SNEAK PEEK: Create your own blog on YLF! - YouLookFab Forum

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SNEAK PEEK: Create your own blog on YLF!

Greg

Angie and I want to let you in on something we have been working on over the last few months. We call it "lookfab.com".

It is easiest to explain with an example. Remember this recent thread started by NicoleB?

http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....pard-print

Here is the same post in her lookfab.com blog:

http://nickichicki.lookfab.com.....pard-print

All Nicole had to do to create this blog post was to click a checkbox indicating that she wanted it to appear in her blog when she posted it on the forum. People can comment in either place, and all comments will appear in both places.

Here is my own lookfab blog, which I have chosen to call YLFoto: http://ylfoto.lookfab.com/. You will see that my posts are just the ones that I posted during fashion week.

Now, some people reading this are probably thinking "Huh? Why do we need two places?". You may recall Angie and I saying that our initial vision for the forum was that topics should be like mini blog posts. Well, that can only go so far on the forum because the topics are buried in the site on pages that all share the same design. We wanted people to also have a place that they could call their own -- their own blog that has an "Internet domain" (e.g. Nicole's "nickichicki.lookfab.com") and where they can customize the appearance of the pages. If you take a look at Sarah's lookfab.com blog, you will see that it looks quite different to mine or Nicole's.

While I'm at it, here are some of the other testers:
Amy - quixoticpixels.lookfab.com
Kari - pencilskirtlife.lookfab.com
Rae - rae.lookfab.com
Aida - aida.lookfab.com

People who use this new feature probably won't make ALL their forum posts into blog posts. Just a few of the more special ones. Or perhaps just the outfit posts.

We're not yet ready to open the new blogging feature to everyone (it needs more testing), but we would love to add more beta testers. So please send me a private message if you would like to be added to the list (please include your email address).

If you would just like to look around, go to lookfab.com and browse the current set of posts.

And of course, questions are very welcome!

General

85 replies

Latest reply was from Fruitful

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

I hate to be negative, but I don't like the fact that if you comment one place, it will also show up in another place. I don't like anytime that happens, it makes me feel violated. Sorry.

Greg

I'm sorry you feel that way chewy. We obviously didn't intend for anyone to feel violated. I should add that the page (in both places) will tell you that the post also appears in the other place, so you can choose not to comment. It is all up to you.

Antje

Veteran

Love it! Fabulous feature. I've often thought it would be nice if it was easier to see entries from a specific poster in one place (e.g. the ones whose style you find particularly inspiring and relevant to your own.) Great idea. And I like that you get to decide whether to post it to your blog on a case-by-case (or post-by-post) basis. Nice work.

Jem

Veteran

I think it sounds exciting!

MsMary

Veteran

Wow! Big fun!

velvetychocolate

Veteran

I think this is really neat, especially since sometimes you want to look back on someone's outfit/styling, but then can't find it as easily on the forum. I love the idea!

Ana

(website)

Veteran

I have a question about posting pictures. The way the "Add a Photo" feature works now, once I upload a photo, I can't ever really delete it. Just "hide" it. That's fine, I guess. What I'm wondering is if there is some way to "delete" blog posts. Or, if I decide I actually don't want one of my forum posts to go on my YLF blog after I've already posted it there, can I uncheck the box easily so that it will no longer appear on my YLF blog? I hope that makes sense.

Also, how is this different than setting up an independent blog on Blogger or Wordpress, other than responses to the forum topic will also show up as "comments" on the YLF blog? Not trying to be difficult, I'm just wondering how the two platforms compare.

ETA: Okay, one more question. Is it possible to post something ONLY to our YLF blog without making it a forum topic, or is it only possible for forum topics to become blog posts (when we check a box)?

Debbie

Veteran

This is good idea. I ole the concept especially since you can choose to comment or not!
Great idea!!

Greg

Ana, one change we will make along with introducing this feature is that topic posters will have complete control over their post, forever. There will be no 24 hour editing limit for the original post on a thread, for example. Also, you will be able to return to a post and uncheck the "put this in my blog" checkbox at any time.

The question about lookfab.com versus other blogging platforms is a great one. The answer will depend on what you want from a blog. Our *goal* is for lookfab.com to be MUCH easier to use. And for someone who doesn't want to spend a lot of time, it will be a very convenient way to create and maintain an outfit blog. Of course, you guys get to judge whether we meet those goals.

We also want to make it an extremely easy way to get started. Not only from a technical standpoint, but you can also choose to have your lookfab.com blog visible only to YLF members, so you can get started "among friends" and then open the blog up to the broader Internet when you're ready.

Finally, we are going to focus in on the style & outfit blogging scenario, so we have features on the roadmap to support that (like creating WIW calendar views, etc.)

All that said, lookfab.com blogs will probably never be as flexible as blogger, tumblr, or wordpress blogs. Some people will definitely be better served on one of those. And we fully expect that other people will want to do both (that is true of several of our beta testers), and for them it may just represent a way to promote that other blog.

Ana

(website)

Veteran

Thanks for the comprehensive answer, Greg! I really like the idea of having more control over our photos and posts.

