300 logoPlanetPOV continues evolving and growing and going, there are a number of new features that have recently been added to the site but to begin and as a symbol of our growth, I am very proud to announce we have just published our 300th post!

And which member posted our 300th post? It’s…

…escribacat!

With her post, A Happy Turn of Events for this Greyhound.

Congratulations escribacat!!! Please watch your mailbox for the lifetime supply of Cheez Whiz and a signed copy of Sarah Palin’s sequel to her autobiography “Going Rogue” titled, ” Going Number Two and Selling it to Saps For a Fortune!”.

It’s very appropriate that we’ve just reached our 300th article today. On Friday we hit our highest mark ever for number of visitors to our site in a single day!

The Planet is thriving and growing, thanks to all of the supportive and thoughtful members that make up this dynamic community. As we always say and hopefully has become self-evident, PlanetPOV is meant to be a site that’s responsive to and reflective of  the membership here.

Those who have been here for at least a  little while can attest to how we continually revise and add features to The Planet in our quest to make this site as progressive as our members.

Many changes and features are here because of your suggestions, please keep them coming. We want The Planet to be the most innovative, unique and satisfying site for bloggers.

Before I get to listing our latest features, a shout out and some tips to our newest members. Thank you so much for joining us and becoming part of this diverse and amazing community! If you haven’t already, please check out the FAQ and the other documents under it to get up to speed on how to do everything here.

One of the two of the main things that new members should know is how to add images and preview images to their posts so please consult the quick and easy instructions in FAQ.

The other thing to be aware of is that we want your POV on issues that matter to you, that’s what we spotlight on the front page. You can write articles on any subject you choose but please try to avoid cutting and pasting news stories or links without your thoughtful opinion included. There are many sites where people can read articles copied from other sources, our site is about you and your POV on the world and events.

FYI, posts that are not about issues or are just cut & paste news articles and links are usually assigned to Speakers Corner, they don’t appear on the front page but are just as available for viewing as every other post.

Now, to the new features at The Planet:

1. Optimized Comments Pages

To speed up the site, we have broken the comments for Posts into multiple pages, you’ll find links at the top and bottom of the comments section for “Older Comments” and/or “Newer Comments. We’ve just optimized the display so that the first page of comments will always be filled. Previously, when a page reached its max, the newest/first page of comments would begin with the one newest comment.

2. Authors List Pull Down Box

Thanks to our good fortune, we have been adding many more Authors to The Planet but listing them in the sidebar was getting a bit tight. So in its place we have added a nifty pull down box for you to click on and display all Authors who have ever written a post. Click on any name, even yours, to view all the posts written by that person.

3.  Stats

This new widget brings a number of great features to The Planet:

a. Statistics – Displays current total of posts, comments and Authors on  The Planet.

b. Most Commented Posts – Lists the articles that have received the most comments on The Planet.

c. PlanetPOV Stats – You’ll find this link just below the last of the Most Commented Posts. Clicking on this link (or at the top of the page, clicking Archives – PlanetPOV Stats) takes you to a page with a wide variety of lists and links about the posts and comments on the site. A special feature here is Comments’ Members Stats which allows you to click on any member’s name (including yours) and see all the comments they’ve written.

4. Countdown Clock (to Vox Populi)

As a helpful reminder, this clock counts down to our Friday Evening live event, Vox Populi (more on this below).

5. Un(der)reported Stories

Conceived by and headed up by Nellie, this wonderful new weekend feature (Fridays and Saturdays) shares excerpts and links from stories that are too positive or too meaningful for the shallow MSM to cover or keep following.

6. Extra! Extra! Read All About It!

C0nceived by bitohistory, javaz and Nellie, this new Sunday feature invites you to read and contribute to a collection of the days editorials from local papers, find out and discuss what’s really going on around the country.

7. Give Your Views on the News

Presented by KQuark, this regular feature shares intriguing and enlightening stories taken from a broad spectrum of news, Politics, Science, Society and more.

