ImJustCreative's dashboard

Just a thought...
Call it your wish list for the eyes and ears out there...

How about you write down a list of all the ideas YOU have had, that you cannot implement for any reason, costs, tech limitations etc. Post this somwhere on your site.

You can ask users to submit ideas that are totally new for you rather than people like me suggesting these ideas that you must have already considered.

There will be people like me who love a challenge, to think out of the box. And to know what obvious and not so obvious ideas have been considered, ignored, taken on etc would be really very useful and I think would encourage more people to contribute. I think some people may avoid suggesting what they may think is a obvious idea in case it was either WAY obvious or actually NOT obvious at all, thus you miss out.

A nice up-to-date list posted here or on your blog that people can see at a glance. Then you can put a brief summary of why certain ideas and not feasible even if they seem like VERY obvious idea to implement, cannot at the moment by implemented. This way people can understand the reasoning, the process and maybe not knock (hypothetically) things when they cant understand why you don't have 'sms'.

You could mark potential ideas that get suggested with a symbol, ones that you can implement, but need more people wanting it. Like your survey for services for example. Have a open ended survey of sorts for user enhancements.

And you never know, your list that states the SMS is a very valid option but you guys cannot afford it, may just pop over the desk of some Ping enthusiast who happens to have that 2k a month to donate. Which is not impossible.

Argh. Doh. Yeah, I keep forgetting. It's so easy to imagine 'Google' type background, with honking unending finances.

Had no idea things like the SMS code cost so much, but now I do. I can why what might be simple obvious enhancements to 'us' may be not so simple and affordable. Must be very frustrating for you, and I am sure you had this idea like 20 gazillion years ago...

Well, even more then you have my admiration and support.

If there is anything I can help put with, seriously I would love to contribute. Im no coder, but am a designer (20 years in commercial prepress, printing, designing and marketing), so anything just let me know. I am trying to get into my own self employed lark, after leaving my full time job (breakdown 2 years ago) after 20 years... damn it's hard. So I am just putting myself out there and trying to offer my services for 'free' to certain people so that I can build a portfolio, reputation etc.

Anyway, just let me know.

But congrats on the 'Garage' marvel that is Ping. :)

Hi Sean
Thanks for the feedback, is nice to know it is listened too. Makes a big difference to the whole perception thing.

I do try to keep my 'suggestions' fairly useable, without wanting it all... things that will actually improve the experience without adding 'bloat' often a very fine line.

And I can understand that as a developer you may be hesitant to incorporate ideas just because the 'masses' say so because you know it will have a detrimental effect. Yet if the 'people' don't get what they want, regardless of its it's actually really a 'good' thing, then you stand to lose out. If you don't someone else surely will.

I fear this is what's happening with this whole Thwirl and ALertythingy... time will tell.

I would be delighted to 'test' and 'break' things for you. I'm quite good at that. I do use Ping alot so it would be nice to be in the line for any news pre release updates etc.

I tend to sign up to most services that there are, even if I don't use them as a main tool, i still think having your profile and presence wherever you can is only useful for creating brand awareness. So when Ping came out it was such a wonderful solution to a very time consuming issue. Often most of hese new services would be used for a day or so, profile set up then forgotten about. Now with the more services you add, I am able to at least keep them updated on a daily basis. And I am seeing benefits of this, as I am getting contacts 9workd related) from profiles on social sites I don't actively visit. So there! :0)

So that was a long winded way of saying that I can test out the connections to most services you implement without it being a bit one sided.

The BlogIt application is suffering from some issues with Wordpress I have noticed, like it doesn't work at all. And that's with both the .com and .org versions.

Anywho, please do let me know if you need any feedback for new features etc.

BUt so far, touch wood, I have not had ANY problems with Ping with any of the services since I have been using it. The whole Blogger thing was more my issue and the whole way they had actually changed the logging in process.

Graham

PS: Im not generally an ass licker, but im finding myself to be quite good at it. It's called sincere ass licking, very different from the more common insincere ass licking.

Sorry for not getting back to you about this.

I had figured it out, got way confused with the sign-up. I obviously created another Google account, different from my main one, which I didnt realise and thus was causing much idiotic confusion in my head as I kept entering the previous 'well used' details and not the new one.

So I still have two Google accounts, one for the Blog and one for everything else. So was nothing to do with Ping.fm in my case.

I do have to say that the whole process of these joining of accounts, openid, singing into Google or Yahoo or whatever to access a totally different site can cause some confusion. In my case anyway.

Just me being daft.

You know these is still one area that I feel has not been looked into. It's all very well having this additional applications like Air, or floating widgets, but you still need to break the flow to enter information. Widgets are not that useful to me, they are hidden and often forgotten. Air apps are great, but still they take up a lot of space, via for attention in your precious screan real estate, and unless you have two honking LCD's side by side, the distraction and break from working smoothly is quite high.

I am going somewhere with this...

Is there anyway to incorporate a 'text input' field in the Top Menu Bar of the Apple Mac, where the Time and Date is etc? Creating some sort of System Preference Pain, that is integrated into the Menu bar, so when you move your mouse to it some type of text field pops up, with maybe some check boxes for services and wham bang.

Very much similar to how the SpotLight Text field pops up. Simplicity.

No need to click out of any windows, try to find your hidden Air App or search for the semi permanent browser window you have open for Ping usually.

I am sure this could also be done for the PC in one of its many guises.

I think the person that come up with a text input field that does away with ANY extra windows or visible floating applications is just onto a winner.

If you follow the chat between Twhirl and AlertTthing, there is already much debate about the whole user interaction, too much noise, too many float windows, too much distractions. A menu bar option that does not remove you from the flow of work would be simply way cool in to many ways for me to list.

Any technical reasons why this may not be possible?

Try not to let this mania for additional sep web based applications remove the need for often simplistic and almost user invisible interaction.

For me personally, this would of far greater use than another Air application. Not saying I would not welcome it, after all, I have been banging on about it for ages. But this is a new idea for me, this whole integrate into the Mac OS and is one that is just way too often overlooked. Even by companies like MSN, iChat etc. Too many damn floating applications. Lets have some real integrated applications that ACTUALLY prove to help the user, rather than hinder.

No! You are in my head! :0)

Well, thats just great then. Im such a Ping nut that I feel it is one of the most useful applications I have used, that retains simplicity and functionality.

Still DEMAND the Adobe Air Application and/or Mac Dashboard widget. Any thoughts on this, any hints at if this is something that is or will likely to be worked on?

Greetings. Sadly I am also having this same issue. It;s the only part of Ping that has cause me any issues at all.

I have only just set up the Blogger account, but have verified my details and the Blogger account is not being recognized.

Is there a time limit after setting up a Blogger acount before Ping can confirm the existence of it maybe?

Will try again tomorrow.

Thanks for a great service though, really is a great simple idea.

Graham Smith