Debrazza - your point is an interesting one. I am watching as well. They are all depressed that this thing is over. The energy level is so low and all they can try and do is argue that John Lewis was way off on the Wallace comment....and how the media is easy on Obama blah, blah
What is most revealing in Brokaw's comments is that its clear where his bias and disdain for Obama is. They are all stunned that the Obama campaign has actually executed on an ambitious plan where McCain has failed miserably, lacked a plan and now he has no way to win.
Now that we are seeing the full force of the Obama juggernaut at work these MSM types are surprised. The early voting is the first evidence of the voter reg program and Obama organizing fellows.
The ground game has the battleground all going our way and expanded to make a McCain win impossible. This was the plan they all pooh poohed - the 50 state strategy and 3 weeks out Obama is at "Check" nearly Checkmate. Landslide is the discussion and stunning states like ND,MT,GA,WV et al are now in play and they are all just dumbfounded that the ground game has actually delivered.
The hew and cry over Obama opting out of the federal finance program now looks silly and Obama can dominate the media over McCain like in VA 1382 - 8 ads in the last month.
If the talking heads had actually been paying attention all these pieces have been there they wouldn't be so stunned by where we are. They are like a moose in the headlights...
McCain was a flawed candidate and Palin a disastrous pick and his campaign from the ground up is a disaster. The negative message has driven independents and undecideds to Obama and his own behavior in the economic 3 AM moment has been scarily incompetent and erratic.
This is the best he can do and we are seeing why he was 794/799 at Annapolis and he is being beaten by Obama who ran the Harvard Law Review and has spent his life organizing people from the ground up not reading his own press clippings and mythology.
debrazza
· 1 year ago
jnail - Well now they are all just trying to credit "luck" instead of an excellently run campaign. That is basically the thrust of the media discussion right now. Obama didn't win on the merits, the economy won it for him. Well, what if a war broke out and a Republican won? Would they say the same? No they wouldn't. They would say that Americans picked the person that they felt more comfortable with in these perilous times. The problem with the media is that they are all rich and believe in the Republican economic dogma. So they believe that the Democrats economic agenda is invalid. Therefore, they feel comfortable saying that no one is voting for the Democratic economic agenda because they wouldn't. Or something to that effect. But the fact of the matter is, that is exactly what people are doing. They are voting precisely because they believe in the Democratic economic agenda than the Republican one and that becomes more pronounced in a crisis. If America is as they say a "conservative country", it is not economically conservative but culturally, which is why Republicans always like to try and run the culture war campaign.
did you catch when they had the McCain woman on? It was so pathetic. The entirety of the McCain campaign now is to run like Hillary. They are crying foul on "sexism" and "ageism" and are now "fighters". And everyone there was just nodding their heads at all the atrocious things said or done to McCain and Palin. OMG, there were people not affiliated with the Obama campaign or even Democrats for that matter wearing an offensive t-shirt, that so is much worse than one campaign riling up their supporters to call and compare their opponent to a man that murdered 3000 innocent Americans during the worst attack in America since the civil war.
debrazza
· 1 year ago
I am going to go on a rant now.
One thing that pisses me off is that Republicans say that "you cannot raise taxes in a depression". That means that they now oddly accept Keynesian economic theory. But apparently only when the economy is bad. So if that is their argument when the economy is bad, then why is tax cuts when the economy is good the answer? If raising taxes when the economy is bad is wrong, then they need to admit that the Bush tax cuts in 2001 were wrong on principle. With the economy booming, they should have been calling for an increase in taxes and I cannot believe that they are allowed to get away with this lie. They need to be confronted that if they believe that raising taxes in a recession is bad, then what is the optimal level of taxation? Why is it also good to cut taxes in an economic boom? Also, if they are such Keynesians, then why are they promoted the wrong idea that in an economic downturn, the government cannot and should not spend money to prime the pump of the economy. That is precisely what Keynesian theory says.
Furthermore, and following on that, one thing that really pisses me off is hearing all the poopooing in the media about how "everyone" in the US "got drunk", not just Wall Street. That everyone in the US believed that they could live beyond their means. But no one questions how everything got that way. In 2000, Al Gore campaigned on a pragmatic platform that said that we needed to preserve the economic success that we had and continue to pay down the national debt so that we could have the room to borrow to pay for social security when the boomers retire ("the lockbox"). He said that we needed to budget and be careful about preserving the economic success of the 90's. George Bush campaigned on the other hand on the precise platform that we can have it all. Gore scoffed and the media mocked Gore, not Bush. The media said, what is wrong with having it all? Bush would campaign with these 3 dollar bills to show what his economic plan was, despite the fact that the entire thing was fictional and did not add up. The media mocked Gore. The media said that there was nothing wrong if Bush's economic policies did not add up. Krugman wrote a book about how disasterous Bush's economic policies were and Krugman was resoundingly ignored. Hacks like Cokie Roberts said "what's the big deal?". Republicans got Alan Greenspan to testify that summer before Congress and Greenspan made the preposterous claim that paying down the national debt too fast was a bigger problem than having more debt. The media enabled this environment. Exactly like the Iraq war, the media did not question Bush's spurious economic claims nor his tax cuts of mass destruction. Instead of of question the logic and propriety of his economic program, they cheered it on or just said that it was no big deal. George Bush campaigned on that platform that we could have it all and no one in the media questioned that. A year later when 911 happened, Bush told the nation to go shopping and only people on the left scoffed. So now to see people in the media say that it was wrong of Bush not to call for national sacrifice is ridiculous. So now that people in the media say that all of us "got drunk", they don't mention their own role in that deception that allowed the American people to believe that they could have it all.
