We just released a couple small enhancements that we're sure varying percentages of loyal Multiply users are sure to enjoy!


Quick(ly) Remove Inbox items

So let's say you don't want to see content from groups you're in or users to whom you're connected, but for some reason, also don't want to leave the group or remove the contact. Let's also say they post a lot, so clicking the remove link next to each individual post, then clicking "OK" on the warning is just way too much trouble.

What's a Multiply user to do (aside from de-associating themselves from these contacts or groups)? Just head over to your Inbox preferences and enable the brand new Quick Remove preference... but remember that you need to first enable the Show Subscribe, Pin and Remove option, of course, to remove items in the first place!

This will eliminate the warning message you'll otherwise get when removing an item from your Inbox. But be sure to click carefully! "Remove" means just that, and as always, there's still no way to restore an item back to your Inbox once you've chosen to remove it.

As an aside, we think now is a good time to remind you that there's really no need to remove items from your Inbox; items you ignore (i.e. stop viewing) will fall down the page as new items are added. Unlike other "inbox"es you may be used to using, there's no storage limit on Multiply!


Safari + Blogging = <3

For Mac users who like their operating system's default browser (or Windows users curious to see how the other half lives), we're proud to say that it's now possible to use Multiply's rich-text blog compose tool in Safari!

If you've used Multiply, and we've reason to believe you probably have, you're familiar with the message board, the place you go for the latest posts by those in your network and groups. Yes, it's quite nice, isn't it?

With some of the more recent improvements we've made to the message board (like compact view and customization of sideboxes), we thought it was about time we bring up a feature we haven't looked at since its release last year: Message Board RSS!

If you're not familiar with this feature, yes... it's exactly what it sounds like: it's possible to receive updates from your Multiply Message Board via RSS. (What is RSS?)  Given the awesomeness that is the message board, why would you want to do this?

This makes it possible to set your message board view on Multiply exactly the way you like it for regular use throughout the day, while continuing to receive updates from groups and users outside of that view -- updates that may come less frequently, or may be less urgent.

For example:

• Want to be alerted to new posts by your contacts? You can do it.
• New photos from everyone in your network? Of course.
• New posts to a few groups you're in? No problem.

To get started creating custom feeds, click the orange "RSS Info" link, which you'll find at the top of your message board. The page will give you the URL of your default message board feed, which always mirrors your current message board view settings (e.g. if your message board is set to only show posts from Contacts, this feed will also only show posts from Contacts).

To make a custom feed, click "edit the feed." Then, simply follow the instructions provided to build a feed containing exactly what you'd like.

We understand that this can all be a bit daunting for some people... and that's okay! There are plenty of helpful people in both the User Support group, as well as Customer Service.

Last fall, we unveiled a new option allowing you to easily display only unread posts on your message board. We demonstrated some great ways to use this, along with message board filters, to pare down your message board to precisely the posts that are important to you right now, whether it be a view of posts in your network, your groups, or a combination or subset thereof.

This feature helps make sure you never miss a post from the people who matter most. It certainly seems worth revisiting; even we find it useful for keeping up to date with the most important posts in our personal networks.

"But I never miss posts!" you retort.

Are you sure? If you have high-volume groups appear on your message board, or always keep your proximity setting on "Medium" or "Distant" Network, posts from the people who matter to you may be slipping past you, unnoticed. And what about cases where you read posts, but forget to keep up with comments left later in response? Even with "What You've Missed" e-mail reports, it's conceivable that something may occasionally go unnoticed.

So why not give this filter (unread posts from your contacts) a try? Click here to have a quick look at what the filter shows for your account, or to set this filter manually (and perhaps save it for later use), click "Customize" on your message board and enter...

	People in your Network	Groups you are in	Specific Individuals	Filter by Type	Show only unread
Unread from Contacts	Contacts	None	[None]	All Posts	[Checked]

And there you have it, what you've been missing.
Or not, as it may be. (In which case, congratulations! :-)

In case you haven't noticed, we've introduced a new way to view posts from your Multiply network on your message board. And that's not all -- we've improved an old way as well.

The new: "Compact" mode

Compact mode won't help you get extra posts per page on your message board (you can still choose from 5, 100, or a number in between in any view mode), but it will give you your posts in a much smaller space.

Everything important is still available -- from the content type icons on the left to the (unread) reply count on the right. And, of course, everything in between.

