Hello - it's 2008. Yikes. So, what would a new year be without new toys?

First, we thought, we'll make a bunch more templates and graphic items for you guys. But then we figured, why not go 'open' and let the talented among us be able to both create and share graphics across the Magnify community.

So, here goes: http://YOUR-SITE-NAME/admin/design/gallery

Explore. Play. Add your own. This should be fun. And we'll keep adding graphics and elements here as well, so check back often for more cool stuff.

As always - bug reports, comments, compliments or such are always welcome.

Cheers,

The Magnify.net Team

ps: Here's the press release on the GSL feature.

Magnify.net to Offer Open Source Graphics Development to All Online Video Channel Builders Ability to share, re-mix, and mashup designs will allow publishing partners to customize and improve the experience for their visitors

NEW YORK — January 17, 2008 – As the Magnify.net network continues to grow, the ability to encourage and even facilitate sharing of talent and resources has become an essential offering. Today the company announced a site-wide solution to encourage the sharing of design elements and templates among all channel creators.

The new Graphic Share Library (GSL) allows any member of the Magnify.net community to create, share, and use elements that have been "open-sourced" by other members of the community.

This creative sharing space is simple to use and also technically sophisticated. For sites that have designed complex templates with color themes, graphic backgrounds, new icons, and even CSS tweaks, the "Share This Template" tool allows other channel builders to customize or "re-mix" the work of others.

"In the past, sites had to struggle to build and customize their own graphic elements, backgrounds, buttons, navigation, and icons, to match their branding," said Magnify.net CEO Steve Rosenbaum. "Graphics Share lets our users leverage the huge creative talent of the community, and enjoy both making and sharing elements that will help their channel improve."

To kick of the launch, Magnify.net unveiled a new 75 element Graphics Bonus Pack and an entirely new set of templates and graphics elements that include a series of themed channel graphics for Sports, Food, Politics, Adventure Sports, Gambling, and Newspaper sites. In addition, these themes include new navigation icons, as well as new "Video Upload" icons and divider graphics.

Site builders now have access to a new "my graphics" tab within the Graphics Share library that allows for site specific graphics to be uploaded and used just within the site owner"s pages. This includes images, photographic, profile pictures, and provides an easy way to store and access site graphics. A graphic upload tool is accessible through this area as well.

Rosenbaum continued, "We are moving into a world where people have to tools and the ability to create together, and share their creations. The decision to provide an Open Source space for channel graphics and elements is just the first step in what we expect to be an emerging trend."