In fact, the entire basis of the Republican party is the idea that we can have something for nothing. That we as Americans don't have to pay taxes, but at the same time we can have all the government services that we desire at no cost. That is why the national debt has ballooned under Republicans, because the Republicans themselves know that Americans want to those services, so they don't cut them. Instead they charge it to the credit card. The Republican party is the party that has not leveled with the American people about what our responsibilities are as Americans. About what constraints exist. Because if they have to tell the truth that we have constraints, then they cannot always claim unlimited freedom.
Guest
· 1 year ago
i really like this concept. i have to say i like the simple link format a lot. your sample content was good. the format easy to follow. for me the integration does work quite that well because there's such a contrast between the simple links and all that you've got going on below it.
it would be interesting to see the blog entries/recent posts as a horizontal rss feed that could link to the blog entries and integrate the two that way. (does this make sense? what i mean is a horizontal strip just below the videos that would have a running feed of your recent blog posts that link back to your original site.)
debrazza
· 1 year ago
I don't really know if I like that format. Part of it is that I don't like Drudge/Halperin.
Also, it happened again this morning. John Meecham says on Morning Joe that "this is essentially a conservative country" in regards to the election. I think they are trying to portray an Obama presidency as "the accidental Presidency".
JAB
· 1 year ago
What do I look for in a blog like this? (1) Your point of view. (2) Links to a variety of other pages, videos, etc., which progressive points of view. So I like the way you do the blog. You give your opinion, give your well-edited videos, and offer a great variety of links organized in a way that makes them easy to navigate.
debrazza
· 1 year ago
Again, Tom Brokaw says that people are not voting for the Democrats, but voting against Bush.
John Meecham: "Obama understands that this country is not a liberal country"
jnail
· 1 year ago
Jed, I like the format. I would put your videos at the header and news below. I lay out the same links you have in your tabs side by side: http://www.barackobamaradar.com
We aggregate over 3000 news sources and parse them by state on the home page/ The Blog page is similar to your tabs but we have each news source/blog on one page to scan.
If you would like help getting topical news - ie healthcare, or bailout aggregated as a way to present it I would be glad to help you.
Personally I like one well organized page and you are on the right track in what you are doing here.
Jil
· 1 year ago
I'd take out the pictures, move all headlines to the left, and put the main story that is currently across the top over to the right.
WestCoastian
· 1 year ago
I also prefer the one page format but you have to be careful you don't lose your audience right away. All the links up top take readers away from your site but they should open up in a new window so people have easy access back to your site.
You know how it is, you go to HuffPo for one story and you get sidetracked. At least I do. lol
I'm not a fan of Drudge either but one page is better if you want to showcase the links.
Genevieve
· 1 year ago
I think the vodpod up at the top or along one of the sides would be better. So that the page flows more cleanly down. I like the headline-hot linked stories. I don't particularly like the photo at the top of the page and the "big news headline" it's too Drudgey.
Is it possible to have a comments area for each of the news stories? or some type of forum/comments section in general that can be linked to each story to facilitate conversation on the story. That would keep the reader on your site for content, building the community.
biff
· 1 year ago
I kind of like the the links on the side too. The new thing looks fairly Drudge like which immediately makes me ill.
waterprise2
· 1 year ago
OK Jed...no, don't like the beta with the screaming headline. The top part looks like everyone else... I like things like they are right now. I like the blogfeed and newsfeed...
I HATE Morning Joe and those Republicans whiners and their attempts to de-legitimize O before he's even elected.
JHancock
· 1 year ago
I like the beta changes. Only thought is that you don't want the top link section to get beyond an approximate screen full so people don't have scroll down too much to get to the meat.
Good luck with the changes and thanks for all you have done.
Joseph
· 1 year ago
Jed, I love your blog. I don't like the beta layout. Your blog is better as the main focus. If you want to emphasize the links, maybe try to emphasize them somehow in a sidebar or at the bottom of the page after your recent blog posts instead of before. Just my 2 cents.
griche
· 1 year ago
I'd love to be able to hover over one of your headline links at the top to read the first 50 or so words of the story. I can do this with my Yahoo RSS feeds. Is it possible to do this on your page? It's one of the features I always long for on Drudge. As a substitute, you might at least identify the source of the headline in smaller type. I agree that you don't need to emulate Drudge's screaming headlines. I'd prefer a column down the left or right with all those headline links, and keep your very valuable content closer to the top. This would be more like what you used to do with your "Stuff I wish I'd blogged" column. Finally, I'd recommend a more unified look in general. Your blog is one of only three that I check repeatedly during the day. Thanks!
KD
· 1 year ago
Right now I go to The Page if I want the latest headlines on quick links. I'm aware of the MSM but it doesn't bother me. I go to you, Al Giordano and Andrew Sullivan and Ezra Klein for opinion and analysis - and your site is unique for the fantastic videos - this is your strength and ought to be upfront on your site. For "new" stories, with a progressive bent the best place is Daily Kos (and for the polls of course I go to 538.com).
What I don't like about the new layout is it looks exactly like Drudge. It's kind of like you're tricking your reader - like putting them in an alternate universe where suddenly Drudge is linking to all the "progressive" stories. I understand what you're trying to do - you want to get all the important progressive headlines in one place and make them prominent and also have some editorial control and influence by choosing to feature some stories more prominently (i.e., unlike a blog which is by default date ordered).
