Today we have launched two highly requested features in order to enhance the Gold Membership! Both features are managed in the blog section of your account admin menu.
Customize your blog design
If you are a Gold member you can now completely change the look and feel of your blog. You will require some knowledge of XHTML and CSS (stylesheets) to do so. One of the EP designers has changed this blog design as an example of what can be done. You can create more than one personalized blog design by changing the different original designs.
Get visitors to your blog grooving by choosing a song from our selection of music. This will play whenever somebody opens the blog. Use it to reflect the mood of your progress!
If you don’t have a gold membership yet and want to have these features, then you can upgrade by visiting the membership section from your account admin menu.
Small and large trackers
For all EP members we have introduced a smaller sized tracker that you can post in forums and on your other blogs. The size options are now: small (320x104) or large (400x130).
EP Members featured on the homepage
We have replaced the stock photos with real EP members who have reached their goal weight!
THANK YOU to Swimkatt, Leanne and Shelley for taking part.
All these changes were requested by regular EP bloggers and we thank them for their feedback and for helping us to improve the site.
Good luck!
The Extrapounds.com Team.
Posted By: extrapounds
Comments to this post:
03/06/2007 08:11
Thank You
For listening to your members. It was a great and wonderful surprise when I logged on to see familiar faces as the poster children for weight loss.
Those annoying stock photo skinny people were removed from the EP home page and replaced not only by REAL WEIGHT LOSS SUCCESS stories, but by Extra Pounds members!
Thanks for the ability to customize pages. I have some web design background so I think I can figure it out but (just being honest here), prepare for a few gripes from folks! From reading other blogs, I got the impression that people were only looking for additional templates and/or an easy way to change page backgrounds like they can on MySpace.
Real success stories instead of the models on the homepage fit the image of this site much more closely. It makes me eager for my own "after" shot, not defeated by a model body image that I cannot achieve. Thanks for listening and responding to the masses!
Okay, now I know you're gonna get complaints (just giving you a heads up here) -- EP members just wanted a wider selection of backgrounds and/or the ability to upload their own wallpaper.
I'm stunned that first you're suggesting that people buy or read books to learn XHTML and CSS and then add that you're unable to provide technical support.
If you read the blogs on EP you know that a lot of your members are busy moms who barely have time to post some weeks. And you're thinking they're going to learn web page scripting in their spare time??? With all due respect, if EP members knew XHTML and CSS scripts, they'd probably be running their own weight loss sites instead of enjoying the features of an established site.
Please consider offering additional wallpaper options and/or the ability to change wallpaper using a simple upload feature. I think that's all people were hoping for.
Well in fact many users asked us to be able to customize their blog design completely and not only changing the wallpaper. This is actually done in MySpace which gives the possiblility to modify the design.
We thought about it and decided that it would be cool to give this possibility. However, Extrapounds.com is using a more 'modern' approach than MySpace and the only way to customize a page is through CSS. Sorry for that but there's no easy way to make changes to the design. BTW, what you see as a 'wallpaper' is not a wallpaper and not so easy to modify.
Unfortunately, we are not able to provide support to all users. You will understand that we work 18/6 to develop new features on extrapounds and do not have time to provide individual support for a feature which requires just some home work. CSS is easy and fun.
If you're staying at home and not working and really want to change your blog design then I would recommend that you start reading about CSS and make some small changes like color text, font size, etc .... You'll be amazed by how easy it is.
So.... Good luck and wait for our new improvements.You'll love it
I would love to change the style of my blog, but I think Tracy's option of doing it like MySpace does is much easier than me, a stay at home mother of 2 children under 4 to try and figure out CSS. I guess I'll just stick to the basics.
I love most of the site, however, I wish it was easier to customize. I am a working mother who does not have the time (or money) to buy and study another book. All I would like to do is add music. What is it that MySpace does that makes it easier? (My daughters MySpace is so awesome'I wish I could do that here).
I have been on this blog for over a year. I had a very hard year.. with an amazing realization at the end. I have declared war.... on food! If I make goal, do I get my picture on the front page?? SERIOUSLY! Let me know. BTW, I love theis site. You are all helping so much! Thank you! Love, Jen
I want my picture and story on the homepage also when I reach goal. Do you monitor that , or does the EP member contact you?? I appreciate the EP site, I have found great support and ideas from other members. Thanks.Pam
I try to keep an eye out for people who are reaching their goal weight and then contact them, but please let us know if you or anybody else is close and we would love to have them on the homepage and as a success story!