And if that isn’t enough for you, don’t forget our continuing features:

1. Friday Night at The Planet

After a long week of considering and discussing the important events around our country and the world, it’s time to let down the weight of the world off your shoulders, kick back a bit and enjoy a fun evening with your friends and colleagues here at The Planet.

a. Friday Night Music Thread – Hosted by KQuark, this is always a “rockin’ thread in which you can embed and share your favorite music, music videos, movie clips, etc. Everyone’s always invited to the party but BYOB!

b. Vox Populi – This is the new name for our live open chat Friday Night on the week’s issues in which all members are invited to participate. We just debuted this feature this Friday, which members reviewed as “speed blogging”, “invigorating” and “a rush”. It really was a lot of fun, very enlightening and a great success. Check the “Countdown To Vox Populi” clock from time to time so you don’t miss it this week!

c. The Weekly Planet – This is a round table live chat discussion which is then opened up to all members. This feature is being revamped to present special guests to speak about specific topics and issues in which they are involved. Stay tuned…

d. Debate Night Live – A real time debate between members and sometimes special guests on important issues of the day. This feature is also being revised to best employ the live chat format.

That’s it for now. Please don’t ever hesitate to write me at admin@planetpov.com with any ideas or suggestions for the site, we really welcome your creativity and input in making this the best blogging site and community on The Planet.

Once again, thanks to every member for being a part of PlanetPOV and helping us build something unique and remarkable. Your continuing efforts to spread the word at HuffPo, to friends and family is greatly appreciated, it’s already made a huge contribution to our growth.

Happy 300th post to escribacat and congrats to all of you who have contributed by reading, commenting on or writing the 299 other posts that got us here! Cheers!

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Jenuwin
Admin

Hooray for the 3005h post! Keep ’em coming.

HITO
Member
HITO

Congrats to Cat….from another KAT.

Hey do you want to halvsies…you give me cheezwhiz, I share my Rice-a-Roni?

Lemme know.

escribacat
Member

LOL. I have big plans for that Cheeze Whiz. I’m thinking a backyard sculpture. Maybe the rice a roni will fit in somehow. Did you get your first shipment yet?

KevenSeven
Member

I’d love to see a line graph or two showing the number of members, comments and posts from inauguration to today. I’m a very visual guy.

And I’ll be damned if I can figure out how to add an image. I just can’t make heads or tails of it. Not sufficiently tactile for me.

Still, it is a real kick to see the membership grow like this.

javaz
Member

AdLib!

I feel sort of bad because I’ve broken a rule or two.
I did copy an article once, and found out after that, that was a no-no, still you were kind enough to let it go, and I thank you with the promise never to do that again.

Attaching images for me is still a struggle and I understand for everyone who is computer literate that you can’t understand since your directions are so simple.

And they are simple and easy to follow, but how come it rarely works for me, who is lucky to be able to log on, check email, and read other sites, and I get copy and paste, but that’s about it.

When I attach an image, I’ve had some success in getting it to attach within the article, but not always.
And there’ve been times I’ve attached an image and it came in HUGE.

I don’t quite understand what it means to download an image to my hard drive.
When my husband is close, he gets it and can do that, by making a jpeg I think, but even then it doesn’t attach to the main page.

I click that little icon and upload insert and do the URL tab and paste the image link.
Some times it gives me a Red X, and then I don’t understand what to do.

Usually I try to find another image that the Red X doesn’t appear and that works some times.
I click the center alignment and insert into post.

I have found that the image has to be downloaded first before writing the article or the image appears, when it appears, at the bottom of the article.

I always scroll down to the custom fields and click preview in the pull down box then in the value box I paste the URL for the image.
But it never shows on the main page.

I also do not understand the adding tabs thing and usually get small Xs in that part, too.

Can you tell me what it is I am doing wrong?
I apologize, I really do, for being such a pain, but even my husband has tried to help me, and he IS computer literate!
He built my PC!

But there’s something we are both missing.

(is this the wrong place to ask this?)

Kalima
Admin

Well done escribacat, can’t think of anyone who deserves it more today.