How about this? Divide the page into two vertical columns, equal size. On the left, put your headlines, with links (and as one reader suggested, force them to open in a new window, so you don't lose your reader). On the right side, keep your blog and videos.
thejoshuablog
· 1 year ago
Jed,
-Why can't you use the layout you have now (colors and all) - only make each column equal in width?-
I like the way it looks now much better than the new version.
Just my humble opinion.
;-)
thejoshuablog
· 1 year ago
Never mind - it is basically same. duh!
MaryE
· 1 year ago
I like it very much. Your headlines are an accurate assessment of the story. Your reasoning is on par with Rachel. Keep it succinct as it is now. Anymore will be too busy. Huffington Post is a bit too much, but I know you have to have ads. I like all the vidio's and pictures. - and being able to comment in a conversation style. That's the best, except when I get reminded of something! Kidding.
JayInDallas
· 1 year ago
Did you mean for it to look similar to The Drudge Report? I can appreciate the clean style but I think you can do better. Between the old and the new, I like the old.
bluefish
· 1 year ago
I sense some nervous energy at work here, Jed, in all the rearranging. I know I've been cleaning out closets and making calls to the Salvation Army donation pick-up line. And rearranging the furniture as I anxiously await November.
I like the format you have going on now. And why pay any kind of homage to Drudge?
What I like about the visuals now is that I get to read your direct take on things up front. Something I enjoy obviously as I come here several times a day. And the frame around your comments made up of videos and various other links serves me well.
It's not broke, don't fix it! And thanks as always for all you do. I agree that the videos are great and have made you a legend, but don't discount the power of your commentary either. I find it refreshing in its lack of BS. And, again, my friend, I like seeing it front and center when I click on the site.
acorvid
· 1 year ago
I like your site, and this has potential to enhance it. I would much prefer having the videos at the top. I would prefer no pictures in your list of links. I would suggest grouping the links under topical subheadings: politics, legislation, international, sports (not really needed here), etc I don't like the font (too Drudgelike, among other things) but I'm not sure what to suggest, something with a little more distinctiveness. Regardless of what you settle on, you do great work! Keep it up!
Sx66gns
· 1 year ago
I don't like it to be honest , I'd still surf it but.
The grudge report is for old people , like how old people love the high contrast black and white theme for winblows 95 & 98 , that's the kind of people that like the grudge report as well , your audience is mostly savvy younger people (less than 80) , I'd say they want a progressive looking & thinking website.
Cheers mate!
nepat
· 1 year ago
Jed - I'd go with a three column format with the news links taking up the left and center columns and your blog in a single column on the right. Stacking them just looks disjointed and schizophrenic. The side by side approach also suggests that your blog is a real-time reaction to the news items that appear next to it, thereby connecting the two concepts and relating them to each other.
zozie
· 1 year ago
Interesting. Thanks for giving me a chance to ruminate.
I find it looks to me like Huffington a bit. Too much emphasis on the newswire stuff in the beta and not enough on your signature vids. By the way, I could never reliably find you at HP - so I'm glad you're back here.
The big pic and headline is not a good use of your best web real estate IMHO. I guess you want to be a news portal site. I'd recommend you keep your unique personality front and center - that means putting your vids at the top. How about featuring just two - your latest and your currently most popular. Then more smaller below....
I have missed "the things I should have blogged" section on your site of a month ago or whenever. I just noticed the blog and newswire tabs - that is too subtle in my estimation (ie: never looked at them on earlier visits). A right side column with this content would be helpful. I think a rule of sites like Drudge and Kos is that you give visitors what they want before they ever have to click.
Just went to Drudge (not someone I visit usually). He features the latest - one item - very clearly. Drudge then works the provocative, somewhat humorous, or at least off-center perspective into his site.
Then it's all news all the time - or gives that impression. I spotted Arnaud de Borchgrave in his humongous links list - does anyone go there? I have doubts. Really, people go there just to see what he's headlining - and that's just the one thing, and then a look below the masthead. His site has a fakey 'revenge of the nerds' look - fakey because obviously it is pretty sophisticated in order handle the traffic etc. But it says over design isn't helpful if you want that hardboiled flavor.
The main takeaway from Drudge - is to edit to the bare bones - focus on a main story - change it rapidly as warranted - you do the choosing as to what is important - don't give people too long a menu right at the top. Also, avoid boring pix like your voting both. He's got the debate dummies up right now - that demand a reaction - and provide that personal twist. His pix are often provocative IMO - more than the writing.
OK. How about the one big story at top on left with a Breaking or some such cliche so everyone knows it's the latest. Then your top 2 vids/blog entries featured on right. Continuing on the left use somewhat more grabby headlines: McCain has Saddam connection, New poll has Obama +14, Recession fears on Wall St., with links to your story or to external sites. Then the main well of your blog follows from the right side - possibly mixed with news items (linked from above headlines?) - just differentiate them with header/ color.... I like 538's feature where the full story is accessed right in the main well - so you can just keep going through the stories.
Well, that's all for now, folks! Hope something here is helpful.
Buddy
· 1 year ago
My first impressions: 1) Why does it have to be drudge-like 2) Boy is it wide!
But more importantly, I don't get a sense of any importance or priority to the links. I guess perhaps I'd like to know which is newer. Maybe the links need a time stamp.
