CRIME DOESN'T PAY ON BLOGTV!

On Tuesday evening at about 11:30pm EST, a teen on blogTV made a broadcast showing what appeared to be himself cutting his wrists in a suicide attempt. The moderation staff and some very caring blogTV community members entered this boy's room and tried to calm the situation down.

The mods on duty pulled his IP address and contacted the police in the area of the ISP. They were able to reach the state troopers in the location quickly and asked them to please hurry to find this teenage boy who allegedly was attempting suicide.

Troopers responding to the residence, located the 17-year-old male who admitted to creating a hoax on blogTV by putting ketchup on his arms in an attempt to make it look like he had cut his wrists.

The 17 year old explained that he had no intention of hurting himself and that he only did it for a joke.

State Police report that this incident tied up their resources and personnel for a considerable amount of time, while trying to locate what was believed to be a young man attempting to commit suicide.

Troopers consider this young man’s actions to be anything but a joke and plan to pursue criminal charges after consultation with the District Attorneys Office.

_{Information cited from http://www.wivb.com/}

THE OFFICIAL BLOGTV TOOLBAR

Hey everyone, we have launched version 1.0 of the official blogTV toolbar and we can't wait to see what you all think.



Please be ware that some other sites are advertising a toolbar that is NOT the official blogTV toolbar and we did not build it, test it or approve it. The official blogTV Toolbar can be found here

Please note that it is currently only available for FireFox, but will be available on Internet Explorer soon.

We are already starting to work on version 2.0, so please email us if you have any suggestions.

Any questions or suggestions? Feel free to contact your community manager, Kara-Hannah at community@blogtv.com.

MORE CONTROL, MORE INFO!

A new mini-version of blogTV was uploaded today and it includes just a few more small details that will help make your experience a great deal better.

Clear Chat Button: This button is conveniently located in the top right corner of the hosts chat window and can be used to clear the chat of spam, links or anything else unwanted by the host. 

Waiting Room Viewer: This button is also located in the top right corner of the chat window (next to the clear chat button) and can be used by the host of the show or the host's permaOPs to visit each waiting room and control the content, choose OPs or simply see whats being said. Now you really are in control!

Last Seen Indicator: Now you can see the last time a person visited blogTV by checking the "Last seen on blogTV" date indicator located under the person's profile picture. This will help you keep current and know who you can expect to see online.

Any questions? Feel free to contact your community manager, Kara-Hannah at community@blogtv.com.

ALL NEW EMBEDDED PLAYER, NIFTY GIFTIES & SOLUTIONS FOR HARASSMENT BY GUESTS!

ALL NEW LIVE EMBEDDED PLAYER!
You are going to love the new look of the blogTV Live Embedded Player! It features a sleek and modern appearance and all of the tools you need to promote your show on any of your favorite websites! Don't miss out on this self marketing tool, especially now that it will look great as an addition to any online profile.

LIVE	NOT LIVE (SCHEDULED)

NIFTY GIFTIES!!!
Introducing Nifty Gifties; the cutest way to tell your blogTV buddies how you feel!




Nifty Gifties can be sent by registered users or by guests. Anyone who wants to send a gift must have a PayPal account. These Nifty Gifties can be sent with a personal message anonymously, publicly or privately to any registered recipient.




They can be sent by entering the profile page of the user you wish to send a Nifty Gifty to and pressing the Give A Gift button under the chat window. You'll be able to keep track of your Nifty Gifty collection right from your profile page! There is a new section for it in the area where your playground, videos and comment wall are currently found.

With these Nifty Gifties comes an all new credit system on blogTV. The credit system will be used to pay for Nifty Gifties and any additional items that may be purchasable from blogTV in the future.

CREDIT INFO
$1 = 10 credits
$5 = 60 credits
$10 = 130 credits
* Pro account holders will receive a special gift of 50 FREE bonus credits from blogTV!

NIFTY GIFTY PRICES
Prices vary between 10 and 30 credits, depending on the type and demand of the Nifty Gifty.

Before purchasing any Nifty Gifties we suggest that you carefully read the Terms of Use so that you are familiar with the payment process.

BAD GUESTS BE GONE!
As we continue to improve the blogTV experience, we always take into account what we hear from you, the community. Lately there have been many complaints that guests are causing trouble using their names themselves. Even though the guest chat was switched off, they were using their names to harass and taunt people.

• Now the guests CAN BE KICKED even when the guest chat is off
• The guest usernames are now limited to a finite number of characters making it impossible to show someone's phone number via the guest name.

