Here’s a couple of improvements I’d like to (humbly) suggest for Planet V12n in an open forum.
Hackergotchis
Hackergotchis are the small photos you see on some Planets. I think these are great, and make a surprising difference in the usability and friendliness of a Planet. Readers very quickly come to recognize the different writers and start to associate with those they like. They also have the added benefit that we might be able to recognize each come VMworld 2010 🙂
Web site banners/buttons
It would be nice to have a collection of banners/buttons for the writers to display on their websites. Just as the Planet is a great way to introduce readers to new writers, banners like these help our own readers find out about the Planet. Great free advertising for the Planet, and recognition for the writers that their blog has made it to the dizzy heights of syndication.
What do you think?
At the moment, Planet V12n is very perfunctory. A place for people to subscribe to multiple RSS feeds at once. However I think both of these suggestions would help promote Planet V12n and make it more of a reading destination.