The Official Poly.fm Feedback/Development Thread [Archive]

polyFM

01-28-2012, 05:28 PM

Hi all -

After a bit of private messaging and in-person networking, I've come to the conclusion that polyamory needs something akin to what www.fetlife.com offers for kinksters. An online community - not primarily a dating site - that allows individuals, couples, triads, and so on to meet and engage with other poly or poly-curious folks online.

I suspect that a niche social network has been needed for some time, but websites like okCupid, fetlife, and polymatchmaker have satisfied the community in the same way that a cookie might satisfy someone who's hungry for cake. I think it's time we baked ourselves a cake :).

So, core construction has officially started. Here are some of the features that you can expect to see:

Free for all
User Profiles - About Me, Looking For, Activity Feed / Wall, Friends, Photos
Privacy Settings - I understand how important privacy is. Users will have control over who sees what, with "what" being pretty much everything.
Groups - User-created groups with moderation and the option to be geo-specific ("Nashville Poly Group" for example). User-created discussions within groups.
Events - User-created events with moderation and the option to be geo-specific.

My goal here is to create something simple, easy to use, and - more importantly - something that the community has directed. I see myself as an animator; I have a core set of features and some practical limitations but for the most part, I want you to determine how the various components culminate into a final product.

I've created this thread so you can voice your concerns, thoughts, opinions... anything related to this project.

I'll be updating this periodically to reflect progress that has been made:

MILESTONES

M0: Domain purchased [DONE]
M1: Logo Designed [DONE]
M2: Splash Page [DONE]
M3: User Registration
M4: Basic Profile Creation
M5: Private Messaging, User Search, Friendship
M6: Privacy Settings Revisited, Advanced Settings
M7: Profile Walls
M8: Activity Feed
MX: Groups
MY: Events

polyFM

01-28-2012, 05:30 PM

Okay - the splash page is up at www.poly.fm. Next task - user registration. Updates to come, feedback welcome and desired.

nycindie

01-28-2012, 06:00 PM

I like it here just fine.

opalescent

01-28-2012, 06:12 PM

I think it's a good idea for a poly focused site similiar to fetlife. Such a site would fill a different niche than the forum here or PMM or OKC. I like it here too just fine too but from the description the new site is not designed to replace polyamory.com or any other site. I am most interested in seeing what develops!

SchrodingersCat

01-28-2012, 06:24 PM

I'm with nyc. We're already here, we already know about it, and it already has a great domain. For those who want it, this site already has profiles and messaging and a calendar.

Also, fetlife itself has a number of poly groups, you can list poly as one of your kinks, and chat with other poly folk. I've met a few people on there who aren't otherwise kinky, but joined for the poly groups.

Poly folk already have challenges managing time between work, family, and relationships. This site takes up a fair bit of my time, which I enjoy. I personally don't have time to devote to yet another site.

An online community - not primarily a dating site - that allows individuals, couples, triads, and so on to meet and engage with other poly or poly-curious folks online.

Isn't that what we have here???

nycindie

01-28-2012, 06:26 PM

Also, fetlife itself has a number of poly groups, you can list poly as one of your kinks, and chat with other poly folk. I've met a few people on there who aren't otherwise kinky, but joined for the poly groups.I joined Fetlife for that purpose, but for the life of me I cannot figure out how to navigate that site. Their search function sucks.

polyFM

01-28-2012, 08:40 PM

Thanks for the input! I should clarify - my goal isn't to replace polyamory.com. If anything, I'm trying to complement it. Poly.fm is just another option that I'm building and I want you to know that your input is valuable, that's all.

I joined Fetlife for that purpose, but for the life of me I cannot figure out how to navigate that site. Their search function sucks.

I agree - the UX on that site needs some work. The strengths and shortcomings of fetlife have inspired poly.fm in many ways - search and navigation will (hopefully) be a bit easier to use.

SC - fetlife and other options can be used for those purposes, certainly. I just feel like they aren't as elegant, welcoming, or straightforward as a go-to poly networking hub could be. Fetlife wasn't made FOR polyamory, you know what I mean? My partner and I are pretty damn vanilla compared to the stuff on there - it's not a very welcoming vibe for us. I felt like I was wading through thorns on that site, and I suspect that I'm not alone.

polyamory.com is a forum (and a fantastic one at that) with a purpose. poly.fm is a social network, with a different purpose. They're just different forms of networking! One is not meant to compete with or replace the other, in my view.

