Forums
I'm trying out the orkut forum system that google has provided for us. Notice the "Forums" option on the menu at the top of the page here. You have to join each forum that you want to post in. Once you join you can post at will as long as you are logged in. I'm pondering a simple setup. It seems like a fairly decent system, it's free, and has e-mail notifications. Let us know what you think of it and any problems you see with it.
"In Process" stream on myspace.com
I've embedded the "in process" playlist on the F-Jam Online myspace page. This should increase bigtime the exposure to the collaborations here. The script seems to be stopping the pages from opening (clicking INFO). I'll have to see what I can do to help that. At least they can listen and if they like it they can come and join in.
http://www.myspace.com/fjamstudios
It's a slightly different playlist excluding Ken's covers. Don't want to get pressure from that. May have to abandon those if we get pressure...
New Streaming Features Added
We've added an exciting new feature to the system here. It's a streaming system that works with PC, and Mac, and it's automated (once it's setup). It might change as we develop it, but for now, take a look at the "Latest Mixes", area near the bottom of this page. It's just above the "File Manager". The first track listed there gives you a good idea how this works...
In a nutshell this allows us to browse the projects all from one listing, and lets us stream the "Latest Mix", imediately from that list. When you click the title a graphic shows on the left with bigger (easier to view), information about the project (while you listen). Just below the graphic is a link to open the project page. best of all this is automatic, and the owner of the project can easily update what track plays on there, and what the graphic says... Right from the File Manager. The "Features List" at the top of this new listing tells about this more indepth.
The streaming and downloadable "Latest Mix" will show on the status update area, and is also updated from the File Manager. It's actually quite simple. If you upload a file with the proper name, it'll show in these areas. Replace the file with that name in the file manager, and update the latest mixes for people to browse.
No more waiting to download to browse.
We have more planned with this new streaming technology. I've already had good success with having the entire folder of files stream. If you upload an mp3, it's streamable imediately. Just a few details to iron out.
This means it just got easier to browse and listen to the latest mixes... That is once I finish setting this all up. There are some features I'm still working on setting up. As I said this may change as we go. I've tested this with Anne (who is a Mac user), and it streams for her fine. So it's compatible with everyone!
Check out the listing down below on this page...
Talent Info system upgraded
We've upgraded the "Talent Info" system to no longer use the bluebottle.com for gathering talent profiles. Sometimes that worked and sometimes it didn't. This one uses a commercial system and is much more stable. If you tried to submit your talent info and it didn't come through try it again with this:
http://app.formassembly.com/forms/view/9141
Googlegroups Editor System is back online now
Well as most of you active members have been well aware of, the F-Jam googlegroups project pages have been offline for updates. We were getting errors when we tried to update the status of a project. It's been that way for nearly two weeks. Well tonight I realized they came back and are now functional.
I guess this meanst that even the largest search engine in the world has it's problems. The thing is that I as administrator developed a similar system using the F-Jam facility. Similar, but actually better, in that in the new system, the project status is shown on the same page as the files, and discussions. This has an advantage over the googlegroup system, in that it's all on one page. No need to jump to a different page to update the status.
So I have an idea of how we can use the new system and keep the googlegroup in place in case the new system fails in the future. We could go back to the googlegroup for status pages in that event. We'll use it as a backup system. So I'm slowly setting all the projects up on the new system. The most active projects will get setup first.
I never got a single response from google on this. Just silence and then two weeks later after I found an alternative, they came back online...
Ah well, I guess that's what we can expect for free huh? Anyhow it's back. I had come up with a way to divert new members away from those projects altogether and send them to the new, and I was getting redy to put this work around in place when I realized it's back...
New comments upgrade
Hi guys-
Just a little bit of background on a problem that I think we've solved as of today. Jill was asking me how she could keep up with what is new on this discussion blog, without having to go and subscribe to every topic (including older ones). She spoke of the ability of other blogs to bing topics with recent comments to the top of the blog, so she knows. As you know this blogging doesn't have that option. If an older topic has a comment and you are not subscribed to it, you will not know. She is right about this. So after some thought I came up with an answer for this. It seems to have worked like a charm, and has fixed a problem I had as admin at the same time. I won't go into any real details other than to say we are using a combination of the googlegroups, and the F-Jam server php scripts.
