Questions about c-blogging, irc, podtoid-chans

[Mandril]

I've been here for a little while now and am enjoying my stay. The staff is excellent and the community is steadily growing. I really like how Japanator offers a rich variety of content: anime, music, drama, japanese culture, editorials, etc. Even though I'm only interested in the anime related content, the community becomes richer and more diverse because of this broad perspective.

Let's get to the point. I feel very much at home here, but there are still a few things I'm unsure about. Hopefully you can help me out here.

Is there a comprehensive list of all usable cblogging BB-code somewhere?
There's a small introductory list in the bottom right of the page when you try to publish or edit a blog. This list is very limiting though and basically all its functions are already incorporated in the buttons at the top of the text editor. What I want to know is how to add citations/quotes, make lists and whichever other article enhancements are supported.

What's up with the IRC channel?
I tried joining the IRC channel a month or two ago. No one ever said anything, until after three days of silence another lost sheep also joined the channel. To cut the story short, the channel is ran by former j-tor editors who are now faffing about on a completely different site (http://www.animevice.com/) ...what the hell?
This is very confusing to me, as the IRC link is still prominently on every Japanator page. Essentially the channel admins told me and anyone who joined the irc channel to forget about jtor and check out animevice, which is not desirable I'd imagine.

Podtoid-chan and -san, what happened to them?
I love gobbling up podcasts while I'm traveling from and to work. I used to listen to a Japanator podcast (not the Japanator radio one) and enjoyed it. What happened to it and is it ever coming back?
Atleast we have Animucast now :)


Thank you in advance for filling me in.

[KarenGellender]

Podtoid-chan and -san, what happened to them?
I love gobbling up podcasts while I'm traveling from and to work. I used to listen to a Japanator podcast (not the Japanator radio one) and enjoyed it. What happened to it and is it ever coming back?
Atleast we have Animucast now :)


I can't answer the first two questions *looks around nervously for Dick McVengeance*, but I think we're going to have to bring back the podcast just for the purpose of having a turf war with Animucast. Although I'm not going up against Stella in the "adorable cohost" category, the good general knows when not to fight.

But yeah, you are far from the only one who wants it back:).

[Karmacon]

ehh the guy who did the podtoid-san thing left' and i guess no has had the gumption to pick it up.

as far as BBcode . . . you can find info all over the net. . . . it's easier than html. here is a site if it helps: BBcode (http://www.phpbb.com/community/faq.php?mode=bbcode)

and the IRC thing? WTF! anime vice is crappy! they don't hold a candle to J-tor. someone should fix that.

[Mandril]

I know the basics of BBcode (and HTML for that matter) I was just wondering to which extent it's applicable in the cblogs. For example, a quote tag will not work in the cblogs, yet on the main site you often see articles with special indented citations.

Maybe I'll just make a hidden test blog and see what works... Thanks anyways :)

As for the podcast, I'm gleefully awaiting its return.

[Setre]

A Japanator podcast would be most excellent. I'll have to give Animucast a shot tomorrow.

@Mandril

Let us know the results of your test blog.

[Mandril]

Okay, it appears that the only working BBcode functions are the ones that are available in the menu above the cblog editor:


Bold
[B]Italic [i]
Image [img]
Link [url] /
Font size [size=20] (input from 1 ad infinitum)
Font color [color=red] / [color=#FF0000]
Embed* [embed]


Things that don't work:


Citations [quote] / [quote="author"]
Lists [list] / [list=1] / [list=a]
Code [code] / [code=php] / [html] / [php]
Indent [indent**]
Alignment [center] / [align=center]
Email*** [email]

Exactly the same functions and limitations apply to comments.

Staffmembers can use [URL="http://www.japanator.com/first-trailer-for-oguri-shun-s-surely-someday-appears-12912.phtml"]quotes (www.website.com) and lists (http://www.japanator.com/japan-s-top-ten-games-of-2009-12930.phtml). The input system that staffmembers use for front-page articles is less restrictive than the one us simple folks use. ;)

* = Works through Japanator's video embed convertor. Seems to work with (m)any video sites.
** = I had to put asterixes here or the [indent] bbcode tags would get messed up :P
*** = Doesn't work, but is not needed. Japanator automatically converts any URL or Email to a usable link.


Edit:

Incidentally, I saw my own test comment in the "New Comments" list, even though the blog is set to "Private". I was wondering if anyone else can see it, or if it's just limited to me.
http://imgur.com/7FXx4.jpg

Try this link and let me know what you see :)
Link to super secret private blog (http://www.japanator.com/my-secret-invisible-blog-testing-bbcode-12947.phtml)

[Setre]

I can see the comment in your private blog as well. It's huge letters, bolded, and red.

[Mandril]

Yeah, it is. :o

I can also see the blog while I'm logged out, using the URL I've posted above. That means anyone can access private blogs as long as they have the link. In addition, whenever a new comment is posted it appears in the "new comments" list with an attached link. Private blogs aren't as private as they seem.

One more thing I've noticed recently is that whenever you edit a blog, it gets bumped back up the list of most recent cblogs. This came in really handy for me with the recent Top 50 of the Decade commentary (http://www.japanator.com/the-best-of-japanator-s-top-50-of-the-decade-11-50--12865.phtml&cblogs=1&y=community), but it can just as easily be exploited.

Well, that concludes my experimental phase.

[DickMcVengeance]

Yeah, it is. :o

I can also see the blog while I'm logged out, using the URL I've posted above. That means anyone can access private blogs as long as they have the link. In addition, whenever a new comment is posted it appears in the "new comments" list with an attached link. Private blogs aren't as private as they seem.

One more thing I've noticed recently is that whenever you edit a blog, it gets bumped back up the list of most recent cblogs. This came in really handy for me with the recent Top 50 of the Decade commentary (http://www.japanator.com/the-best-of-japanator-s-top-50-of-the-decade-11-50--12865.phtml&cblogs=1&y=community), but it can just as easily be exploited.

Well, that concludes my experimental phase.

Yep, those are all bugs that we're getting around to fixing.

[Lyfeforce]

Word from the twitters is that we'll have a new podcast up tonight complete with an in-the-bucket Tim Sheehy. Glorious!

[DickMcVengeance]

Word from the twitters is that we'll have a new podcast up tonight complete with an in-the-bucket Tim Sheehy. Glorious!

Lies and slander.

[Jon Snyder]

Lies and slander.
I concur. The podcast is nothing but unsubstantiated myth... like vampires!

[Lyfeforce]

Lies and slander.


I concur. The podcast is nothing but unsubstantiated myth... like vampires!

I wonder...