Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Wednesday Status Update

Hi folks -- here's a quick update on our current open issues:

* Patch Install:

The patch install went in this morning, without any problems of which
we are aware -- if you are experiencing any problems with Journals
post-install, especially with saving entries, please let us know.

The other change in the patch was the addition of the disclaimer text. I know it was written in passive voice (as was this sentence), but at least it's in plain English.

* Flash Takeover Ad Banners:

Product Manager Susan (I will announce her blog in my next entry) beat
up some of the ad people and made them swear that they wouldn't run any
more ads that extend beyond the 728x90 ad banner space. So no more flying motorcycles jumping
over your entries. [Update:
I realize that it's always possible that sometime in the future, either
by error or decision, that the ad folks overrule us and decide to run
takeover ads again. I just want you to know that we have expressed our
concerns about the flying motorcycles and are doing all we can to keep
them from coming back.]  I know you want the ad gone completely
and we are
still pursuing options to make them less intrusive, but the ad isn't
going to go away.

* Character Set Problems:
This is
the problem of characters with accents (and other special symbols)
displaying improperly (as gobbledygook). The tech folks have a fix in
QA testing -- it needs to go through additional testing cycles because
International is so involved (and affected). Right now, a Friday
install of the fix is possible, but not guaranteed.

* Archive Problems:

The fix to the inaccurate Archive counts and sidebar listings in the
monthly archive view should go into QA testing tomorrow. I will keep
you updated here as to installs. (Actually, I think Susan will start
taking over the more technical updates, but more on that in my next
entry.)

Thanks -- Joe

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

cool Iam very glad they have decided to keep the banners fromhaving things jump out at you.

Anonymous said...

Your blog grew incredibly wide with this entry.  I don't see a graphic which would cause that, but the horizontal scroll is needed.

Anonymous said...

Okay Joe, I mean no disrespect or blame, really, okay.  I'm very glad that Susan is going to whoop some ass in the advertising department (knew we needed a woman).  But promises from AOL mean nothing anymore.  Sorry.  They breached our trust with the ads in the first place.  No one is going to invest a whole lot of faith in their word now.  Except, of course, those people who actually enjoy being kicked in the stomach.

~~ jennifer

Anonymous said...

There,  he said it.  The ads ARE NOT going away.  Can we move on now ?

Not to sound cranky or anything but haven't we beat drum long enough ?

Happy Holidays !!  :o)

NJLB
http://journals.aol.com/njlittlebear/MyBigFatGeekLife

Anonymous said...

Thanks for that (the flying scooters), at least now I have something to be thankful for this holiday season.
It's a small thing but, it's something.
Flying scooters or not, though, I am still being forced to whore my life for the AOL Overlords, disclaimer or not.
How about the following for a disclaimer:
We, the AOL Overlords, do not have enough money therefor, we are putting banner ads up on our paying customer's journals in order to have more money than even God himself even though we had previously said, through our minions, that only the free/AIM journals would feature the ads.
That's more to the point, don't you think?
You really must hate us by now.
I don't blame you.
Well, I kind of blame you.

Anonymous said...

What? I'm sorry I didn't read what your entry was about, I was too busy looking at the banner at the top of your page.. it wanted me to sign up for AOL.  Hmm I think I already am.  

Anonymous said...

And cookies.... the ads want to leave cookies on my readers computers now??? UNCOOL!
http://journals.aol.com/astaryth/AdventuresofanEclecticMind
http://adventuresofaneclecticmind.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

Dear Joe,
thanks for the update on the archives!
Alos, Joe I got simply dropped here while working on blogs(commenting) twice.
Does this have to do with email?Please tell me... then sometimes it will not show the blog.
Thanks for your efforts
natalie

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the disclaimer on the ads but it's not enough.  While ads are part of life and to be expected on blogs, they shouldn't dominate the page to the extent that they overshadow the name of the blog itself.  Even with the disclaimer, I now feel like my blog has become the "Bank of America" journal with that annoying, blinking banner ad dominating the entire top of the page over the "masthead."  Nothing against "Bank of America" or any of your other advertisers, but the whole thing makes me want to start posting entries encouraging people to avoid doing business with any advertisers whose banners run above and more prominently than the name of my journal.  Why not listen to your members and simply move the ads to a more acceptable location on the page?

Anonymous said...

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Anonymous said...

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Anonymous said...

the whole scooter this is merely icing on the inedible cake...it froze my computer & i'm on dsl.  i'm trying to maintain a relationship w/people that have AOL Journals, but this last surprise, i'm getting even more frustrated.

Anonymous said...

Did AOL close-down the Integrity Assurance department, or do the decision makers not listen to them either?

Lose the ads.

Anonymous said...

"the ad isn't going away"  Congratulation, by greed and explotation you all have destroyed JLand, that which your customers build by their passion and their humanity.  By AOL not talking with their customer and treating them with respect, you are loosing more long term customers and have proven that all that matters to AOL is corporate greed.

Well done.  Bravo.  Take a bow folks.  Your promises are broken and your path of destruction is complete.  Are you laughing all the way to the bank?

A paycheck at any cost is ok by you guys.

Virginia
who will only be found at blogspot, but who will not stop protesting AOL

Anonymous said...

"As America Online turns more toward advertising dollars to offset the shrinking number of subscribers who pay a monthly fee, the company may be upsetting the longtime customers who have remained faithful over the years."

The lesson here? The best way to save a floundering business model is to alienate your remaining consumer base.

When your mass-marketing strategy for delivering 1025 free hours of AOL into the hands of every man, woman, child, orangutan and flying squirrel on the planet fails...DON'T think to update your marketing strategy. NEVER adapt. REFUSE to change -- all while the amorphous internet continually reshapes itself.

Cheers to you, AOL. If the Cretaceous era taught us anything, it's that adaptation is overrated."

http://beyondmediatv.com/

Anonymous said...

"(John is the larger of the two.)"

RoTfLmFa0!!!!

that was funny.

Anonymous said...

And wow - now with the disclaimer under it the ad takes up even MORE space on my blog's first glance.  Pretty soon we'll have to scroll down to see the title of our own blogs?

Anonymous said...

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