If the column of three icons that appears on the far right side of the message pictured here looks unfamiliar to you, you haven't enabled the "Subscribe," "Pin," and "Remove" icons that we featured way back last year. Any why not; it adds great functionality to your message board!



The old-but-new: More "Table" mode options

Table mode is certainly one of the more flexible ways to view your message board.

And now, we've moved the view options for Table mode back to the message board Preferences page... right where you'd expect to find them. Add or remove as many of the optional table columns, pictured at right, as you like, to make your message board as informative -- or as minimalistic -- as you'd like!



So there you have it; now you've got more options for using your message board to keep up with your network... just the way you like it.

Whether you practically live your life on your Multiply Message Board, or at the very least use it from time to time, you know how much easier it makes keeping up to date with the latest posts from a large (or small) number of people, all depending on how you choose to filter it.

Well, if you spend any sort of a good deal of time on the page, you'll appreciate the new preferences we recently added.

In addition to the old essentials, like choosing the number of items that appear per page, the way they're sorted and what view style you prefer, you can now choose which of the sidebar boxes you'd like to see.

You can now hide:

• Post New Content
• Upcoming Events
• Popular Tags
  

And of course, showing them once again is just as easy as unchecking the appropriate box.

Which boxes (if any) can you do without, and end up hiding on your message board?

Here's a bundle of brand-new features that should make all users, both new and old (and future) alike, quite happy.

First, for the current users:
(because you're awesome)

More customization of your message board
Ever wanted to hide some of those boxes next to your message board? If you haven't, we don't blame you, because they're great. But in case you want to try something new, now you can! Just click "Preferences" on the message board page and pick the boxes you'd like to hide.

Easy image embedding elsewhere
In case you happen to find yourself on a website that isn't Multiply (why, we're not sure) and would like to share an image stored on Multiply with the unenlightened masses out there, we've made it easier to do so. Just go to the page of the particular photo you'd like to use (i.e. visit album where it's stored and click the appropriate thumbnail) and click that sweet new "share" link below. Then grab the HTML, conveniently located below, paste it into the other site and share it!

No auto-loading for non-new videos
We've changed the way the Flash video player works for repeat viewings. Now, when you view a video for the first time -- and only the first time -- it will automatically begin loading in the background, for quick playback when you press play. (Note that it won't auto-play. That's just annoying.) On subsequent viewings, it'll wait patiently for you to press play, which you're not likely to do anyway, as you're probably just there to view the new comments.

And for those who aren't users yet:
(because you're future-awesome)

Find your friends before you join
If you're on the fence about joining Multiply, or are just wondering if any of your friends have joined yet (and forgotten to tell or invite you), you can now check by clicking "Find friends" right on multiply.com. Either give us a few e-mail addresses you'd like to check, or import your entire contact list from a webmail account for full-coverage.

(This isn't just for new users, either! Current users who want to find their friends will find a link to this at the top of the search page.)

And, of course, for everyone:

A brand new look!
...and you've probably already noticed this. If you haven't, that's alright too.

Certain parts of Multiply are sporting a sleek new look. It's not a completely radical change, more a bit of a visual refresh. The new beauty, however, is more than skin-deep. Some may even call it functional. See if you can tell what's new!

So please, enjoy these new features.
Feedback, as always... you know we love it. :)

Having already taken a sneak peek at what is certainly the best way to customize your Multiply homepage, we thought now would be the perfect time to announce some other improvements/new stuff that are coming soon actually already available now!

Behold:

Complete homepage edit mode. Yup, we mentioned this last Friday, and linked it again ten seconds ago. But it's so incredibly cool that we're going to link it again. Link.

New content imports. If you've posted video clips to MySpace or Metacafe, or added favorites on YouTube, you can now easily bring them over and share them on Multiply as well.

Post-posting options. Now after you post new content to Multiply, you'll be presented with a page with links to other things you may want to do with your post, like e-mail it to others who aren't yet on Multiply, check out detailed information on who will be able to view it, change your e-mail alert settings... and so on. Post something new and have a look!

Message board preview for invitees. When you invite someone to join Multiply, they'll see a preview of what their message board will look like after they join -- containing actual posts from actual people in their would-be network. This allows people to get a taste of what Multiply is really about before signing up!

So enjoy this batch of changes.
As always, we'd be delighted to hear what your think of them.

