PingGadget Beta Now Available
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PingGadget Categories
Location categories are unique to PingGadget. Each location supports 15 parent categories. The parent categories are Food, Events, Music, Nightlife, Sports-Recreation, Shopping, Local QA, News-Alerts, Classified-For Sale, Housing, Jobs, Volunteers, Recycle, Freelancing, and More. Below each category Ping users can create single or multi-level custom categories.
All Ping entries flow up from any location or location category to parent location and parent location categories at an “Everywhere” level. Many users operate at this level as their primary location, others can navigate to this view from their specific location. This workflow allows content to be very specifically organized for ongoing and quick reference in addition to providing broad exposure. Finding the people, content, and categories you are interested in can become increasingly difficult as more content is produced and site traffic increases. The PingGadget search feature supports blended search for users, individual pings, as well as categories but we recently released a custom category directory to make it even easier to locate category topics you may be interested in. To access the directory users can now select the “View all categories” link below their primary location navigation.
To date Ping users have created over 200 custom categories. Now, with the new custom category directory, finding and following more interesting topics like NASCAR, Start-Up News, Gaming, Photography, Rafting, and Famous Quotes is even easier! The directory listings are alphabetical but a search feature is also available. If you locate something you are interested in simply click the category name to link directly to it.
PingGadget Facebook Login
It’s now even easier for you to setup a PingGadget account. A new login option is now available for Facebook users. This option allows you to create a PingGadget account using just your Facebook credentials.
To get started visit www.pinggadget.com and select the “Login with Facebook” icon and follow the instructions. You’ll never have to worry about remembering your password, updating your password or changing your profile picture again!
If you wish to disconnect your PingGadget account from your Facebook login at any time you can create a PingGadget account password in your profile settings and remove your Facebook connection in “link networks.”
Current users of PingGadget can use the Facebook login feature if their PingGadget account and Facebook account emails are the same*. This will allow you to access your account with either with your PingGadget account information or through Facebook Login in future sessions.
*if your current PingGadget account email and your Facebook email are not the same you can update your PingGadget email in account settings. If you do not wish to update either email logging in with Facebook will create a new user account that is tied to your Facebook account and separate from your current PingGadget account.
PingGadget Alert Settings
One of the great things about PingGadget is the alert settings. From a logged in view all alert notices are accessible through the Stream section which is located on the top navigation. The Stream will display an alert icon (!) if new alert messages have been created since your last login. Once you have visited the Stream section the alert notice will clear. The alert messages will remain until they have either been visited or you logout. Logout ends your user session on PingGadget which resets the alert queue. Any new alert messages generated after your logout will be available here the next time you login.
- another user follows you
- someone writes on your wall
- a ping you post is commented on
- a ping you comment on is commented on
The following events can be set to deliver an email alert but are not active by default:
- someone starts following a topic you created
- a category you follow gets a new ping
- a category you follow gets a ping from someone you follow
- a category you follow has a new subcategory added
Ping even has alert settings for the people you follow. By default email alerts for followers are also not active but can be enabled to email you:
- anytime another user posts a new ping
- anytime another user account creates a new subcategory
All of these alert types are controlled separately and can be managed in the Profile>Alert Settings section of your user account. Each setting can be calibrated to "no email", "single email", or "daily digest".
PingGadget alert settings give users the full control needed to stay connected in real-time to friends, community, and interests.
The Ping Share Button
Make it easy for users to share your website with PingGadget.
Add the Ping Share Button to your website to let people share content on PingGadget without having to leave the page. Just add a small piece of code into the HTML for your website wherever you want the button to appear. Click here to get the code.
The 140 Character T-Shirt Contest
We're so excited that the number of users & topics has almost tripled this month! So, to say thanks, we want to give all of you a chance to win free t-shirts. Every Tues. & Thurs., from now until 12/16, a t-shirt and question or statement will be posted. Answer the question or complete the statement in 140 characters. One lucky winner will be chosen the next day based on their comment to win. Special thanks to GoBigCity.com for the fantastic lineup of shirt prizes we have!
Question #1: What's your Las Vegas Adventure?
Prize: One-Man Wolfpack t-shirt
Answer: Could have happened, could be made-up, no more than 140 characters. To participate visit our Facebook Fan Page.
What are PingGadget Karma Points?
All PingGadget users accumulate Karma points for being active on the PingGadget system. The number of Karma points each user account has is visible on their account profile page.
Karma points have a redemption value. Each month different awards are made available for different point levels. During the month of November 2010, users who earn 400 Karma points receive location bucks. Location bucks are currently redeemable at Starbucks or The Home Depot. Location bucks can also be donated to the Alzheimer’s Association, the Susan G. Komen Foundation, or the Breast Cancer Prevention Institute.
Earning Karma points is based on the specific activity. The current activity chart as of November 16, 2010 is as follows:
Activity Karma points
Ping Entry 1
Follow Another User 1
Comment 2
Upload an Image 2
Upload a Video 2
Start a New Topic 5
Contextual Photo Albums
We released a new photo view tool on PingGadget last week and we're excited about it for several reasons. Not only is it a really slick feature that is fast, easy to use and looks great but it does something new. It's contextual.
Because PingGadget is organized around locations and topics the photo tool organizes it's album display queue the same way. Depending on where you are at in the system the visible photo album will dynamically adapt. If you are on a profile page and click on a photo you will be presented with all the photos that user has taken. If you are in a location stream the visible album presented by the tool is specific to the entries made there. In a custom topic category all the photos in the album are specific to that group.
For example, say a user posts a photo from the Salt Lake City Airport to help alert others about how long the current security wait is. Ping users viewing that photo from the Salt Lake City Airport location topic are presented with a contextual photo album specific to that category. This allows them to view other photo entries from the Salt Lake City Airport that have been made as part of the same album display. On Ping, all contextually relevant photos are made accessible through a single album view. In this same example, users viewing the photo of the airport line from the owners profile page have a completely different album queue. Because users visiting a profile page would expect to view an album of photos the profile owner has made, and not other Salt Lake City Airport photos, that is exactly how it works.
Photo albums now match the information workflow and usability of Ping entries through navigation and various filters. Imagine how contextual photos will make the real-time community a better place to be.
What are PingGadget Badges?
Badges are little rewards you earn based on your system activity within PingGadget. As soon as you meet all of the requirements for a specific badge it will be added automatically to your profile page. Some badges are also awards which can be redeemed for goods, services, or donations. Redemption instructions are included with the award notice posted to your profile by the PingEventManager.
New badges this month include:
The Pioneer Badge - PingGadget is Beta, everyone is a Pioneer! As soon as you start earning Karma Points you'll get this one.
The Chef Badge - PingGadget has all kinds of custom topic categories. The Chef Badge is awarded for participating in the Recipe Swap.
The Maven Badge - Invite someone to join PingGadget with the Make Connections tool to earn the Maven Badge.
The Category Owner Badge - Create your own category anywhere in the system and you'll be awarded the Category Owner Badge.
During the month of November you can earn $15 in location bucks for every 400 Karma points you earn. Location bucks are currently redeemable at Starbucks or The Home Depot. Location bucks can also be donated to the Alzheimer’s Association, the Susan G. Komen Foundation, or the Breast Cancer Prevention Institute.
We're adding new badges all the time. If you have an idea for a badge you'd like to see we'll build it for you! Just Ping us @pinggadget. Want one for your specific location? Done...all you have to do is ask. We'll even design it for you.
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