vBulletin Blog

[Jezebel]

I'm curious how many members are interested in using the vBulletin Blog. This was brought up a while ago in this thread (http://intjforum.com/showthread.php?t=4393). I will be upgrading the server within the next couple of months anyway and I am considering adding a more official blogging system if there is enough interest. There are already several regularly updated blogs in the members only section, but how many of you would want to change to the other system? Do any of you care enough to donate to help cover costs (vBulletin Blog is not free)?

vBulletin Blog Homepage (http://www.vbulletin.com/features_blog.php)
Blog Demo (http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/blog.php)

[TheLastMohican]

I am in a state of indecision about this, but some thoughts:

I have the blog option over at MBTI Central, but I have never used it. I think that can be disregarded, however, because I am simply not that active there. I would be much more likely to start one here.

I am not sure whether the official blog setup would be an improvement over the blog threads that we have now. There are pros and cons. A blog is split into individual posts, while a thread is one piece. I think I prefer having the posts all together as in the thread. But then threads get more cluttered, and it is much harder to find where the blogger's own updates are, especially if the threads gets very long. Depending on the blogger's style, it might be better to have the posts isolated so that they can be quickly located.

I think the discussion style on the threads would be more lively, because it could flow in a linear fashion, with more posters present, as opposed to the sparse comments on the individual blog posts that I have seen at MBTIc. (Sorry to keep comparing, but that constitutes my blog experience.) But I also think that our INTJ community is more close-knit than the one at MBTIc (imagine that!), so the blog system might have better success here than there, and people might actually post more. Still, overall, I think the linear style of a thread is more suited to the kind of conversation we would tend to have.

[Danisty]

We have the blog software on LadyMajora and I use it frequently and very much prefer it over the old thread style we had before we installed it. I like it because I feel it's more organized. In a thread, it's hard to tell what's really going on if the person updates it regularly. Which posts are people referring to, etc. It's like one giant off-topic thread and it makes my head heart trying to decipher it. With the blog software, each entry is truly separate and you can create categories to put them in.

However, I'm not sure if I would make a blog here. That's just me though. I may still read and comment on other blogs.

[Uberfuhrer]

The vBulletin Blog is what made MBTIc worthwhile. I would most definitely post in a blog if it's implemented. Writing is a compulsion of mine and I put great value in all the thoughts I write down. I'd love to be able to put my thoughts in some sort of systematic organization so I wouldn't have to fish through them, as the blog system is able to do.

I'd also read other people's blogs, as well.

[TheLastMohican]

I add that whether or not I write my own blog, I would comment on the others'. For commenting purposes, I would actually prefer the vBulletin style.

Yes, my preferences are a mess.

[Elfrun]

Resurrecting this to say yes please! Even though there aren't many blogs here I'd rather them be separate to the threads to distinguish what they are, I think it's the kind of community where the vBulletin Blog would work.

EDIT: Vote didn't work - also happy to contribute to costs.

[Jezebel]

I'm still considering it. My main objection is that I don't want to pay for a feature that might not get used. We will be implementing a donation feature soon which will be used to help cover server costs, forum upgrades, and vBulletin costs. Maybe an option can be added to indicate support for specific features.

It will also require additional maintenance, but I don't mind that so much as I'll get a new toy to play with.

In case anyone is interested, I have been tagging blogs (http://intjforum.com/tags.php?tag=blogs).

[Elfrun]

I'm still considering it. My main objection is that I don't want to pay for a feature that might not get used. We will be implementing a donation feature soon which will be used to help cover server costs, forum upgrades, and vBulletin costs. Maybe an option can be added to indicate support for specific features.

It will also require additional maintenance, but I don't mind that so much as I'll get a new toy to play with.

I hear that, it all adds up. When I say I'm happy to contribute I mostly mean to the site, if the interest isn't there than I have no issue I do feel it could be implemented here and work better than other forums however. The blogs that are already in existence are more like chatting which does not differentiate them for everything else in the members area, maybe more people would write if they could control the direction of the topics?

In case anyone is interested, I have been tagging blogs (http://intjforum.com/tags.php?tag=blogs).

Saw the tags and that's what made me think of it ;)

Actually I was mostly looking for the thread requesting a larger PM limit but the tags prompted me to stop here... anyway...

[SmartOne]

Putting the blog question aside I do not understand why there is no donation system in place anyway. I dip in now and again but do understand that this forum is very important for some of the members, others have also struck up some nice friendships.
So I think it would be a damn good idea for a donation facility. I can then continue to post every now and again and be ignored .:blank:

[Jezebel]

Putting the blog question aside I do not understand why there is no donation system in place anyway. I dip in now and again but do understand that this forum is very important for some of the members, others have also struck up some nice friendships.

So I think it would be a damn good idea for a donation facility.

Yes, it is a good idea. It has always been my intention to add a donation system; in fact, I already have a PayPal account for INTJf and the modifications installed on the test server. It has not been installed on the live forum because I have been very busy and not had time to do so. I'm still looking into the additional features I'll be adding to accounts that donate (a much larger PM box, for example). Once I finish setting that up, I'll add it to the live forum.

[Elfrun]

Now we're talking! I take back my previous comment and change it to give me a significantly larger PM box and I'll donate ;)

[SmartOne]

Don't tell me Trin killed this one!
Where are we with this?
Is this going to happen?





SmartOne added to this post, 2 minutes and 34 seconds later...

I would suggest that if the blog idea is shelved it should still be considered giving the good folks of the forum the option of "donating" to receive enhanced user privileges.