With the ability to see what's being shared in your entire social network, your "My Multiply" Message Board is almost certainly the best way to see what your friends, family and other people close to you, are up to.

Using the tabs across the top of the page, you can show more (or less) of what's being shared in your network with one click. However, Custom Filters really let you take this to the next level.

What we're doing here is creating a custom page view, which will allow you to quickly and easily display only the types of posts you want to see right now on your Message Board. Click Custom Filter. This tool will appear:

Simply select how much (if any) of your network you would like have appear, if you'd like to have posts from any group (or groups) included, any other specific users you would like to add, what type of content you'd like the filter to display, and whether you'd like to only be shown unread posts that meet those criteria. Give the Custom Filter a name if you'd like it saved for later, or don't bother if you only plan to use it once.

Then click OK!

When you do, you'll find your Message Board displaying only what you're interested in seeing at the moment. When you'd like to remove the filter and view all of your network once again, simply click the [remove filter] link that you'll find at the top of your Message Board. And if you chose a name for your filter, you'll be able to select it later by clicking Custom Filter once again.

Here are some of our favorites:

	People in your Network	Groups you are in	Specific Individuals	Filter by Type	Show only unread
Unread from contacts (great for catching up on "required reading"!)	You, Contacts	None	[None]	All Posts	[Checked]
Missed Video (never before viewed)	You, Contacts, Medium, Distant	None	[None]	Video	[Checked]
Multiply-related groups (groups related to Multiply; will only work if you're in these groups)	[None]	multiplydesign, muds, modify, pimpursite, multiplynewbie, customizedthemes	[None]	All Posts	[Unchecked]

If you use this feature, what's your favorite filter?

If your "My Multiply" message board feels strangely like home, there's a good reason for it -- in addition to being the first thing you see when signing in to your account, it's where you'll find pretty much all the information that really matters to you on Multiply.

With the recently unveiled Multiply 3.0, we've combined two of the most useful pages formerly available on Multiply -- the Welcome and Explore pages -- to create the actually quite useful My Multiply page, which ought to delight anyone who's used either of the old pages.

The Welcome page was the first one you would see when signing in to Multiply. You'd be greeted with a "Don't Panic" "Welcome, [your name here]!" written in big, friendly letters across the top of the page. But that's not all. The Welcome page also featured

• A short summary of all new posts in your network and groups (you can now find this on the right column of your My Multiply page)
• A list of upcoming events from people you know (this is now also in the right column, a little ways down from the new post summary)
• A tag cloud featuring the most common tags in your network (now found below the upcoming events)
• Links to the most recent (ahem) Multiply staff blog entries (okay, you get the idea)

...though it didn't show you the actual posts in your network. You'd have to check Explore for that, and for other Explore page niceties, like notifications of invitations you've received.

But now you don't have to. And this is a good thing.

Two months in the making, we're proud to pull the covers off of some really, really ridiculously great new stuff.

As you read this, you've probably already noticed some of the more obvious changes we've made. And chances are, you're reading this because you're curious about these new features. Or maybe you're just wondering what the heck's going on!

In the coming days, we'll be taking a closer look at the nuts and bolts of some of what's new, but for now here's a quick rundown, in case you're the curious (or impatient) type. We don't blame you for wanting to get your hands on these sweet new features already.

Behold:

• Brand-new, super-charged "My Multiply" message board
• All-in-one Ajaxified photo uploader/album editor
• Simplified layout, featuring new navigation links at the top of every page
• Hide messages from your message board
  
• Streamlined settings page
• "My Network" page, showing you precisely who's whom
  
• Dragable (and dropable) video page featuring for quick re-ordering
• Even more customizable homepage (hide unwanted boxes!)

As you know, these changes didn't just make themselves. Many thanks go out to everyone who had a hand in this release -- in addition to the usual folks, we'd like to extend major thanks the tireless users who helped us out in QA over the last few weeks. You guys rock.

Are you familiar with RSS (Really Simple Syndication)? If not, see here and here for basic introductions to this great technology... what you're about to read is the perfect reason to find out more!

You can now subscribe to your message board to get the latest updates -- as much or as little content as you want to see from folks in your network, other members of your favorite groups, and so on -- all with RSS.

