First, we're happy to announce that the team has identified and fixed the issue with the YouTube conduit; you can now find and add videos from YouTube to your library and posts. As always, thanks for your patience!
The other news we have today is about a new addition to the Six Apart family: TypePad Micro, a new free level of TypePad that is streamlined for microblogging. We see a new form of blogging emerging that lives between the quick status updates of Twitter and Facebook and the long-form posts of "classic" blogging; TypePad Micro is designed to meet that need. You can read more about TypePad Micro in Chris Alden's post on the Everything TypePad blog.
A lot of the new capabilities we've added to TypePad this year were actually inspired by some of the best things about Vox: favoriting, member profiles, a dashboard to follow other bloggers, and easy ways to post content from other social media sites. But the things that make Vox different from TypePad are still there: Vox has always been -- and still is -- the best place for "friends and family" blogging, where you're in control over who sees what. TypePad, on the other hand, is built for the blogger who wants, no, craves, attention.
Do you have a passion or interest you want to share with people beyond your Vox neighborhood? If so, we'd love it if you tried out TypePad Micro. Maybe you've always wanted to start that obsessive blog that's just about waffle restaurants. Or want a place to share videos of your favorite band (Jonas Brothers, anyone? Anyone? ...). TypePad Micro's great for those topic-specific blogs. Take it for a spin and let us know what you think.
On the Vox front, our designers are working on some cool new themes (coming soon!). We'd also love to hear your thoughts about where we should take Vox in the coming year. What are the key things you'd like to see for Vox? If you've had a chance to use TypePad this year, what are the features there that we should bring over to Vox? And, if you're thinking big thoughts, how could we connect the Vox and TypePad communities in order to bring together bloggers and their shared passions? Your feedback is really important to us, so please leave a comment here, or shoot me a message.
And again, thanks for your patience as we found and fixed the YouTube bug!
~ daisy
As many of you have noticed, the YouTube Conduit is not working. I am so sorry about this; I know how frustrating it is.
The team is looking into how to get this fixed and I will update you as soon as I hear something. In the meantime, not all is lost... There is a work-around for posting videos.
When you're in the Compose Screen, just click on "embed." Ignore the fact that it says "Widget" before everything because you can definitely use this to embed videos as well. You'll just need to input the embed code from the video, enter a title (if you want) and hit OK.
It might not show up perfectly in your compose screen, but when you hit "Save," your video should appear just the way you wanted it to.
Hopefully this will allow you to keep posting videos while we figure out what's happening on our end.
As always, thanks for your patience.
Go forth and fill your libraries with media.
Seriously, thanks to everyone for being so amazing and patient. You are the reason I love Vox.
I was just told that the Amazon Conduit will be fixed by tomorrow. I will post here as soon as I get word that it's back up and running.
I know this has been frustrating and I am sorry there wasn't more I could do to make it less so. I really appreciate your patience though.
Cheers,
I Get Around - Dragonette
Stood Up - A Fine Frenzy
The Weight of the World - Editors
Take Me to the Riot - Stars
I'm an Animal - Neko Case
There is a Light That Never Goes Out - The Smiths
Time is Running Out - Muse
California on My Mind - Wild Light
Beds Are Burning - Midnight Oil
Hate On Me - Glee cast
Running Up That Hill - Placebo
Back in Time - V.V. Brown
Siren Song - Bat for Lashes
Bad news. As many of you have probably noticed, the Amazon Conduit was not fixed in the last week's release. Unfortunately, there was an undetected bug that is preventing the conduit from working.
We are working on this bug fix and hope to have the Conduit back up and running this week.
I will keep you posted.
Thank you for being so patient.
Blog Action Day is every October 15th, when blogger are asked to post something about a single issue to show our strength and conviction as an online community. It's a great way to feel connected to the greater good, and the participation of so many bloggers to support the world's leading non-profit organizations is something you can do to help, right now. By blogging today, you're supporting some of the world's leading non-profits and sharing your voice for change.
This year's topic is climate change, and we'd love to read your thoughts on the topic. If you participate, leave us a link to your post in the comments, so we know to check out your post!
