HUGE NEWS!!! Social Networking Grows Up.

[AZhitman]

Well, the "secret project" has finally come to completion!

I have been working with the developers of this product for about 6 months, but it has been several years in the making. An international team of programmers, developers, consultants and other experts have worked tirelessly to get this project to where it is today, and I'm proud to be a part of it.

I'm even prouder to roll out ZOINTS to the NICO community.

What is Zoints?

Zoints is a community-based social network and profile system that will take forums like ours to a whole new level.. By its very design, Zoints is meant to benefit online communities and their members.

A little editorialization from yours truly, if I may....A disturbing trend has been taking place lately - Forums, which are ordinarily run by people who are PASSIONATE about the subject matter, and who CARE about their members' experiences, are being usurped by corporate entities...

These corporate conglomerates (I'll keep their names to myself, but one of them starts with E and rhymes with "Redmunds") know NOTHING about cars, but they want our traffic. They'll spend a fortune to get it, too. They'll do whatever it takes to make sure they surpass grassroots sites like NICO in the search engines, EVEN if they don't have the depth of content that we have!

Zoints is designed to help keep the Internet democratic and free from corporate control and censorship by empowering the operators of online communities and their members.

Rather than a few large companies controlling the users' experience, Zoints is working to ensure that the beautiful diversity and INDEPENDENCE of the online community continues to flourish.

To get an idea of what Zoints offers, please take this quick tour.

Getting Started

To link to your profile, follow these easy steps:

Step 1:

Go to the top of this page and click on "Profile", or "User CP" if you're using the "old" NICO style...

Step 2:

Select "Zoints Linking".



Step 3:

Create your account (it takes 30 seconds max) and that's it. You can now play with the most powerful profile system on the net

Various Helpful Tours

How to add a profile picture

How to add someone to your network

How to add a video to your profile

How to setup group permissions

How to add interests to your profile

How to add new blocks to your profile

How to message other members

How to create a custom content block

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Do I HAVE to use Zoints? Can't I just turn off the box and links without linking to my profile?

A. No, you don't have to use Zoints. To turn it off, go to your user control panel, then edit options. Scroll to the very bottom and uncheck the two boxes under "Zoints Options".

Q. Does Zoints have a privacy policy? I'm concerned about them sharing my information.

A. Zoints' privacy policy can be read here.

Q. If i'm not sure how to do something on Zoints, who should I contact?

A. You can submit a support request on Zoints by going here or clicking on the at the top of your screen at Zoints.

Q. How is Zoints different from all those other social networks I already have a profile at?

A. Zoints is designed to benefit our forum. For example, they actively work to drive traffic to our forum. By using Zoints, you will help this site gain new members. In addition, Zoints doesn't suffer from many of the problems that plague other social networks.

Q. I really don't want anyone except members here to be able to view my profile. Is that possible?

A. Yes! Just set your group permissions accordingly. The cool thing is you can configure your profile so that certain parts are visible ONLY to certain groups!

Want to use your Zoints profile for professional networking and listing your resume? But you don't want potential employers to see those Spring Break pics of you and your buddies? Piece of cake - simply edit your group permissions. Press release for the OFFICIAL launch of Zoints is scheduled for tomorrow...

Want to read some more? Check out the Zoints Blog!

[AZhitman]

For those of you who are still reading, here's a quick rundown of 10 reasons why Zoints is THE answer to SOCIAL NETWORKING for the future....

1. One Universal Profile For All Message Boards.

2. Ability to drag and drop blocks rather than learning code or navigating through ad-infested myspace code sites.

3. Create your own pages within it to maintain your own profile sites rather than just one designated page - We're adding a "My Rides" feature in a couple days!

4. Easy access to sites all over the world that are a part of Zoints, with tags and other such features you are easily connected to your true network of interests.

5. Build your own content! Skins, blocks, community groups, anything you want and other people can benefit from it also!

6. One Universal profile for all social networking. Rather than having a myspace, facebook and orkut account, you have a single one that can be reached by anyone, even people who are just browsing for the same interests as you.

7. Simplistic layout. No flash intros or excessive ads that pop up, pop under or redirect pages. Simple Google ads take care of the job and most important they are relevant to your interests!

8. Zoints supports the diversity and independence of the Internet. No corporate conglomerate telling YOU what you want. 9. Great staff and support. No random technical errors that need to be dispatched, friendly support that is open to suggestions rather than what pressure a media company is placing upon them to churn out.

10. Easy to use and open to be compatible with a wide range of internet products. A flexible design that allows it to bring you all of what you want and more without changing from it's original purpose because content is created and driven by you!

Welcome aboard - Play with the Zoints Profile system - GO ahead, you won't break it!!!

