Popdose - Latest Comments in Letter From the Editor: Does This Design Make Us Look Fat?

Re: Letter From the Editor: Does This Design Make Us Look Fat?

Chris B — Mon, 04 May 2009 15:59:23 -0000

I'll chime in with the crowd asking for a chronology and possibly some kind of keywording?

The last time I looked at PopDose, this article was at the top. Today, obviously it isn't, but where is it? Which subheading? Hell, what was the title again?

Obviously it's not THAT big a deal if I'm posting this, but it definitely lacks grace.

Re: Letter From the Editor: Does This Design Make Us Look Fat?

mojo — Mon, 04 May 2009 09:20:33 -0000

No man, the question is "Does this design make us look PHAT?"

Re: Letter From the Editor: Does This Design Make Us Look Fat?

DwDunphy — Sun, 03 May 2009 16:42:28 -0000

E-mail Jeff with your Canadian chartness. After our poll, it's pretty clear the readers would like to see Chartburn and Mellow Gold return.

Re: Letter From the Editor: Does This Design Make Us Look Fat?

breadalbane — Sun, 03 May 2009 14:38:21 -0000

Actually, the fact that you might not have heard the song before could make it fun. This actually happens every so often even with the US-based Chartburn charts, and hilarty often ensues.

By the bye, if you're ever doing a Canadian chart, count me in. Seriously. I can get an official Canadian top 10 list for you for pretty much any week from 1964-1999. (You'll find they don't differ from the US lists THAT much -- but there's usually enough of a difference for you to notice you're dealing with a slightly different nation.)

Oh, and the site redesign works for me. But count me amongst the ones who'd like to see a chronological list of recently posted artilces somewhere, even as a sidebar.

Re: Letter From the Editor: Does This Design Make Us Look Fat?

DwDunphy — Sun, 03 May 2009 08:17:33 -0000

And you're going to post the MP3s and never ever take them down? Schweet!

Re: Letter From the Editor: Does This Design Make Us Look Fat?

DwDunphy — Sun, 03 May 2009 08:16:46 -0000

Last year, during the Republican and Democratic conventions, we actually offered some of the more vocal Conservative readers to join us on the panel to balance things out. We were very aware it was a lopsided fight going on. Two opted out, one never responded to the offer, yet commented the very next day on how we were so biased.

Re: Letter From the Editor: Does This Design Make Us Look Fat?

DwDunphy — Sun, 03 May 2009 08:11:07 -0000

Believe it or not, this discussion of Chartburn nationality did occur early in the series' run, but the consensus was basically this: the 'Burners are all US-based. While it would be fun to tackle, say, a New Zealand list, there's a good chance we won't have heard at least 60% of the songs on it. Whoever sets up the list has to also track down videos and such to guide us through. Jeff, who is the primary Chartburn editor, usually needs a week to cull together a coherent post out of our responses and sidebar interruptions (Okay, MY sidebar interruptions.)

In essence, we'd love to do International Chartburn. I just don't know if we'd be digging a bottomless hole setting it up.

As for International politics, kind of the same thing. I could write about other countries and their ruling parties, but it would be from an American's perspective. As you've noticed though, this site is welcoming to new writers so if you are or know someone outside of the borderlines with the skills, send them our way. We are not adverse to Overseas correspondents.

Re: Letter From the Editor: Does This Design Make Us Look Fat?

jefito — Sun, 03 May 2009 07:44:01 -0000

Okay, so you hate it. Mind saying WHY?

Re: Letter From the Editor: Does This Design Make Us Look Fat?

jefito — Sun, 03 May 2009 07:43:15 -0000

Are you volunteering to write a right-wing column, Jason?

Re: Letter From the Editor: Does This Design Make Us Look Fat?

rwcass — Sun, 03 May 2009 02:44:12 -0000

You should just leave up all the MP3s all the time, or at least until the Internet dies in a million years. Dude, I totally promise I read all the words you guys write about whatever it is you're talking about (Springsteen, right?), but sometimes I don't have time to download all the free music in the week it's available. So never delete it. OK?

Re: Letter From the Editor: Does This Design Make Us Look Fat?

The Border Patrol — Sat, 02 May 2009 20:12:15 -0000

A general thumbs-up for the re-design, although the classifications need work. (Like why is a review of the TV series "Lie To Me" filed under "music"?)

Incidentally, while I see no reason why the site shouldn't have political content, I almost never read your political ariticles. This isn't because of any left-wing/right-wing issues: it's because frequently the authors of these articles seem to assume that everyone is American. Plenty of us aren't.

On a similar note, I love Chartburn -- but it might be fun to branch out and do another Chartburn with a UK chart. And what of NZ, Australian, or Canadian charts?

I'll stop carping now. Despite my quibbles, overall this site is GREAT!

Re: Letter From the Editor: Does This Design Make Us Look Fat?

MC — Sat, 02 May 2009 19:28:54 -0000

You may look fat, but I'd do you anyway... thumbs up on the new design, it's more fitting for what you have become.

I miss "When Good Albums Happen..." the most. And I agree with those who miss the Idiot Guides. Any chance you'd ever re-post those from the old Jefitoblog days?

Also, I'm really enjoying the Werner series.

Keep up the good work! Thanks...