Ultimately though, it's not a feature I'd use.
bluedotredstate
· 1 year ago
I am not sure if there is an ideal way around the two page system. Compete with Drudge, have another page. He could use some competition. Just don't deceive people intentionally. While Drudge is an open conservative, he is very tedious in his selection and placement of headlines with pictures, for example. Like the picture he ran of Obama kissing a well-to-do white woman with the headline "Middle Class Whites move toward Obama" - there is a difference in having a bias and being deceitful. It is simply too busy when there is the blog and news page together. Link your newspage to your blog and vice versa. Run links to huffpost, kos, tnr, etc. at the bottom...like Drudge. His format is far from perfect...it it has too much length for example.
headlights on
· 1 year ago
Jed, I come here for your content, your stories, which I find to be some of the best on the web. On the beta site, I almost didn't find your blog below the fold. There are lots of sties that are all links, nothing original. If you want jedreport to be more of a starting point for accessing current info (i.e. beyond what you blog, which is huge), I'd suggest augmenting what you have with new screen areas, e.g. "Breaking News", "Hot Topics" and perhaps a regular section for your "Things I should have blogged" - i.e. keep your blog central, but augment it with new areas that lead to important stuff happening out there, particularly things that either (a) is breaking news you haven't had a chance to get to, or (b) other important stuff you won't have time to blog but would be interesting to people.
And last of all, I wanted to mention that the site's performance was awesome for a couple of days there while the No Talk Express" was gone." My CPU is back to 100% on your page, making scrolling, typing and viewing of videos all a very halting experience. Please make it go away, or at least stop the automatic timer.
ezpz
· 1 year ago
I think it's fine.
While I don't like to see "Republicans win..." anything (first big headline), no need to shoot the messenger for that one.
It does look like Drudge, but let's face it, his site is a huge success and there's a reason for that beyond his appeal to right wing factions.
Though there are many news items, the Beta still maintains the very clean look and comfortoble feel of your blog site. It's packed, but not nerve wrackingly "busy".
I agree with others who suggest the videos remain on top.
Bottom line, you won't lose any of your readers and you stand to gain many more.
Thanks, Jed, for all you do and best of luck for continued and increased success.
debrazza
· 1 year ago
On the topic at hand, I will reiterate that I don't really like it. Halperin/Drudge/Huffpohave the market cornered as far as that sort of layyout/news delivery mechanism is concerned.
ezpz
· 1 year ago
As far as Morning Joe -- Blech!
I haven't been able to watch it without wanting to throw something at the tv and times are tough - can't just go out and buy another one.
However, this morning I was flipping around and lo and behold, I landed on MSNBC just in time to hear Tom Brokaw say the word "dangerous". It would be "dangerous" according to him for *one* party to have that much power. Hmmm......did he feel that way when that *one* party was the Republican party?
Those few seconds on "Joe" reaffirmed that his show is nauseatingly unwatchable.
Nick
· 1 year ago
I don't like it. Are you trying to the Huffington Post? I don't come here to click links to other sources; I come here for your perspective and humor. Focus on the great videos. I don't need yet another link-aggregation site.
Just sayin'.
Michael
· 1 year ago
Jed, nice to see you trying something new to add to the site! That said, I share the view of many here who think it resembles Drudge too much. It is, in my view, a bad point of departure when the automatic reflex is to measure it up against Drudge.
Perhaps you can have a wide ticker underneath the vodpod (??? the 5 little screens of embedded clips) with links to the stories that you want advertised. It has the advantage of not taking up a lot of space, and still accommodating your wish to have news coverage links. The down side is that the reader does not get a complete overview of all these stories and so might miss some, or has to wait until the loop has completed (is there such a function whereby if you click on the side of a ticker, for example, all the stories listed appear?).
Sorry if my remarks don't make much sense.
AnnC
· 1 year ago
I had gotten into the habit of going through the side column of "things I should have blogged" as a regular part of hitting TJR. Of all the formats you've played with, this is the one I liked the best.
My gut reaction on this is "This is a blog, damnit, not HuffPo" I vote to keep what you have.
DiegoUK
· 1 year ago
Eww! Make it stop! MAKE IT STOP!
It's looks like DREDGE! Is that what you WANTED? ARE YOU INSANE?!?
Jed, baby, let's talk. I love you man, but if you change to this format, you'll lose me. it's hideous. You want to change, I support you (though I don't find it needful), but please, not to that. It's, it's..horrable! Stark, ugly, utilitarian: I couldn't take it hour after hour, day after day. I just couldn't bring myself to it.
Please, have a chat with a site designer (when did Drudge become a roll model?!?) and have a re-think and try again.
I'm begging you.
ÐiegoUK
Archaeologist
· 1 year ago
I think that you are doing an excellent job. The page set-up is easy to see/use. The content appears about right. The blog integration is good, however, you may want to give it a more prominent highlight near the top of the page. I think one single page can work as long as you highlight your own material in a clear way.
motu
· 1 year ago
It looks like 2 separate pages,, one on top the other... These are 2 different collections coming from one point of view so they ARE related... and can co-exist... just not in their entirety on 1 page.
IMHO, I'd put them on 2 tabs or some type of Javascripted 'expand for more' type thing... cheers motu
PeterK
· 1 year ago
Unlike Drudge readers, we don't need the big print version with editorialized headlines screaming at the top of the page. I like your current format which presents the information in a more objective fashion. It is informative, easy to use, and has a clean, friendly look and feel.
Remember, liberals/progressives are an educated lot and like more than a list of headlines.
Change the colors, fiddle with the fonts, but please don't change the basic look and feel of your page.
Lois
· 1 year ago
I kind of like the existing site - it offers YOUR feedback and opinion. Maybe have more links at the side of current site (more high profile version of Things I Should Have Blogged)? The good thing about your site is you - not the headlines. We can get those anywhere. The videos are great too.
