PFF MySpace Addon Alpha

so i am trying to log-in via the PFF Myspace Mode on one PC-- it was taking a while so I pulled out another PC and logged in, logged out, logged back in, logged back out, wrote this post. Got a cup of coffee and it isn't hasn't logged in. I don't know if it is maybe hanging but it doesn't even seem to time out.

I would stop that one. Im not sure of the technical terms, but busy webservers can hang on occasion. It just happened to me right here in fact trying to view a comment.

Im pretty sure jed has put some text in there saying MS can be slow -- mostly to avoid people giving us bad reviews on addons.mozilla.org for other peoples shoddy services :)

My girlfriend was having a lot of problems just logging in to the MySpace website last night.

Dave,

Was your GF having problems with the myspace addon or myspace in general?

Paul/Nick
Yes, right now it doesn't time out. Main reason being is I'm afraid to timeout too soon and have the user double post.

Assuming we do add a timeout, what would be a good number? 5 minutes maybe?

The largest wait I've seen is around 6min any longer and it usually failed, but I need more input before deciding this.

5 minutes is probably a good time frame--

I finally got it connected. I'll play around with it for the night and give some feedback tommorow.

I am so excited right now. I will try it out on a test page on myspace... I am so excited

Cool :)

Hoping we can get this out, and get the word out this week!

The problems were with MySpace in general so maybe that could explain other people having timeouts. MySpace isn't exactly the role model of fast responsive websites...

ok I am home on lunch... I love it. I love it. I love it... I tried my first blog with it. It worked fine. Yest there is lag when myspace posts. It happens all the time. It will be posted but it will still show on the screen that it is posting.

I will have people commenting on a blog while the main screen that I posted it on will still show that it is uploading. One thing I want to try is ..., 's, and % signs myspace has trouble with those... I forgot to try them out in my first post.

Okay these worked as well.... no issue with the signs.

Awesome.
Thank you guys for the feedback, and keep it coming!

The main issue with Myspace is that since there isn't an API, instead of sending back a small text or xml response back, the addon get's the full blog page feedback (large file) before it can tell if the post was succesful or not.

Unfortunatly, right now I don't see a way around that unless they change something on their side.

If you guys have any suggestions, like better words, or a way to present this 'slowness' of myspace to the user better, I'm all ears :)

Last thing I want is for people to think the addon is slow, when it has nothing to do with it.

I don't know the best way to phrase it to users in the design but myspace is slow without a doubt when posting.

The thing is if you set a timeout on it the blog would already probably be posted. Like I said I will post something in one firefox window and have another open and see comments already coming in while it still says that it is posting.

It's quirky like that but a timeout may work instead of having it sit there for minutes. You could have it time out after a certain point.

I am pretty sure that "Myspace can be slow" is about as straight forward as the text can be. I am going to try using HTML/ img src and exciting stuff like that.

I am worried about the overall usability for the average Myspace user-- I wonder if there may be too many steps in the process. Also-- can the plug in store the login information and simply try to connect when you hit publish as it would for a Wordpress blog?

If you can get a spellcheck feature in here that isn't an extra download it would be the biggest selling point ever. That is one of the main drawbacks of the myspace interface. Plus when you use word and import it over there are a lot of issues with the coding.

You would convert a ton of people if spellcheck was right in the build. Instead of having to have it downloaded into firefox.

It isn't for the average person really. I don't think the product is for that. The myspace blogger, which there are thousands now that take it somewhat seriously, will be all over it.

@Paul: I feel you.
Hmm, well we do need for it to login to myspace before we overlay any of the PFF functions like the publish button, which I think we will do.

Is that what you mean?

@kp2575:
Agreed.
Re Spellcheck, there are two solutions
1) The spellbound extension
2) Firefox 2.0b1
You can read more about that here:
Enabling Spellcheck

Right now, there isn't really a straight forward way to bundle spellcheck, unless we bundle the Spellbound dev with the Myspace Addon. You think that would be good?

I guess we could offer two versions, one with and one without to keep the download small for those who do have it. Hmm.. what do you all think?

"Right now, there isn't really a straight forward way to bundle spellcheck, unless we bundle the Spellbound dev with the Myspace Addon. You think that would be good?"

If you bundle spellcheck with the myspace add on it would be huge. Just because you can use that as a selling point, people won't have to move stuff from word or adjust posts.

How big of a difference would the file size be?

I can't stress enough how having it packaged in will get a positive response.

Agreed.

