Just because you illuminated the blue icon is a vain way of covering up the real issue or are you so far stuck up yourselves that there really isn't a glitch, you choose who get's the illumination. Say's it all for me and all the supporters that liked this post, you've shown yourselves up to be what you really are and what you really think of all Prose writers!

In reality, I do not think any new features should be added to Prose until the features they already have are de bugged and work as they should.

For example, although I have only been a member for about a year I notice that a number of winners of challenges do not always get the blue illumination tab depicting a win. It is not that someone else gets it, it is because there is a known glitch in the system which Prose are not in any hurry to fix.

If someone wins a challenge and the challenge setter states the win will be decided by the number of likes, this is when it happens and is not when the challenge setter chooses the winner!

This glitch does not happen on all challenges so you will see the blue tab but they are aware of the problem.

It is because of this glitch that I do not post any work here, I use another site that works to ensure the recognition is given to challenge winners.

Until enough people support and lobby Prose to remove the glitch, this will continue.

The blue tab is a motivational nudge to continue to improve as the writer is attracting the likes and re posts which enabled the writer to win the challenge.

You do not have to support this posting but at least you know there is a glitch that needs sorting out.

This is kind of funny, but I was going to email Prose with this idea I have. What would make Prose a bit better than it is - audio communication during private messages.

It’s one thing to write a story or poem and have people read them but communication via spoken word said and heard, at least in messages would be an added plus and an extremely good feature. Of course, it could/should come with an option to use this feature on both sides of the aisle. Opt in or Opt Out. After all, everything is about choices made.

But it allows Proser’s to put a voice to a member, one who writes and writes well - or not so well. After all, this is a community of writer’s who express what is deep down to their very core.

We all come from different backgrounds, different cultures, beliefs and so forth. Audio cimmunication would also give us a better sense of who and what the Proser is about. There are people from around the world here with stories and emotions to express. Another way to do this is through audio. It saves time in typing, speeds up the issues and can make for a more enjoyable outcome for both sides.

Another aspect of audio, there is a Portal called “Spoken Word”. Make that portal audio as well where only spoken poetry or stories are left for the “listener”to hear; although I don’t know how much bandwith would be used.

This now gives Prose two options to work with and hope to see this happen. I have looked into what is called “voice centric” social networking. The long and the short of this is you are allowed around 40-50 second voice recordings. One can say a lot in that amount of time.

The pandemic has changed the way we communicate with people and voice centric style communication is a key element. In many respects, it is no different than Skype except for no visual communication. But people communicate via audio practically every day. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are but a few places that uses this kind of technology.

So, yeah, let’s join the big boys and be part of the next generation to follow.

I’m just a regular guy. I haven’t seen much, or done much. What am I supposed to write about, anyways? Couldn’t Prose add a wormhole that would transport me magically into a module bound for mars, or to a nuclear submarine under the ice caps? Wouldn’t I have a better story to tell, then?

I wish a button on Prose could show me into the down-trodden soul of a high school dropout, or allow me to feel the angst of a middle aged housewife who is fed up with looking after two kids and a husband, and is wondering where her life choices went wrong. So where is that button?

And wouldn’t it be helpful to my writing if I could feel what others feel, see what others see, and even do what others dream? Wouldn’t it, though? What we need is a place to find those types of things, so that we might find our own inspiration.

What if I could be shocked awake by a gun blast out from the dark of night, or slip a razor-sharp blade between some villain’s ribs until the heartbeats can be felt on my fingertips? What would that do for my writing? Or if I could stir around the stars and drop them closer to home, maybe in some black, backwater pond, so that we could sit alone together in wonder as they swirl through the night like some heavenly snow globe... wouldn’t she notice me then, my love? Wouldn’t she have to, then?

And what if, even if only for a short while, you could make me drunk with lust, or crazier than I already am, or strong enough to always win in the end? Wouldn’t I show up then to your site, if you had a wormhole like that?

That is is what I am looking for. If you could add a feature like that it would never fail to bring me back, time and again. Everything else is just bells and whistles after all, and did you ever notice how whistles and bells always ring hollow?

Wait... what’s that? You say you already have a wormhole that can do those things?

Well then! Eureka, Prose!