A little different that your normal reader - have never posted a comment, and I am pretty conservative. Jumped the McCain ship even before Palin, but it got solid after that disaster.
Anyway, great site.
Rolf Schewe
· 1 year ago
Sorry, don't like the Drudge style. Not because it reminds me of Drudge but scanning headlines all over the page like that is sort of schizophrenic. I like narrow one column layouts like Talking Points Memo. Easy to read, straight forward, intuitive. I don't like the jumble.
hmmm
· 1 year ago
The best thing about this site, the way it is currently, is that it is you and nobody else - as far as I have seen. When you had that stint at Huffington, it was probably just easier to go there rather than here.
Your vids and comments are original, creative and not stiff. You already have a section of stuff you should have blogged.
If it was possible for you to churn out videos every half hour I'd prob never leave your site.
Just an opinion.
JCinDE
· 1 year ago
Three columns is fine if each column is a different topic:
Obama/Biden News McCain/Palin News Poll Updates
Soren Burkhart
· 1 year ago
Jed, I like your current format.
The main reason I come here is to see your opinion on things and the links to other articles that you have found interesting.
I was never a fan of the Drudge report format, it always seemed like a mindless amalgam of conservative news sound-bites. But I guess he is focusing on his base! :-)
Straw
· 1 year ago
Mixed feelings about the new layout. I like the idea. I like simple layouts. I don't like sports or cultural content. I don't like screaming headlines and don't need the photos.
You bury the best part of the site: you.
I'd try it with the 6 to 10 links you like the best at the top but with very little fanfare. And I'd lose either the left or right side columns. Too. Much. Info.
ezpz
· 1 year ago
Having read many of these great comments, I see where being Drudge-like might not be such a good thing. I think the idea of having the two pages and combining them is overall a good one to attract new visitors, but maybe you can reverse it and put your original blog site on top and the headline one underneath. That way, the first impression of your site for newbies is the authenticity that is you, and for your regulars who "love you just the way you are", it's still the same, but more.
Sx66gns
· 1 year ago
Also , One of the best things about the Jed report is the tab with other blogs rss , I love this as I don't have to surf many blogs , I use this as a collective source for web pages , which is great! thank you.
Andrew Meeks
· 1 year ago
The content you link is very interesting.
As for the layout... It's functional. I don't think I'll have any problems with it, but it's not amazing either. But hey, who knows? I didn't take to the new facebook right away either, and now i love it :-)
johnwest
· 1 year ago
Is the Mocking McCain 4.0 video gone for good? Your link no longer works. I never got to see it. Any ideas where it can be found?
piktor
· 1 year ago
Jed,
The old style is better because it is you. The new expanded style is automatically associated with Drudge, therefore, not JedReport-caliber.
Your "old" blog style is fun because it is in your image.
The new style has to adapt to your old style not the other way around. Bigger, louder is not automatically better.
Terry
· 1 year ago
Your current format is great for me. I use it as my information home page. I love to see the videos right up at the top. I use the tabs all the time. They make it so easy to check out the headlines at all the various blogs and newsfeeds.
Please don't Drudgify your site. We don't need anymore screaming headlines telling us what to think about the story we haven't yet read. Your site is so much better than that.
Kiwi
· 1 year ago
I like your site the way it is and prefer it to any of the others I've visited. The videos at the top are great, you can see right away if things have been updated since an earlier visit. Your latest blogs are easily accessible, I also look at the "stuff I wish I'd blogged" to check out other important stories, and use several of your links to get to other sites. The new site looks a lot like Huffington, which I like a lot less. I have to search all over the place to find things there (which is probably the idea so I see their ads).
Stephen C. Rose
· 1 year ago
I tried doing exactly this and found that doing it daily took at least two hours and because my blog is Obama focussed I began to sense that the non-campaign related links were more a credit to my smart choices than a service to readers :) I ended up modifying it radically and creating a single page daily that I build all day. My modest traffic doubled. I think simple is best.
johnwest
· 1 year ago
Your old page is excellent. No need to change it in my opinion.
Somehow I lost track of how to look through your archive file. Is there a way to do this?
Keep up the great work. I love your sense of humor. That is what is above all so great about your site (of course, videos too). Of course, McSame Palin have just been so laughable. They never stop giving us fodder for laughs and humor.
Kit
· 1 year ago
I like the layout. Would love our own Drudge
angryxer
· 1 year ago
I agree with the many commenters who dislike the "Drudgification" of the beta. Like others here, I go elsewhere for headlines, and come here for your POV, and I worry that you're burying all of your great content in this format. I really miss your "Stuff I Should Have Blogged" section, which made a brief reappearance post-Huffpo then disappeared again. I clicked through to a ton of those links. So perhaps there's some way to expand upon that kind of setup while still maintaining all the best elements that keep your site great?
Jonze
· 1 year ago
Drudge has been very successful, but aping the look though offering the left perspective will seem gimmicky.
marcia
· 1 year ago
I like it overall, but: • the bold font for the quick link is hard to read • take off the murderous mom story and other "news feed" items. What I look for from Jed Report is your POV -- don't water that down. • I'd like to see the 3-tabs for TJR Blog Entries, Blogfeeds and Newsfeeds stay on the top of the first page somehow. Perhaps a bigger left-hand column with 2 smaller ones of quick links to the right (instead of the 3 equal width columns of quick links in the current beta)? I like the easy access to a variety of sources.
Keep up the great work!!!!
henry dribble
· 1 year ago
I like it. a lot.
Stijn
· 1 year ago
Needs more "..." and "developing...".
