dagblog - Comments for "WHAT IS A MOTHER TO DO?"

Hey DD, how would you feel

Michael Wolraich — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 14:22:56 +0000

Hey DD, how would you feel about showcasing your line of the day award? We could stick it in the left column next to the reader blogs?

a lot of the shorter,

Michael Wolraich — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 14:18:08 +0000

In reply to I was going to suggest

a lot of the shorter, informal posts that got produced over at the Café - the 'here's-an-interesting-link' type stuff or brief comments, the kind of thing that is more conversational than Official Presentation of Information - just won't exist here if it's buried at the bottom

I totally agree. I would like readers to share that material here, as well as personal anecdotes, lets-get-motivated posts, and angry venting, but a lot of it doesn't fit the front page. Unfortunately, it seems like posts that don't go to the front page aren't getting traffic right now. I'll implement your suggestions and Quinn's later this week.

Fair point and good

Michael Wolraich — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 14:09:58 +0000

In reply to Hey G. I'm no blog wiz

Fair point and good suggestions. I'll play with the layout tomorrow.

PS If you can get the pics of Wolfrum's violent demise, I'll print 'em. Megashark attack?

I was going to suggest

Obey — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 07:37:31 +0000

In reply to Hey folks. I agree that the

I was going to suggest something along the lines of what Q says above.

Just as a general principle the top of the main page should both give new readers an idea of what this site is about and give regular readers a snapshot of what is going on today. With the readerblogs buried in the lower left-hand corner it will be weeks before new visitors even know they exist - if you don't pay attention it looks just like an extension of the comments. So they aren't getting the idea that reader-produced content is any part of Dag at all. As for regular reader-readers, it would be convenient just when refreshing the site to see quickly if, say, someone has put up something new. And I don't know the click-through rate on your 'series' links on the upper left-hand side, but I'd guess it is more of a less regularly used access to your archives. So that could go below the fold, maybe. Also, there is no reason to have readerblogs that have been promoted to the center of the front page anyway mentioned twice.

You could then have, below the Dagbloggers on the left hand side, a 'from the readerblogs' column with a list of the stuff in the backpages. It's nice for regular reader-readers, and makes it clear for new visitors the very interactive nature of your blog - that there are headline writers and an editorial filter as well as an active content-producing reader-rabble.

A further thought: you have been great at promoting reader content to the front page, but a lot of the shorter, informal posts that got produced over at the Café - the 'here's-an-interesting-link' type stuff or brief comments, the kind of thing that is more conversational than Official Presentation of Information - just won't exist here if it's buried at the bottom. Of course you may not want that kind of content, which I could understand if it were the case. But in my experience it is the kind of stuff that can serve as a stepping stone for new intimidated readers having a first shot at blogging, and enlivens the conversation, so something worth encouraging even if it produces a lot of dross...

Just some half-baked thoughts...

Hey G. I'm no blog wiz

quinn esq — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 06:21:18 +0000

In reply to Hey folks. I agree that the

Hey G. I'm no blog wiz (stating the obvious), but the left column is, for me, redundant.

1- "Recent blog posts" - well, they're all right there down the center of the screen.

2- Most popular? again, we can see how many comments are coming in.

3- List of main bloggers? I just find your names at the top with the pics.

4- The "My Account" stuff is useful, but could be tucked anywhere.

I donno what that column could be used for instead, but maybe to pull the Readers Blogs titles up and list them more prominently.

Remember. You guys are there at the top of the page and are guaranteed to have your blogs make the center page, so I don't think the Readers stuff will bury you.

And I actually suspect that because of the nature of the place here, people are gonna blog slightly less. It feels more "personal" - TPM got to feel fairly large, as a site - and because of that, I suspect some people are gonna blog on their own "personal" sites, right?

But this way, you could play up those Readers who DO choose to blog more here, give them a bit more profile, reduce that Right Side versus Left Side thing that grew up at TPM.

Or.... maybe use it to publish photos of major events in the lives of, or happening to, bloggers. "The Savage & Terrible Death of Wolfrum" for instance, pics at 11:00. I know I'D want to see that.

Cheer-I-Oaty-O's.

Awesome. Now it's just like

Michael Wolraich — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 02:47:51 +0000

In reply to Well how about this? I hereby

Awesome. Now it's just like the Cafe except that your award has a better name.

i think it's okay as it is.

anna am — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 02:42:33 +0000

In reply to Hey folks. I agree that the

i think it's okay as it is. people will get used to where things are eventually. for now, i think it's just that old habits thing.

and by the way, thank you again for letting everyone set up camp the way you have. i, for one, wish i'd come around here long ago. it's a good place.

Hey folks. I agree that the

Michael Wolraich — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 23:55:27 +0000

In reply to Hey Richard! (Ha!) Not used

Hey folks. I agree that the reader blogs are too hard to find. But do you have any suggestions on where to put them? I feel that the menu (top-left) and comments (top-right) are both critical, so I'm hesitant to push them down. A fourth column would be possible though a little hard to implement, and I worry that it would make the site two busy.

Officer Smith and Logan here

Richard Day — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 05:20:32 +0000

In reply to reagan wore plaid shirts and

Officer Smith and Logan here Maam. We had a report of some cat caught in a tree?

reagan wore plaid shirts and

anna am — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 02:05:13 +0000

In reply to WHAT IS A MOTHER TO DO?

reagan wore plaid shirts and had a RANCH, dick. don'cha know that's all it take? well, that and making white people feel very very good about being american. and white.

mr. rogers gone bad.

it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood. provided it's a gated community and has a friendly neighborhood citizen's patrol squad.