Not sure if you started your response before I added this bit, so I will ask it again: Is it possible to post something ONLY to our YLF blog without making it a forum topic, or is it only possible for forum topics to become blog posts (when we check a box)?

Also, your response made me think of another question. If our blog is "open to the internet" so anyone can look at it, can just anyone on the internet "leave a comment" or do they have to be YLF members to leave a comment? And, if I am looking through say, Sarah's old YLF blog posts, and I want to leave a comment on the blog post, will that bump the thread up to the "latest posts" page?

Sorry for the barrage of questions.

Greg

Ana, I missed you question about blog-only posts. The answer is no, it won't be possible to create posts that are only visible in the blog. This is an important point, because it also means that posts are subject to the same moderation as posts in the forum (off topic, etc.). So this would not be a good way to create a general, personal blog. That is another situation where blogger, tumblr or wordpress would be more suitable.

Ana

(website)

Veteran

Haha, I think our posts crossed in cyber-space, Greg!

Jewell

Veteran

This is such a cool idea! It sounds so simple that it actually makes me want to start blogging.

Greg

Ana, on the additional questions...

"Version 1" of lookfab.com will only allow YLF members to comment. In the future every blog owner will decide if they would like non-YLF members to comment on their blog posts (i.e. it will be a setting). If they do, and non-YLF people comment, then those comments will also appear in the forum, but it will be clear that the commenter wasn't logged in when they commented (like it is on the main blog today). That's our plan, but it isn't cast in stone.

And yes, new comments (blog or forum) will bump a topic to the top in the forum.

modgrl

(website)

Veteran

Wow, what a fun idea! Whatever happens with this mini-site, I love that both you and Angie are endlessly creative and productive, and always looking for ways to keep the community moving forward.

Diana

Veteran

Greg, this is fantastic!

MsMary

Veteran

BIG BIG FUN, Greg!! It's nice to be able to see, for example, my whole NYC week all at once. Thanks for this!

Ana

(website)

Veteran

Eek, another question!

Is it possible for people (members of YLF and non-members) to subscribe to our YLF blog in a reader (like google reader) or by e-mail?

Greg

There is no limit on questions!

RSS feeds (for something like Google reader) and email notifications are on the list for later, but they won't be ready for version 1.

Anonymous

I love this concept. So many possibilities!

Ana

(website)

Veteran

Okay, thanks Greg!

Fruitful

Veteran

I could hug you both for this! What a fantastic thing you are doing.

(ETA: Sorry Greg, you already answered part 1 of the below question, I just noticed!)

Now, I have to think how I would use it. If I use it as a little extension to my forum activity (i.e. another way to keep my posts and pics organised) rather than aiming at a wider audience; would it be possible to make my blog "friends only". So that the posts could only be seen by YLF members (0r even more selectively, like members with a certain number of posts, or members on some sort of personal friends list).

(ETA I think you answered my next question too - the blog IDs aren't the same as their forum memberships and don't have to link directly to them)

If I used it more as a platform to communicate with the general public, could I create a separate YLF ID for that?

My forum activity is fairly uncensored and I wouldn't want random visitors to my blog being easily able to connect me to my forum posts.

Fruitful

Veteran

WIW calendar views sound amazing! I can see so many benefits from the blog option. I can look up someone's back catalogue of WIW if I want style inspiration; posts that get bumped down on the forum due to timezones etc will still be easy for people to visit and catch up on; I could collect my inspirations there without feeling I was overburdening the forum etc.

Debora

Veteran

I am really looking forward to exploring the blogs! Thanks to both you and Angie for all the hard work and energy that you put into making this such an enjoyable place. You are both amazing!

rachylou

Veteran

Oh what fun! I look forward to it!

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

Very exciting. I've noticed you can have a different name from your YLF forum name, which I like (more choice is good).

If you join the look fab blog world, can you opt out at any time? And if you do, what happens to your past entires?

Thanks.

ETA: I also like that you can add a list of your favorite blogs in the blogroll section.

Greg

CocoLion, yes, you can opt out at any time. If you decide you don't want the blog to exist anymore, you will be able to turn it off. The entries won't disappear from the forum, but the blog itself will no longer be accessible.

And yes, by default your blog name is your login name, but you can also choose something different, and you can change it at any time. Although you might not want to do this if you have a following with people linking to it from the outside.

Greg

Fruitful, your enthusiasm is great!

I must clarify the identity issue. Although you can have a blog with a different name to your login name, it is not really separate. It will be clear to people that the blog is your blog.

But to answer your question, there is nothing to stop you creating a second identity for the blog if that is what you'd like to do. We know from past surveys that some people don't want their YLF world colliding with their other worlds, and if you are in that category then it might be better to use another blogging option for your personal (non fashion related) blog.

Another thing to consider is that the lookfab.com blog will be optimized for style and outfit blogging. There will be a way to post "off topic" things too, but for the most part the experience will be more suited to the types of things people post in the forum.

AJ

Veteran

Ooohhhh, I never expected this addition!! I've always toyed with the idea of starting a blog, but thought it would be too much to set it up and maintain it. This definitely makes it easier.

Hmmm...I have mixed feelings about this. It would definitely drive more traffic to youlookfab.com and I'm afraid the forum will grow too big and it won't have that close community feeling that I've come to luv.

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