Darick
· 1 year ago
Your site is a daily favorite of mine, and the ease of popping on and seeing the most recent headline is best. I like scrolling down through what's interesting. I am a regular Huff Post reader as well, so being directed there when I'm checking out your site seems redundant.
JerfyT
· 1 year ago
I think its a great idea, and I like the new BETA format a lot.
Kate
· 1 year ago
http://politics.alltop.com aggregates feeds and lets you mouse over and look at the (partial) content of posts without clicking through (Jed is on there). I really like doing that, rather than clicking through on everything. I personally think your time is better spent on your very good blogging! Alltop makes it easy enough to see what everyone else is writing.
JMA
· 1 year ago
Honestly, I've always thought Drudge was a dreadfully ugly POS. Organize your headlines better than he does and I'll pop in.
mikecoatl
· 1 year ago
I think the headlines should be in a sidebar, or in the tabs, similar to what you have now. The Drudge format has been overdone.
Lucky Strike
· 1 year ago
Can't say the change is appealing - like what you have now, being clear, easy to navigate, instinctively organised.
As for content, again, what you have now works fine, especially clear blog feeds and news feeds.
Malcolm
· 1 year ago
I guess my question to you is, doesn't Raw Story fill this function on the net?
All Comments
What is most revealing in Brokaw's comments is that its clear where his bias and disdain for Obama is. They are all stunned that the Obama campaign has actually executed on an ambitious plan where McCain has failed miserably, lacked a plan and now he has no way to win.
Now that we are seeing the full force of the Obama juggernaut at work these MSM types are surprised. The early voting is the first evidence of the voter reg program and Obama organizing fellows.
The ground game has the battleground all going our way and expanded to make a McCain win impossible. This was the plan they all pooh poohed - the 50 state strategy and 3 weeks out Obama is at "Check" nearly Checkmate. Landslide is the discussion and stunning states like ND,MT,GA,WV et al are now in play and they are all just dumbfounded that the ground game has actually delivered.
The hew and cry over Obama opting out of the federal finance program now looks silly and Obama can dominate the media over McCain like in VA 1382 - 8 ads in the last month.
If the talking heads had actually been paying attention all these pieces have been there they wouldn't be so stunned by where we are. They are like a moose in the headlights...
McCain was a flawed candidate and Palin a disastrous pick and his campaign from the ground up is a disaster. The negative message has driven independents and undecideds to Obama and his own behavior in the economic 3 AM moment has been scarily incompetent and erratic.
This is the best he can do and we are seeing why he was 794/799 at Annapolis and he is being beaten by Obama who ran the Harvard Law Review and has spent his life organizing people from the ground up not reading his own press clippings and mythology.
did you catch when they had the McCain woman on? It was so pathetic. The entirety of the McCain campaign now is to run like Hillary. They are crying foul on "sexism" and "ageism" and are now "fighters". And everyone there was just nodding their heads at all the atrocious things said or done to McCain and Palin. OMG, there were people not affiliated with the Obama campaign or even Democrats for that matter wearing an offensive t-shirt, that so is much worse than one campaign riling up their supporters to call and compare their opponent to a man that murdered 3000 innocent Americans during the worst attack in America since the civil war.
One thing that pisses me off is that Republicans say that "you cannot raise taxes in a depression". That means that they now oddly accept Keynesian economic theory. But apparently only when the economy is bad. So if that is their argument when the economy is bad, then why is tax cuts when the economy is good the answer? If raising taxes when the economy is bad is wrong, then they need to admit that the Bush tax cuts in 2001 were wrong on principle. With the economy booming, they should have been calling for an increase in taxes and I cannot believe that they are allowed to get away with this lie. They need to be confronted that if they believe that raising taxes in a recession is bad, then what is the optimal level of taxation? Why is it also good to cut taxes in an economic boom? Also, if they are such Keynesians, then why are they promoted the wrong idea that in an economic downturn, the government cannot and should not spend money to prime the pump of the economy. That is precisely what Keynesian theory says.
Furthermore, and following on that, one thing that really pisses me off is hearing all the poopooing in the media about how "everyone" in the US "got drunk", not just Wall Street. That everyone in the US believed that they could live beyond their means. But no one questions how everything got that way. In 2000, Al Gore campaigned on a pragmatic platform that said that we needed to preserve the economic success that we had and continue to pay down the national debt so that we could have the room to borrow to pay for social security when the boomers retire ("the lockbox"). He said that we needed to budget and be careful about preserving the economic success of the 90's. George Bush campaigned on the other hand on the precise platform that we can have it all. Gore scoffed and the media mocked Gore, not Bush. The media said, what is wrong with having it all? Bush would campaign with these 3 dollar bills to show what his economic plan was, despite the fact that the entire thing was fictional and did not add up. The media mocked Gore. The media said that there was nothing wrong if Bush's economic policies did not add up. Krugman wrote a book about how disasterous Bush's economic policies were and Krugman was resoundingly ignored. Hacks like Cokie Roberts said "what's the big deal?". Republicans got Alan Greenspan to testify that summer before Congress and Greenspan made the preposterous claim that paying down the national debt too fast was a bigger problem than having more debt. The media enabled this environment. Exactly like the Iraq war, the media did not question Bush's spurious economic claims nor his tax cuts of mass destruction. Instead of of question the logic and propriety of his economic program, they cheered it on or just said that it was no big deal. George Bush campaigned on that platform that we could have it all and no one in the media questioned that. A year later when 911 happened, Bush told the nation to go shopping and only people on the left scoffed. So now to see people in the media say that it was wrong of Bush not to call for national sacrifice is ridiculous. So now that people in the media say that all of us "got drunk", they don't mention their own role in that deception that allowed the American people to believe that they could have it all.
