Liberaland Update And One More Question For The Community

Posted by | February 2, 2015 15:15 | Filed under: Top Stories

Republish
Reprint


Thanks for all your feedback about what you like/don’t like, want/don’t want. As a result, I’ve decided to move to the Andes and become a shepherd I have a good idea about what will work for us.  Of course, no site is perfect, and no matter what changes you make not everyone will like everything about them. What I want the site to be is great aggregator of liberal/progressive content, so when you come here you know what the most important stories are at any moment, along with commentary by our opinion writers and your ability to interact with us and each other.

To sum it up: You like the open threads, because it gives us a sense of community.  In the next version of Liberaland, I want to have an ongoing open thread where you can post what you want.  There will also be an easy way to give me tips on stories. (You can do that now via the “submit a story” link on the upper left of the home page).

You really hated it when headlines linked outside the site and you couldn’t comment. You’d like at least a little more information about the headline on a post page before deciding if you want to go to the original source of the story to see the whole thing.

You also like original content in addition to links to the best progressive stuff on the web.  To that end, we will continue our opinion pieces (and are always looking for new writers who’d like to contribute).  A few of you would like fewer stories and more to each story, but most of the response has showed me that a large number of readers would like to see lots of stories when you hit the front page.

So, now, my question is, how would you like to see the front page of the site presented? Would you like to see a site with lots of headlines arranged like Drudge does, but where the links go to post pages rather than outside the site, so you get a bit more info, and can comment? Rogers Cadenhead does a good job that way, but his links go to the original source. I’ve decided that won’t work for us, as you want more info than just the headlines.

Would you like to retain the look of this site but with three columns and more stories on the front page?

Or do you like a look that is more graphic, where  you can see images, behind the headlines and then click on the headlines to get more info? Below is a screen shot of our friend Anomaly’s site, FreakOutNation. What if the entire front page had this kind of interface?

As usual, your comments are greatly appreciated.

Click here for reuse options!
Copyright 2015 Liberaland
By: Alan

Alan Colmes is the publisher of Liberaland.

113 responses to Liberaland Update And One More Question For The Community

  1. mea_mark February 1st, 2015 at 10:50

    To be honest I really don’t like Anomaly’s frontpage, hope she changes it, please don’t go there. Three columns looks good, just try and give every story a small picture. As far as links go it would nice if you could go to the source or LL post from front page with two links offered. Of course, I still like the idea of knowing up front if there is full-write-up on the story or not. I would always check out the stories that had a full-write-up, if I knew which ones they were.

    • Alan February 1st, 2015 at 11:54

      I’m talking only about the very top part of Anomaly’s front page, where there are pictures behind the texts that link to the stories.

      • mea_mark February 1st, 2015 at 12:30

        It looks messy to me.

  2. mea_mark February 1st, 2015 at 11:50

    To be honest I really don’t like Anomaly’s frontpage, hope she changes it, please don’t go there. Three columns looks good, just try and give every story a small picture. As far as links go it would nice if you could go to the source or LL post from front page with two links offered. Of course, I still like the idea of knowing up front if there is full-write-up on the story or not. I would always check out the stories that had a full-write-up, if I knew which ones they were.

    • Alan February 1st, 2015 at 12:54

      I’m talking only about the very top part of Anomaly’s front page, where there are pictures behind the texts that link to the stories.

      • mea_mark February 1st, 2015 at 13:30

        It looks messy to me.

  3. Carla Akins February 1st, 2015 at 11:18

    This one: “look of this site but with three columns and more stories on the front page” Just as an afterthought; you might want to post TOS for comments. I don’t recall being able to find one the last time I looked.

  4. Carla Akins February 1st, 2015 at 12:18

    This one: “look of this site but with three columns and more stories on the front page” Just as an afterthought; you might want to post TOS for comments. I don’t recall being able to find one the last time I looked.

  5. William_Teach February 1st, 2015 at 11:27

    I like a blog format look. You could do keep a three column look, perhaps with variable width, with headline links in one of the sidebars. You could also use one of the “magazine” style formats.

