We decided to kick off the new year with a new design.

The funny part, of course, is that it isn't all that "new" (as it's been lying around, half-finished, for the better part of a whole year).

However, because it's a new year and we're an optimistic lot ... we've decided to upgrade to it anyway!

Mind the few rough edges (IE6 users, we're talking to you!)

We predict that 2008 will rock.

Cheers,
-the AM team

The Phoenix Has Risen

Just over six months ago, we formed this site, with the idea of raising the bar for all b2evolution bloggers. We quickly realized that our forward-looking endeavor was going to be based largely on the new "Phoenix" version of b2evolution. Phoenix involved a complete re-writing of core modules, using Object-Oriented Programming (OOP). It is faster, more powerful, more flexible, more secure and more stable than any previous version. It's a HUGE leap forward for b2evolution.

Because it was a complete re-write, it took the developers over six months to complete the "Beta" version, after an "Alpha" release, late last November.

The good news is that it's available!! :D

We're not recommending that everyone jump on it and upgrade. It is a 'beta' release and not a full production version, so you can still expect some bugs. However, you'll note that it's listed as a "stable" release, on the downloads page. There's a reason for that. It's been hammered on, beat upon and thoroughly tested. The b2evolution.net site is powered by it, this site is using it and many of our personal sites use it. There's an active developer network, of which we are members, in which any reported bugs are squashed in a very short time frame. The result is a very stable, albeit "beta", version of software.

Phoenix is the future of b2evolution and let me tell you, it looks bright. Phoenix brings two major benefits: Anti-SPAM and plug-ins.

• Anti-SPAM: If you've been plagued by blog SPAM, you're really going to appreciate the tools that Phoenix brings to the table to stop it. Spam-karma, comment moderation, captcha and all manner of comment limitations can be used, alone or in conjunction with one another, to ensure you spend your time blogging and not fighting spam.
• Plug-ins: The biggest change is in the use of plug-ins. The developers have added many of the hooks necessary so that coders, like AstonishMe, can write code that extends the functionality of b2evolution and all users need to do is download it and push a button to get it.

Not to say there aren't a bunch of other new features, which you can read about in the news release, it's just that these two will have the biggest impact for most people.

On top of all this, AstonishMe has made our plugins so that they're automatically updated! ;) When you download an "AM Update"-capable plugin, you'll know when we put out a new version. Members will get these updates for free and getting them will be as simple as a click of a button. How astonishing is that? Just one of the benefits of membership.

Changes Are Blowin' in the Wind

Because "Summer Beta" has finally been released, we're (once again) feverishly working in the background, hammering and nailing, building the "framework" for this site.

Want to up the "wow-factor" for your b2evolution blog? We're the people that'll make it happen! Run into a dead end on the b2evolution forums? Need custom work done? Need something NOW? We offer that 'next-level' of support ... professional and timely. We design, we code, and we create!

AstonishMe will become your one-stop shop for cool widgets, plug-ins, articles and custom help for your b2evolution blog. Link us, bookmark us and sign up for membership (coming soon). You don't have to be a member to benefit, but we recommend it.

• Membership Benefits: For an annual fee of £25, members will have access to all the articles, plugins and content on the site. They'll also get any free plug-in updates. They can request feature enhancements, suggest plug-ins they'd like to have and provide feedback on any article. If members have a problem or need some special one-on-one support, they'll get it.
• Information: We want to raise the bar for ALL b2evolution users, so if we make something that makes b2evolution work the way we think it should ... it'll be free. If the plugin includes GPL code or we port over a GPL utility from another application ... it'll be free.
  
  Feel good about AstonishMe as your b2evolution source. We donate ten percent of b2evolution-driven sales to the b2evolution open source project. :D
  Non-Member Benefits: Non-members benefit too. Some plugins and articles will be FREE to the public. Non-members will have access to front page material for every article, plug-in and site content. (Non-members will KNOW what we have available, because we'll always be in "Open House" mode). Non-members can also purchase an article, plug-in or other content, on a one-off basis, for a nominal, value-added fee (£1-£12). (As a one-off, it will allow access only - support, updates or feedback is not included.)

