Update: Seed Account Re-sale, Free Users + Custom Styles

[mark]

Two things for you today!


Thing the first:

We have not been able to finish and fully test the new site functionality that enables people to purchase accounts without a PayPal account. Instead of finishing it up an hour before the first sale is scheduled and crossing our fingers that it works, we've decided to push the sale off another week.

The new time of the Seed Account re-sale is Thursday, May 14th, 9PM EDT and again at Friday, May 15th, 9AM EDT. In total 200 accounts will be available.


Thing the second:

People with free accounts have probably noticed that a few days ago we took away the Advanced Customization area of the site. (The pages that let you make a custom style.) We had never intended for it to be available unless you paid, and having it on was an oversight on our part. After we turned it off, we got to hear a lot of really good comments from people and we reevaluated the original decision.

We've turned it back on, but gave free users a pretty low limit on the number of styles you can create (1 custom style, up to 5 layers). Short story: you can once again go back to customizing and importing styles from other sites. Sorry for the trouble!

Comments

[ieune]

Just as soon as my paid account at LJ lapses, I'm buying one here. I'd far rather support people who listen and make considered decisions than knee-jerk reaction, which is all LJ seems capable of the last couple of years.

Custom layers and so on might as well be Gobbledeguk for all the sense it makes to me ;) so I'm not too fussed that you allowed free users some advanced customisation but I'm aware I'm in the minority there, so good for you. I *am* glad to hear there are some new styles coming in the next couple of months. :D Denise must make some great sad faces! ;) (If I remember correctly that's what she answered when someone asked about new styles; that she'd have to make sad faces at the Styles team again.)

[denise]

It's amazing how motivating my sad faces are!

Seriously, though, the dw_styles team has been doing an incredible job. I know it looks like there aren't a lot of options to you guys, because all you see is the frontend, but the reason there's such a scarcity of frontend choices is because they've totally rewritten the backend (to the point where LJ styles aren't compatable with our new version, which is part of what's taking so long -- every style has to be rewritten more or less from scratch). There's going to be a lot more choices coming out in the next few weeks, and as designers start to see the advantages of all the changes we've made, we're going to start seeing a really kickass repository of styles.

[ieune]

Lol!

Oh, I appreciate it's lots of work and I'm content to wait and see what they come up with but I'm just really really curious! *sends triple chocolate chip muffins to DW team*

Oh yes--and thanks for the heads up! :D