Ever try to block someone from your footprints?  It was quite the process!  You first saw them in your footprints, then you had to memorize their username, then find the block users page, then input their name, then block!  In that same time you could've saved the world, baked a pie, and climbed mount everest.

But now, it's easier to do.  Thanks to Dave, we added direct block links for usernames and even an option to turn off your RSS from your footprints page! 

Check it out here:

    http://www.xanga.com/Private/feedbackfootprints.aspx

We'll also be adding some other upgrades to footprints soon!  Like simplified links, adding photos, videos, and audio to footprints, and much much more.  So stay tuned and keep on trackin' them footprints!

Today, we're unleashing Private Messaging 2.4678!  Yup, it's that big of a change, we decided to add an arbitrary number to the version.   

We were really surprised by how many people wanted to delete sent messages!  But a lot of you are really into scrubbing inboxes and sent messages, so, we definitely wanted to add that and some other tweaks like:

• Threading - messages sent back and forth are neatly organized into one message
• Replied icon to show if you responded to a message or not
• Compose a message
• Send a message to all your friends or subscribers
• and a couple other tweaks...

We hadn't planned on upgrading Messages for a while (it's only been a month since we launched it!), but your feedback was so cool that Vikas and I wanted to get these tweaks in right away.

So check it out - keep messaging away and tell us what you think of the new version!

Today we're officially launching Xanga Audio!  Thanks to Dave and Janet, we just added a new Audio tab to your editor so you can add audio blogs straight to your weblog. 

http://www.xanga.com/private/editorx.aspx

Also Monsur just added Audios to your subscriptions.  Like videos, you can play the latest audioblogs straight from your subs page. 

http://www.xanga.com/Private/subs.aspx?sct=3

I'm really excited that Xanga went multimedia.  As an obsessed avid Xanga user myself, there are so many ways to express yourself now! 

So please check out audio - would love to hear what you think!

I've seen a lot of requests for weblog comment alerts.  Mostly because we have comment alerts on lots of things: photoblogs, videoblogs, audioblogs ...but not weblogs!  Also, there are times I look through my feedback log and didn't realize someone had left a comment long ago on an old post!

So, starting today, you'll receive an email alert on weblog comments ...instantly! 

As mentioned earlier, you can opt out of receiving these alerts here:

http://edit.xanga.com/editaccountsettings.aspx

So check out your email inboxes and never miss a weblog comment again!

We're just about to launch Weblog Comment Alerts!  To every comment you receive, we'll send ya an email letting you know you got one.

However, before launching this, wanted to give all the uber popular
folks a chance to turn off their alerts so they don't get flooded with
emails:

Just
toggle to "No" and you won't receive weblog comment alerts in the
coming days.  For everyone else, please check your emails for Weblog
Comment Alerts - coming soon!

To cut to the chase:

http://audio.xanga.com

Yes, that's right.  It's time to get that q-tip and clean out your ears.  Get the band back together, practice your vocal scales, and record your stunning podcast.  You've been read, seen, and viewed - now it's time to be heard!

It's still in the beta phase right now, but we couldn't wait to let you guys start using it.  Photoblogs, Videoblogs, and Audioblogs... Xanga is officially multimedia!  Please try it out and let us know what you think!

p.s. dave just added a share module, play counts, and comment alerts!  Check it out!

Private Messaging is definitely one of the more popular features we've ever launched!  Since the launch on Thursday, over 47,000 messages have been sent!  We at Xanga HQ have been having tons of fun with Private Messaging too:

My message to Dave: you're weird.
Dave's reply:  no way man.

Now I know that Dave isn't weird - thanks to private messaging.

In any event - a bunch of you guys have been giving us some solid feedback, so Vikas thought he'd add some of your good ideas in.  Here are some of the changes he threw in:

• 
  
  Sent folder - now you can go back and notice your embarassing typos you already sent to your friends. 
  
  
• 
  
  Foreign Language Support - this marks an end to all those funky symbols and question marks
  
  
• 
  
  Hidden Message Me link - for all you Xangans and ninjas who do not want to receive messages, if you turn off messages, the message me link on your main page will also be hidden.

Thanks to your feedback, we hope these improvements will make your messaging experience a little better.  Message away folks!

2 weeks ago, Monsur came out with a new Photos Subs Tab and now that we fully launched videos, he also added a Videos Subs Tab too!

You can play the latest videos straight from your Subs page:

http://www.xanga.com/private/subs.aspx?sct=2

When testing out the Video Subs tab, I found a bunch of videos I didn't know my friends had put up!  I'm not much of a Subs page visitor (cause of the hundreds of subscriptions I already have) but I've been using the Photos and Videos tab every day. 

So, check out the new Videos Subs Tab, hopefully you'll find some new videos from your friends waiting for you!

Gromit has something to say:

p.s. UNLIMITED video uploads (for now)!

p.p.s. http://video.xanga.com 

We've been whipping out tons of new features - and Xanga Videos is almost out of beta!   In the meantime, we've been having a lot of fun making videos here at Xanga HQ:  office wall climbing, dogs chasing their tails, and  bowling for water bottles!  

Also today, Dave (aka video jedi) just took that cool filmstrip-like-navigation from photos and added it to Videos. 

Now you can browse what other videos a person has - so if you see some good content, check out the other videos by clicking one from their filmstrip!  You can start uploading videos here:

http://video.xanga.com/uploadvideo.aspx

We're just a few days away from Xanga Video going live.  It's all coming together - Photoblogs, Videoblogs... and soon audioblogs.   Are you ready?