These updates should be a big help in keeping your room harassment free. We will continue to listen to your needs in the future.

Any questions? Feel free to contact your community manager, Kara-Hannah at community@blogtv.com.

LITTLE CHANGES, BIG DIFFERENCES!

As you may have noticed, we've uploaded another new version. This version includes some small changes that will hopefully have large and positive effects on people. These new items are:

• Junior channel has a brand new layout so juniors can get the full experience of blogTV, just like the seniors. Updates include a very important SAFETY TIPS section, removal of embed codes so junior shows cannot be posted on unsavory websites and a junior BEST OF section!
• Deleting accounts will be trickier so you will have a chance to consider if you REALLY want to lose that account for good. Then there will be less complaints about deleting one's account and wanting it back.

• On-site friends will be the only ones listed in the chat list from now on. This will keep the loading time to a minimum for those of you who have lots of friends and it will also make finding your online friends much easier. Now you will know exactly who is around and who wants to hang out. Friends who appear on the on-site list but look like they are offline are in fact on the site but not logged into a chat room.
• New and improved statistics from Google analytics will give you a much more accurate idea of your show's stats. For those of you on the ad rev share program, it will allow you to know what your true numbers are so you can estimate how much more you need to do in order to make your rev share quota.

Any questions? Feel free to contact your community manager, Kara-Hannah at community@blogtv.com.

Featured Acoustic Playlist!

 

Featured Acoustic Playlist 2009 - The first official blogTV event. With a variety of BlogTV and YouTube personalities from all over the world performing, the goal of this event is to showcase the musical talents of today’s youth and bring the unique online community together in an offline affair, creating opportunities to meet your favorite Youtube performers, BlogTV broadcasters and role models. We know you constantly replay your favorite rendition of Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours” 3 times a day; fortunately, BTVfam created this occasion to give you that missing live-and-direct touch.

The Playlist: The Adrian William Project, AJ Rafael, Alyssa Bernal, AmielMaquillan, Cathy Nguyen, Chris Cendana, Christopher-Aaron Rodriguez, Gabe Bondoc, Jay Marquez, Jennie Dinh, John-John Baguio, Jon Cardona, Kathleen Badar, Kris Mark Cardenas, Krystle Cruz, Lydia Paek, Melissa Polinar, Michael Carreon, Michelle Martinez, Monique Macasaet, Passion, Nina Tran, Raelynne Rosales, RamieleMalubay, Renabette San Antonio, RenatoHufana, Richard Tran, Ron Palustre, Sam Hart, SinxJae, Stefan Sanchez, Thunder PerfectMind.

More than a community, we’re family. The organization of BTVfam was first created online through BlogTV. People around the world began to network and unite through the common interest of music and entertainment in general. Soon after, Youtube personalities began appearing on BlogTV as well, broadcasting their talents live and connecting with their supporters and listeners.  As the popularity grew, BlogTV gained more viewers and the “family” grew as the entertainment solidified friendships between broadcasters and viewers alike.  Thus, the idea of the Featured Acoustic Playlist was born to celebrate the talents of the many musicians broadcasting on BlogTV as well as provide the perfect opportunity for viewers and personalities to physically meet and interact.

Great Music, Great Cause. Proceeds from ticket sales will be contributed towards the Children’s Hunger Fund (www.chfus.org). As a cost-efficient charity the Children’s Hunger Fund donates $.99 of every dollar directly to the childrenin some of the most needy regions in the world, including the slums of Guatemala, the refugee villages in Northern Uganda, the wake of disasters in Indonesia and Perú, and on the mean streets of America's inner-cities.

Get your Tickets now! The grand event will be held at The Market Creek Amphitheater in San Diego, CA beginning at 3:30PM. Tickets are on sale now: $20 with reserved VIP seating at $30 (soldout). Tickets are now available online (www.fap09.com), at It’s A Grind Coffee House in Lakewood and the following San Diego locations: The FIZIX, The Green Tea House, and It’s Yogurt Time. Artists will be selling CD’s, T-shirts and more. Concession will be on sale during the event as well. We will also be selling Event Autograph books which will include profile pages of the artist as well as lots of space to get those much needed autographs from everyone around you for $5.00. Parking is should not be an issue, but it is limited, so carpooling is recommended. Also, the venue is located right off the San Diego Trolley Orange line if transportation is an issue.

For more information on the event or the artists and to purchase your tickets now, please visit www.fap09.com.

Press Kit prepared by Dana Szyka and Ron Palustre of BTVfam

Twitter chat, archived wishes and Grab @Celeb - OH MY!

