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Thursday, October 19, 2006
We're delighted to announce the deployment of FeedBlitz v2, a major improvement at all levels in the leading RSS to email service. The new facilities are up and running at www.feedblitz.com for everyone to see.
A brief feature list is below; but what in many ways is more important about the new version is that it's designed to be enable FeedBlitz to become more than it already is. The key to this is the API (more on this later when I've the chance to relax a little). The new feedblitz.com is, in fact, largely built using this API - a process known as "dogfooding" in the trade. By "eating our own dog food" we prove that there is value in the API and that it works under stress (feedblitz.com is a fairly busy site). The API will also enable much more efficient and effective feature developments in the future, as well as third party integrations I can't even imagine yet. You'll see feature adds in FeedBlitz returning to their normal pace (if not better) as a direct result of this innovation. We're the only email service (to the best of my knowledge) to offer such an API.
So have fun exploring the new features of v2. Here are the highlights - I'll add more posts here to explain some of the changes in more detail.
A brief feature list is below; but what in many ways is more important about the new version is that it's designed to be enable FeedBlitz to become more than it already is. The key to this is the API (more on this later when I've the chance to relax a little). The new feedblitz.com is, in fact, largely built using this API - a process known as "dogfooding" in the trade. By "eating our own dog food" we prove that there is value in the API and that it works under stress (feedblitz.com is a fairly busy site). The API will also enable much more efficient and effective feature developments in the future, as well as third party integrations I can't even imagine yet. You'll see feature adds in FeedBlitz returning to their normal pace (if not better) as a direct result of this innovation. We're the only email service (to the best of my knowledge) to offer such an API.
So have fun exploring the new features of v2. Here are the highlights - I'll add more posts here to explain some of the changes in more detail.
- Comprehensive REST API – enables data and functional integration by third party developers; a unique capability.
- Completely new site look and feel.
- Improved usability, e.g. popup menus and printer friendly options.
- Improved navigation into FeedBlitz capabilities.
- Simplified signup screens with reduced text and reduced FeedBlitz branding.
- Better re-subscription handling.
- Tags, tags, tags!
- Comprehensive support for embedded tags and categories from RSS, iTunes, Technorati and more.
- Publishers can include and / or exclude articles by tag.
- Subscribers can include / exclude by tag.
- Click through reporting by tag.
- Management & Monetization.
- New feed diagnostics options.
- Open and click through reporting at the subscriber level for premium customers.
- Auto integration of Urchin analytics tools in FeedBlitz landing pages.
- Auto integration of publisher AdSense into FeedBlitz landing pages.
- New real-time reports for premium users.
- Publishing.
- Turbo On-Demand lets publishers pick and choose the posts to (re)send at any time.
- New “Turbo Express” for ping-driven delivery.
- Time-zone selection determines poll time for standard service publishers.
- Email signup pages now also function as RSS landing pages, styled using your “Pro” settings.
- Email improvements.
- Recipient emails auto-categorized by tag.
- Forward to a friend.
- Reply to author.
- Comment.
- Subscribe to comments.
There are feature adds for publishers at all levels of service, for subscribers, and for site developers. Emails sent out from tonight on will include the new features. Use the preview facility to see how they will look. Enjoy!
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posted at 1:14 PM
5 Comments:
Wow, Phil! Feedblitz 2.0 looks great. I'll be exploring it more fully over the next few days. I'm so impress at the level you're taking Feedblitz to.
Thank you!
Hi:
When you add a new article to a blog, many blogging systems send out what is called a "ping" to ther services; a ping acts to tell interested parties that there's something new on your site. Technically speaking, Turbo Express listens for pings confirming to WebLogs extended ping API. If you are set up for Express, when it gets a ping it will check your blog for the article and send it.
But if you don't have pings, or yoru ping service doesn't ping Feedblitz, then not to worry. Turbo Express also checks a Trubo Express blog every 15 minutes. If it finds a new article it will be sent immediately, ping or no.
Finally, ping also includes On Demand, which is considerably improved in this version.
Hope this helps!
Phil
Wow is right Denise! Nice work Phil. Any chance you'll be publishing a screen cast tutorial on some of these features?
Thanks, Lee! I think an online webcase and some kind of screen capture movie would work well; I need to wrap up the more detailed explanations in the blog though (building my script :-) ).
To build screenshot movies I've heard good things about Camtasia; anyone any other recommendations for capturing interactive sessions that will play on the web?
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