I have a few things for the wish list (or sooner).

1) I would like to have a START DATE for Announcements, please. Then we can all write Announcements in advance.

2) I was going to ask that we be given the option to mix Announcement around content. The answer is most likely... use all Announcements, which I have started to do by changing separate content to an Announcement and removing it from content on the page.

3) #2 leads me to this request: I would like to change the color on each individual Announcement. As I am changing content to Announcements, it is either all the same color OR all white. Boring.

4) ... When I can read my scribble, I'll be back.

Thanks for reading!

1) Makes sense to me. Then seasonal announcements can be written, start and end dates set and then forgotten until someone complains about the notice for last year's holiday party being up again.

2) Just use all announcement! (Hmm, where have I heard that?)

3) What? You actually want some design choices? So demanding! But seriously, that makse sense to me, too.

4) Is that a promise or a threat? And what happened to 5), 6), and 7)?

Gwen,
I started using all announcements for content on our home page several months ago. Then I got bored with everything being white! So lately I've been putting each "announcement" in a table, and filling the tables with different background colors. So far, I like how it looks and think the colors help to add interest to the page.

I've also used a gallery page to create an actual Announcements page for any announcements that are private and only viewable to members of our site. It's a little more work to transfer announcements to the gallery page, but very few of our members create announcements...mostly I'm the one creating the announcements...so this hasn't presented much of a problem.

Alice,

I like what you've done with the tables as a means of achieving different background colors. A nice innovative solution.

Are you aware that you can set individual announcements such that they are viewable by all or just those logged in? The option is at the top of each announcement's page when you enter them. It can also be changed at any time in the edit announcement mode. It may save you a lot of time.

Thanks, F C Bock:

Yes, I do know about setting individual announcements to be private or public, but in our case, I have moved our private (aka important) announcements to a separate page to reduce the amount of content on the home page, and to keep those announcements in a separate place for ease of viewing by our members. Thanks for the comment, however...certainly would be helpful if I didn't know that already

Eric B Bassey wrote:

1) Makes sense to me. Then seasonal announcements can be written, start and end dates set and then forgotten until someone complains about the notice for last year's holiday party being up again.

2) Just use all announcement! (Hmm, where have I heard that?)

3) What? You actually want some design choices? So demanding! But seriously, that makse sense to me, too.

4) Is that a promise or a threat? And what happened to 5), 6), and 7)?

You are too much, Eric! I cannot think right now as I am fading fast. #4 and on are yet to come to me. Stay tuned.

Added after that thing called sleep:
1) Me thinks you were sleep-writing, Eric. A start date set will not appear again because it includes the year. Got it?

3) Tables may be the answer, as Alice mentioned and many use. Yet using a table (how do I say this...) somewhat upgrades the text within it. To me, not every Announcement seems right for a table unless we make billboards. There is an idea... how about a billboard effect as part of announcements, CC? ... maybe I should run now. Naw.

Considering Announcements with different colored backgrounds: Two may work but more than two - yikes! I did have a good laugh about this as I shut down my computer last night. I envisioned a page with several different announcements spread down the home page with not one or two colors... with several different colors. Oh my.

4) Yes, I have a #4. Someone mentioned adding boxes to the right side with the other boxes. We have the access to move boxes back and forth from that position to the content area... though not within the content where I would like to see (say) birthdays. We have the option to add text to the Donation box. This leads me to...

What about one (1) box that is blank? Admins can then make it what they want. We can make it Active when we want as with the other right modules. Just one blank box is better than none.

5) Regarding the SCHOOL NAME: On my Alumni site, I have the graduation years under the school name. They are oddly off to the right. I'd like the option to insert spaces behind the text to move them over a bit. I have tried to enter one or more spaces and nothing changes.

6) I'll be looking for a star in the sky tonight to make the wish for all of us that the designs of 3.0 are not too far out. I can't wait to order the menu the way I want and name pages with at least a few more letters than 20.

