Revisions for Sense
Sense from Seattle has now been published for over six months and is due for some revisions. Thanks to input from a few readers, I have just made some changes and am considering making others. The changes are listed below, in no particular order. Reader comment on any items on the list is encouraged and welcome, as is any other idea regarding this blog.
1. The topical index was taking up primary space, so it has been moved elsewhere and can be accessed from the link at the bottom of the monthly Archives list.
2. The search box at the top of the page now works for searches specifically of Sense from Seattle.
3. The list of recent comment postings has been dropped. Comments, if any, are usually made on a posting in the first few days and that is about as far back as most readers go to look for comments.
4. The length of each posting should usually be limited. If I have a lot to say on a topic, it could be broken down into parts for separate postings.
5. Multiple postings on one day should be avoided unless they are quite short. Postings should be made with more regularity, rather than in batches with many days between.
6. A light piece once a week or so might be appreciated.
7. More links can be included in postings to make a more interactive reader experience and open new vistas.
8. Include some pictures and graphics.
9. Mention books currently being read.
10. Encourage more comments and feedback, possibly including a weekly Question to Readers. Please consider this posting as this week’s Question - What do you think of these changes?
1. The topical index was taking up primary space, so it has been moved elsewhere and can be accessed from the link at the bottom of the monthly Archives list.
2. The search box at the top of the page now works for searches specifically of Sense from Seattle.
3. The list of recent comment postings has been dropped. Comments, if any, are usually made on a posting in the first few days and that is about as far back as most readers go to look for comments.
4. The length of each posting should usually be limited. If I have a lot to say on a topic, it could be broken down into parts for separate postings.
5. Multiple postings on one day should be avoided unless they are quite short. Postings should be made with more regularity, rather than in batches with many days between.
6. A light piece once a week or so might be appreciated.
7. More links can be included in postings to make a more interactive reader experience and open new vistas.
8. Include some pictures and graphics.
9. Mention books currently being read.
10. Encourage more comments and feedback, possibly including a weekly Question to Readers. Please consider this posting as this week’s Question - What do you think of these changes?
posted by Tom Blake | 11:33 PM
6 Comments:
Tom,
I think most of the suggestions are good ones. However, I question the suggestions that you should make shorter entries and avoid multiple entries on one day with voids in between. If you're ok with those suggestions, fine, but I think you should write when the muse is with you, and if you have written a long piece or many short pieces, why break them up or hold them up?
I would add one suggestion: more reader comments. Sometimes I get the feeling that you and I are exchanging emails.
John from Phoenix
I also think the suggestions are good. In addition, nobody should be doing anything to deny the muse-- including us silent readers who might just be squelching the impulse to comment on something, falsely believing that it would be better to let the thought fester along a bit until it reaches nobel or pulitzer proportions, when, in reality, a quick-placed off the cuff remark is one of the souls of liveliness on a "serious" blog.
I'm excited to see the changes!
Anna of Vermont
While being concise yet informative is the ultimate goal for most journos, I would say that this is a rule that can be broken -- especially in a blog.
Sure, some long posts are off putting to the uninitiated, but I think your readership understands your style.
Try to keep things short, but don't limit yourself unecessarily. If you have something important to say and it is going to take 1,500 words to say it, by all means do so. Don't hold back.
Is there a way you can have the first part of a long post on the main page and a link to the rest of it on another? This will keep the main page clean and grab people who hate to scroll down past huge areas of text.
For that reason, I'm gald you're gettign rid of the recent comment postings on the main page.
Keep up the good work -- you write more than I do, and I get paid for it...
Chris in Bangkok
Thanks John, Anna and Chris for the feedback. John, your comments are a valued part of Sense. I am sure readers appreciate our dialogues and that they join us in encouraging more readers to post comments, including quick and lively ones as you said, Anna. I appreciate all of you encouraging me to go with my muse and will consider your suggestion, Chris, about maybe putting the last part of a long post on a back page somewhere.
By the way, there is good news and bad news on the Blog search feature - it does work to give links, but some of the links are to the index and recent comment postings pages which no longer exist on the Blog server. Oh well, here is something else to work on some day.
Just a comment from one of those who reads but doesn't necessarily post all the time.
The only suggestion/idea I can come up with (if you plan on getting rid of the recent comment postings) is to order the posts by the most currently posted comment (not sure if it can be done automatically?). This would bring the original post with all the comments to the top of the list. I do try to look back at old posts to see if others have posted recently on the subject.
This is just a suggestion, as I see many message boards on the net do this. The posts with little or no activity eventually end up at the bottom, while the active posts are at the top of the list and readily accessable to view for the reader.
Either way, I will still be checking in.
~Rake
Thanks for the sugstion Rake. Each forum, board and blog has its own unique capabilities and I need to do more digging into what Blogger can do. I don't think it has the capability to order postings basd on the most recent comment though.
I do get e-mail notice of each comment, so I am aware of all of them being posted. If there is a posting to an older piece, I could mention that in a separate posting which I could then delete in about a week or so. I'll give this more thought.
What is encouraging is to see the newly increased level of comments. Thanks to you and everyone else for making Sense more sensible and interesting with your comments.
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