[sensibleS13driver]

This is awesome! I was wondering what you and Matt had under you info yesterday I can't wait to get on this

[EZcheese15]

Ya know, you told me about this before it was finished and I thought it was kind of retarded. But now that I'm using it, it's awesome! I hope more people jump on this bandwagon!

[JustinStrife]

I still have no real clue what the heck Zoints is but I signed up anyway. Maybe if I play around with it enough, I'll get a better idea.

[AZhitman]

The Zoints Development Team roster looks like a damn All-Star list...

The best of the best from around the world... Once I get a few minutes, I'll introduce you guys to the Z-Team.

[audtatious]

Make sure you select the NICO community. If you don't have a logo under your name, you have it selected wrong.

[Kenrik]

Clifnotes = Myspace for Forums..

[AZhitman]

....but without all the CRAP.

AND with added functionality.

[InsanityInc]

But I don't wanna grow up, I'm a toys-r-us kid.

You know the rest.

[Kenrik]

....but without all the CRAP.

AND with added functionality.

Can you still meet tons of women who just want sex like on myspace?

[One_Love]

OMG you guys just made my night.

This is simply amazing.

[aaronsnocker1]

Agreed

[AZhitman]

Can you still meet tons of women who just want sex like on myspace?

Yep. But according to a recent poll, they prefer MEN, not BOYS.

You should be fine.

[w1ngzer0]

Isn't zoints counterproductive to nico's well being? Wouldn't it draw traffic away from nico?

[EZcheese15]

Isn't zoints counterproductive to nico's well being? Wouldn't it draw traffic away from nico?

No, because it is tied into the forums. It actually encourages joining the forums!

[w1ngzer0]

thats good, just checking. Didn't want nico going down the dumps because of a bad business idea.

This is my second home. Though it is artifical, i can call nico my home..

[adrianfromthecastle]

i just signed in to zoints.

which 2 word has more than 3 letters?

lol, i took forever on that question, bad grammar always throws me off

[Urabus GodofTraction]

I'm worried about this customizing layouts business. It's lack of customizing is facebook's only saving grace. I mean, have you SEEN some of the crap myspace pages?

Then again, I'm no expert. I gots one now. When's the dig going up?

[AZhitman]

Digg should go up tomorrow...

Guys, keep in mind, if you will, how HUGE this is. It's mind-boggling if you think about it.

All the code was made from scratch. All of it. All the logos, all the coding for linking, all the back-end stuff, all the menus, all the integration - ALL made from scratch.

This is THE future of networking via the Internet. The availability of features, the complete complement of support, the monitoring and oversight, the lack of spam and crap....

You guys are the "early adopters". As of today, this is still a beta - It's being released to the "general public" tomorrow.

These are interesting times, and you guys are a part of it.

[w1ngzer0]

nasioc couple months ago signed up to zoints.

[AZhitman]

More like last Thursday.

But yeah.

[One_Love]

i know this is just a beta but you think later on we will be able to add our background pic ?

[gabossie]

Very cool. On another note, HOLY CRAP TORRY, long time no see!

[EZcheese15]

Very cool. On another note, HOLY CRAP TORRY, long time no see!

I've been mainly lurking lately. I've been too busy to really post too much. Plus, I've been working on stuff for the NOPI nationals like crazy. All that behind-the-scenes kind of stuff that nobody notices

[Red coupe]

Im having trouble seeing the difference between this, myspace, and the others...Whats more grown up about this other then the userbase, and how does that count when anyone can join?

I dont realy see whats being offered here that hasn't been avalible for a long time.

[~4N~]

I'm not sure how this will draw people to the communities, because the communities just kind of remind me of the groups on Myspace, but hey, I joined, and we'll see how accepted Zoints will end up being, and how it will work out.

I think that what would help is if each community had its own big ad/ads, just like the Sponsor Ad on there. The ads for the communities a member belongs to would be generated in random order each time the profile is viewed, and they would be displayed on the member's profile page just like the Sponsor Ad.

[AZhitman]

i know this is just a beta but you think later on we will be able to add our background pic ?

I believe you can already, but I'm no expert.

Check the first post, there's links to all kinds of help!

[AZhitman]

Im having trouble seeing the difference between this, myspace, and the others...

The permissions system, style editor, style database, designed for communities, etc. But in the end, they're all social networks. They aren't going to be *that* different. Except in how they're run and who they're meant to benefit.

[MinisterofDOOM]

Im having trouble seeing the difference between this, myspace, and the others...Whats more grown up about this other then the userbase, and how does that count when anyone can join?

I dont realy see whats being offered here that hasn't been avalible for a long time.

You hit the nail on the head and answered your own question.

That's like asking what's different between one Nissan forum and another. They're both forums--similar layout and appearance, both centered around Nissans. On the surface they might appear nearly identical, but once you start using them you discover differences.

Those differences will be the result of two main things:UserbaseAdministration