While things are slow going on Left in Lowell 2.0, things do go. I largely have the infrastructure design built (a lot of it in my head, but also partly in the software) for the basic front-page/user-post system, and am working on a new website layout design as well. (When I get frustrated with my back end design, I switch to playing around with the front end, and vice versa.)

So LiL2.0’s initial features will have those two items - the functionality of the current blog in Wordpress, plus user posts - though I am forgoing a Recommended List in the first edition, since I want to wait to see just how much user-generated content we get at the start…a Recommended List would be moot if there were only a new user post or two every day or so. However, that’s also in the works in the future, with a ratings system that will be pretty damn cool in the end. Possibly including a “highest rated comments” list if I feel really ambitious.

I do plan on specifically inviting local arts organizations and other cultural groups to become user contributors, so that when something interesting is going on, like an event or fundraiser, art show or poetry reading, they can write about it themselves on the blog.

Some other awesome features I plan on building: a page which showcases recent posts via RSS of other local blogs in the greater Lowell area - I’m thinking right now that it’ll be in three tabs, a “From the Left,” “From the Right” and a “General” tab for those blogs like the CM’s blog, which are nonpartisan and informational. Maybe even an “All” tab if you like your feed all mixed in. This will perhaps pull only the title, post date, and maybe a bit of a teaser from the text and the blog it is from, so you’ll have to click on them to read them. I want to encourage people to visit these other sites, not steal their content for mine. (Heck, even if I’m the only one who uses it, I’ll be happy - much easier to keep tabs on new content for my own purposes!)

Another future feature I think I would like will be a Live Blog quick-post system. This will basically be a way for moderators to take any amount of users (including myself) and “attach” them to a live blog post, where they will then have access to posting to it in a live-blog situation. That will leave the use of comments for comments, and forgo the need to edit a whole post to post a live blog, which will hopefully be less unwieldy on handheld devices while out on the road. It will also show the name of the live-blogger, the time it was posted, and be in (probably) reverse chronological order, so that you can refresh a live-blog post and see whatever is new. (If I can really hack it, I might even show you using an indicator what is new, if you are a logged-in user).

So it would look like this:

City Council Debate Live Blog!

Mimi (8:54pm): OK, this thing is wrapping up. I can’t believe that Oscar even said that!

Lynne (8:46pm): Wow, strong closing from Big Bird. I thought the nesting reference was killer.

waitilnextyear (8:43pm): I’ve just wrapped up my list of promises from the city council candidates…I’ll post them later. To be honest, I think it’ll be a very tall order for this list to be even 50% fulfilled. Especially in this economic downturn - I mean, promising a solar panel on every roof is laudable, but really unrealistic.

Lynne (8:30pm): Oooh! Bert just got up and punched Ernie in the head!

And so on.

Anyway, thought I would give an update, and by the way, I will need beta testers! Probably not for a week or two minimum, but if you are a longtime reader I can trust, and you want to help me kick the tires on this thing so that I can work out usability and/or software bugs, keep that in mind. Be the first of your friends to see LiL2.0! You’ll be the envy of…well, not that many people, but maybe a couple.

And, if you have suggestions on features you’d like to see, or have an opinion on how a feature should work, contact me at my email, lynne at leftinlowell.com (replace the at with an @, no spaces).