Re: Letter From the Editor: Does This Design Make Us Look Fat?

jason — Sat, 02 May 2009 14:08:55 -0000

One vote for the FLA IG. That would be amazing.

Re: Letter From the Editor: Does This Design Make Us Look Fat?

jason — Sat, 02 May 2009 14:05:53 -0000

"Tend to take a liberal slant"?! Here, let me summarize every single political piece that has ever been published on this site: "Republicans are mouth-breathing, evil idiots. And assholes."

Personally I love the redesign, just because my eyes no longer pass over and involuntarily absorb even a few paragraphs of that crap as I try to get to the good stuff.

Re: Letter From the Editor: Does This Design Make Us Look Fat?

Jude — Sat, 02 May 2009 14:02:36 -0000

No honey, the design doesn't make you look fat -- your FAT makes you look fat.

Re: Letter From the Editor: Does This Design Make Us Look Fat?

rwcass — Sat, 02 May 2009 00:19:06 -0000

I still have a Sly & the Family Stone guide in the works, and a mini-guide for Papas Fritas. So hands off, everybody!

Re: Letter From the Editor: Does This Design Make Us Look Fat?

RT — Fri, 01 May 2009 22:01:17 -0000

I loved your site before. This is a mess. Very bad design. Hate the nav. Love the content. PLEASE REDESIGN. And thanks for asking. You had a brand. Now you've got a jumble.

Re: Letter From the Editor: Does This Design Make Us Look Fat?

The Flyin Hawaiian UK — Fri, 01 May 2009 20:30:10 -0000

I don't use RSS, I actually look at the site, but FWIW I have it bookmarked to the music section...

The Idiot's Guides introduced me to this site, and that's what I miss most. I know they're labor intensive, but...one a month maybe? (At the very least, reposting/updates of IGs would be welcome--there's a new Pet Shop Boys, for example.) Heck, if you're hurtin' I can churn out a Front Line Assembly IG no prob...

In general, love the site, like the redesign. Carry on!

Re: Letter From the Editor: Does This Design Make Us Look Fat?

JonCummings — Fri, 01 May 2009 20:28:41 -0000

One thing I think might help occasional readers is a "Most Popular" sidebar on the home page -- not like we had last year, with the most popular posts EVER, but a "Most Popular of the Week" sort of thing. That would allow links to well-read interviews & higher-profile music features to remain accessible past the first couple days after they post (since music posts are still the quickest to leave the page). Otherwise, highlighting the most recently posted features in red is a good idea.

As for GrayFlannel's comments about the political content...um, don't read it if you don't want to read it. Now that the homepage is a set of links, just don't click on anything under the word "Current Events," and I'll never piss you off again.

Annie's stuff is important to a readership like ours, I think, because she focuses on discussing in fun and understandable ways the complicated economic problems we're facing--stuff that's easy to tune out. As for me, I just write about what I'm thinking about, and I'll keep doing it until somebody tells me they're not going to run it anymore.

Re: Letter From the Editor: Does This Design Make Us Look Fat?

Terje Fjelde — Fri, 01 May 2009 20:16:19 -0000

Thanks, Hagen. And thanks, Jeff. I miss me, too. I dig the new layout, though

Re: Letter From the Editor: Does This Design Make Us Look Fat?

DwDunphy — Fri, 01 May 2009 19:57:07 -0000

Free rocks.

Re: Letter From the Editor: Does This Design Make Us Look Fat?

DwDunphy — Fri, 01 May 2009 19:55:35 -0000

I understand where you are coming from. I know we tend to take a liberal slant, and that might alienate potential conservative-minded readers, but speaking personally it is important to have that current events section, even if a portion of our readership chooses to pass it by, and here's why...

I can't and won't speak for Jeff, Jason, Robert or any of the staff, but solely for myself my dream for Popdose is to be a truly inclusive web magazine, not simply a blog (not that there's anything wrong with blogs.) Our see-saw is weighted toward music pop-culture, but there is a need for the current events stuff, and not in some bland, all-departments-accounted way either. Ann Logue's financial columns have been very insightful, and Jon Cummings' take on things, even things I don't always agree with, are thought provoking. They kick this site up from the straight-ahead music sites and, in fact, I know there are readers who pop in just for that section. The fact that they both write in an entertaining manner too proves to me that they'd kill on someone else's site. I'm glad they, and I, are on this one.

Re: Letter From the Editor: Does This Design Make Us Look Fat?

jefito — Fri, 01 May 2009 18:14:37 -0000

Ah, but opinions are just opinions, whether they be musical or otherwise...

Re: Letter From the Editor: Does This Design Make Us Look Fat?

Chris Holmes — Fri, 01 May 2009 18:03:03 -0000

I can understand that. I guess my real concern with the political/social pieces isn't whether they blend in but that they can be a bit divisive. Speaking only for myself, if I read a piece blasting a favorite band of mine it's no big deal (I'm a Kiss fan, having a thick skin is mandatory), but reading something that does the same to my political or religious beliefs can leave a sour taste.

Re: Letter From the Editor: Does This Design Make Us Look Fat?

aryl w — Fri, 01 May 2009 16:42:26 -0000

I really like the new format, but would appreciate having the date that the item was posted. It appears that others would like that feature too, but I wanted to add my vote to the loudly complaining throng ; - ), by the way, I really like the content overall & love the price. Keep up the great work!