The Official Logo. Courtesy of Pottermore,com
I am cool. I have an early invitation to Pottermore. A friend signed me up a couple of months ago. You wish you had friends like that. Actually, you should. She’s awesome. Here’s the fun part. Early admittance didn’t actually mean we could get into the site early. We still had to wait for our letter to arrive (via email, not owl) in order to fully access all the features. But mine arrived this morning. I got in early. The site isn’t open to everyone until October, which is, um Saturday. . So I guess that means I rock, but only a little more than the average person. Having received notification that I am just to the right of ordinary, I logged in. Or I tried to.
Now, I’m not here to offer any spoilers or anything. I am pretty sure there were Terms of Service that I agreed to. I know I must have promised not to tell anyone anything cool about the site. Since I’m in the cool-kid club and got in early and all. If I violate the terms, a mountain troll will probably poop on my lawn. So call me the secret keeper. I say nothing about what I see. Except this:
They’re beta-testing the site, and I hope someone over there is taking notes. I can’t get in. Once I’m in, I can’t stay in. And if I stay in, I am not sure how to get where I am going. And once I am there, it takes me forever to figure out how to get where I have been. Nothing makes sense. Kind of like Facebook. Pottermore is the new social network for geeks.
I have no idea what I am doing, and I can’t find a tutorial. Not sure how to see the stuff I want to see. I know people have been sorted into houses because I have been subjected to them via my Twitter feed for the last two weeks. But how do I get there? I want to be sorted, too, but every time I think I have moved a bit forward, I get kicked off the site. The servers can’t handle the volume of users without suddenly shutting people out. I have not been able to stay on for longer than a minute and a half yet, and it’s only open to a million people so far.
It’s a total time-suck. The precious hour I wasted messing about on the site getting absolutely nowhere was time I need to spend writing. Or cleaning. Or eating. Or all three. I spent significantly more time trying to log in than I actually did exploring. I found the whole mess to be tedious and frustrating. I may actually have yelled at my computer once. Okay, twice. An entire hour of my life I will never get back.
So my user name is WolfsbaneNight8. I’ll be back on again the moment I can. Look me up, and we can be friends! Yes, I know. I have a problem. You don’t need to point it out, but thanks.
Jeyna Grace
September 28, 2011 at 8:10 am
The site is still pretty buggy. We’ll just have to hope it gets fixed before October. Or not it’s going to crash.
becomingcliche
September 28, 2011 at 2:16 pm
I am afraid to watch what will happen in October. May be a little scary.
Elizabeth
September 28, 2011 at 11:36 am
I got in. I have made it to chapter 5. I am at arriving at Diagon Alley and can not get any further. The next page is locked and I have no idea why. I have no clue what I need to do to get to the next page.
I added you. I am FireboltMist201
becomingcliche
September 28, 2011 at 4:51 pm
It’s enough to make you drink, isn’t it? I am looking for a stupid key. Kids, go ahead and raise yourselves. Mommy is busy.
Elizabeth
September 28, 2011 at 5:09 pm
The key had me for a minute also, but I figured it out.
essjay
September 28, 2011 at 1:18 pm
Elizabeth, zoom in on the page to pick your school supplies list off the ground. That will unlock Gringott’s for you.
Ms Cliche, I’m done with the first (only so far) book. You need help, just ask. There is no tutorial. I accidentally found out that double clicking zooms you in and you find things/see more animations/unlock new content that way.
Click, click, click some more…until they restrict access again and it crashes.
(btw, potions made me yell at my screen. Verge of tears, frustrated yelling. “WHY CAN’T YOU JUST TELL ME WHAT IM SUPPOSED TO DO?!”)
Elizabeth
September 28, 2011 at 2:47 pm
Thank you essjay. I read on the comments on the site that I has to zoom in. I was using zoom in under view at the top of the browser window and was getting no where. I had no idea about the double clicking to zoom in. Now I guess I need to go back and do that on all of the pages I have already done and see what I missed.
notquiteold
September 28, 2011 at 2:56 pm
Your patience is amazing. (and entertaining)
essjay
September 28, 2011 at 2:59 pm
There’s some interesting stuff about Vernon and Petunia’s early relationship, as well as young Minerva that really shouldn’t be missed. I keep moving my cursor over the whole screen to make sure I’m not missing anything.
<— NoxAccio200
essjay
September 28, 2011 at 3:01 pm
Oh, and you can zoom in twice on each page, after that double-clicking zooms you back out.
Rai
September 28, 2011 at 5:00 pm
I’m so jealous!!!!!!
becomingcliche
September 28, 2011 at 5:02 pm
I understand. I am cool. Well, technically, Pottermore is cool. I am cool vicariously. Like someone who stands under an air-conditioner.
ifiwerebraveblog
September 28, 2011 at 11:06 pm
I am really envious. I can’t wait to get in. Although I am stressing about picking the right name. I keep thinking of Hagrid variables. You see, although I am female, I am very tall.
essjay
September 28, 2011 at 11:53 pm
Alas, you don’t get to choose your own name. They give you three to pick from to “protect anonymity.”
H.E. ELLIS
September 29, 2011 at 4:29 am
I am beyond jealous about Pottermore. Post a lot and fill me in.
Gilly
September 29, 2011 at 9:02 am
I’m so jealous too! So so so sooooo jealous! Looks like I will have to wait like all the other muggles… We’re always the last to know!
Sara no "H"
September 29, 2011 at 10:23 am
Wow, I bet logging in October is not going to make you happy either.
becomingcliche
September 29, 2011 at 10:32 am
If I had sense, I would leave well enough alone for the next 3 months while they work the bugs out. But if I actually had sense, I’d be in Ravenclaw and not Gryffindor. Yes, I really do have a problem.