I definitely understand that there's a shortage of time too - believe me. If you do get the time to take a peek as things develop, I'd love to hear what you think.

ThatGirlInGray

01-28-2012, 09:29 PM

It'll definitely be interesting to see how it develops! I'll absolutely give it a try once it's going. One thing that might be different compared to this forum is an emphasis on talking to people who ARE poly about NON-poly stuff. This forum has a lot of great stuff on it, but especially for newbies it takes a LOT of reading to feel "caught up", and while bumping old threads can be good and useful, it can take a helluva long time to sift through everything in a search to find what's relevant. And even then, you might be more interested in what people have to say currently on a topic. Thoughts, opinions, and views can change in 2 years!

I think this forum is terrific, particularly for people who have issues they are struggling with, but sometimes I just want to "hang out" with people who happen to "get it"- I think the idea of having a social network where I don't constantly have to explain why I have funny stories about my husband AND my partner sounds nice. The Fireplace area does that a little bit here, but the focus seems to be mainly on discussions ABOUT poly, which can get kind of heavy. I'd like a place to just BE poly instead of TALKING about being poly, if that makes any sense! :p

nycindie

01-28-2012, 09:40 PM

Fetlife wasn't made FOR polyamory, you know what I mean? My partner and I are pretty damn vanilla compared to the stuff on there - it's not a very welcoming vibe for us. I felt like I was wading through thorns on that site, and I suspect that I'm not alone. No, you are not alone. I hated the idea of poly being categorized there as a "fetish" but I joined because I'd heard one could meet other polyfolk there. However, I quickly realized that it's definitely a site focused on kink, and any poly people there are simply into BDSM. While I am mostly vanilla and happy with a little kinky stuff once in a while, Fetife seems so hardcore! AND the site navigation is terrible - I couldn't just search for people in my area, I had to look for groups and scroll thru, or something like that, and that way of searching is just too tedious.

polyamory.com is a forum (and a fantastic one at that) with a purpose. poly.fm is a social network, with a different purpose. They're just different forms of networking! One is not meant to compete with or replace the other, in my view.

I definitely understand that there's a shortage of time too - believe me. If you do get the time to take a peek as things develop, I'd love to hear what you think.

I think your ideas are good, and interesting. There have been others who came here to say they started poly dating sites, but not what it sounds like you want to do - poly networking.

There were a few threads about developing poly dating sites:
http://www.polyamory.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8991
http://www.polyamory.com/forum/showthread.php?t=71
http://www.polyamory.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14656

I am sure researching other networking sites and seeing what works and what doesn't could be helpful. Are you familiar with polymatchmaker.com? They are pretty dead as far as a dating site, but I do get a bite every now & then and apparently a part of the community there is pretty close-knit. I check out their forums occasionally (must be a member to view), and they have regular chats for paid members.

But seriously, I am here almost every day and don't know how a networking site would augment this forum, for myself. I can have photo albums here and share them, make them private or not, there are local groups, and a calendar. Maybe these things are underutilized, but they are available. I can't even remember the last time I logged into Facebook. But I will keep an eye out for poly.fm!

BrigidsDaughter

01-29-2012, 05:11 AM

I think a social network for poly people is a great idea. NY has it's own poly forums and a thread for poly get togethers, but things are always so hard to plan. We can't be out on fb because of my job and our families, so it would be nice to have somewhere similar where I can be out or at least more out.

polyFM

01-29-2012, 04:56 PM

TGIG - I think that's a great way to put it! Forums generally center the conversation; social networks feel a bit more fluid in nature. Thanks for the input :).

nycindie - thanks for those links. I just took a run through them and got a good idea of what people are looking for (or NOT looking for).

I am sure researching other networking sites and seeing what works and what doesn't could be helpful. Are you familiar with polymatchmaker.com?

Yeah, I spent a good amount of time on PMM before moving forward with poly.fm. I had a couple major problems with it:

They're trying to monetize polyamory. I don't like that. I think this should be free for all. There is a cost to incur, but I believe that should be covered by either the owners of the site, donations, or non-intrusive ads (a la facebook).
The UX makes me cringe. The layout, registration process, forced field entry... *shudder*.