In fact, the entire basis of the Republican party is the idea that we can have something for nothing. That we as Americans don't have to pay taxes, but at the same time we can have all the government services that we desire at no cost. That is why the national debt has ballooned under Republicans, because the Republicans themselves know that Americans want to those services, so they don't cut them. Instead they charge it to the credit card. The Republican party is the party that has not leveled with the American people about what our responsibilities are as Americans. About what constraints exist. Because if they have to tell the truth that we have constraints, then they cannot always claim unlimited freedom.
it would be interesting to see the blog entries/recent posts as a horizontal rss feed that could link to the blog entries and integrate the two that way. (does this make sense? what i mean is a horizontal strip just below the videos that would have a running feed of your recent blog posts that link back to your original site.)
Also, it happened again this morning. John Meecham says on Morning Joe that "this is essentially a conservative country" in regards to the election. I think they are trying to portray an Obama presidency as "the accidental Presidency".
John Meecham: "Obama understands that this country is not a liberal country"
http://www.barackobamaradar.com
We aggregate over 3000 news sources and parse them by state on the home page/ The Blog page is similar to your tabs but we have each news source/blog on one page to scan.
My business is targeted content via RSS:
http://www.theindustryradar.com
If you would like help getting topical news - ie healthcare, or bailout aggregated as a way to present it I would be glad to help you.
Personally I like one well organized page and you are on the right track in what you are doing here.
You know how it is, you go to HuffPo for one story and you get sidetracked. At least I do. lol
I'm not a fan of Drudge either but one page is better if you want to showcase the links.
Is it possible to have a comments area for each of the news stories? or some type of forum/comments section in general that can be linked to each story to facilitate conversation on the story. That would keep the reader on your site for content, building the community.
I like things like they are right now.
I like the blogfeed and newsfeed...
I HATE Morning Joe and those Republicans whiners and their attempts to de-legitimize O before he's even elected.
Good luck with the changes and thanks for all you have done.
Your blog is one of only three that I check repeatedly during the day. Thanks!
What I don't like about the new layout is it looks exactly like Drudge. It's kind of like you're tricking your reader - like putting them in an alternate universe where suddenly Drudge is linking to all the "progressive" stories. I understand what you're trying to do - you want to get all the important progressive headlines in one place and make them prominent and also have some editorial control and influence by choosing to feature some stories more prominently (i.e., unlike a blog which is by default date ordered).
How about this? Divide the page into two vertical columns, equal size. On the left, put your headlines, with links (and as one reader suggested, force them to open in a new window, so you don't lose your reader). On the right side, keep your blog and videos.
-Why can't you use the layout you have now (colors and all) - only make each column equal in width?-
I like the way it looks now much better than the new version.
Just my humble opinion.
;-)
I like the format you have going on now. And why pay any kind of homage to Drudge?
What I like about the visuals now is that I get to read your direct take on things up front. Something I enjoy obviously as I come here several times a day. And the frame around your comments made up of videos and various other links serves me well.
It's not broke, don't fix it! And thanks as always for all you do. I agree that the videos are great and have made you a legend, but don't discount the power of your commentary either. I find it refreshing in its lack of BS. And, again, my friend, I like seeing it front and center when I click on the site.
The grudge report is for old people , like how old people love the high contrast black and white theme for winblows 95 & 98 , that's the kind of people that like the grudge report as well , your audience is mostly savvy younger people (less than 80) , I'd say they want a progressive looking & thinking website.
Cheers mate!
I find it looks to me like Huffington a bit. Too much emphasis on the newswire stuff in the beta and not enough on your signature vids. By the way, I could never reliably find you at HP - so I'm glad you're back here.
The big pic and headline is not a good use of your best web real estate IMHO. I guess you want to be a news portal site. I'd recommend you keep your unique personality front and center - that means putting your vids at the top. How about featuring just two - your latest and your currently most popular. Then more smaller below....
I have missed "the things I should have blogged" section on your site of a month ago or whenever. I just noticed the blog and newswire tabs - that is too subtle in my estimation (ie: never looked at them on earlier visits). A right side column with this content would be helpful. I think a rule of sites like Drudge and Kos is that you give visitors what they want before they ever have to click.
Just went to Drudge (not someone I visit usually). He features the latest - one item - very clearly. Drudge then works the provocative, somewhat humorous, or at least off-center perspective into his site.
Then it's all news all the time - or gives that impression. I spotted Arnaud de Borchgrave in his humongous links list - does anyone go there? I have doubts. Really, people go there just to see what he's headlining - and that's just the one thing, and then a look below the masthead. His site has a fakey 'revenge of the nerds' look - fakey because obviously it is pretty sophisticated in order handle the traffic etc. But it says over design isn't helpful if you want that hardboiled flavor.
The main takeaway from Drudge - is to edit to the bare bones - focus on a main story - change it rapidly as warranted - you do the choosing as to what is important - don't give people too long a menu right at the top. Also, avoid boring pix like your voting both. He's got the debate dummies up right now - that demand a reaction - and provide that personal twist. His pix are often provocative IMO - more than the writing.
OK. How about the one big story at top on left with a Breaking or some such cliche so everyone knows it's the latest. Then your top 2 vids/blog entries featured on right. Continuing on the left use somewhat more grabby headlines: McCain has Saddam connection, New poll has Obama +14, Recession fears on Wall St., with links to your story or to external sites. Then the main well of your blog follows from the right side - possibly mixed with news items (linked from above headlines?) - just differentiate them with header/ color.... I like 538's feature where the full story is accessed right in the main well - so you can just keep going through the stories.