Yet another new version of blogTV has just been uploaded for your enjoyment! This version includes the twitter chat (mainly for twitter enthusiasts and blogTV members who speak foreign languages which do not always work well on the regular blogTV chat). The archived wishes will hopefully give a renewed chance to all wishmakers who want to get their suggestions seen and voted upon. Remember, read first and then vote for the wishes you want. If you keep making the same wishes over and over again and not voting on any of them, no one's wish will stand out and the blogTV development team will not know what you REALLY want.

The Grab @Celeb contest is a new way for you to test the power of your voice. Can you get a celeb to broadcast on blogTV? If you can, we'll pay to see that! Check out the contest and rules by clicking here.

NEW AND IMPROVED CHAT LAYOUT!

In our constant attempt to make blogTV user-friendly and well, pretty, we have streamlined the chat layout for you! Now you will find all of your necessary items on convenient buttons under your broadcasting screen and chat window. No more taking up useful space under your profile picture and no more searching for the elusive features that are right under your noses but somehow hard to locate.

However, the most important aspect of this new chat layout is one new answer to the LAG issue so many of you made wishes about on the wishlist. Now you will be able to close or open the "ALSO LIVE NOW" show area (now located above the broadcasting screen, the full length of the window) so that you do not experience constant refreshing, lag and over all irritation. Simply press to open and press again to close when needed.

You may also see that there is a new button above the chat window called "blogTV chat." This is a clue as to other possible chat options to come...

More Live Shows Closed (default Position)


More Live Shows Opened

WOO-HOO WE'RE TWO!

Celebrate two fantastic years of rocking the blog with us! You're all a part of it, so use this as an excuse to let it all hang out!

PARTY OVER HERE!!

MORE NEW FEATURES AND SOME INFRASTRUCTURAL CHANGES!

Yet another new version of blogTV has just been uploaded. You will find a great many wishes are being fulfilled, yet again!

1. Separate volume controls for co-hosts!
2. Co-host layout can switch between a split screen or co-host in the corner layout!
3. Chat commands!
4. Page Bans!

Read the rest of this blog for important information!

MORE TOOLS, LESS RULES!

After a few years of tending to the blogTV community and listening to the common issues and requests, blogTV has come up with a new system of moderation for the site.

With the release of the new PAGE BAN TOOL and chat commands, blogTV members will be able to ban other members from entering each other's pages in any way and will be able to control the chat much more easily. That means no more nasty comments, no more chat invaders and much more freedom from moderation.

* The PAGE BAN works from the chat or from the person's profile page. When you BAN a person from your chat room, the next time they refresh they will no longer have access to your page.

The important changes that everyone needs to know about are:

• Mods will no longer deal with minor harassment: Mild harassment includes name calling, trolling, spamming and other less common issues on that same level.
• Mods will be focusing on bigger problems: Bigger problems include pornography (sex acts and nudity), underage broadcasters and severe racism.
• Mods will be paying more attention to the positive: This means that with the time freed up from dealing with petty harassment, the mods will have more time to seek out new talent on the site, promote them and assist them to make the most of their broadcasts. We have been focused on the negative for too long and the good people of blogTV deserve our attention.
• YOU will be trusted with much more freedom: Since we are giving you the responsibility to take care of the law on your own pages, we will also be giving you more freedom. These freedoms include being able to discuss whatever you want without fear of moderator interference, being able to dance a little sexually (still not nude of course) and being able to NOT show your face on cam if you so choose.

Instructions for chat commands:

In order to use the new chat commands properly you will need to type a backslash followed by the command, as follows:

1. /search username

• Available to: ALL USERS
• This will function like the existing search button, but now the name will be linked to the room the person is in.

2. /kick username

• Available to: BROADCASTER, OPS, MODERATORS
• This will function like the existing kick button.

3. /op username

• Available to: BROADCASTER & MODERATORS
• This will function like the existing regular OPs.

4. /deop username

• Available to: BROADCASTER, OPS & MODERATORS
• This will function like the existing regular OPs.

5. /ban username

• Available to: BROADCASTER
• This will function like the existing regular ban today, but will also work if the user has left the room.

6. /unban username

• Available to: BROADCASTER
• This will function like the existing regular ban today, but will also work if the user has left the room.

* When you Unban a username it must be case sensitive

You can use this to kick guests, in the following format:
7. /kick Guest – g_name

If you have ANY questions about the new system, please feel free to contact your community manager, Kara-Hannah, or the Moderation Team.