Exploring MousePad, a.k.a. “I didn’t know I could do that!”
On April 17, 2001, MousePlanet introduced MousePad, our very own online community and discussion board. A lot has changed in 8 years, and many longtime MousePad users may not know about all of the features that we added during last year’s upgrade. We also know that readers can feel a little overwhelmed when joining such an active community, and hope this will make it a little easier for new members to “take the plunge.”
MousePad 101
The core of MousePad is a discussion board, where MousePlanet readers can communicate online with other Disney fans from around the world. These discussions, or “threads,” take place in a series of forums dedicated to specific topics. Most of our forums are devoted to one aspect of Disney vacation planning, everything from “Disneyland News and Current Events” to “Everything Else in the (Walt Disney) World.” We have a forum devoted to the Disney Cruise Line, another to International Disney Travel, and even specific forums for “Parenting in the Parks” and the “Theme Park Access Guide” for those with disabilities.
These Trip Planning forums are your best resource for advice and help when planning your next Disney getaway, whether you’re driving to Disneyland for the weekend or doing a 14-day Land and Sea package in Walt Disney World. If you want to know how crowded Disneyland was today, are looking for a can’t-miss restaurant at Epcot or want to know about the “secret” deck on the Disney Magic, the members of MousePad can probably answer your questions.
MousePad is also a good place to chat with the MousePlanet columnists and staff members, to discuss a recent article and give feedback. When you want to take a break from the Disney discussions, MousePad also has forums devoted to general Entertainment, a “Tech Room” where you can talk about all things electronic, and even the community “Lounge” where you can socialize with other members.
Depending on their own interests, some members spend their time in just one or two forums while others post across the whole site. Some members check in daily (or even hourly!), some stop by once a week, or just when they need a “Disney fix.” The best part about MousePad is meeting and talking with other Disney fans, people who completely understand those sudden Dole Whip cravings and will never say “You’re going to Disney World again!?”
User Profile – YourSpace on MousePad
Every user has a profile, where you can enter as much or as little personal information as you like. This is your personal space on MousePad, similar to your page on social networking sites like Facebook. Each MousePad member can customize his or her profile, changing background colors, font colors, and font type. You can enter information about where you live, and answer a few “get to know you” questions, like what are your favorite theme parks, films or animated characters.
Your User Profile is your space on MousePad.
Your profile is a way for other members to get to know you better at a glance. Say someone said something in a thread that you found interesting; you could click on their screen name next to the post, and select “View Public Profile” from the drop-down menu to learn more about them.
A few clicks is all it takes to customize your Profile Page with your favorite colors and fonts.
Avatars and signatures – make your mark
Avatars are small images that appear alongside all of your posts, and serve as a way to personalize your messages. Now all MousePad members can upload a custom avatar image and profile photo. Members can also create a personalized signature file that appears at the end of each post they write. This signature can be a few lines of text (like a favorite quote), or you can insert a special “clock” to help you count down the minutes until your next Disney vacation. In addition, members can now upload a “Signature Image” to further personalize their messages.
Avatars and signatures put an individual touch on your posts.
Beyond Posting – special MousePad features
Blogs
You don’t have to be a political commentator or an “emo” teenager to have a blog; every user has one right here on MousePad, and it’s easy to use. Just go to the Blogs drop-down menu at the top of the page in the blue menu bar and select “Your blog. ” It’s as simple as that! You don’t have to have any knowledge of code, or sign up for an account with some other site. Use the blog to talk about whatever you want; it doesn’t have to be Disney-related! A blog is a great way to post about your trip preparations, or share daily updates from your vacation with your friends and family. There’s also a new feature: a button on every MousePad post that creates a new blog entry with that post quoted for you right in the body of the text.
With your MousePad blog, the friends you’ve already made on MousePad won’t have to go searching to another site to find your most recent entries. A link to your blog is right under your username, so they can find you with just one click. If you already have an off-site blog, you can link to that in your MousePad blog and keep your MousePad friends updated, too.
Your default blog setting is to keep it private (which allows you to use your blog as a diary or journal), or you can make it friends-only, or even public. If you add other MousePad users to your friends list, you can limit the people who can view your blog to just a select few. Blog posts are still subject to MousePad Community Guidelines, however, and moderators and administrators can view any blog, even if it is set to private.
MousePlanet staff members also use blogs to post breaking news, and these featured blog posts are linked on the front page of MousePlanet. You can subscribe to any MousePad blog using an RSS program, and have the latest updates from your favorite MousePad bloggers sent directly to you.
Photo albums
Who needs Flickr? We have our own photo albums right here on MousePad! Just click on the Community link in the blue menu bar and select Pictures & Albums from the drop-down menu. You can upload your photos into separate albums of your own creation using the options in your User Control Panel. Click on User CP in the blue menu bar and then select Pictures & Albums from the left-hand menu to get started. Image files must be less than 97.7 kilobytes and 600 by 600 pixels, and all registered members can store up to 100 images. MousePad subscribers can store up to 300 images.
Your MousePad Photo Album is a great way to share vacation photos with friends and family.
MousePad albums are a great way to share your vacation photos with fellow MousePad members, or just to show off your photography skills. It’s also the easiest way to include photos in your MousePad posts; adding a photo to a post requires that it be hosted on a webpage and have a URL. If your photos are hosted on MousePad you won’t have to go far to get it!
MousePad Calendars – come out and play!
All registered members can post events to the MousePad calendars. The Public calendar tracks member birthdays (if you’ve chosen to make yours public) and major holidays. Three Resort-specific calendars track events at Disneyland, Walt Disney World and the Disney Cruise Line, including our popular MouseAdventure events and official MousePlanet “meets.” You also have access to a “Private” calendar, where you can post events that only you (and the MousePad administrators) can view.
You don’t need to wait for an official MousePlanet event to meet other MousePadders – schedule your own meet! If you’re planning a trip to one of the Disney Resorts, or taking a cruise aboard the Disney Magic or Wonder, post your trip dates on the calendars and see if other MousePadders will be visiting at the same time.
Social Groups – tell them “Walt sent me.”
Have a specialized interest that you’d like to discuss with other MousePadders? Want to connect with other people from your area of the country or world? Start a Social Group! It’s easy to do—just go to the Community link in the blue menu bar and select Social Groups from the drop down menu. Then click on the Create a New Group and away you go! You can also join existing groups on the same page.
Do You Tweet?
We do! You can follow MousePlanet at the Twitter social networking site (link). If you want to share your Twitter updates with other MousePad users, you can enter your Twitter username by going to your User CP and selecting Edit Your Details. Scroll to the bottom and enter your Twitter name; as long as your updates are public, the most recent ones will show up on your profile. Other users can then click and get connected to you via Twitter.
In addition to your Twitter name, you can also list other instant messaging usernames on the same area of your User CP, and communicate with your MousePad friends in real time.
User Reviews – share your opinions on hotels, restaurants and more
Your MousePad username is also your key to posting hotel, restaurant and other reviews in our MousePlanet review system. Getting new reviews keeps our pages up to date, and lets you get the word out about good (or bad) experiences you’ve had at the various Disney properties and surrounding areas. To submit a review, click on the User Reviews link just under the MousePlanet logo, then navigate to the appropriate page for your area of choice. You can also do a keyword search for quicker results.
See Ya Real Soon!
We hope you like the new features here at MousePad! With all of these great things under one roof, it’s easier to share more of yourself with your MousePad friends than ever before. Thanks for helping us build our MousePad community!