The team does seem active (their last update was a few days ago), but I don't see that site changing as much as I feel like it needs to any time soon.

BrigidsDaughter - I appreciate the feedback :)

ray

01-29-2012, 04:56 PM

SourGirl

01-29-2012, 05:10 PM

This site is as much poly-saturation as I can handle, but I don`t see any harm in trying a networking site. It`ll rise or flop, on it`s own merits.

polyFM

01-29-2012, 05:13 PM

I like this idea a lot. A forum and a social networking site are two very different things. Both good. Just different. I like the logo that you have so far. A lot of the sites that cater to alternative lifestyles suffer from crappy design and all that. If you can make a site that is sleek, that will go a very long way!

:) You should see user registration up towards the middle of this week. We can hone in on a "good enough" design in these beginning stages and then throw some serious design work at the end result. Updates to come!

nycindie

01-29-2012, 07:47 PM

Yes, very nice logo. What kinds of sites does the .fm domain designation usually stand for? I think of FM radio. Is it being used for other things now?

polyFM

01-29-2012, 08:06 PM

I think the archetype for its use is last.fm - a music streaming service. Other non-music sites have used it too - check this out: tp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.fm

I chose that domain because it's short, simple, relevant, and memorable. "polymatchmaker" or "polysocialnetwork" etc just feel clumsy to me, you know?

Thanks for the logo props :)

polyFM

02-02-2012, 05:02 PM

Hey guys -

User registration is up and ready for your feedback. The way we're rolling this out is in two stages - http://beta.poly.fm for beta testing as everything is developed in stages, and then www.poly.fm for the final product.

If you go to www.poly.fm now, you'll see only the logo.

If you go to beta.poly.fm (http://beta.poly.fm), you'll see a log in page. In order to register, use the code rpoly.

This will give you access to registration and your basic user settings page.

Next up - user profile creation.

As always - feedback is welcome and desired :).

drtalon

02-02-2012, 05:45 PM

Interesting. What's the backend platform? Are you looking for more help than feedback?

As much as I dislike certain parts of Fetlife's functionality, their visual design is much easier to read and use than the phpBB template used here. I also think strong mobile support would be a good thing.

polyFM

02-02-2012, 05:55 PM

We started with CodeIgniter but decided to just go with raw PHP on a LAMP stack, in the name of speed. Hosted on a VPS over at Rimuhosting for now. We might upgrade to Cassandra and dedicated servers if this ends up gaining traction but that's far down the road.

Mobile support is absolutely in scope. I think we'll start with just a m.poly variant and, given enough demand, offer free apps for various platforms.

Right now we're a two-man team but we're sailing smoothly - let me send you a PM with some more details :).

AutumnalTone

02-02-2012, 06:10 PM

Hey guys -

User registration is up and ready for your feedback.

If you go to beta.poly.fm (http://beta.poly.fm), you'll see a log in page. In order to register, use the code rpoly.

That was quick and painless. Large, easy-to-read buttons and so forth. Cool.

polyFM

02-02-2012, 07:39 PM

That was quick and painless. Large, easy-to-read buttons and so forth. Cool.

Thanks AT :). Hopefully you'll see SSL up there soon.

SchrodingersCat

02-03-2012, 06:26 AM

polyFM

02-03-2012, 01:21 PM

I agree, so far so good.

So will this have "local" groups? Our local community has a Yahoo group that's fairly functional, but it's all mailing list obviously and that can get cumbersome.

Also, will there be "local" events calendars? I would like the ability to schedule our monthly coffees, without having to see every coffee for every city that I will never visit..

Thanks SC :). Yes - groups and events have the option of being geographically relevant. You will be able to "browse locally" for both.

And on the question of privacy... will it be possible for people to choose who sees what? This is obviously one of Facebook's current biggest problems, and I've seen people dropping like flies due to changes in the privacy settings.