Sign ’ol Huck up for gold!

1) The option to selectively (checkbox preferably) export your writing into a word document (for printing or consolidation for anthology/contest submission).

2) The option to print books.

3) The option to tag writing and be able to search in your personal archives based on these tags.

4) Versions.

5) Give challenge host the option to restrict revision/editing of entries after submission.

I’m not sure if any of the following features exist on this site because I am still fairly new, but I have some ideas. The first thing I would like to see is a list of advisors. I would love for writers to be able to submit their work for critiquing by a list of established writers. These could either be published writers, winners of challenges posted by Prose, or perhaps English/Marketing majors or possibly graduate students (honestly anyone who would volunteer, you could afford to pay, or as part of challenge win would participate). I would love for their to be different categories such as specific editing (spelling, grammar, line structuring, etc.), overall editing (paragraph structuring, location of concepts/ideas, deletion of sections, etc.), creative editing which would give you ideas on how to come up with subjects, the general themes you want to write about, if you want to write series, etc., and then a marketer/publisher who can help market your book/stories. If you are getting volunteers or individuals with a specialization, you could always create a category just for them.

The second thing I would like to see is a cleaner transition between the site’s info/page and the writer’s info/page. I would like to see them separated more so that there is no confusion when you are clicking on items such as “Post” and “Challenge” because sometimes it does not distinguish very clearly between your posts and general posts or your challenges (both the challenges you created and the challenges you are engaged in) and the list of challenges offered. I would love for there to be a button next to “Prose” that says something to the effect of home page, maybe “Home” and a button next to the writer’s profile picture to the effect of profile page, maybe “Mine”. I would love for these buttons to be visible at all times (after the writer has created a profile) so you can easily switch back and forth.

The third thing is to add an extra tab under “Challenges” where it says “Trending” and “Newest” that would indicate challenges that are offering to pay money. Maybe call it “Payout” or something. Then you can have a subcategory indicating whether the challenge costs the participant money or not. It would also be nice to have a “Search” tab under that category for the participants to better browse a specific topic in a challenge or simply to rediscover a challenge they had previously seen (without scrolling through the whole list again). Another tab that I would like to see under “Challenges” is a tab that would separate the challenges by the time that they end, maybe labeling it “Ending Soon” or something and soon can be defined by x amount of days, perhaps 3-5 days.

The fourth thing I would like to see would be under the "My Posts" section. I think it would be helpful for writers participating in challenges if you added how much time is left on a challenge that the participant has entered next to the challenge. This would be especially helpful if the post is "unpublished" so that the participant can focus on the soonest deadlines first without having to go back to each challenge itself to get the information.

I would like to request that you do not use any of these ideas for premium members only. I would like to see these ideas (if they are to be used) benefit everyone who uses this site.

I think I have been playing with writing here a bit over a year maybe... and still have not learned how it works, what means what, ect....

I do think it would be neat if there was a way folks could volunteer to go into a pool of other and 2 random selected writers are connected to do a challenge. Would be a good way to meet other writers and see what happens.

It would also be really cool to have a monthly group chat of sorts, I never get to find new writers unless they are connected to something I write or challenges I respond to.

:)

I think that some way to save challenges for later would be great. Currently, when I find a challenge that I would like to start on, I find another couple I would like to try to complete. Unable to save them, I end up opening them each in different tabs. This doesn’t make a huge impact, but it might be handy.

1. Learning pages. Perhaps another section or category dedicated to creative writing techniques, poetic styles etc maybe even with links to advertised courses ( perhaps

a potential source advertising revenue).

2. A critique function. Someone has already mentioned this, and I had thought of the same thing but an added feature, so that when you submit your piece of writing, an extra option is available "open for critique ". That way if you want feedback on a particular piece of writing, people know they can leave constructive comments on how to improve or spelling/grammar errors etc.

3. Easier typing/editing when using a phone. Especially ,when trying to edit or delete, words currently jump, disappear or double up for some reason. (maybe that's just me ?)

4. Post -Covid, an annual Prose event or function (the other meaning of the word ) maybe a competition, seminars, workshops, book signings etc. Where we could meet up if we are able, and enjoy the Prose community in person. :-)