New MuseBlog Experiment

Always looking for ways to improve our beloved blog, the Administrators have decided to try something new: We’re pulling the under-used Muse Academy Student Lounge off the main body of the blog. It will still be accessible to anyone who has been posting on MuseBlog for at least six months (“paleophytes,” if you will). To visit it, you’ll have to register and then log in using a password. Along with the lounge, we’re creating a companion thread for discussing the experiment.

Why are we doing this? Some MBers have told us that they’re finding the blog increasingly confusing and hard to keep up with. We think the new Student Lounge might help. After six months on the blog, MBers know the ropes and have shown that they are likely to stick around for a while. By making a special place for those who have settled in, we hope to carve out a slightly slower, calmer environment for those who want it.

Please note that we are not creating a new blog or a blog within the blog. It’s just a couple of threads, and paleophytes will still be able to take part in the rest of the blog as they always have. If you aren’t interested in the experiment or don’t like signing up for things, no problem. There is already more to do on the blog than you could manage if you worked around the clock.

If you do want to take part, you’ll find a new button for registering and logging in near the buttons for the information pages (such as “The Rules” and “Who’s Here”) on the main page of the blog. Select “register,” fill in your blogname and a working e-mail address, and send it in. The blog will e-mail you a password, which will become active as soon as the Administrators approve your application. (Six-monthers who already have passwords for chess don’t need to sign up again.) Then, when you log in, you’ll see the blog looking much the same as before, but with a new Student Lounge thread to go to. (Ignore the profile page — we won’t use it — and go straight to the blog.)

Any questions? As always, we’ll be happy to answer, so fire away.

204 thoughts on “New MuseBlog Experiment”

  1. This sounds nifty.
    However, I cannot express high hopes for it. Things intended to be “slower paced” (i.e. May Day Balls, Reclusive Gardens) always seem to hit warp speed after a couple of weeks. *sighs* Not that fast-paced RPGs and such are bad, it’s just that there’s so little contrast.

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      1. and slower and slower and… slower… and…… slower…… a…n…d…… s…l…o…w…e…………………………….r

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        1. A………..n……………………………….d……………………………………….s………………………………l……………………………………………………………………..o……………………………………………………………………………………………………………w…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….e……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….r

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    1. Yeah. The reclusive cottages threads really bother me as it was started as a place to discuss quiet cottages away from society and started because of a comment I put on R+R and suddenly it has turned into an RPG.

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  2. So unless you are logged in, you can’t see the private threads? Same with comments made on those threads on the Recent Comments Bar?

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  3. Hmm. It sounds like an interesting idea.

    I’ll register, at least. Though I’m not sure I’ll log in every time I visit.

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  4. I don’t remember if I’ve ever been to the Muse Academy Student Lounge thread. Is it similar to the H&H?

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      1. okay, it says you have to confirm my account before I can log in. I created an account with the username “oxlin”.

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  5. Wait, so does this mean that once you hit six months, you can register? Or will the registration be closed after a certain amount of time? I think this is a good idea, but I just wanted to know about that because I haven’t been on for six months yet.

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  6. Huh. Sounds like an…interesting idea. I guess I’ll do it.
    Wait….is the Student Lounge the MA website, or just the Student Lounge thread on MB? Because I’ve never been on the thread, and really have no interest in it, so it probably wouldn’t matter much either way to me if it was the latter.

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          1. SFTDP

            Pwease tell me! (Yes, I can use pwease now. I think it forces the GAPAs to do what you want. I’ll test it later)

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          2. It’s basically what Rebecca said–the Random thread with a smaller population, kind of like the H&H but a bit different, plus a budding RRR. That’s it for now. (I think…I haven’t been on today. Feel free to correct me, anyone.)

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            1. I can see the RRR thread. GAPAs, I think there’s a mistake! The Organization thread is non-existent. (For me)

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  7. Heh-heh.
    Now neophytes will try to register as soon as they come… This could scare a lot of them away… :neutral:

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      1. No, they’d think you have to register to post on any of the threads, and once they discover they can’t register, they may think they can’t post, and so leave.

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        1. That could be the case, but hopefully they’ll just see the most Recent Threads posted on the side bar and click on one of those first. Or maybe the GAPA’s could put a little blurb about the whole six month deal by the registration thing or something like that so that phytes are clear on the deal.

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          1. Well, I assume that if a ‘phyte tries to sign up, they’ll get an ‘access denied’ email. Maybe, instead of that, the GAPAs could set up an automatic message explaining that the login is only for a few threads on the blog, accessible once one has been on the blog for six months, and that one can post on any of the threads on MB ((this is true, because you can’t see the restricted threads unless you’re logged in)) with no signup needed. How’s that sound?

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    1. You can register when you’ve been on MuseBlog for six months. If you mean your comments from yesterday morning, you saw a sneak preview that occurred when a nameless GAPA *coughladybunnifulcough* accidentally published the thread while fixing a typo.

