The Issue
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As you've seen, in the Journals R11b release that launched this week, the behavior of AOL Pictures albums embedded in entries changed to a WooHoo Flash slideshow.
Now, I didn't realize that this would be the new default behavior, nor did I make the connection that it would affect your albums that had previously been published. So I apologize -- as I said yesterday, if I had made the connection, I probably would have pushed back on this, or at least raised some warning flags.
Some of the problems people had with the new slideshows include:
* We changed the behavior, as well as previously published content, without warning people (which I will take most of the blame on this).
* Photo captions were no longer visible.
* Some people with dialup or slower connections had problems with the page not loading properly.
OK, So How Are We Going to Fix This?
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I talked with Malika and the team on the West Coast, and here's what's going to happen:
* They're going to add the "Classic" embedded AOL Pictures viewer (from before the R11b install) back in the next build, which they'll be working on over the weekend.
* The Classic picture viewer will be the default picture viewer, and all previously-published galleries will go back to the Classic, non-Flash version.
* People who want to use the Woohoo pictures albums will have it as an option in a drop down menu.
The team will be building and testing it over the next few days, so we'll be looking at getting it installed to production early next week. I will keep you updated.
In the meantime, for you folks who don't like the default "Ken Burns" style (named for the documentary filmmaker, whose signature style from his Civil War miniseries was a slow pan across a photograph), here's how you change the style of the woohoo galleries:
Edit your entry; you'll see a drop down menu that lets you choose from six styles (as well as buttons to "Add/Edit Pictures" and "Remove All Pictures"):
Since the picture picker user interface design is going to change a little bit when the team pushes out the new build, I will hold off on doing a full tutorial until next week.
Again, sorry for changing things without telling anyone.
Thanks -- Joe
17 comments:
Thanks for the update, Joe, and no problem. You've obviously been landed in a situation yourself, and your efforts to reinstate the previous situation as an option are appreciated.
Guido
Thanks Joe ,so Ican soon make an entry again ,with my pictures in the old waygreat ...love Jan xx
THANK YOU! I may even like some of these other options, but didn't knowhow to get them. This will help, me (I think!) lol
Thank you so much! I appreciate your update. I wasn't happy at all with the new choices we had.
Pam
THANK YOU!!!! I wanted my captions back!!!
Jeanne
Viewing pictures like it is now was ok once in a while but it gets tiring watching a lot of them especially on journals that post a lot of pictures. I am so glad they are going to be changed back. Thanks, Helen
Tanks!
thanks so much Im glad they are going bavck to theold picture viewer and allowing captions. I love that the old albums will remain as they were before the new build. Doyou know when this will be????? and what about the possiblity of allowing non aol members in journals without having a screen name or password ???????? when does that look possible
Thanks Joe, I do post a lot of pics after my trips to the States and I need the old way. I just didn't like the slideshow at all! Jeannette. http://journals.aol.co.uk/jlocorriere05/Welcometomytravels/
OK, I have complained about so much around here of late that I am hesitant to do so again. But, let's be honest; this sucks! What would motivate the powers to be to do this ... especially without telling anyone????????????????
Alright, what'd done is done. Will users have to do anything to revert back to the simple (but wonderfully sane) album mode? I am hoping that will happen at some point automaticaly ... as did this abortion which has ensued over the past few days.
curious Joe... will anything be done to upload and use animated pictures in journals. Currently unless you use the old FTP, or an outside storage you lose animation. thanks
d
Thankyou for the further update, having said that,I tried all these differant optios yesterday and it was so long and drawn out.I found the old FTP Space was so easy and never failed all the time I used it.I never had any problems even when I read of others having them who at the same time were using File Manger.I would read comments saying File Manager not working etc and yet I had no probs!!!!!!!!
on the old way you have discribed here I used to click onto the veiw larger just before you made your changes and aslo found the pics gone,and no veiwing larger appeared ???????????? I will continue to wait and see how I go with whatever you have in store next.At this time I am not posting until so.Which I have found will dissapoint many J/Land members as it would me too and already is doing from others who are not posting this last week.I feel it's time AOL auto sent us instructions in E.Mails for there members how to use these changes as they can sure enough soon ask us by E. Mail to update our PAYMENT DETAILS when that change came in.OH!! I wonder why that was????????? Hoping soon all is back to normal or running smoothly with our journals we all so much enjoy.Have a good day.Kath
Astoriasand htttp://Journals.aol.co.uk/astoriasand/MYSIMPLERHYMES
Thanks for the update,Joe.
You are one of the reasons I stick with my AOL journal, because of your assistance and your responsiveness to the Journals community.
Kathi
(P.S. I'm kind of getting to like the Woo Hoo thing, at least on some of the pics.)
Thanks Joe glad we are reverting back that will make a lot of people happy ~ Ally
Yaaaaayyyyyyyy ! Way to go, Joe. Couldn't have come up with better solutions because the fixes you are establishing are exactly what needed to be done ! By the way, since I read (no retention), re-read (still no retention) carefully read (Aha !), I will no longer use blogplugs daily. Sorry 'bout that, I thought I was supposed to do it very day. Thanks again
Jimmy
Hi Joe,
Great job!!! Thank you so much for your hard work, and of course every one elses on the team. YOu all did a super job and I appreciate it.
Now that it's Sunday RELAX!!!
Huggers,
Gayla
h
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