Yes, I have no desire to use your information for anything, especially since there will be no advertisements. This next update will include the ability to create a basic profile (picture, about me, looking for, other details) along with corresponding privacy options. It will start off with:

Who can see your profile? (Select one)
[ ] Everyone plus search engines
[ ] Everyone minus search engines
[ ] Friends only
[ ] No one

These options will get more granular as things develop.

Also, the ToS will be included in the next update. That should help you feel comfortable with the privacy policy.

nycindie

02-03-2012, 01:24 PM

It will start off with:

Who can see your profile? (Select one)
[ ] Everyone plus search engines
[ ] Everyone minus search engines
[ ] Friends only
[ ] No one

These options will get more granular as things develop.

How about "Registered Users Only?" Does "Everyone" mean you don't need to login to the site to see?

polyFM

02-03-2012, 01:32 PM

drtalon

02-03-2012, 01:45 PM

May I suggest "Friends and friends of friends" as an option for those of us who are semi-out to the world.

polyFM

02-03-2012, 01:49 PM

Sure thing.

"Friendships" will be rolled out in two or three updates, so this won't have an effect on anything quite yet. I'll make it an option though. Thanks for the suggestion.

SchrodingersCat

02-04-2012, 05:28 AM

Ah, I missed that one. And yes, "Everyone" means you don't need to register to see the profile content.

I'm going to start with two sections for Privacy, with those options:

1) Your entire profile, with default "Friends Only" selected
2) Your basic information - Username / Age / Sex / Location / short summary - with default "Registered Users Only" selected.

This way other registered users can find you, but none of your information is open to the public unless you intentionally open it up.

How does that sound?

It's a good start. Ideally, I would eventually like to fine-tune privacy settings for each and every piece of information that goes on there. I realize that may be difficult to code, so I'm not saying I expect to see it right away, just something to work towards. I would also like it if age/sex/location can be "optional" inputs. Like, if I want people to know, they can have a conversation with me first, otherwise let them wonder :)

polyFM

02-04-2012, 02:03 PM

Thanks SC - More granular privacy settings will be incorporated over time, and every aspect of your profile will be optional (except for your username and password).

polyFM

02-07-2012, 09:58 PM

Okay! You can go to www.beta.poly.fm and check out the basic user profile under My Profile, along with some other changes:

User Profiles – basic user profiles with basic information. Click-to-edit input fields. You can see a sample public profile here: https://beta.poly.fm/people/polyfm
SSL support - this can be turned off in Settings if you’d like.
Various security tweaks – hashing/salting passwords, password “strength” indicator, parameterization
Privacy – your profile is configured so that you “open first” – meaning you don’t need to edit your settings defensively. If you want your profile to be accessible by registered users, anyone, or even search engines, you can make that happen in your Settings. The default option is currently “no one can see my profile”, but this will most likely change to “Friends only” as soon as User Relationships are implemented.
Minor design tweaks – button colors have been streamlined
Terms of Service

The next update will focus on:

Your input from this update
User search
Friendships
Improved menu
Activity feed
Inner page design tweaks, especially re: the gray overload
A 'Kudos' page to give public props to anyone that’s helped

Any feedback is welcome and desired :)

Tonberry

02-08-2012, 01:53 AM

I really like the logo. It looks better than any official polyamory symbols I've seen. I don't suppose people would be allowed to use it though? (I meant as a pendant, or tattoo, or something). I assume it's copyrighted?

Anyways, I registered for the beta, looks good to me so far, there isn't much interactivity yet but I'm looking forward to more. I've been following the project and I definitely want to be a member. Unlike many other people here I'm not a member of Fetlife or OKCupid or anything where you have a big profile page you can fill.
I feel for poly people it can be important, be it only so you can explain your situation.

Would it be possible to have a box for "current relationship network" with possibility to have some kind of diagram? For instance a Vee with one heart being bigger (representing you) or something like that? Obviously there would be lots of possibilities so there would need a program where you start with a heart (you) and have the option to add connections. If you could pick a gender (male, female, other) and each was a colour, that would be even better.
This way there could be a quick one-look view of your current network, shown for instance under your profile picture. Even better would be the option to link the other hearts to existing members, so that someone can click one and go to their profile.

