Readership Question: If you could improve one thing
November 3, 2004 at 9:18 PM
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This week's readership question is a simple one, however I would like you to take some time to seriously think about your answer before responding. And the question is: If you could improve one thing about Digital Web Magazine, what would it be? Answers such as "nothing, I like it how it is" don't qualify. Be original, don't copy anyone else's answer. And please, for heaven sakes, be rational about it. Consider the subject matter and the volunteer staff and the web publishing community as a whole.
Comments
How the subject line is laid out in emails. I would much prefer "Content Aggregators / CSS Cookbook (Digital Web Magazine)" to "New issue of Digital Web Magazine (Content Aggregators / CSS Cookbook)" so then I can actually see what it's about, as my email just shows "New issue of Digital Web Magazine (Conten..." until I actualy open the email.
'See you next week' as a tagline to sign off a weekly update seems a little irrelevant at this point, considering the daily news postings. You're not going anywhere, we're not going anywhere, and though it may be a throwback to the old days, it doesn't make much sense anymore. Other than that, steady as she goes.
Maybe it's just me, but can we get a little regularity with when you send out the e-news alerting the readers of the new issues?
u always have articles about css, html, databases and stuff, u should have more articles about the Design theories, styles, and more Flash-related articles.
More double issues! I realize it might be hard to get content, but I like the double issues.
I enjoy articles that are "Lessons Learned" type of articles where someone writes about things they learned on an acutal project. I like when they show before and after examples and explain why things worked/didn't work.
As though a lot of users here are freelancers, some business related articles would be nice.
In your new issue email updates, I never read 'Letters from the Publisher' - I scroll straight to 'The New Issue Details' - maybe the content should be closer to the top of the email (although I'm not sure if your sponsors will agree!).
From a technical point of view, I would like you to spend a little more time on the future of web standards. How will XHTML 2.0, CSS3, SVG and other XML affiliates affect the way we will code web pages? How will they influence our information architecture? What is going on over at the WHAT Working Group, will they set a new standard and will they prevail over proprietary technologies? Through which devices will the Net be accessed? I am not asking you to become astrologists, but a little more forward thinking would be welcome. Not to say that I was thrilled with the recent article on how content aggregators will affect site navigation. Great piece of work!
I find that your pr
Fix the site's icon. I don't know what happened to it but I don't see it anymore. Another thing (I know, it's only supposed to be one) is fix up the comment form in Opera, it looks pretty messed up.
James: Good point, consider it done. Dave Shea: Excellent point, it's out of there from here out. Jarvis Addison: Other than the precise hour it is regularly scheduled to go out every Wednesday night between as early as 6:00pm and as late as midnight. It also depends on how far down on the subscriber list your email address appears (if you are signed up with the email newsletter). Danny Khoury, Jason G, and Pawel: Good point, we'd love to see some of those kinds of articles here. But of course, someone has to contribute them. So we are sort of at the mercy of what our contributing writers submit. Anyone can contribute. If you know of someone who could write about these subjects and would be interested in contributing and article on those topics, by all means let me know. Will Chatham: I wish it was that easy. It's not so much just a matter of getting enough content in for that, it's also a matter of not burning out our volunteer staff. In other words, it means more effort they have to put in to each issue... and they are doing so for free... unless, of course, you'd pay for this content...? ;) Priscilla Brice-Weller: I agree it would streamline things, but it would also not roll over well with our sponsors. Tim Wouters: So if you are not asking us to become astrologists, then how do you feel we should address the issue. I think pretty much all of our material has enough hints and guesses at what is to come to be sufficient... any more than that and we start getting really nasty emails from sci-fi book authors. Jules: Hmm, I am not sure I follow you. If you want just a list of our articles, we have plenty of those... here is one for example. Luke Shingles: Ahh yes, I was making a point. A lot of people complained that the lack of transparency in our favicon.ico file make it "suck" ...so I replaced the white background and made it transparent. Needless to say it "sucks more" with transparency... and probably the reason why it doesn't show up for you any more. I have switched it back. And about Opera, what version are you using (yes, it matters a lot)? Can you send a screenshot?
Nick Fink: I'm using Opera 7.6 beta 2. Screenshot of the comment form
Luke Shingles: Ok, I think the Opera layout bug is fixed now. Though I will be making some more changes to the layout of the comment form as I am not happy with where it is at right now.
Only just managed to think of one: the <blockquote> and <q> elements should be allowed in comments. <cite> is, I believe, meant to be for citations of published works: e.g. Check out the amazing article in this week's Digital Web Magazine. Whereas <blockquote> and <q> are for, y'know, actual quoting: which can be helpful when commenting on an article.
I would be pleased if the editors would respond to communications sent via the Web form interface. I suggested a book for review, using this method, four times
Nick: Sorry for the delay in replying but perhaps here is a clarification of my comments. Today (as I post this), the top article is "The End of Usability Culture, Redux" which consists of six lines making up the Title, Category, Pr