Well, that's all for now, folks!
Hope something here is helpful.
1) Why does it have to be drudge-like
2) Boy is it wide!
But more importantly, I don't get a sense of any importance or priority to the links. I guess perhaps I'd like to know which is newer. Maybe the links need a time stamp.
Ultimately though, it's not a feature I'd use.
And last of all, I wanted to mention that the site's performance was awesome for a couple of days there while the No Talk Express" was gone." My CPU is back to 100% on your page, making scrolling, typing and viewing of videos all a very halting experience. Please make it go away, or at least stop the automatic timer.
While I don't like to see "Republicans win..." anything (first big headline), no need to shoot the messenger for that one.
It does look like Drudge, but let's face it, his site is a huge success and there's a reason for that beyond his appeal to right wing factions.
Though there are many news items, the Beta still maintains the very clean look and comfortoble feel of your blog site. It's packed, but not nerve wrackingly "busy".
I agree with others who suggest the videos remain on top.
Bottom line, you won't lose any of your readers and you stand to gain many more.
Thanks, Jed, for all you do and best of luck for continued and increased success.
I haven't been able to watch it without wanting to throw something at the tv and times are tough - can't just go out and buy another one.
However, this morning I was flipping around and lo and behold, I landed on MSNBC just in time to hear Tom Brokaw say the word "dangerous". It would be "dangerous" according to him for *one* party to have that much power.
Hmmm......did he feel that way when that *one* party was the Republican party?
Those few seconds on "Joe" reaffirmed that his show is nauseatingly unwatchable.
Just sayin'.
Perhaps you can have a wide ticker underneath the vodpod (??? the 5 little screens of embedded clips) with links to the stories that you want advertised. It has the advantage of not taking up a lot of space, and still accommodating your wish to have news coverage links. The down side is that the reader does not get a complete overview of all these stories and so might miss some, or has to wait until the loop has completed (is there such a function whereby if you click on the side of a ticker, for example, all the stories listed appear?).
Sorry if my remarks don't make much sense.
My gut reaction on this is "This is a blog, damnit, not HuffPo" I vote to keep what you have.
It's looks like DREDGE! Is that what you WANTED? ARE YOU INSANE?!?
Jed, baby, let's talk. I love you man, but if you change to this format, you'll lose me. it's hideous. You want to change, I support you (though I don't find it needful), but please, not to that. It's, it's..horrable! Stark, ugly, utilitarian: I couldn't take it hour after hour, day after day. I just couldn't bring myself to it.
Please, have a chat with a site designer (when did Drudge become a roll model?!?) and have a re-think and try again.
I'm begging you.
ÐiegoUK
These are 2 different collections coming from one point of view so they ARE related... and can co-exist... just not in their entirety on 1 page.
IMHO, I'd put them on 2 tabs
or some type of Javascripted 'expand for more' type thing...
cheers
motu
Remember, liberals/progressives are an educated lot and like more than a list of headlines.
Change the colors, fiddle with the fonts, but please don't change the basic look and feel of your page.
A little different that your normal reader - have never posted a comment, and I am pretty conservative. Jumped the McCain ship even before Palin, but it got solid after that disaster.
Anyway, great site.
Your vids and comments are original, creative and not stiff. You already have a section of stuff you should have blogged.
If it was possible for you to churn out videos every half hour I'd prob never leave your site.
Just an opinion.
Obama/Biden News
McCain/Palin News
Poll Updates
The main reason I come here is to see your opinion on things and the links to other articles that you have found interesting.
I was never a fan of the Drudge report format, it always seemed like a mindless amalgam of conservative news sound-bites. But I guess he is focusing on his base! :-)
You bury the best part of the site: you.
I'd try it with the 6 to 10 links you like the best at the top but with very little fanfare. And I'd lose either the left or right side columns. Too. Much. Info.
I think the idea of having the two pages and combining them is overall a good one to attract new visitors, but maybe you can reverse it and put your original blog site on top and the headline one underneath.
That way, the first impression of your site for newbies is the authenticity that is you, and for your regulars who "love you just the way you are", it's still the same, but more.
As for the layout... It's functional. I don't think I'll have any problems with it, but it's not amazing either.
But hey, who knows? I didn't take to the new facebook right away either, and now i love it :-)
The old style is better because it is you. The new expanded style is automatically associated with Drudge, therefore, not JedReport-caliber.
Your "old" blog style is fun because it is in your image.
The new style has to adapt to your old style not the other way around. Bigger, louder is not automatically better.
Please don't Drudgify your site. We don't need anymore screaming headlines telling us what to think about the story we haven't yet read. Your site is so much better than that.
Somehow I lost track of how to look through your archive file. Is there a way to do this?
Keep up the great work. I love your sense of humor. That is what is above all so great about your site (of course, videos too). Of course, McSame Palin have just been so laughable. They never stop giving us fodder for laughs and humor.
• the bold font for the quick link is hard to read
• take off the murderous mom story and other "news feed" items. What I look for from Jed Report is your POV -- don't water that down.
• I'd like to see the 3-tabs for TJR Blog Entries, Blogfeeds and Newsfeeds stay on the top of the first page somehow. Perhaps a bigger left-hand column with 2 smaller ones of quick links to the right (instead of the 3 equal width columns of quick links in the current beta)? I like the easy access to a variety of sources.
Keep up the great work!!!!
As for content, again, what you have now works fine, especially clear blog feeds and news feeds.