Just had to cover my Coco’s eyes, she’s my oldest, an Abys and they just love food. If she knew about your supply of Cheese Whiz, I swear that she would find a way to cross the Pacific, so I’m not allowing her to read this post. 🙂

javaz
Member

Good morning, Kalima!
Very cute visual of you covering Coco’s eyes, but you know cats and their ESP.

Kalima
Admin

Good afternoon javaz.

Have you ever known people with Abyssinians, they are bright, friendly and very loving but you will never eat alone again, I know we have had 4 and Coco is the last remaining one. On occasion, I’ve taken my plate to the hallway, sitting on the cold step to eat my food in the peace. The connecting door is glass, she is on the other side pushing her nose against the frosted glass, I’ve given up and now she has a nibble of whatever I’m having, she just needs a bite and she’s happy, I get to eat the rest.

javaz
Member

No, am not familiar with Abyssinians, but we’ve had four cats, all strays that moved in and decided to make our home their home, and us their providers.

They used to sit right on the table, unless there was company, and stare down at our plates, and one of them would slyly reach a paw out and swipe whatever he could grab.

One of them used to love butting heads in greeting, and another would jump up and grab the doorknob and swing back and forth trying to open the door.

And when we’d shower, two of them would jump on the back of the toilet and perch their paws on the shower rod and stare down at us.

They were entertaining and we miss them all, but not the hair, litter box, and dander.
My asthma vastly improved since they’ve gone to the Rainbow Bridge, but we miss them.
The oldest was 25 when she left, and then another 22, and the boys were 18 and 16.
The one that died at 16 had three bouts of cancer that we were able to control or go into remission with chemo, so we were lucky he lived as long as he did.

Kalima
Admin

Well you certainly have had your hands full and they all sound delightful, sorry about your asthma, I have a friend who almost died from an attack this May.

The reason that many don’t like the Abyssinian breed is that they like our food better than theirs and they are a very curious and active cat, this is what I like about them, never a dull moment.

kesmarn
Admin

Just finished reading escribacat’s wonderful article on the greyhound rescue, and it really seems to be the perfect one for the 300th post. It says so many good things about him and, by extension, about so many of the other people here. Just over the past few days, we’ve heard about Pepe’s introduction of his daughter to the joys of the written word (and the way she passed that on to her younger relatives), about Mo’s project of writing a book for his daughter, about AlphaB’s work with Afghan kids, about choicelady’s progressive faith projects, and about Kalima’s 10 adopted kitties in Japan, to mention just a few. It’s so encouraging to be in a virtual community of people who not only say good things (very well), but do good things, too.

javaz
Member

Agree!

I’ve learned more from PPOV and its members than any other site.

kesmarn
Admin

You betcha! 😮

TanzaniteDiamonds
Guest
TanzaniteDiamonds

lol @ choicelady. Too funny.

Hooray for escribacat!

TanzaniteDiamonds

P.S. I remembered. I remembered, to scroll down a few, before typing. Finally! I’m learning.

escribacat
Member

Adlib, I am pleased and honored to be number 300. (Isn’t that a movie?) And there is only one thing I love more than Cheeze Whiz, and that’s Sarah Palin!

javaz
Member

WOO-HOO!

Congrats escribacat!!!

A lifetime of Cheez Whiz is bound to make you the most popular of party hosts!

escribacat
Member

~bowing~
Actually, now that I think about it, Cheez Whiz would probably be good to squirt into doggie kongs. I usually use peanut butter.

choicelady
Member

Escribacat broke the barrier and all you give is Cheeze Whiz? Well, come to think of it, it’s more than you get from Huff. Lots more!

boomer1949
Member

I’d substitute crackers for the book, if one can call it a book.

kesmarn
Admin

There are those who might call Ms. Palin a cracker. I mean I personally would NEVER do that…but… 😉

Kalima
Admin

AdLib’s title for her second book brings to mind a thing you should never do without the adequate amount of paper on hand. Perfect title, she is certainly spreading it around. 🙂

kesmarn
Admin

Yes, Kalima, her book would serve very well as that indispensable paper, no?

Kalima
Admin

I’m used to much softer, but when in need, I’m sure it would.