    Personally, I like your current format.

  6. William_Teach February 1st, 2015 at 12:27

    I like a blog format look. You could do keep a three column look, perhaps with variable width, with headline links in one of the sidebars. You could also use one of the “magazine” style formats.

    Personally, I like your current format.

  7. Jake February 1st, 2015 at 11:29

    Surely it would not be too difficult to offer multiple displayed format options which could be selected in one’s profile settings.

    • mea_mark February 1st, 2015 at 11:31

      I bet that is a lot more difficult than you think.

      • Jake February 1st, 2015 at 11:41

        Have you ever worked with Blogspot – you can change templates with one click – and they offer dozens of options. I work with Sharepoint at work and, offering what amounts to different views of the same data feed is really just a matter of clicking a few boxes.
        Moreover, it appears the choices Alan is presenting have already been created and its just a question of which one to use. Why not make them all available.

        • mea_mark February 1st, 2015 at 12:32

          Maybe you should offer Alan some help then.

    • Alan February 1st, 2015 at 11:52

      That’s not an option, as it’s technically very difficult to achieve and maintain.

  8. mea_mark February 1st, 2015 at 12:31

    I bet that is a lot more difficult than you think.

    • mea_mark February 1st, 2015 at 13:32

      Maybe you should offer Alan some help then.

  9. Alan February 1st, 2015 at 12:52

    That’s not an option, as it’s technically very difficult to achieve and maintain.

  10. eyelashviper February 1st, 2015 at 11:59

    I tend to like pictures, as they are very easy to identify quickly, especially when I want to return to an article, but even the three column idea is pretty good, with as many images as possible.
    Just looking at the Drudge page gives me nausea….
    Thanks again for your very thoughtful requests for feedback..it is a pleasure to see here on the wild and wooly intertubes.

    • Suzanne McFly February 1st, 2015 at 12:07

      I agree with eye, I like pics and a short description of the article. I do not like drudge, I get overwhelmed with the stories. I like to come here a couple times a day, look over the articles I haven’t read yet, then check comments and be done. With drudge, it looks like you could be there for hours and not be done with one section of the stories.

    • Alan February 1st, 2015 at 13:14

      Don’t forget that we’re talking style, not content. Don’t judge the Drudge page because it’s Drudge, and his page does extremely well.

      • eyelashviper February 1st, 2015 at 14:07

        Understood..it is the content and the bots who frequent his site that make me nauseated..

      • cecilia February 1st, 2015 at 16:37

        I HATE the way the Drudge page looks.

        It feels like amateur nite.

        Why would you want to emulate that.

        yuk

        FreakOutNation page looks classier, but I’m not too fussy. Keep things clean. I like to read comments and sometimes even MAKE a comment, if inspired. THAT is what matters – that sense that other humans are discussing an issue

  11. eyelashviper February 1st, 2015 at 12:59

    I tend to like pictures, as they are very easy to identify quickly, especially when I want to return to an article, but even the three column idea is pretty good, with as many images as possible.
    Just looking at the Drudge page gives me nausea….
    Thanks again for your very thoughtful requests for feedback..it is a pleasure to see here on the wild and wooly intertubes.

    • Suzanne McFly February 1st, 2015 at 13:07

      I agree with eye, I like pics and a short description of the article. I do not like drudge, I get overwhelmed with the stories. I like to come here a couple times a day, look over the articles I haven’t read yet, then check comments and be done. With drudge, it looks like you could be there for hours and not be done with one section of the stories.

    • Alan February 1st, 2015 at 14:14

      Don’t forget that we’re talking style, not content. Don’t judge the Drudge page because it’s Drudge, and his page does extremely well.

      • eyelashviper February 1st, 2015 at 15:07

        Understood..it is the content and the bots who frequent his site that make me nauseated..

      • cecilia February 1st, 2015 at 17:37

        I HATE the way the Drudge page looks.

        It feels like amateur nite.