EDIT: also they could be the logo heart if they're poly, or a regular heart if they're mono?
I realise it's a bit complicated, but I think it could be very helpful.

polyFM

02-08-2012, 03:07 AM

Hey Tonberry, thanks for the feedback. The logo is not currently trademarked but I'm looking into my options there. I definitely don't want to restrict use (so you can get a tattoo or make a poster or anything); it would be more of a defensive measure on my part.

As for the graph feature you described - I like the sound of it. I think it would be cool to visualize relationships like that - especially with high numbers of users. That's a feature that will come after the core components come together though: basic relationships, groups, events, search, messaging, etc. Once the basics are figured out and if there are enough users, I'd love to spend some time getting a social graph together.

You should see some more stuff to play with by the week's end :). Thanks again for the suggestion, I appreciate it.

km34

02-08-2012, 07:23 PM

Even better would be the option to link the other hearts to existing members, so that someone can click one and go to their profile.

EDIT: also they could be the logo heart if they're poly, or a regular heart if they're mono?
I realise it's a bit complicated, but I think it could be very helpful.

I love both of these ideas! I love the idea of being able to link your profile with the people you are currently connected to.

I was also wondering if there is a way to encourage people to include their idea of polyamory in their profile. Either by including suggested prompts for the "Looking for" space or by adding another component of the profile. I know I like to know if people subscribe to a hierarchical or more equality based view of relationships. A recent thread mentioned bi-monogamy/binogamy/whatever you would want to call someone who wants a relationship with one man and one woman. Options like that. I know it would generally be included in the "looking for" or "about me" sections, but I don't know if many people would really think to define it since everyone tends to assume that everyone will think just like them. :)

The site seems great so far - very straightforward and easy to use.

polyFM

02-09-2012, 06:31 PM

Great idea. Let me think about how to work that in... I'm trying to avoid having a bunch of input fields so your idea of a prompt within the Looking For field sounds nice. I'll work this into the next update; it's going to be a big one :).

SchrodingersCat

02-13-2012, 02:31 AM

SchrodingersCat

02-13-2012, 02:42 AM

Is it possible to have the info sections selectively added by drop-down menu? i.e. only the sections that apply to me... Or at least, will the blank sections be hidden in my eventual profile?

For example, I deliberately don't "look for" relationships. It goes against my grain. Whenever I see that box, I sorta cringe and never know what to put. Then it makes me think that whatever site I'm on is a dating site, and I usually leave...

SchrodingersCat

02-13-2012, 02:46 AM

Oh, and I'm sure it's in the works, but I would definitely do "age" by birthday calculation, with obviously an option whether or not to display your birthday, with the default being not to. Needless to say, ages change, and we don't always remember to update them.

SchrodingersCat

02-13-2012, 02:48 AM

OK last comment for the day...... I *love* the font!!! It's one of those things that can really fuck up a website. People think flashy fonts are so cool, but they really just make them illegible. Your choice has a nice balance between simplicity and elegance. Please don't change it in the live version!! :)

polyFM

02-13-2012, 02:18 PM

I would definitely trademark it, and then restrict it to non-profit uses. So people can get a tattoo or make a poster for their event, but if they make necklaces to sell, you should get a royalty!!

Thanks for all the feedback SC :). I talked to an attorney and it turns out that a service mark might be a better route. Since I plan to open source this, I won't have any products to sell.

Regarding the info sections - you know, I'm thinking about letting users make their own fields. I think it would be cool to let users create/rename fields as they see fit. You could take "About Me" and rename it to "My Story", or you could delete both existing fields and create new ones (same as renaming) - "Favorite Music", "Hobbies", etc. This way I can just have "About Me" up there, and let the users decide what's important to communicate. The cringeworthy "looking for" can be removed as a default field that way.

As for the age - "birthday" will be in this next update.

And don't worry, the font is here to stay :).

Tonberry

02-17-2012, 12:58 AM

I like the idea of being able to name your fields. It can make your profile more personal, with what you think matters the most.

A small comment that might not be worth anything: today while checking out the beta, I had a small reaction to the red text with the definition of polyamory and thought it was an error message, until I read it.

I don't know if it's a problem or not (after all, it should get people to read it) but I thought it might be worth a mention.

polyFM

02-17-2012, 02:02 AM

Okay, I'll make the text gray in this next update and see how that feels.

