A few weeks ago we got an email from Steffan Antonas. He wrote us a fanstasic email full of insight and the kind of feedback that any startup is dreaming about. Among other things he said:
It’s not clearly stated in the documentation on adaptiveblue, or in the blueorganizer options, if and how users are able to control the feed widget’s look, feel and size. I work with Wordpress developers and I can tell you that customizing look and feel is of paramount importance to Wordpressrs - you’ll find a lot of different themes with varying sidebar widths (mostly 250 and 180, though - both not found in the majority of typepad installs.) Please let me know how I can get the widget to wrap etc - and also please provide, if possible, a way for users to access the widget options without having to actually edit the code in the manual install (which I did, but for your benefit - the easier it is, the more people will use it)
We exchanged a few emails with Steffan and as a result, tonight we are happy to launch a brand new SmartLinks Feed configuration UI, inspired by our exchange:
The major improvements are:
- You can specify exact width for List and Grid widgets
- You can specify exact number of columns for Grid Widget
- You can show/hide description and thumbnails in the List Widget
- You can sort the items alphabetically and by date in the List Widget
The install process is the same, a simple 1-click for Blogger and Typepad or copy/paste for other platforms:
If you already had a SmartLink Feed installed, just click Grab on it and you will be able to customize it using new UI. If you have not, we highly recommend that you do. In the mean time, play with it using Steffan’s book picks:
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This configuration page is far easier to use than the previous version. (If you don’t remember how it used to be like, consider yourself fortunate).
Anyhow, I guess the key is to always keep iterating and evolving the product. That’s why user feedback is so important–we really take what you tell us to heart and make adjustments!
I am a veteran Typepad blogger who recently made the leap to Wordpress to start a personal blog - and after making the switch, I was frustrated by some heavy trade-offs. One element that has set Typepad apart from other blogging platforms is that users have exclusive access to widget elements that has made Typepad stand out - Typelists. Typelists allow Typepad bloggers to quickly provide graphical links to their favorite books, media and products on the web. Typelists were Typepad’s solution to letting their exclusive paying community show the world what media they consumed and recommended.
Typepad eat your heart out - Not only are AdaptiveBlue’s smartlinks going to change the way we read and find on the web, AdaptiveBlue has taken the Typelist, made it available to the rest of us, given it a makeover and packed it full of functionality - the kind that you wont find anywhere else on the web today.
Adaptive Blue is just what the rest of the blogging community has been waiting for. Here’s why:
(1.) Bloggers everywhere are increasingly using their blogs not only as a vehicle of self expression, but also of self representation. AdaptiveBlue’s customizable lists and grid widgets let bloggers quickly and easily post informative graphical links to all the media they consume and recommend right from their browser.
(2.) Want to make money blogging? Amazon Associate Links are a snap, and are auto-added to every link in every feed you publish straight from the blue organizer (an easy to install firefox add-on).
(3.) SmartLinks add value to readers - no more navigating away from primary content to get a little more info. Clicking on a smartlink lets you entertain your curiosity about a linked subject all through next-gen navigating - no more opening new browser windows. (Quick tip - becoming a smartlinks pro means quick scanning for the “who, what, where, when, why and how much?” readers want to know immediately. )
(4.) Bloggers benefit from keeping their audience on their sites while at the same time adding tons of additional info to their readers with virtually no clutter.
Typepad is in for a real shake up. AdaptiveBlue’s made a great feature of blogging technology available to the masses.
P.S. Thanks, Alex for all your quick and informative feedback during our beta testing!
Happy Blogging, Everyone.
Steffan
Steffan,
Once again, thank you so much for helping us refine the feed publishing! Sometimes it takes fresh eyes of the user like you to point out missing elements.
And the way you expressed the value is just great - real and spot on, we couldn’t have said it better ourselves.
And just one other thing is that our technology is platform agnostic. Wordpress users will benefit from SmartLinks, but so are Typepad, Blogger and really any blogging platform.