Sage advice from the web idiots

[Killick]

So, it seems the Columbus Dispatch had some California consultants in to help them make their website more effective. The advice that came down: Web reports need only to be first, not accurate.

http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/content/insight/stories/2009/10/11/Ben1011.ART_ART_10-11-09_G1_PLFAC0N.html?sid=101

I hope the Dispatch stiffed the assholes when the bill came due.

 

[Big Buckin' agate_monkey]

So, it seems the Columbus Dispatch had some California consultants in to help them make their website more effective. The advice that came down: Web reports need only to be first, not accurate.

http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/content/insight/stories/2009/10/11/Ben1011.ART_ART_10-11-09_G1_PLFAC0N.html?sid=101

I hope the Dispatch stiffed the assholes when the bill came due.

Unfortunately, it's a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't scenario with the general public. If you're not first, they ***** because they want any info you have. If you are first, and you're wrong, John Q. Public says, "Why don't you get the facts straight before publishing something."

 

[zebracoy]

So, it seems the Columbus Dispatch had some California consultants in to help them make their website more effective. The advice that came down: Web reports need only to be first, not accurate.

http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/content/insight/stories/2009/10/11/Ben1011.ART_ART_10-11-09_G1_PLFAC0N.html?sid=101

I hope the Dispatch stiffed the assholes when the bill came due.

Unfortunately, it's a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't scenario with the general public. If you're not first, they ***** because they want any info you have. If you are first, and you're wrong, John Q. Public says, "Why don't you get the facts straight before publishing something."

So be right the first time.

Work smarter!

 

[Big Buckin' agate_monkey]

So, it seems the Columbus Dispatch had some California consultants in to help them make their website more effective. The advice that came down: Web reports need only to be first, not accurate.

http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/content/insight/stories/2009/10/11/Ben1011.ART_ART_10-11-09_G1_PLFAC0N.html?sid=101

I hope the Dispatch stiffed the assholes when the bill came due.

Unfortunately, it's a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't scenario with the general public. If you're not first, they ***** because they want any info you have. If you are first, and you're wrong, John Q. Public says, "Why don't you get the facts straight before publishing something."

So be right the first time.

Work smarter!

But if you're not first, it doesn't matter.

 

[zebracoy]

So, it seems the Columbus Dispatch had some California consultants in to help them make their website more effective. The advice that came down: Web reports need only to be first, not accurate.

http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/content/insight/stories/2009/10/11/Ben1011.ART_ART_10-11-09_G1_PLFAC0N.html?sid=101

I hope the Dispatch stiffed the assholes when the bill came due.

Unfortunately, it's a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't scenario with the general public. If you're not first, they ***** because they want any info you have. If you are first, and you're wrong, John Q. Public says, "Why don't you get the facts straight before publishing something."

So be right the first time.

Work smarter!

But if you're not first, it doesn't matter.

Sigh.

So be right the first time.

Work smarter!

 

[Barsuk]

If you're not first, you're last.

 

[Armchair_QB]

Work faster, not smarter.

 

[Some Guy]

Do people really keep a tally of who is "first" anymore?

I mean, I understand if ESPN.com has something on Monday, and you don't have it until Thursday. That sucks.

But if ESPN.com posts something at 11:14 a.m., and you post your version at 11:16, who gives a ****? All that tells me is that someone at ESPN.com is a faster typist.

 

[Frank_Ridgeway]

I have to wonder how you can hire a consultant and have this sort of thing come as any kind of surprise. Micro-problems that are specific to your market and the consultant's recommendations for addressing them, those should come as a surprise. General philosophy, you should be able to discern that during your due diligence before you make a decision to retain the consultant. If the consultant does not understand your company's fundamental values, then you either have hired a bad consultant or you have done an exceedingly ****ty job of explaining the rules of engagement in that market before the consultant began his work for you. If you do not have an understanding of the consultant's general thinking on previous projects and you do not explain beforehand which lines cannot be crossed, you have no one to blame but yourself.

 

[flexmaster33]

Well stated...unless your lagging way behind I don't think speed is the do-all, end-all. Getting it correct is paramount...most web-surfers will check through their faves on a daily basis (if not more often)...if you're a credible source, you will make the list and people will trust what they see.

I think most people remember if a site/publication is continually putting out misinformation.

Do people really keep a tally of who is "first" anymore?

I mean, I understand if ESPN.com has something on Monday, and you don't have it until Thursday. That sucks.

But if ESPN.com posts something at 11:14 a.m., and you post your version at 11:16, who gives a ****? All that tells me is that someone at ESPN.com is a faster typist.

 

[times38]

I really don't think anyone cares who has something first. as long as you have it.

 

[slappy4428]

I'll be damned...










who knew Ohioans could read?

 

[SoCalDude]

If I had to pinpoint one thing that bothers me the most about the transformation from print to Web, it is all the mistakes that are made by getting it posted quickly.
Today, I read a column online, noted 5-6 factual mistakes, some ticky-tack, some more serious. I read the same column in the print edition and those mistakes weren't there.
Whenever I look at my company's Web site, I stop when I find a blatant mistake or poor work. Mostly, they are awful captions.
Usually, it doesn't take more than 5 minutes.

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

If I had to pinpoint one thing that bothers me the most about the transformation from print to Web, it is all the mistakes that are made by getting it posted quickly.
Today, I read a column online, noted 5-6 factual mistakes, some ticky-tack, some more serious. I read the same column in the print edition and those mistakes weren't there.
Whenever I look at my company's Web site, I stop when I find a blatant mistake or poor work. Mostly, they are awful captions.
Usually, it doesn't take more than 5 minutes.

Usually a lot more mis-spellings in the online product too. Although those are seeping through to the printed product more and more.

 

[mb]

If you're not first, you're last.

That doesn't make any sense at all. You can be second, third, fourth... hell you can even be fifth.

 

[Ace]

The way the web works is if you are the first source to get a story up and people link to that you can get a lot of hits. If you are second and everyone has already read the crappy version from the local TV station website, you may not get nearly as many hits.

Also, the earlier in the day you get the story up, the better. After 5 p.m. when people leave work, the newspaper web sites don't draw flies.

So, realistically, putting a quick version of the story up at 2 p.m. is much better than putting the final, fully edited version up at 5 p.m.

 

[Big Buckin' agate_monkey]

The way the web works is if you are the first source to get a story up and people link to that you can get a lot of hits. If you are second and everyone has already read the crappy version from the local TV station website, you may not get nearly as many hits.

Also, the earlier in the day you get the story up, the better. After 5 p.m. when people leave work, the newspaper web sites don't draw flies.

So, realistically, putting a quick version of the story up at 2 p.m. is much better than putting the final, fully edited version up at 5 p.m.

This is solid advice.