November 7th 2006

November 7th, 2006: Day of Changes

Posted by C.K. Sample, III

› tags: balance, election 2006, homepage experience, netscape, politics, vote

Today is election day in the U.S., and you can submit stories having to do with the election and read them in our Politics Channel and in our Election 2006 tag. Make sure, if you're an American, that you get out to the polls and vote for your candidates. Even if you're not an American, make sure you vote on the stories that interest you here on Netscape.

We love how successful our Politics Channel has become and we love the members who make up the community breathing life into our Politics Channel.

That being said, we want the Politics Channel to thrive in the Politics Channel, and we want the homepage to be a more balanced experience that all of our members--even those who have no interest in politics--can enjoy. With that goal in mind, sometime today, we will push out a change to the site that was hinted at in my previous post about the homepage experience. The page that was located at http://www.netscape.com/hometest/ will replace the current pure-ranked homepage experience. This version of the homepage displays 3 stories from each of the top 5 channels and 2 stories from each of the next 5 top channels. We think it will add more balance to the site experience and, hopefully, convince thriving communities like the Politics group to spend more time in the Politics Channel and leave the room for some of our other channels to grow. The current, pure ranked version of the homepage will still be viewable by clicking on the More Hot Stories link, which will take you to this page.

Additionally, we are planning on adding another variant of the hometest pages. This version will list the top 2 stories from the top 10 channels and the top story from the next 5 channels. We think this variant will offer the right balance between our current hometest and hometest1 options and should it be received well, we will most likely change the homepage over to that version later on this week.

As always, let us know what you think in the comments.

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Comments

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1:12PMMCeeP

I'm really glad to see this change being made. As a conservative, I got turned off when I came here for the first time the other day and saw nothing but attack stories from liberals as all the stories. Balance is important, as to be honest this kept me from exploring what else was here, as everything I was seeing presented first was vicious and embittered.

2:00PMMintyfunk

I'm glad to see a variation that offers a broader perspective with some depth to it. I think these improvements will only broaden the appeal of the site.

2:53PMFlyboy

I generally find myself leaning more towards the "right" so this is a pleasant suprise. The media has become an attack force on the Bush administration, and its almost as though the "left" would do or say anything to damage it. For example, the article here on netscape about the Dems' taking back the house and "things changing". Even if they did, things wouldn't change. They won't have the Senate and if somthing made it to the White House that didn't agree with the Bush Administration, guess what...... VETO! Things are going to remain the same for at least another two years. I for one am greatful.

4:39PMken

Actually, I see most American Media as being way too leinient
on the Bush administration by actually ignoring almost anything
close to negative. Take for instance, each instance of torture,
special renditions to foreign lands, Guantanamo, igoring the
Geneva Conventions (which the US was an ORIGINAL signatory).The abuses
of power. The list just goes on and on! In this country you're
lucky to find mentions in the editorials!

I would say good luck to anyone searching for a liberal media!
They are FAR from that and in fact are mainly corporate lackeys!

9:35PMAl Compoly

I am very glad to see you are balancing it out. As a conservative, I was very dismayed at your constant negative stories about the Bush administration and the war.

6:01AMMark

Glad to see the change, such a shame that it wasn't here prior to the election. so much information was lost to those who voted for change for change's sake. As a lifelong democrat, I am ashamed of my party's ability to avoid any substantive arguments and focus on single minded attacks, and anti Bush sentiments. The modern day Churchill was voted out of office today, right along the same lines as the original Winston Churchill. Lets hope that he is wrong instead of being right. The 12 years of faithful service of Rick Santorum that the Senate will be without is a major loss to the foreign diplomacy that was finally gaining ground.

10:16AMLynn

Glad to see a new direction. The headlines we've been seeing are in some cases extreme, hype, provocative in an attention-getting tone (both left and right). I've been using Netscape, because I have a problem with Bill Gates approach to the world of computers. However, I have been considering making another browser my default bacuase so many of these headlines seemed to be such attention getters. I want "hard news".
Lynn

1:19PMJay

Change is good!

I hope this brings somme civility and respect for opposing views to the community.

The past experience was a mixed bag, with some participants hijacking the forum and spouting the venom of hatred by labelling and demonizing opposing views.

I hope you introduce a decent spellcheck to help improve the quality of the posts. You effort to do that in a limited way with highlighted underline is a step in the right direction.