There are a lot of features on Fanpop. Some are well known and others are less well known (there are also a ton of others we *want* to do, but that's for another conversation). Today I thought I would highlight a few of the less-well-known features for you.
Why? Because, dammit, we spent time on these features! Sure picks and تصاویر might be sexier, but these are the runts of the proverbial Fanpop-litter and they need some time in the spotlight too.
(side note: if آپ already know about these, then consider yourself a very knowledgeable Fanpopper. But if آپ don't...well, here's hoping آپ learn something new today...)
Feature 1: Invite a Friend
This one is new, but it's important. A lot of folks have asked us for this and we finally have launched a version of it that makes it really easy to invite your friends, family and acquaintances to Fanpop.
What does it do? Fanpoppers who use Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo! Mail یا AOL Mail can easily and quickly import their contact فہرست and send out a Fanpop invitation to all of their buddies. When those دوستوں join, they will be added as شائقین (and we all want مزید fans, right?). Bonus: if any of your دوستوں are already on Fanpop, آپ can add them to your پرستار فہرست (we all an use مزید friends, right?).
Everyone who registers will get to see the invite a friend feature. But for longtime Fanpoppers, آپ can still invite دوستوں by:
(a) Clicking on the "invite friends" link in the blue Fanpop navigation bar (top of your screen).
or...
(b) آپ can go to your پروفائل page and click on the *ahem* inconspicuous yellow module below your "about me" module.
And did I mention that آپ get bragging rights for successfully inviting دوستوں to Fanpop? On your پروفائل is a trophy اگلے to the ratings trophy.
Alas I have to post a screencap of Dave Lu's trophy/props collection which is مزید impressive than mine. I guess he has مزید دوستوں and سہارا than me (*sob*...I feel...so...inadequate...).
So to all the folks who've told us "hey, Fanpop is great, but there's no easy way to tell my friends", what's your excuse now? ;-)
Feature 2: Block User
So most of the time we all get along like one big happy family right? Um...sometimes...
Block user allows آپ to not have to deal with certain شائقین that آپ don't really want to deal with (kinda like how I screen phone calls یا don't answer the door when the IRS comes knocking). I know, it's sad to have to admit that one might need this feature, but folks asked for it and we listened.
Here's a real world example: Dave Lu used to private message me all the time asking when I was gonna repay the $5 I owed him. Well, I got tired of his daily *rants* so one دن I opened a message from him and clicked on the "Block User" button at the bottom of his message.
Poof. No مزید Dlu messages, all my problems are solved. I'm less stressed out and I'm $5 richer.
Oh, and if I ever choose to reconcile with him, I can always go to my "blocked users" فہرست and "unblock" him.
On سیکنڈ thought, no - ain't gonna happen...
Feature 3: The Fanpop Bookmarklet
This is one of our oldest "forgotten" features. Those of آپ who add لنکس یا ویڈیوز probably pass it سے طرف کی everyday. Poor bookmarklet - sits there waiting for someone, anyone to pat it on the head and add it to their browser toolbar. But no, آپ just ignore the little yellow bookmarklet, click on your کرائیں جمع button and the little Fanpop bookmarklet just sits there and dies a little مزید each day.
"But wait Papa, I want to save the bookmarklet from neglect!"
Ok, let me give آپ the scoop. The bookmarklet is a tool that streamlines adding content to Fanpop. To use it, Firefox یا Safari users can just drag the "add to fanpop" button onto the browser toolbar (or right click and add to پسندیدہ if you're using IE). You'll find it on the right-side of the add link and add video pages.
Now whenever آپ are surfing on the internet and find something cool that آپ want to tell your buddies back on Fanpop, click on the bookmarklet button and آپ will be taken to the add link/video page on Fanpop. See? Isn't the bookmarklet useful after all?
Feature 4: لوڈ اپ ویڈیوز یا Record a Webcam Movie to Fanpop
Did آپ know that آپ can لوڈ اپ ویڈیوز to Fanpop? یا that if آپ have a webcam آپ can record and post it to the site really easily? A lot of people don't. But yes, it's all possible.
Here's how it works. Go to the "add video" page and click on the "upload یا record video" button (you might be asked to install a special plugin for the video uploader, it won't harm your computer).
This will open a special window where آپ can record یا لوڈ اپ a video. To add a video from your hard drive, look for the "browse" button. If آپ want to record a video, click on the "webcam" tab and follow the instructions.
Once you've located the video file on your computer, an لوڈ اپ button will appear. Don't forget to click this! After the video has been uploaded, click the "submit" button at the bottom of the form.
Yes, it's a lot of steps (and we'd like to make it easier to do in the future).
Feature 5: The Amazing Picks Widget
The picks widget is a great feature that allows آپ to embed a small flash widget in your personal blog یا on your social network profile.
To access it, just go to the results page for a pick that آپ really like (or better yet, one that آپ created) and look for the little sliver of text above the تبصرے section.
Once you've found the widget module, look for the social network یا blog tool that آپ want to embed the pick on. Click on the link یا شبیہ and the module will open to دکھائیں آپ a sample of the widget along with the embed code and instructions.
سے طرف کی the way, my good friend, link of link, made this widget for us. I figured I'd give him a shout-out, since he did it pro bono.
Bonus Secret: Auto تصاویر on the Picks
Some of the مزید perceptive picks creators might have noticed this, but if آپ create "yes" and "no" جوابات for your pick we'll automatically add yes and no images.
Kinda useful if آپ are feeling lazy and are particularly fond of yes and no سوالات ;-)
Anyway, that's it for this soapbox. I hope you've learned a few new secrets and tricks about the site and maybe this will help آپ discover some useful new features for you.