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  8. “and a working e-mail address”

    My screen just shows an Username slot and a Password slot.

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    1. “The blog will e-mail you a password, which will become active as soon as the Administrators approve your application.”

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  9. GAPAs – why the 6 months join date? 6 months is not a very long time at all, in the scope of MuseBlog. I don’t mean to be exclusive, but I feel like a longer time frame might better weed out the neophytes from the paleophytes.

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      1. I guess I’m a little confused of the intent of the experiment, then. From the description above, it sounds like this is a way to make slower-paced, perhaps more thoughtful threads for MBers who have been around a while, aka paleophytes. Perhaps ‘weed out’ was a bit of a strong term for me to use, but if these new threads aren’t a way to allow MBers who’ve been around a while a place to have more discussion types threads, what are they?

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        1. I was referring to “weed out,” which sounded rather harsh, though apparently was merely an unfortunate choice of words. Yes, the intent was to create something more intimate for those who feel overwhelmed by the numbers, but we will be very assiduous in keeping this from becoming divisive. Nothing in this experiment implies anything in the least derogatory towards recent arrivals, we want that to be very clear.

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          1. No, I agree! I don’t want this to be divisive either, I just feel as if a year is insufficient time to become a paleophyte, so to speak. Sorry if this is offensive in any way. I don’t mean it to be, and wish this had been in the private thread for just that reason.

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  10. I was reffering to the fact that I don’t have an email address. Although I might have a twin… :wink:

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      1. No one’s. The gravatar email I’m using was deactivated. So technically, I’m using a fake email!

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          1. Verizon internet switched to Fairpoint internet and the Verizon email was deactivated. At the same time that Verizon bought Unicel, causing a cellphone switch also.

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              1. I can do that? I might as well not bother, ’cause I’ll just get a school account in the fall.

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  11. I’ll be able to use it in August, which is fine because I won’t be able to get on museblog until about then.

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  12. The mysteries of the paleophyte threads are no mystery to me…

    *laughs*

    I was logged in when I first came on, so I didn’t understand why peoplewere talking about palephyte threads since I could see them all. It dawned on me when I logged out and some threads vanished.

    33- But by then, you’ll be so muserly that we shall no longer recognize you and start to worship you! (*was kidding*). I feel a bit young for the paleophyte threads myself, since I’m also not a mesophyte. Now I just need to find a fancy word for “teenophyte”.

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    1. Yeah, I also feel young. I haven’t posted on the paleo threads yet, but I have a feeling that posting on them is going to make me feel like a ‘phyte all over again….

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      1. No, I’m a mesophyte, I am. It works for me. I mean, do we have mesoneophytes? Paleoneophytes? Neopaleophytes? It gets confusing, you see.

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        1. mesopaleoneophytes?

          hydromesoneopaleopyronecrohemiphytes?

          Water-y, medium, new, old, death, half sprouts?

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          1. :lol: No, watery medium new old fiery paleontologic half sprouts. You can be the pyromesophyte, I’ll be the hydromesophyte, and bookgirl can be the austrimesophyte.*

            *Pertaining to Austria.

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              1. Necro = of or pertaining to deadness, I think.

                Example: Twilight promotes necrophilia, or the love of dead things.

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  13. I have a question. Are you allowed to give out your e-mail address to you guys if it contains your full name?

    P.S.- Could you make my icon a Lego minifig like Jakob Wonkychair’s? Anything from Kingdom Hearts or Pokémon would be cool too.

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  14. 36.1.1- Relax, it’s just a few threads! Can’t you wait a bit?

    37- The GAPAs can’t change your avatar for you. Go to gravatar dot com (it’s free and only needs your email address) to make an avatar. You aren’t allowed to give people your email address, but you can type an address containing your last name into the email box, since only the GAPAs will see it.

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  15. 38-This is AvalonGirl. I’m using the same email on here and Gravatar, but my avatar changed…once! Than back to the first picture…I’ll go try to fix.

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  16. Okay, I think I did it correctly, and I’m pretty sure that I used the same email address I’ve been using here, but I’m not certain. Hopefully that won’t matter? My excuse is that it is summer and my brains are slowly melting out of my ears in in the heat.

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  17. Hmm. I tried to log in, and it gave me a 404 page not found error message. Then when I tried to get simply to the log in page it gave me another and the blog slowed down. I’ll try again, but does anyone have an idea why it’s doing this?

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  18. *is depressed* I have to wait until Aug. 4th or sometime near there. *slinks off*

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  19. Okay . . . *reads thread* . . . Oh dangit! I’ll be a paleophyte July 15! Oops, I already registered!
    Sorry! :oops:

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        1. You don’t have to. Once you have a basic account, we can turn it into a Paleophyte account at any time. I just meant that there’s no need to feel guilty about having registered too early, because registration is a two-step process, and we won’t complete the second step until the six months are up.

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  20. I have registered, and perhaps this will give me an incentive to venture off of BA once in a while.

