A Couple of New Features -

[Peggy]

I've added a couple of new features to the site, that I want to tell you about.

#1 - If you have a blog or a website of your own. you can place a link to it in profile, so that it appears in your posts. You do this by using the RSS feed for your site or blog. If you need to know how to find the RSS feed, give me a holler.

#2 - I removed the Tell-a-Friend email form that we had on the left, because it contained a security exploit that would permit spammers/bots to eat up our bandwidth. My friend Chris, from TalkKentucky.net (http://www.talkkentucky.net), coded another Tell-a-friend mod, and you'll see it in the left column on the main forum page. It's a red button. Just click it, and enter your email address, and up to 3 (I think) friends' email addresses. A pre-written (by me) email will go out to your friends, containing your invitation to check out :TO:.

So use it and lets' get some action in here! :D

[Peggy]

Another new feature that you may have noticed already. I'm sure you've seen the points in your posts beneath your avatar, and up top where you get your private messages.

Keep racking those points up, even tho right now there's nothing to "spend" them on. Over the next few weeks we'll be installing vBCustomizer, which was designed by the same people who coded the points system. With this you'll be able to customize your own profile information, pull a gag on someone else and make their username glow, and do all kinds of cool things.
Also within the next few weeks, whenever it gets finished, we'll be installing vBCommerce, again coded by the same people. With Commerce, you'll be able to "purchase" those little gift icons for fellow members, cause ribbons, AND it is integrated with Paypal, so that if we should decide to put a classifieds on TalkOhio, you can pay for real stuff through your paypal account, right on this site.

Another VERY neat thing that we are considering, is the addition of "P3TZ" - a virtual pet addon. You can "purchase" a virtual pet with your points, train them, send them into battle, and all sorts of other things. But you must feed them on a regular basis or they die!

I'm hoping that this is something that will draw the teens and kids in. But hey, I'm a kid at heart, and I want one too! :yes:

All of this is coming up, so get your friends and buddies in here to join. TalkOhio is about to get some kinda fun :D