Blog from February, 2011

PBS is upgrading its version of JIRA.
The changes to our issue tracking system should be rolled out early next week.

This transition should be seamless for national producers. There will be no major changes in the features or functionality that producers normally use. The only thing you will notice is a change in the layout of the tickets.

Here is how the old tickets look.

And here is how the new tickets will look.

Some other things you’ll notice:

• A lot of the cool features many of you have started to use such as "Watch", "Link", "Sub-Task" and "Label" are now under the “More Actions” button.
• The “Close” feature is now under the “Workflow” button.
• The interface should be generally easier to use and more intuitive.

You can learn more about all of the new features on the JIRA website: http://www.atlassian.com/software/jira/whats-new.jsp

Please keep in mind we always have our JIRA User Guide here in Producer Exchange. This guide explains exactly how PBS uses the system and how you can get the most out of it.

JIRA has been a valuable tool in providing producer support for the PBSi product line and we look forward to its continued success.

Please contact your Program Manager if you run into any problems with this upgrade.

Thank you to everyone who attended the Social Media Check-up webinar. Archived recordings of the presentation can be found below:

• Social Media Check-up Part I
• Social Media Check-up Part II
  

This webinar was designed to compliment the LIVE demo of Cover It Live, which can be accessed on Producers Exchange under Social Media Products or by clicking here.

You can also access the deck directly: Social Media Check-up Power Point

If you have any additional questions, please leave them in the comments below or email Nicole Eley (mailto: nreley@pbs.org) .  

PBS will soon be adding a section of Google Sponsored links to the bottom of all the pages in the National PBS Video portal (http://video.pbs.org).

Our design team has worked diligently to incorporate these links in the most sensible manner. Below is an example of how the links will look (circled in red). Please keep in mind that the design may change slightly before it is rolled out to production.

The links will not show up on local stations portals.

PBS is adding these links in order to generate additional revenue that will sustain the various platforms we have built on behalf of the system; including COVE.

The links should appear some time in the next week and they will have no affect on producer workflow.

We appreciate your patience while we make this change to the national portal.

Mark your calendar!

Beginning March 11^th, several major upgrades to Facebook are coming to a page near you!  The improvements include new page layouts and admin controls to better manage communication with your fans and increase engagement.  Your page Admin will be able to opt-in to these new features until March 11, after which they will be automatically transitioned for you.

To help you prepare for the upgrade, here are some key things to note:   

What will Change?

• Use Facebook As Your Page:  You’ll now have the ability to Like and comment on other Pages (as your Page) and receive Page notifications. In addition you can view a ‘Pages I Like’ News Feed for your Page.
• Most Recently published photos: This new feature will live at the top of the Page and display the five most recently-published photos on top of the Wall.
• Mutual Friends and Interests:  People visiting your Page will see the friends and Pages they have in common with your Page.
• Left-nav formatting:  Tabs are moving to the left just like on the new profile. FB is migrating the “blurb box” to the Page’s Info tab. Profile pictures will change dimensions from 200x600 to 180x540.
• Smart “Everyone” Wall filter:  Pages now have two Wall filters for users:  Posts by Page and a new Everyone filter, providing a new way for people to see the most interesting stories first.  As an admin, you’ll have additional filters  
• Email notifications: You can now choose to receive notifications when users post or comment on your Page.
• Featured Pages & Admins:  Choose to feature the other Pages liked or specific admins of the Page in the left-navigation.
• iframe Tabs Now Enabled: Facebook will now support iframe based tabs in order to provide developers with more flexibility and the ability to use standard web technology including Social Plugins, Facebook Login, and the Graph API.
  

Tips To a Smooth Transition:

• Update your photos:  With the new photo layout (displaying your most recent photos), it becomes even more important to keep your photos fresh and up to date.
• Revisit your Applications: Come March 11th, you will no longer be able to create new FBML apps or make updates to existing ones. So, consider transitioning to an iframe-based app if you wish to continue making changes.  (NOTE: If you have already installed a static FBML application, it will continue to work.  You will, however, not be able to make updates.).
• Notifications:  The new upgrade will allow Admins to receive notifications when users post or comment on your Page. If you find yourself getting bombarded, change these settings from the new “Your Settings” area within “Edit Page.”
  

Last Minute Reminders:

• There is a site-tour available for all Admins that want to take a tour of the new changes on FB Pages.  This will be viewable at the top of your Page.
• Once you make the decision to upgrade your Page, there is no way to revert back to the old design. So, make sure you have everything in place before you make the transition (or before March 11^th). 
  

If you have any more questions about the upgrade, please contact Kevin Dando (mailto: kdando@pbs.org) or your program manager.

Mark you calendar for a social media webinar you don’t want to miss!   

There will be a LIVE demonstration of our newest tool, Cover It LIVE--- an interactive web platform for live event/show coverage. Plus, we’ll have an update on all your PBS social media products with metrics, standout examples, and roadmaps for what’s to come.

Date:  February 24, 2011

Time:  1 -2pm EST

RSVP here: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/211832787

PBSi is planning a necessary upgrade to its primary internal (non-cloud) database cluster, which will result in a planned outage for any systems that depend on the read/write databases servers (mysql1-private or mysqlhacoudmastervip).

We believe this upgrade is likely to impact legacy sites; however, the outage will be limited to 2 hours and take place between 3-5am on Wednesday February 9^th (if you’re impacted at all).

If you have questions about whether you’ll be affected, please see your developer.