We pushed several new features to OpenStudy today, and I wanted to give a brief rundown of a couple of them really quick.
Public Access
First off is what we call `public access'. Almost all content on the site is now accessible without logging on to OpenStudy. For a few months now, since we first started our beta, OpenStudy has been a login-only site, where login is required to view any of the study groups, studypads, or users on the site. When we were in closed beta, this made sense, and in the run up to our open beta we had a ton of other features we wanted to get in for our users to play with. Now, it's time to throw the doors open even further.
When you aren't logged in, you will see a banner on every page:
You can interact with the page as usual, or click any of these buttons to log in, sign up, or connect with facebook. Moreover, if you want to join a study group or follow a studypad or user, you can go ahead and click the appropriate buttons and you will be prompted to log in before the action is taken.
Facebook Like and Tweet Buttons
With public access also come facebook like and tweet buttons. Now, if you are on a study group or studypad, you can like it on facebook or tweet it to your followers. Just look for the two buttons in the sidebar!
Everyone who sees the links will be able to get to the page and have a look around before deciding whether they want to sign up or not!
Help
We've been working for a while on some great help videos to explain some of the features of OpenStudy and how they can be used. Starting today, you'll find a link to the help videos in the OpenStudy header on any page:
Click on the link to view our 6 videos about OpenStudy (with full HTML5 video support, thanks to Vimeo).
We're always working on cool new stuff, so keep an eye out for the next batch of new features!