Go to www.blogactionday.org to learn more, get a badge for your blog showing your participation, and see some ideas for your post on climate change.
Can't wait to read your posts!
~ daisy
Alfred Nobel's will states that the Nobel Peace Prize should be awarded "to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses."
I tend to think of the Nobel as an acknowledgment given to someone who has done a lot, or done something really important (for when can we ever be sure that it is the most, or the best?) to promote the reduction of wholesale suckery in the world. If you look back over years, I think you'll find that many winners make more sense under my formulation than under any interpretation (certainly any strict interpretation) of Nobel's. I also tend to think of the Nobel as a reward for a job well done - something accomplished, even if the accomplishment has only been to get something started or recognized. Now, I think there have been some good starts made by this year's recipient, and some important things recognized because of him, but I don't think that's the Nobel committee's point here. This prize is, obviously to my mind, being given as a statement - a message, if you will. If it were mine to give, I don't know that I'd give it as a statement, but it isn't mine to give, and it is well within the committee's rights to give it as such.
I do think there are others who could, and perhaps should, have been given this prize for actions already taken, but I also think that giving Obama this prize on the basic strength of a few actions and a whole lot of promises is a very powerful statement, one I'm not at all upset to see made. It is a powerful statement to say that a few actions and a whole lot of promises have that much strength. It is a powerful statement to say that shit is so bad that just admitting that and promising to try really hard to make it a little better - to use your power for good - deserves an award: not just any award, but this one. It is a powerful statement to say, "We believe you, Barack Obama." And, no, I do not mean to say, "We believe *in* you," but simply, "We believe you." In essence, Obama won this prize for promising not to be his predecessor. He won this prize for having promised to do his best to undo some of the harm his predecessor and those like him have done, both at home and abroad. He won this prize for promising to make America, and therefore all the bits of the world that America has a hand in, or an effect on, or an influence over, less of a train wreck (and we are, in fact, a train wreck right now, spreading our train wreckery just about everywhere we go). Obama has promised these things, and the Nobel Prize committee has expressed its belief in those promises.
But, if this prize was awarded to send a message, it is also a message to Obama. It is a powerful statement to award the Nobel Peace Prize on the strength of a few actions and a bunch of promises. But it is just as powerful a statement to say, "OK, we believe you. We believe you, we honor you for it, and now, because we believe you, we expect you to come through."
Well said, Nobel committee. Here's hoping that everyone is listening.
Shake and Fingerpop
I gave you a rare gift. The gift of not killing you. (Eric to Lafayette)
Never Let Me Go
Most wrong thing this season: that bathtub scene.
Hard-Hearted Hannah
This is nice...I could sleep here in a pinch. (Pam to Lafayette)
Note: Is it just me, or is the thing in the church balcony still only the second most wrong thing so far?
Release Me
Are you telling me you date raped Terry Bellefleur?! (Tara to Arlene)
Timebomb
Sookie - He's your maker, isn't he?
Eric - Don't use words you don't understand.
Sookie - You have a lot of love for him.
Eric - Don't use words I don't understand.
Honesty my ass, shithead...white suit motherfucker. (Jason, re: Steve Newlin)
I Will Rise Up
You may be immortal Lorena, but you are dead to me. (Bill to Lorena)
I'm not a boy, mama, I'm a grown-ass man! (Hoyt to his mama)
Finish your sentence. (Eric to Sookie)
New World in My View
(no notes until rewatch)
Frenzy
Lafayette - Eric made me drink his motherfuckin' blood is how that happened.
Sookie - Me too - he tricked me!
Lafayette - Somebody need to slap that bitch.
Sookie - I have!
Beyond Here Lies Nothing
"I'm a waitress - what the fuck are you?!" (Sookie to Maryann)
"The god with horns - WORSHIP HIM, BITCHES!" (BlackEye!Lafayette)
Note: The majority of this finale was made of SUCK. I do not approve of the way the Maryann thing was handled (well, the ending of it was fine, but the lead up was AWFUL!). But all the stuff leading into next season? Well played, True Blood. Well played.
