Hi All,
I’ve been trying to add some new and hopefully useful features to the site to help it integrate better into your larger on-line presence. I would love for you to try them out and tell me what you think.
1) New Photo Albums -
If you go to your profile page, you now have a link called “Album”. Here you can upload all the great pictures you have and those picture will be added to your activity stream where others will be able to see them and of course comment on how cute your little kiddos are.
2) Facebook and Twitter Integration -
In your profile you can synchronize your activity stream from Facebook and Twitter. Also you can send a tweet upon forum topic creation and topic reply. — Just go to your activity page and look below the update section to set it up…This is very cool. It also has some filters that will allow you to control the types of things you want to show up on the site
3) New Facebook “Like”, “Favorites”, and Facebook “Like” buttons -
These allow you to let the member know how much you like their posts and comments. It also can tell others in your Facebook network about the DSC activity and stuff you think they might enjoy.
4) Virtual Gifts -
Send gifts to your friends. In our particular community, many times we need some encouragement and a little something extra. Seeing these gifts, can really help lift spirits.
5) Website Links -
I know, I know …DSC isn’t the only website you go to 
Many of you visit wonderful other sites and blogs. Share those other sites with the community by adding a link and sharing it. I really look forward to visiting the amazing sites you all frequent
As always, please let me know if you have any questions or comments…Thanks for being apart of the site.
Justin
azzhoo
I have used the Photo Album feature. It was intuitive and easy to use.
I have problems with slowness and freezing.. I’m not sure if this is specific to me because I live in SIngapore which is 12 hour time difference from EST so I may be accessing at times when things are not fully functional? Or could have something to do with where I’m accessing it from.. To be honest when I first found this site several months back, I did stop using it because it was virtually unusable for me because of the slowness and freezing.. I started coming back a few weeks ago and it is much better.. I used to face that problem every time I used the site, now it is happpening just every say 5 times..
Don’t want to sound like a complainer.. Just want you to know in case it is preventing others from visiting..
Really do appreciate all of the effort that you put into this site.. Very much appreciated!
Barbara
Lynnette Henderson
I am writing to ask that you run the announcement seen below in any upcoming e-newsletter, website, or other publication you have. If you need to break it up into parts to run in multiple editions, I have added a line at the suggested break point.
I am also looking to be more active in your community and participate in your upcoming events. Please let me know if there are ways we can contribute time, service, or technical assistance on your behalf.
Dear members of the Down Syndrome Community,
We invite you to visit our Research Family Partners website at http://www.kc.vanderbilt.edu/RFP. From this website you can join the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center’s online research registry. Through sharing your contact information and characteristics that describe yourself as a parent, as well as information about other members of your family, the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center will be able to match you and your family members, with upcoming research studies you might be interested in.
Topic page on Down syndrome: http://kc.vanderbilt.edu/site/topics/112/down-syndrome.aspx
Research page on Down syndrome: http://kc.vanderbilt.edu/site/services/studyfinder/studyindex.aspx?id=15
Through research many families have received free evaluations of, interventions for, and information about children and adults with and without Down syndrome. You can help shape the research that we do at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center by letting us know that you are interested in taking part.
A recent overview of Down Syndrome research at the Vanderbilt Kennedy center can be viewed and downloaded here: http://kc.vanderbilt.edu/kennedy_files/DS_research.pdf