Follow the Conversation…

I’m happy to announce a couple improvements to the blog.

A user-based notification system will now allow visitors to subscribe/unsubscribe to email notifications of new posts to D5GW or new comments to individual posts.

A simple form in the left sidebar of the main page can be used to subscribe to the blog (new posts) via a simple email address submit.  (Email addresses will be kept confidential and will not be used for any other purpose.)  Upon an initial request to receive notifications, a confirmation email will be sent; just click or copy-paste the link in the email to confirm the request.  Additionally, users will be able to unsubscribe or to block all further notifications blog-wide by using different links provided in the email.

On individual post pages, two options will be available.  If commenting, a simple checkbox in the commenting form can be checked to subscribe to comments for that post.  Visitors who are not commenting but would like to be able to follow the conversation for any post will have an email-submit option in the left sidebar of individual post pages, similar to the blog-wide “new post” notification form.

Finally, an oversight has been corrected, and visitors will be able to contact the blog administrator (who happens to be me) by using the email address included at the bottom of the left sidebar on the main page.  I’ve used an image to prevent, as much as possible, email spam to the site email account:

Hopefully, it’s still legible for the typical visitor:  that’s static at our main address.

Any questions or comments or reports of bugs related to the new notification system will be followed up as quickly as possible.  (Given the amount of static… heh).  Any other suggestions or comments related to D5GW are of course also welcomed.  I have not yet written a set of guidelines for emails, but please avoid sending any long manifestos, diatribes, hate mail, and the usual unnecessary data.  Thanks!  Communiques intended for individual D5GW contributors will be forwarded to them if sent through the main site email address; other emails may be forwarded to individual contributors as well, unless otherwise requested in the message body of the email.