There you go, Eric... more to consider. I've exceeded the number of thoughts or s than I had hours of sleep.

Eric, it is good to read a bit of joking around by you, Eric. I enjoyed it. Laughter is necessary - everyday!

Admins: If you want to hit a 'like' button now.. use the to say 'what she said'. Hey, I do NOT want to bring FB here but something to say 'I like it' has been missing for me too many times.

RE: Announcements
I've found that because so much of the announcement information is contained in the "notification" email announcing that a new announcement has been posted . . . people don't bother clicking on the link that takes them to the home page for the actual and complete announcement. Is there a way to shorten the amount of text/information that is included in the notification email to classmates that announces "A New Announcement Has Been Posted?"

Rhonda,

I will ask the programmer if something like this can be implemented.

The Notify Me e-mail sends the first 80 non-HTML characters.

If there are 80 characters, you could just put your title of your announcement, then on the next line, do something like this:

"========== * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ===========" (60 characters of designs)

Then the announcement title would be the only useful information that your classmates would receive and they would have to visit the home page to get the information they desired.

Or maybe add text... "For more information, visit our HOME PAGE" (add spaces, dots to get the right amount of characters)

Just a thought.

Thanks for the suggestions Kyle and Gwen . . . I think I tried something similar awhile back but I may have just added blank spaces or skipped a few lines or something like that and it didn't help. I'll give the asterisks a try on our next announcement! : )

Ok, so I just tried dashes (I think that's what I used) on an announcement. After I clicked to send and notify classmates that a new announcement had been posted, I went back into the announcement and deleted the dashes and wrote the announcment as I wanted it to appear on the homepage announcements. I then received the notifcation (of a new announcement) via my email and it was the complete announcement, no dashes. So, next time I'll try waiting until I actually receive the email and then go back and change it. Maybe it'll work that way but it may depend on how people have their notifications set up (immediately, once a day, etc.), not sure this will work 'across the board.' I definitely don't want to take a chance of people going to the homepage and seeing an announcement with dashes before I get it changed.

Maybe I can always just send a generic announcement "A new announcement has been posted" and keep it inactive. Classmates would get that notification and go to the site. Then I could post the real announcement (make it active) but don't "send" out to notifiy anyone on this one.

That is not convenient for one person... make that times the # of active sites. A help for this needs to be on the Wish List. I'm sure one of our quick-to-act CC staff members will get it on the list. Then we'll send in a pencil pusher to move it up the list.

Hey, one can try. One can hope.

@Gwen - Maybe this hasn't presented a problem for anyone else but me and I like the idea of "teaser" words but my announcement are usually pretty short : ) If others are happy with the way it is, I wouldn't want to make it an issue. : )

I can always use the "Email the Class" but I like to get people to the homepage once in awhile so they'll maybe spend some time on the other pages. Our 40th was in August, and like most everyone, it's hard to get traffic when there's no ongoing events.

Rhonda,

There is no way to tell if anyone is really getting that announcement NOTIFY anyway. That e-mail only goes to those who have specified in the Notify Me that they want to receive email alerts when there is a new announcement. If you click the NOTIFY checkbox at the bottom of the create/edit announcement, it doesn't go to EVERYONE, but only to those who have chosen to receive it.

Maybe your best bet is to go with the EMAIL THE CLASS if you want it to be received by everyone. You can then just send your "Teaser" announcement.

Guess I shouldn't have generalized my comment with "everyone." Yes, I do realize that only those who have opted to be notified will be notified. Those that don't want notified of announcements, I don't worry about.

Anyway, it isn't that big of a deal . . . but the 27th is, and I can't wait to get started with the new designs and flyout menus . . . I'm so excited, it's hard to sleep at night just thinking about!

I'm so busy planning, preparing an email about the down time and new features and more... I'm sleeping like a rock! I'm not good at waiting so keeping busy is the key for me.

I did add a countdown clock to TAP for the 27th! So looking forward to that hitting zero!