        Why would you want to emulate that.

        yuk

        FreakOutNation page looks classier, but I’m not too fussy. Keep things clean. I like to read comments and sometimes even MAKE a comment, if inspired. THAT is what matters – that sense that other humans are discussing an issue

  12. Foundryman February 1st, 2015 at 13:16

    Since you seem to be hell bent on changing the site, mark me down as liking the second example.

    • Alan February 1st, 2015 at 13:17

      You say “change;” I say “evolve.” In the web business, you want to freshen up every so often and take advantage of new technology. The second one would be basically the same site with an extra column added and more pictures and videos.

      • Foundryman February 1st, 2015 at 13:27

        I’m on board with you, I hope it makes the site better and bring in more readers.

  13. Foundryman February 1st, 2015 at 14:16

    Since you seem to be hell bent on changing the site, mark me down as liking the second example.

    • Alan February 1st, 2015 at 14:17

      You say “change;” I say “evolve.” In the web business, you want to freshen up every so often and take advantage of new technology. The second one would be basically the same site with an extra column added and more pictures and videos.

      • Foundryman February 1st, 2015 at 14:27

        I’m on board with you, I hope it makes the site better and bring in more readers.

  14. Hirightnow February 1st, 2015 at 15:22

    I’ll go with the second one, even though:
    A) Anomaly’s site is pretty good, too (you can scroll past the graphics to the text links.
    B) I don’t see any trains … :P
    Thanks for asking us…not every site would do that.

  15. Hirightnow February 1st, 2015 at 16:22

    I’ll go with the second one, even though:
    A) Anomaly’s site is pretty good, too (you can scroll past the graphics to the text links.
    B) I don’t see any trains … :P
    Thanks for asking us…not every site would do that.

    • Larry Schmitt February 1st, 2015 at 17:50

      You really have a thing for trains, don’t you?

      • Hirightnow February 2nd, 2015 at 08:14

        Trains are the future of this great nation!

        • Larry Schmitt February 2nd, 2015 at 11:14

          Unfortunately, unless we can find a few trillion dollars to upgrade the tracks, they’re probably not. The only “high speed train” in this country, Acela, wouldn’t qualify as such in the rest of the world. In the northeast corridor, there are only a few straightaways that allow the trains to go faster than the standard trains. They have to slow down on the curves.

          • Hirightnow February 2nd, 2015 at 12:32

            LALALALAIcan’thearyouLALALA

            • Larry Schmitt February 2nd, 2015 at 13:28

              I prefer the older trains myself. I compared Amtrak to airfare once from Washington DC to Tucson, and the full cost of a sleeper plus meals for the train was more than first class air, and it took three days. But if I had the money and the time, I would still rather ride the rails.

              • Hirightnow February 2nd, 2015 at 21:04

                There’s something to be said about the “old ways”…

        • tiredoftea February 2nd, 2015 at 20:16

          Not trains, hyperloop!

          • Hirightnow February 3rd, 2015 at 08:38

            Well, seeing as my moving sidewalk idea is going nowhere…

    • Alan February 2nd, 2015 at 00:01

      How about we just do so a site about trains. Lionel or HO?

      • fancypants February 2nd, 2015 at 00:13

        who gets to play uncle fester ?

      • Hirightnow February 2nd, 2015 at 08:12

        N scale.

        • StoneyCurtisll February 2nd, 2015 at 10:48

          N scale are too small…
          give me the HO~!

          • mea_mark February 2nd, 2015 at 17:49

            But with n-scale you can build huge megalithic assemblies with all sorts of stuff going on and it can still fit in a room.

  16. Mainah February 1st, 2015 at 15:57

    I’ll take curtain number two Alan!
    Thanks, by the way.

  17. Mainah February 1st, 2015 at 16:57

    I’ll take curtain number two Alan!
    Thanks, by the way.

  18. Guy Lauten February 1st, 2015 at 16:39

    less graphic, faster loading. #2

  19. Guy Lauten February 1st, 2015 at 17:39

    less graphic, faster loading. #2

  20. KABoink_after_wingnut_hacker February 1st, 2015 at 16:40

    I’ll take door number 2 Alan.

1 2

Leave a Reply