You can find this feature at http://multiply.com/mail/feed-key. It's currently still in beta, which means that we're still in the process of documenting it and testing it out. (Think of it as a preview. It'll probably work for you, but don't be shocked if it's not perfect just yet. If you think you've found a bug, please let us know!)

One great thing about this feature is that you can create and subscribe to as many custom feeds as you want. Here are a few examples:

• Photos posted in all of the photography groups you're in.
  
• Music posted by all of your bandmates, or contacts who create and post their own music.
  
• Everything posted by certain groups of contacts, like roommates, classmates, or friends from Poland.
  

As you can see, the potential is limited only by your imagination.

We've created this feature with security in mind; we're aware that some RSS-reading applications allow people to share the feeds they read with others. Not to worry; the contents of more private posts won't actually show up in the feed itself, but will instead be represented by 'placeholders,' which contain a link to the actual content on Multiply. This means they're still only visible to their intended audience.

While we still think our revolutionary message board is something special, we're always interested in giving you more options for experiencing and enjoying content from others close to you, on Multiply. This is simply one more way to do that -- a feed of your social network.

If you haven't noticed it yet, the pleasure of introducing Multiply 2.0 is all ours.

Sure, we've prettied up Multiply, rounded off the pointy corners and such. We won't blame you if that's the first thing you notice. But if you dig a bit deeper, you'll find that there's more to this update than a fresh, new layout.

Instead of sending you off on a scavenger hunt looking for what's new, we'll just list a few of them for you. So with very little further ado, here are some of the wonderful new things you'll find on Multiply:

Smoother visuals. We've rounded off the corners of most of the straight lines we could find lying around the site. We hope this helps make your experience browsing Multiply a smoother, more enjoyable one. But while everyone loves smooth visuals,they're just one part of our new...

Simplified layout. We took a bunch of the stuff that you didn't need to see right now and hid it, reducing the clutter and making Multiply more straightforward. But if you're lost, we've got you covered --just look for our brand new...

Navigation clues. On many pages, you'll find a few "See Also" links pointing you to some of the more common things you may want to, related to the purpose of that page. These will help you find options and features that may not be immediately apparent otherwise. Oh, and you'll definitely want to have a look at our overhauled...

Explore Page. This new-and improved version of the old 'messages' page has been stripped down for simplicity, while at the same time infused with new features. For instance, there are now four message views on this page (check out the new "Full Entries" mode for quick reading!) and the much-requested option to view your messages by posted date, rather than by the last reply. And when you want to post content for your network to explore, just turn to our new...

Quick-posting dashboard. The old 'Post'drop-down was alright, I guess. But this is so much prettier, plus it keeps the tools you need to post content right at your fingertips. Click Post, choose your content type and post. And now, the time on your post will appear consistent with your...

Local timezones. A lot of you requested this. And now, you've got it.(Choose your time zone on your "My Account" page.)

That's right, folks-- fun stuff, all around.

We actually have more that we'd like to show you now, but we'll have to save that for another time. Look for it in the next few weeks... or keep an eye on this blog and we'll be sure to let you know!


You can read our formal press release here.

Flexibility is one of the principles around which we've designed Multiply. For example, our e-mail alerts give you the option of being notified of new content and comments posted by your contacts... including the ability to reply to them directly from the e-mail. Or if you prefer to read your messages on the site, turn off the e-mail alerts. It's up to you.

One might say that the central Multiply feature is the Message Board, the thing that ties it all together and shows you what's going on in your network. If you just want to see what's up, feel free to use it as is. But if you don't mind getting your hands a little dirty and tweaking a few options, you'll find it to probably be much more powerful than you had previously thought.

Click "Preferences"... and there you go! In these three small boxes, you have the opportunity to shape the way you view your network on Multiply.

The options for customizing the "Look & Feel" of your Message Board are pretty straightforward. However, customizing your display options may take a little trial and error, and you may want to try out certain columns for a few days at a time to get a feel for how they affect the way you read your messages.

For instance, one of my favorite options is "Status Column." The envelope icon allows you to choose whether or not you are subscribed to a message and receive an e-mail every time a new reply is posted. The pin allows you to keep the message "pinned" to the top of your message board, which makes it easier to keep an eye on ongoing conversations, or just something you don't want to lose track of.

These preferences are just another example of how control over your Multiply experience is where it should be -- in your hands.

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Is there a Multiply feature that you can't live without and would like to see featured here? Let us know!