the CEO of Coca Cola never drank soda! How can he make proper decisions on the quality of his product if he never uses it himself?
Their excuse of fighting off a DDOS attack in secret for a year stinks of BS. And before they said they were migrating "millions" of accounts, and now they say they've only migrated "thousands" and it's mission accomplished? What the Hell have they been doing for over a year, and why couldn't they take 5 minutes out of their day to blog on Xanga, you know, the thing they want us to pay to remain on? If the company leaders don't use their own product, then how would that inspire the stragglers to do slave work for them? How does that inspire prospective members to navigate the sign-up minefield to even join?
What I want is honesty from the Xanga Team. I'd be more satisfied if they came out and said, "we just don't have enough employees to keep this thing running, so we're just winging it" or "I got another high paying job at a start-up and Xanga is just a side project for me."
Having been a member of Xanga since 2006, I can say I've seen a lot of flux in users and content users produced. I'd like to see a better way, when the site is up, of finding like-minded bloggers (think groups). I hated the weird tag system and the fact that search had all these "dead" accounts that would show up when something was looked up. That being said, I'm interested in seeing what happens with this Xanga 2.0 revamp (will we be able to do our own css/html?). I would also think a good approach would be to keep some of the old charm of Xanga but streamline the process of accessing it (payments,etc). Any thoughts , guys?
I agree with what you are sharing about like minded bloggers. Nice point.
Since Xanga 2.0 is powered by wordpress technology - I think there may need to be some research on customizing our own CSS/html. I'm thinking that may be the focus once we get into Themes... but it is on the radar.
That being said, several folks have also shared about streamlining things like payments, etc... and I've passed those along to John and the Team.
Hi! I am member of Xanga long time. Real champion blog. =D
Let u know I did paid this Xanga last year (October 31, 2013) so did check your information in Xanga - can't find "Help" for Expiration to pay "due" on Xanga Account Management Menu step by step at a time.
Question:
Yes and I see my Xanga Account Management Xanga menu.
How can I pay this Xanga for new due? Hope this clears. I did emailed you twice. Need your feedback tell me what to do step by step to pay "new due". Thank you!
First - when you e-mailed 'help@xanga.net' - did you ask for 6 more months? it's a free extension.
Second - if you already e-mailed as well - then please allow Eugenia some time to respond. We are, after all, sending a lot of folks her way.
Ok so I've been in and out, and I'm trying to be back. I've been with Xanga since 2004 At one time it was to me the best of all sites. What happened? apparently NO ONE CARED. At least it appeared that way because lack of response has been standard. This is where I give Eugenia some really big CUDOS! My email was answered within 24 hours.... THANK YOU!!!!!
Now that I'm back, I am willing to kick in some money. Sorry I am not a millionaire , but I have hopes for this place even if most of my friends are gone.
That leads me to the next problem. I can't find anyone to read or communicate with. The only way is by searching places like this, or surfing my few left friends and maybe I might find someone new who might be interested or might not.
I'm no computer pro, but I can reformat, I do all my own updating, and rebuilding of my computers. I'm not fast, but I'd try to help if it is within my abilities.... like being able to contact someone and make sure what I'm doing is right if I had a serious problem. So the ball's in your court now.... talk to me.
Yeah, Eugenia is AWESOME!
In regards to finding anyone - that's our next phase of improvement. It was a big move to switch from the old proprietary platform we were on to this platform. Now we're addressing upgrades to make things more user friendly and applying things that Xangan's would love.
Right now we're working with John and The Xanga Team - as a community - to bring about these changes.
Your feedback is extremely valuable at this phase - so feel free at anytime to provide input.
I agree completely with murisopsis, saintvi, simret, and ZSA_MD. I really enjoyed the community that Xanga used to be. It was so easy to make new friends. I'm sticking around because I don't want to lose track of those friends. Good luck. You have a hard job.
I agree completely with murisopsis, saintvi, simret, and ZSA_MD. I really enjoyed the community that Xanga used to be. It was so easy to make new friends. I’m sticking around because I don’t want to lose track of those friends. Good luck. You have a hard job.
I could be bitter because of all the work I put in to help xanga 2.0 got no mention. (not that I look hard to see and expected it) Would I stick my neck out (and my time to try again???)
Of course the naysayer(s) is still around and that is their "evil duty" or pestimistic view...I won't fall for their lines of propaganda either.
I have been busy with personal problems, daughter problems and various other "excuses" but I am still around. I don't know or even care if edlives acknowledges me or even write to me but still I am guilible to nice people ......
Dude! You're awesome!
We've all been a bit slammed, especially during the Holiday's. I'm still trying to do what I can amidst the daily chaos called life.
Glad you're still around.
Yeah just as I thought my webpage is non-existant because even though I had put money for a xanga rewewel, I did not bother to put it into action.....
Comments are closed.