We also plan on offering promotions, from time-to-time (maybe offering plug-ins for free for a certain time?), so if you're interested in cool stuff for your blog, subscribe to our RSS feed to stay on top of things. ( Example: Until we get our membership sorted, certain member-only plugins are currently available for free. Hint, hint. ;) )

Stay tuned!

It is our plan, of course, to astonish everyone with all sorts of things, but our primary focus will be on b2evolution and blogging. We've been so busy behind the scenes, working on our member-only features, that we've forgotten completely about posting something for everyone. Oops.

Hopefully, this post will help remedy that.

We haven't officially "launched" yet, though there are those of you who are anticipating our arrival. Just like "Phoenix", we don't have a date for you, but rest assured that we're working feverishly in the background ... there's a lot of hammering and nailing going on back there. (Not much tiling, mind you, but that's an inside joke, so don't feel badly if you don't understand it).

As I said, our primary focus will be on raising the bar for all b2evolution bloggers. No, you don't have to sign up for a membership on this site, to benefit, though we're trying hard to find a balance between what's "free" and what's offered in our members-only area.

Not all the details have been hammered out, but here is some information. Memberships will be $25US per annum. We think that this will provide a good value for our members. Members will have access to much more content than everyone else. For new plugins and articles, there will be a month lead time for paid members ... however not every article and every plugin will be released to the general public. This is a big advantage for paid membership. Members also have other privileges (not all of which have been determined yet, so I hesitate to dig any big holes that I'll have to climb out of later. ;)

Articles will focus on b2evolution and blogging, but will not be limited to these subjects. First and foremost, each b2evolution blogger is a webmaster and it's important that we put our best foot forward when we put our personal information, thoughts and prose out for public consumption. We'll cover topics like 'hotlinking', 'anti-spam' and 'backups' from a ground-up perspective. Some folks can skip all the intro stuff and that's OKAY, but by the end of the article, it's our goal that folks have a much better understanding of the topic, as well as some kick-ass, well-thought-out, easy to use tools to help tame the webmaster job.

Plugins will be for b2evolution, with a primary focus (but not limited to) the new Phoenix release. If you haven't noticed, this site is running the Alpha 1.7 CVS version of b2evolution. There will be a transition period, from the time a stable release is made public, as people begin the process of conversion. It isn't a straight-forward "one-button" click. Much has changed in this new release and much of it is from the ground up. In fact, it's possible to have the same EXACT look as you had pre-Phoenix ... but believe me, you'll be running with a much more powerful engine. It may look like a VW Bug, this baby has some kick to it.

Members will also be better positioned to drive our programming and development priorities. We want to give you widgets, tools, features and capabilities that YOU want. The more people that chime in about wanting or needing something, the more effort we're likely to give that particular project. b2evolution is a great program, but there are features (imo) that could be included in the core, but are not, for one reason or another. We're here to try and rectify that, by harnessing the power of the plugin ... one of the new capabilities that Phoenix offers, which provides greater customizability (provided you know how to do it and let's face it, not everyone does).

We also will have excellent tutorials, to back up the plugins. It's not just a "here you go, good luck" kind of thing. When you use a free or paid plugin, you'll be given access to examples, demos and instructions that allow you to make full use of the plugin.

We'll also offer a bunch of ancilliary services, some of which may interest you. One such service will be a site evaluation, where we look at many aspects of your over all site .. security, navigability, style, XHTML and CSS validaton, keywords, load times, stats, backups, etc. We'll offer an honest evaluation and make specific recommendations to help shore up weak areas (if any) that we identify. (This service is still in a nacent development, but we think that folks will benefit by learning a LOT in a short period of time and know that after we walk away, they can rest assured they're running a tight ship... from an aspect they hadn't even known to consider).

The goal: Raise the bar for all b2evolution bloggers, from providing useful, fun and functional plugins to custom site programming and layout. Join us! Learn and help strengthen the b2evolution blogging community.

Though the membership application pages are not up, you can join early, by emailing the team at AstonishMe. We'll set you up and you'll have access to everything from the start. Don't miss out. We look forward to seeing you in the back construction zone, though be careful, we might just hand you a hammer! ;)