Why? Because, dammit, we spent time on these features! Sure picks and تصاویر might be sexier, but these are the runts of the proverbial Fanpop-litter and they need some time in the spotlight too.
(side note: if آپ already know about these, then consider yourself a very knowledgeable Fanpopper. But if آپ don't...well, here's hoping آپ learn something new today...)
Feature 1: Invite a Friend
This one is new, but it's important. A lot of folks have asked us for this and we finally have launched a version of it that makes it really easy to invite your friends, family and acquaintances to Fanpop.
What does it do? Fanpoppers who use Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo! Mail یا AOL Mail can easily and quickly import their contact فہرست and send out a Fanpop invitation to all of their buddies. When those دوستوں join, they will be added as شائقین (and we all want مزید fans, right?). Bonus: if any of your دوستوں are already on Fanpop, آپ can add them to your پرستار فہرست (we all an use مزید friends, right?).
Everyone who registers will get to see the invite a friend feature. But for longtime Fanpoppers, آپ can still invite دوستوں by:
(a) Clicking on the "invite friends" link in the blue Fanpop navigation bar (top of your screen).
or...
(b) آپ can go to your پروفائل page and click on the *ahem* inconspicuous yellow module below your "about me" module.
And did I mention that آپ get bragging rights for successfully inviting دوستوں to Fanpop? On your پروفائل is a trophy اگلے to the ratings trophy.
Alas I have to post a screencap of Dave Lu's trophy/props collection which is مزید impressive than mine. I guess he has مزید دوستوں and سہارا than me (*sob*...I feel...so...inadequate...).
So to all the folks who've told us "hey, Fanpop is great, but there's no easy way to tell my friends", what's your excuse now? ;-)
Feature 2: Block User
So most of the time we all get along like one big happy family right? Um...sometimes...
Block user allows آپ to not have to deal with certain شائقین that آپ don't really want to deal with (kinda like how I screen phone calls یا don't answer the door when the IRS comes knocking). I know, it's sad to have to admit that one might need this feature, but folks asked for it and we listened.
Here's a real world example: Dave Lu used to private message me all the time asking when I was gonna repay the $5 I owed him. Well, I got tired of his daily *rants* so one دن I opened a message from him and clicked on the "Block User" button at the bottom of his message.
Poof. No مزید Dlu messages, all my problems are solved. I'm less stressed out and I'm $5 richer.
Oh, and if I ever choose to reconcile with him, I can always go to my "blocked users" فہرست and "unblock" him.
On سیکنڈ thought, no - ain't gonna happen...
Feature 3: The Fanpop Bookmarklet
This is one of our oldest "forgotten" features. Those of آپ who add لنکس یا ویڈیوز probably pass it سے طرف کی everyday. Poor bookmarklet - sits there waiting for someone, anyone to pat it on the head and add it to their browser toolbar. But no, آپ just ignore the little yellow bookmarklet, click on your کرائیں جمع button and the little Fanpop bookmarklet just sits there and dies a little مزید each day.
"But wait Papa, I want to save the bookmarklet from neglect!"
Ok, let me give آپ the scoop. The bookmarklet is a tool that streamlines adding content to Fanpop. To use it, Firefox یا Safari users can just drag the "add to fanpop" button onto the browser toolbar (or right click and add to پسندیدہ if you're using IE). You'll find it on the right-side of the add link and add video pages.
Now whenever آپ are surfing on the internet and find something cool that آپ want to tell your buddies back on Fanpop, click on the bookmarklet button and آپ will be taken to the add link/video page on Fanpop. See? Isn't the bookmarklet useful after all?
Feature 4: لوڈ اپ ویڈیوز یا Record a Webcam Movie to Fanpop
Did آپ know that آپ can لوڈ اپ ویڈیوز to Fanpop? یا that if آپ have a webcam آپ can record and post it to the site really easily? A lot of people don't. But yes, it's all possible.
Here's how it works. Go to the "add video" page and click on the "upload یا record video" button (you might be asked to install a special plugin for the video uploader, it won't harm your computer).
This will open a special window where آپ can record یا لوڈ اپ a video. To add a video from your hard drive, look for the "browse" button. If آپ want to record a video, click on the "webcam" tab and follow the instructions.
Once you've located the video file on your computer, an لوڈ اپ button will appear. Don't forget to click this! After the video has been uploaded, click the "submit" button at the bottom of the form.
Yes, it's a lot of steps (and we'd like to make it easier to do in the future).
Feature 5: The Amazing Picks Widget
The picks widget is a great feature that allows آپ to embed a small flash widget in your personal blog یا on your social network profile.
To access it, just go to the results page for a pick that آپ really like (or better yet, one that آپ created) and look for the little sliver of text above the تبصرے section.
Once you've found the widget module, look for the social network یا blog tool that آپ want to embed the pick on. Click on the link یا شبیہ and the module will open to دکھائیں آپ a sample of the widget along with the embed code and instructions.
سے طرف کی the way, my good friend, link of link, made this widget for us. I figured I'd give him a shout-out, since he did it pro bono.
Bonus Secret: Auto تصاویر on the Picks
Some of the مزید perceptive picks creators might have noticed this, but if آپ create "yes" and "no" جوابات for your pick we'll automatically add yes and no images.
Kinda useful if آپ are feeling lazy and are particularly fond of yes and no سوالات ;-)
Anyway, that's it for this soapbox. I hope you've learned a few new secrets and tricks about the site and maybe this will help آپ discover some useful new features for you.
Fanpop now has a Twitter Page in case آپ needed مزید pop to your fan.~💜💙🐦
Link = link
It has reached over 12 hundred followers already!~<3
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Link = link
It has reached over 12 hundred followers already!~<3
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