Due to how long other features and testing have taken, I'm going to push the editable field titles into the next milestone. If all goes as planned, you should have much more to play with in under 24 hours. Updates to come!

polyFM

02-17-2012, 07:44 PM

Alright! The most recent update (www.beta.poly.fm) (access code = rpoly if you aren't registered) has just been migrated. You'll notice the following changes:

The 'People' link in the main menu is now active
You can search for users based on various criteria, or just browse all users
You can leave references for those users that you know, if you wish
SSL is implemented
Privacy settings have been updated. Check out the "Custom" option in Settings
Age/Sex/Orientation/Location fields have been updated in form and function
About Me and Looking For are now "safer" fields - it's a bit tougher to erase everything you type accidentally
You can now input your First and Last name if you wish. You can choose to hide these from everyone but your friends in Settings, if you'd like.
Notifications are displayed in the menu. Right now you get a notification when you receive a friend request, or if someone accepts your friend request.
Design updates, like a darker "definition text" on the splash page so it doesn't feel like an error

Those are the major changes. Note that you can't message each other yet. I know, it's a tease. The next update will include messaging, proximity search, and custom fields (so you can change "About Me" to "My Story" or have a new field that says "Favorite Movies" or anything you'd like). Along with some other goodies.

Looking forward to seeing how you guys like this! Don't hesitate to offer any input - so many improvements have been made to this based on your feedback, without which I feel like this would not be nearly as cool.

There are currently 168 entries in the User table, including a couple test profiles. Hopefully you can start connecting. Cheers!

SNeacail

02-17-2012, 07:54 PM

All I get is the splash page.

polyFM

02-17-2012, 08:00 PM

Ah, I should have included the link / access code. I've updated the post.

Nerdpower13

02-18-2012, 04:58 PM

I just joined the site. It looks great so far and I think I'm really going to like it.

km34

02-18-2012, 08:15 PM

I was wondering how the age thing works.. I put in my date and it updated to 23 instead of 22. I mean, it is only a few months off, but it is still an incorrect age. I wasn't sure if this was an odd glitch or what, so I thought I'd let you know!

polyFM

02-19-2012, 12:54 AM

Great to hear nerdpower :).

km - you're right, the math behind that field is a bit off. Thanks for the heads up.

Tonberry

02-20-2012, 02:33 PM

I can already see a lot of people over there. Awesome :)

nycindie

02-21-2012, 02:42 AM

Can I just say... when I click on the "People" link, I'd rather see more than five people per page. I'd rather see about 20 per page just because it's a pet peeve of mine to have to constantly click through to the next page.

polyFM

02-21-2012, 04:32 AM

Tonberry - I know it :) I'm really happy with how many people are on there already.

nycindie - yes, absolutely. The default will be increased to 25, with an option for 125. Optimistically, you should see this along with a bunch of other UX tweaks + messaging by the week's end. Might be over the weekend though, depending on how tricky things get.

polyFM

02-27-2012, 10:48 PM

Almost there - we've got a couple more kinks to iron out before this next one is ready.

polyFM

02-28-2012, 09:31 PM

Okay! Beta.poly.fm has been updated. Some of the juicier stuff:

Real-time Messaging
Real-time notifications
Messaging Settings
Improved navigation in /People
Editable/update-able References
Improved Settings navigation
Proximity Search - now you can find locals
(hopefully) Improved field controls - mouseover buttons instead of on-click editing
Custom Profile Fields - the About Me and Looking For field titles are now editable

Questions

- What do you think about the UX? I'm planning on spicing up the Messages page with better indicators, who's online, etc. Any comments about this or anything else?
- How does Messaging feel? Are you satisfied with the way it works?

Next up

Implementing this round's feedback / bug fixes
Blog with Release Notes
Getting SSL working again
Notifications Settings
Groups: The Beginning :)

As always, any input is welcome and desired :)

drtalon

02-28-2012, 09:54 PM

Says it's down for maintenance. :P

polyFM

02-28-2012, 10:27 PM

Ah!

It should be working now. :)

Also - for anyone that hasn't registered but would like to, the access code 'rpoly' will get you through.

drtalon

03-02-2012, 03:57 PM

I really, really, REALLY like the messaging! IM/microblog feel is perfect! It'd be really useful if the person's pic or profile was visible next to it, too.