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  21. GAPAs, please send my confirmation email to the my mom’s account (the one used for this post), since my account apparently doesn’t work.

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  22. (56.1) muselover: Try to log in once more, this time using your e-mail address as your password. If that doesn’t work, we’ll delete your account, and you can re-register from scratch using your mother’s e-mail address (or any other one you like).

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  23. HIdden, unless you’re a paleo, in which case you would go to categories, click “Paleostuff” and locate it.

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  24. Hello! I forget about this place quite a lot, these days. Anyway, I tried to register for a WordPress account, username viol, and I got this message:

    HOLD ON! You can\\\’t log in until an Administrator approves your account. The GOOD NEWS is that you don\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\’t need to. You can do almost everything there is to do on MuseBlog without an account. So if you\\\’re new to the blog, don\’t wait for approval. Plunge in!

    Perhaps something should be done about the slashes? I find them a bit disconcerting. HTML is odd.

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  25. GAPAs, I need a new chess account, since I can’t access my new email to get to my old password. Is it possible to delete it, then create another one with my new address?

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  26. Is there a way that I can can change my password to make it easier. It’s no trouble if you can’t. It’s just that it long and confusing.

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    1. mas0n: Changing your password is easy. Do you see where your name is, above the box in which you write comments? Click on your name. That will take you to your profile, where you can change your password. Save your changes by hitting the “Update Profile” button at the bottom of the profile page.

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  27. I don’t seem to be able to get into the student lounge…so you just go to “paleostuff” and it shows up?

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  28. I have a weird paleo prolem…

    When this thread first popped up I wanted an account, so I signed up. I checked my email and it said that the GAPAs didn’t recognize me, so I got discouraged and I didn’t post anything about it and stopped checking my email for a very long time (this was around the time I got a facebook. :D ). I just checked it again and a couple of days later the GAPAs had actually registered my account. Trouble is, I forgot my password. So, I sent a “forgot my password” request. I got a link that sent me to a page saying my reset password would be emailed to me, but I don’t have another email in my inbox. Is there a time delay on the “forgot my password” requests, or is it really not working?

    [Further details snipped. CPM, we didn’t recognize your username, so thank you for telling us who you are. We’ve set your password to be the same as your e-mail address. You can change it later by editing your profile. –Admin.]

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  29. Um, GAPA’s? So my paleo account’s working fine, trouble is, I can’t seem to find the thread…I checked under paleostuff, but that’s the same as ever… I’m pretty sure I’ve been here for 6 months (since march), and it may just be my technological ineptitude….

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  30. When I tried to create my account, I accidently used the wrong username, so can you please delete that account so I can sign up under my “real” blogname?

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    1. Huh. I’m not sure why that would be happening either–I don’t have that issue when I post logged in. Do you by any chance have the URL for your site entered in the “website” box on your MB profile (y’know, the page that your name by the comment box links to when logged in)? That’s all I can think of…

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      1. That was the problem. I’ve deleted the URL.

        Please don’t fill in the “Website” box or any other non-required information on your profiles. Your e-mail address is required, and a nickname (if different from your login name) is fine, but the other boxes just mess things up.

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    1. Yes. There’s a general thread, like the monthly random thread, just slower paced, and there are a few RRRs, although I want to say they’re mostly abandoned…..But I could be wrong, on that, I’ve not really visited them. :razz:

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  31. Have I registered? I log in… but I believe i made my account directly through wordpress for some other thing…. The student lounge just popped up too…

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  32. Um, GAPAs, I’m really confused… I’m still a neophyte… I haven’t been on for six months. In fact, I’ve only been on the blog since July. When I first went on the blog, I tried to register, then I got the whole “six months” thing. Sorry about that. But anyway, a few days ago, my account was verified….And I can’t think why. Erm, yeah, this makes no sense. Anyway, this seems like the place to post it…so… Huh????

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        1. Find someone else who will play chess with you, ( this and this might help in the future) and ask the GAPAs to start a game.
          Speaking of which, ENCELADUS MOVE IN OUR GAME

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  33. Hey Paleos (specifically Piggy, Starr, Axa, etc.-people previously in the Student Lounge)! I’d appreciate you helping with my predicament in the Student Lounge. Open a can of glacier-cold Egils Mix and all will be right with the world.

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    1. If you have an account, find the ‘Paleo’ category in the search menu thingy, if you don’t, apply for an account, (I think there’s a button on the bar at the top) and wait ’till the GAPAs approve it.

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    1. When you try to logg in, there´s a “forgot password” link under the bottom right corner of the box- it´ll send you an email with a link so that you can reset it. If that doesn`t work, I´m sure the GAPAs will think of something.

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      1. Thanks! I seem to remember trying that way back and it didn’t work, but this time it did. I’m not sure if I’m actually thinking of resetting the password of a non-MB WordPress account, or I did something wrong. Anyway, it works now!

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