@leogopal: I've done this by using the built-in "Messages" feature. From your Dashboard, you can add messages and specify where you'd like them to go. You can put HTML in these messages and it will be rendered properly.
I'm currently using just such a message for navigation to other parts of my site.
If you do not let users dismiss them and say that you want it to be a regular panel, it will look just like any other box on the side. You could conceivably put images and what-not using HTML.
@leogopal: The default feature does not have any sort of duration associated with it. You'd have to go in and disable the messages when you no longer wanted people to see them.
One nice feature, however, is that you can set them up to be user-dismissable. This allows users to dismiss them on their terms and then they'll stay gone for that particular user.
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I'm currently using just such a message for navigation to other parts of my site.
If you do not let users dismiss them and say that you want it to be a regular panel, it will look just like any other box on the side. You could conceivably put images and what-not using HTML.
Awesome and is there a limit to amount or duration?
In vanilla 1 I had a messages plug in that limited my duration of the messages...
One nice feature, however, is that you can set them up to be user-dismissable. This allows users to dismiss them on their terms and then they'll stay gone for that particular user.
Sounds exactly like what I need