Basically the addon file size would jump from around
15Kb to about 750kb.

PFF itself is around 250kb.

This isn't acually that big considering any stand-alone blog app is over a few megs, but it is a huge difference.

I don't see why we coudn't offer it with and without (two versions), but it's up for Nick to decide.

Even with spellcheck bundled, it's not that intuitive that you have to hit the 'ctrl' key and left-click to see the suggestions.

I installed your Performance 1.3 for FF and the MySpace AddOn (RC2).. so far so good. I can login to myspace.. but i can't post to my myspace blog. I use ff 1.5.0.6. It definately is a nice tool. It's good to maintain a lot of blogs. Did anyone noticed these problems too. Perhaps its a MySpace issue :)

so I used it on my regular account today and it double posted... Not a huge deal it happens with myspace every once in awhile. I just wonder that maybe because it is taking so long that it sends it multiple times?

@kp2575
No, it only sends it once, and never tries to do it again (unless you hit the publish button again). So might have been a myspace issue.

@rxbbx, Did you ever get an error or did it say publishing and never stop?

It logs in correctly.. I even get the message "Post Succesful!" (ive made some screenshots, if needed I will send them).. but when I look at my blog.. no messages at all. What could block it, or else be the issue?

@rxbbx

Hmm, are you sure it didn't post? Could it be your browser cache?
Has it never worked for you, or do you just get that sometimes?

rxbbx
Odd, still works for me.
Did you not add a 'Subject' to the post?
I wonder if Myspace chokes if you don't give it a title?

Also, I'll have a new update of the addon soon. Just working on a few last issues.

Myspace won't allow you to make a post without a title so your assumption is correct (the myspace chokes).

guys, im not keen at all on bundling anything. I think we should concentrate on making the download/install instructions as easy, and tailored for the audience as possible and let them choose whether to intall spellcheck or not..

thoughts?

it works, it was subject issue..

For the people that are tech smart they will be all over this. If spell check is in there or not.

But for the people that are not tech smart adding the spell check is a pain. You go to the instructions page and the one that is there to download really doesn't work. So you have to scroll down and find the fix.

For some people, like the people that write for my site and people that have blogs off of myspace they will see the value of this. The people that take their blogging seriously will see a value in this.

But for people that just blog on myspace they won't really see the value. The spellcheck bundled in is a hook. It is a major selling point to people.

You have to remember a large number of these people aren't tech smart. Having them switch from IE will already be a big step for them.

KP,
I get what you mean.
Once we release it I'll create a few easy and quick Screencats for enabling spellcheck in PFF etc.

Once Firefox 2.0 comes out, the spellcheck problem will be moot as it will be integrated and we can leverage it like we do now in Firefox 2.0b1.

But I agree, it is a killer feature.

In the next 15min, I should be posting a new version of the myspace addon with all of your suggestions implemented.
I'll post back here when it is up.

I've just uploaded version 0.3

So please give it a go and let me know if you have any issues, suggestions, anything ;)

Cheers

-Jed

i've tried it and it gives me the message that i have to select a blog...y?

so I used it on my regular account today and it double posted... Not a huge deal it happens with myspace every once in awhile. I just wonder that maybe because it is taking so long that it sends it multiple times?

OK, I seem to be having the same issue. Let me give you the tech meta, here:

FireFox 2.0.0.1
PFF 1.3.5
MySpacePFF 0.3

I've got two blogs other than my MySpace account. On one, it posted an article twice, on the other, it posted it four times. I don't seem to be having the same issues with MySpace in this regard.

I've subsequently disabled the MySpace plugin and I don't seem to be having an issue at present. I'll keep an eye out for it to replicate the problem without the plugin, but so far, my gut tells me this is your plugin.

That's OK! I'm sure it will get better and in the meanwhile, it's still a kick-butt plugin!

paludicolae sputumose trimesyl pleurobranchiate aerographer lipohemia impartially porraceous
Seattle P-I - Animals and Research
http://www.realinstitute.org/

paludicolae sputumose trimesyl pleurobranchiate aerographer lipohemia impartially porraceous
Seattle P-I - Animals and Research
http://www.realinstitute.org/

paludicolae sputumose trimesyl pleurobranchiate aerographer lipohemia impartially porraceous
Seattle P-I - Animals and Research
http://www.realinstitute.org/

paludicolae sputumose trimesyl pleurobranchiate aerographer lipohemia impartially porraceous
Seattle P-I - Animals and Research
http://www.realinstitute.org/