Blogs or diaries – postscript
| 10:42 UK time, Tuesday, 12 June 2007
I asked in this blog a while ago whether you thought our correspondents were better off writing regular online columns or migrating into the blog format.
The question was prompted by Mark Mardell, our Europe editor, who had asked readers of his weekly Europe Diary for their views. On the whole they thought he could stick with a considered, longish piece once a week, with some feedback comments attached. Readers of this blog, meanwhile, advised blog format, pointing out (as Richard did here, for example) that this would allow the best of both worlds, and make “...the articles/diaries/weekly supplements easy to update with effective content management, allow comments with a blog-like engine, and provide an RSS feed of them”.
In the end Mark has gone for the latter option ()
Mark’s writing is one of the best sources of insight anywhere into EU-related news, not to mention one of the most enjoyable to read, so I’m delighted to say we’ll be relaunching his Europe Diary in blog form this week.
Comments
Great news for bloggers and readers alike.
Reading articles without the ability to leave comments is a thing of the past and to me, a turn-off.
I am just about to re-launch a blog site on Thursday and would love to see the 鶹ҳ blogs on it. We are only of only a few UK based blog communities with a global appeal.
Regards
Kevin
www.fuelmyblog.com
Columns without the ability to give feedback are definitely a thing of the past. The idea of a blog creates more of a community atmosphere and means that visitors can discuss and give feedback on the article.
The public should be able to comment on all news articles, not just "Have Your Say". The problem is that you insist on vetting each and every comment, and if you are going to do that, you have to have the manpower. Currently the "Have Your Say" vetting proceeds at a pitiful rate.
I would suggest you either outsource the vetting to India, or better still work on complaints system. i.e. You do not pre-moderate everything and only remove a comment if someone clicks on "Complain" and the comment is indeed objectionable. If it's good enough for the (rather hidden) message boards then it's good enough for "Have Your Say" or any new interactive articles.
Mr Herrmann i want 鶹ҳ News to do the same with Jeremy Bowen and Matt Frei Diaries please,
Blogs are much more interesting than diaries - as we feel we are able to interact more fully with the writer - rather than the slightly voyeuristic approach I seem to find with my Livejournal occasionally.
However, I do feel that a diary has more a personal feel, rather than blogging - where I feel compelled to comment on topical news etc rather than just whinge about my day or promote my music etc.
There are some enthusiastic votes here for including a comments facility on all columns, and maybe all news articles – and for getting more of our reporters into blog format. This is good feedback to have as we watch how this area evolves and think about how we develop what we do.
Really good to see #6 and that there will be continuing suppport for the blogging format.
One of the ways the 鶹ҳ can be succesful in the world of the new media and the internet is by acting as a kind of hub.
When people leave comments and are able to linkback to their own blogs etc then in effect the 鶹ҳ develops a "fuzzy edge" and formal journalism and "citizen journalism" (or citizen commentary) flow from one to the other.
Obviously the 鶹ҳ needs to keep oversight of this, but the recent report encouraging further examination of how the 鶹ҳ can best be balanced in its output must suppport this kind of approach.
I haven't thrown my shoe at the TV for many months as I am now able to express my opinions on these blogs!
One thing I would like to see is the 鶹ҳ's blogging staff a little more regularly actually responding to comments. This does happen a bit (more on some blogs here than others) but not quite enough yet.