Notes from last week to next week
My newspaper column
Last Sunday, I wrote proudly about the redesign of News-Record.com, specifically mentioning its simplicity, its search and its speed. I stand by the simplicity of finding things on the site and its search capability.
Speed? Well, not so much.
You've told us about a range of problems with the site loading: it's too slow; the whole page doesn't load; it shuts down the computer.
We're working to fix it. Not to get overly technical -- I am just about out of my depth already -- our programmers are cutting down some file sizes and rebuilding navigation tools. The loading speed also differs with the type of Web browser used. (For those interested in a more detailed explanation, go to the frequently asked questions link on the site.)
We're making improvements every day. Not surprisingly, private Web developers in the community have made excellent suggestions that have helped us with the bugs. Keep the feedback coming. It is the best way we can make the site better for you.
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Hillary, Rudy and Obama have nothing on us. Voting has begun on our annual Readers' Choice Awards.
This is your chance to tell others what is best in the Triad: the best Mexican restaurant, the best TV personality, the best shoe store, the best dance club and so on. We eliminated some categories from last year that were confusing or lame, and we added some new categories whose time has come.
We will conduct all balloting online this year. We can tabulate the votes much faster, and, as Go Triad editor Carla Kucinski says kindly, we don’t have to decipher "some pretty bad handwriting" that we get on paper ballots.
While I have disagreed with some of the "best of" winners in the past, I consider the designation a community stamp of approval. It also helps direct me to try new restaurants as we have 32 food categories.Cast your vote at gotriad.com through Sept. 18.
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I hope you read Joe Killian's look at gangs on the front page today. He spent several weeks reporting the story and interviewed more than 40 gang members. We have written a lot about the gang problem in Greensboro, but this is the first story that includes the voices of gang members themselves.
Granting anonymity to sources is a departure from our common practice; we believe readers deserve to know who is speaking. In this case, however, we thought the gang story was important to tell, and we would not have gotten it otherwise.
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Next Sunday, we will introduce some changes to the Guilford Record, based on reader suggestions. We'll make similar improvements on the following Wednesday to the Rock Creek Record, which serves readers in Eastern Guilford and Western Alamance.
The community newspapers will continue to be a mix of hyperlocal news and "good news" stories. As the school year starts, we will focus more on education and student achievement.
We have added more community columnists to our Hometown Hubs section in each publication. We will also add more interactive features, such as contests and ongoing reader solicitations, similar to our popular "share your recipe" feature.
The Guilford Record and Rock Creek Record will also be available in stores and racks so if you want to pick up a few extra copies because it features someone you know, have at it!
Comments (1)
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Today is the SLOWEST I have ever seen it!
Posted on August 26, 2007 4:46 PM