Zcom_simple

Hello,

Blogs are a familiar feature on the internet - where users post content in an accumulating manner, with comments, and search options, etc. They facilitate expression and exploration, and via attached comments, also debate and synthesis.


Reading and
Navigating Blogs

Our blogs are quite powerful. Each writer can post, as is typically the case. Sustainers who have the option can also post, however. All Blogs appear in the blog system, and sometimes also in content boxes the top page of ZNet - and always via the left menu of the top page - and can be found via searches, etc.

Commenting on blogs follows the blogs, attached at the bottom, and blog comments, like all others, are also visible in many places that show comments including in the forum system. In addition, the entire blog system gathers content for everyone - but one can look at the accumulating content in many ways.

  • For example one can look at one writer's efforts - so one is seeing what is effectively a blog system for that one writer, or Sustainer.
  • One can also look at the content by topic, seeing blogs that are tagged as being about a certain topic - or place, as well. Thus, when doing that, it is a blog system about a topic, or a place, with many contributors.
  • One can look at only writer blogs, or only sustainer blogs, as well.
  • One can look at blogs for particular Groups, too.

All this is easily done using the left menu. Searches allow even more variables and refinements.


Creating Blog Posts

If you are a Sustainer with permission, and are logged in, you will see a link in the left menu for you to post a blog - and you can use that to post one, and then tag it various ways (such as with a topic or place, or a group tag), and once you do, it is in the system with you as the author.

You can also use the console button to the left to post a blog - anytime and from anywhere in the site, as long as you are logged in.

Meanwhile, enjoy the blogs - and, by the way, if you are a Free Member or a Sustainer with a ZSpace page, of course you can put one or more content boxes on it, pulling blog links of any sort you may want to filter for, for example, by you or by your friends or by others - and by topic, about places, for groups, etc.

Blogs

Znet

Site Administrator's Blog

Web Address: http://www.zcommunications.org/zspace/siteadministrator
Bio: The Administrators of the Site are Michael Albert and Chris Spannos... (More)

All Administrator Blogs

New Design Features...

By Site Administrator at Oct 13, 2010


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We have placed up on the site a new design - or elements of one...and when you have a chance to use it, if you have ideas for refinements, or other reactions, please feel free to let us know - you can even just comment on this blog.

We have some other innovations coming, but want to get this change stabilized and refined first...
Stephen_oct_2010

Carousel

By Roblin, Stephen at Oct 20, 2010 14:44 PM

The carousel feature is great. It really adds a lot to the page.

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P1140345

Re: New Design Features...

By Pienkowski, Martin at Oct 19, 2010 04:07 AM

looks better and better!

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Stephen_oct_2010

ZCom's New Look

By Roblin, Stephen at Oct 18, 2010 02:48 AM

I am not a big fan of ZCom's new look. I think there's too much going on in too little of space. However, one thing I really like is the ability the click the arrow to extend the top menu. I think that feature should be kept.

I'd prefer to see something more simple, where scrolling over the catagory tabs "ZCom," "ZNet," "ZSpace," "Parecon" would then open a window underneath with the sub-category tabs. The first page for ZCom is a good example. But instead of having the verticle menu on the left, place that underneath the ZCom logo and the Login boxes. Of course, when the arrow is not scrolled over any tab, none of the sub-category windows appear.

It would look something like:

ZCom Logo                                       Login
Spirit of Res...                                    Password

ZCom   ZNet   ZSpace   ZVideo   Parecon...

The upside of this is that it shows only the sub-category tabs of interest, therefore tidying up the top menu. The downside is that it hides tabs that you may want people to see. Overall, I think the upside outweights the downside, particularly given the complaints that the top menu is "intimidating" and difficult to navigate. 

On a different note, is there any chance of adding an option where users could create horizontal, not just vertical, content boxes?  Having the options would offer much more flexibility in designing ZSpace pages, particularly if users could decide if they wanted the horizontal boxes to extend across the entire screen (3 vertical content boxes wide) or only partly across the screen (2 vertical content boxes wide). 
















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Stephen_oct_2010

Re: ZCom's New Look

By Roblin, Stephen at Oct 18, 2010 02:51 AM

A good example of a top menu is the One Nation Working Together website. http://www.onenationworkingtogether.org/content/main

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