Here is a more detailed listing of what this change has brought about. On this blog under "Discussion" on the menu, and then under "View Latest", you get a new window that opens and shows you the "Last 10 Topics Posted". Under that is "Recent Comments". This is the new part. This will show you the last comments made to any discussion blog topic, both old and new, wether you are subscribed to it or not. The newest topics will be at the top of this list too, just as Jill asked for. You will be reading from newest to oldest. So you if you read backwards, you will know when you get to the comments you've already seen, and can stop and consider yourself up to date. Another added bonus is that you can now click into that googlegroup that is linked at the top of the comments and subscribe to that group and have these very same comments delivered to you via e-mail if you wanted. You'd effectively get e-mail for ALL new comments by subscribing to this google group. This lists the last 50 comments on this page, and is automatically updated.
Likewise the same thing is true of "View Latest Project Activity", under "Music Projects". it doesn't show any in there just yet, because we just finished setting this up, but you'll soon be able to monitor project activity from this page, wether you are subscribed to it or not. You can still subscribe as you have been doing. This is something I've setup on the side, for those of you who feel they want to keep up more with what's going on.
I'm going to be setting up yet another one to monitor comments made on the jukebox. You can either read this page or subscribe to the group that is linked on the page and get e-mails. I have a little more in store too but that can wait for now. This is exactly what Jill was wanting. I'll be refining this as we go along...
F-Jam Reggae Streaming Radio Station added
We've added a reggae stream to the F-Jam Online Radio Stations
http://fjam.servemp3.com/radio/
Flash Chat installed
We've installed Flash Chat. You can see who is in chat on the left hand side of this blog, and you can register to chat and join from there as well.
Rock Juke Finished
The whole rock category has been added to the new style jukebox:
http://fjamhelp.blogspot.com/2007/12/jukebox.html
E-Mail notifications
Hey I just stumbled onto a FREE SERVICE that sends you e-mail notification from this (or any newsfeed). What it does is effectively lets you watch this blog, or any particular topic via e-mail. Once you set it up it starts sending you notifications when something new is posted. If this works like I think it does, this could be a major breakthrough on the subject of e-mail notifications. You'd no longer need to use a newsfeed reader to know when something new is posted because your e-mail will be reading it and keeping you notified... And it's free. I signed up for it and I'm trying it out now with this post:
http://www.rssreaderlive.com/
Please note: I am available to set this up for you if you don't understand how to use newsfeeds. I will get involved and see that you are all set and getting e-mail notifications. Just post a comment below under this topic and I'll respond. You can also reach me via e-mail under the HELP menu above! This works well so don't think twice about setting this up!
New Uploads Notification
We had thought to discontinue the "New Upload at F-Jam" notifications that were going out via googlegroups, because the new uploads show at the bottom of this discussion blog, but we've had requests to have them continue. Your wish is my command, and so indeed we have resumed the notifications. If you are subscribed to the googlegroup you should see the notifications once again. Happy Holidays!
F-Jam Holiday Radio!!
Well I think I have most of the songs on the holiday channel for the F-Jam streaming radio station. I think there are 42 or 43 on there now, so that's a good long listen. It's randomized and a few of the titles are the same (but different versions). These tracks were all done by members of F-Jam, or at least people we know. Enjoy and happy holiday season to everyone!
Have your volume turned low when you click this!
http://fjam.servemp3.com/radio/holiday/
If you have tracks to add to this send them up to me!
Wasting My Time (Rock)
Wasting My Time | Rock | Jack Cu, mlc, learjeff, Keeper |
Credits:
Jack Cu - Author words, and music, rythm guitar, bass, vocal, and mix
Mark Conors - Lead guitar
Jeff Learman - Organ
Fred E. Jam (Keeper) - Drums, and master
All gone are the reasons to love you
All gone are the reasons to care
You changed overnight now, your're a stranger
Now all that I'm left with is your stare
And if I can't find a reason, and I can't find a sign
You can hang me for treason, though I've comitted no crime
You pretend that it's alright, you pretend we'll be fine
But I just don't believe you, 'cause you're wasting my time
All gone are the times we were happy
All gone are the times we had fun
You made life a chore just to get through
If I had my way, I would run
And if I can't find a reason, and I can't find a sign
You can hang me for treason, though I've comitted no crime
You pretend that it's alright, you pretend we'll be fine
But I just don't believe you, 'cause you're wasting my time
-Lead-
Why can't you see where we're going?
Why can't you see what you've done?
Open your eyes, look around you
Why look for hope when there's none?
And if I can't find a reason, and I can't find a sign
You can hang me for treason, though I've comitted no crime
You pretend that it's alright, you pretend we'll be fine
But I just don't believe you, 'cause you're wasting my time