It's looking great! Congratulations!

polyFM

03-03-2012, 02:55 PM

Thanks Doc :) Glad you like it. Unfortunately we had to disable the real-time stuff while we get some security stuff ironed out, but it's on its way back.

StreetRacer

03-09-2012, 03:02 PM

all signed up

albizia

03-09-2012, 08:30 PM

Thanks Doc :) Glad you like it. Unfortunately we had to disable the real-time stuff while we get some security stuff ironed out, but it's on its way back.

Oooh, that may be why I get an error when I attempt to log in:
Use Of Undefined Constant
Local_webserver Assumed
'local_webserver'

polyFM

03-10-2012, 06:52 PM

Hey Albizia - That should be fixed now.

Streetracer - sweet STI. You're living my dream, man. I've wanted one of those for a very long time.

StreetRacer

03-11-2012, 03:44 PM

Hey Albizia - That should be fixed now.

Streetracer - sweet STI. You're living my dream, man. I've wanted one of those for a very long time.

Thanks!! :)
saw the bike pics, nice!

polyFM

03-13-2012, 06:14 AM

thanks man :)

A lot of progress is being made with groups; lots of experimentation and tweaking has been happening over the past week or so. I'm hoping to have that "Groups" button active by the end of this week. updates to come!

polyFM

03-22-2012, 02:03 AM

Hey all -

The foray into Groups has been under way for a while now. It's not totally finished yet but I'd like to post an update just so you can start fiddling with stuff and see how it feels. I've outlined some of the details below but I think it would be best for you to just feel it out without reading all that, just to see if it makes sense. It's unconventional so this could be a total flop, but I'm hoping that the structure can become a bit of an acquired taste.

Something to note - in the next update, Group activity will be paired to your Profile, so if you participate in a thread (it goes Groups > Threads), your profile will show off your activity.

This way it's easy to get a quick idea of what someone's all about by looking at their profile activity.

You'll be able to see the meat of the update if you click on the now active "Groups" menu item.

Looking forward to your feedback :)

===========================================

Update Specs:

Improved "forgot password" functionality
Basic blog set up in the footer
Improved Messaging design (bolded usernames upon new message, current conversation indicator, resizing glitch corrections)
javascript warning - if you don't have javascript, the site warns you and tries to help you enable it if you want to
Notifications/Messaging Feed updates - new content is bolded upon receipt
Sex/Orientation Filter Fix - you can now select multiple options in the Sex/Orientation dropdowns in the People Filter
Privacy Settings updates - Settings > Privacy now uses sliders instead of check boxes
My Profile Activity Feed - you can now post updates to your Activity Feed
Email notifications - check out Settings > Email
Groups - this one's big:

Groups is where you go to discuss stuff with people. You can Join groups and Unjoin Groups. You can currently create new Threads within any group. You can "Up" Threads or the Comments within those Threads to quickly express a sense of support for content. You can sort Threads or Comments within those threads by New (time submitted), Top (Ups received), or Activity (how much participation the content is eliciting per view)

That's the big stuff. I REALLY hope you guys like it... fingers crossed on my end. Can't wait to hear what you think.

(access code to beta.poly.fm is 'rpoly')

polyFM

03-22-2012, 02:44 AM

Also - the styling between People and Groups is a little different. In Groups the buttons are hard-edged and the actions are all lowercase. I'd love to know which one you like more - I'm undecided.

StreetRacer

03-22-2012, 05:34 PM

Looks awesome!
groups part took a sec to figure out but all lookin good!
cant wait till it's all up and goin!

polyFM

03-30-2012, 06:58 PM

Whew, busy week. Quick update here - Groups has been reworked and updated - hopefully it's a bit easier to figure out now.

Ryan - thanks for that last bit of feedback. Think this update makes things a little easier?

Your profile feed now pulls in your activity from the Groups section too (you can turn that off in Settings>Feed if you'd like). How does everything feel? Are you overwhelmed, or does it seem pretty intuitive?

Thanks VERY much to everyone who's responded here - this wouldn't be half as cool as it is now without all the feedback you've given. As always, your input is welcome and desired :).

Next up: Events, and this round of feedback.