Some More Feedback, Please
One more discussion topic before the year’s out: To date we’ve kept pretty tight reins on the editorial content on the main page of Brownstoner. As the site and community (hopefully) continue to grow, there are numerous initiatives we could be working on aside from just writing posts (events, new service features, etc.). Assuming that…
One more discussion topic before the year’s out: To date we’ve kept pretty tight reins on the editorial content on the main page of Brownstoner. As the site and community (hopefully) continue to grow, there are numerous initiatives we could be working on aside from just writing posts (events, new service features, etc.). Assuming that our voice remained the dominant one and we kept a careful eye on quality control, how would readers feel about some new perspectives on the main page of the site? For example, do you think the blog would benefit from having some neighborhood and topical specialists writing occasional posts, e.g. a weekly report from a deputized Victorian Flatbush reader? Or do you think such a move would risk diluting what has made the site successful to date? (Remember, there was some grumbling when we ran the Set Speed Condo Report for a few months last year.) Or as a middle ground, maybe there’s just a better way to formalize the process for receiving tips from readers. Either way, we’d like our neighborhood coverage on Brownstoner (and Brooklyn Record) to get broader and deeper, ideally with the help of readers. Very interested to hear everyone’s reaction and ideas.
“I imagine the person who poated that comment about ATP is the same person who has posted pronographic links there.”
You “imagine”. How quaint.
This constant leveling of accusations is what is making this blog hard to stomach, not the machinations of any “troll”. If you have evidence to back up this claim, then please share it with everyone. Otherwise, kindly hold your tongue until such evidence is at hand.
I love Brownstoner just the way it is — and I agree with the first poster (who may or may not be who he or she claims to be) in that most neighborhoods have their own blogs (many of which I read as well), and one of the best things about Brownstoner is its lack of specific focus on any one nabe.
And I truly don’t understand the appeal of trolling, be it making ridiculous comments and usurping others’ identities or posting links to pornographic sites and the like. This is a problem all over it seems — I imagine the person who poated that comment about ATP is the same person who has posted pronographic links there. ATP has now had to take the step of individually reviewing every comment before it’s posted — certainly cutting down on the chances for an actual discussion to arise, but completely understandable given the nonsense that was occurring there.
Anyway, in short, don’t change a thing, and hopefully the trolls will change themselves.
I’d like to see some different voices. It’s interesting to see brownstoner’s opinion and I can choose to agree or disagree with it. Having other voices on a regular basis would be useful to me.
I’m also in favor of having other regular contributors as well who bring a certain viewpoint to the table. I like the setspeed condo report. Once again I could choose to agree or disagree but I was able to get a feel for his particular viewpoint on the topic of condos.
Having random user posts does not allow the reader to develop an understanding of the poster’s bias, which we all have.
There are a whole lot of writers in Park Slope. Maybe we could appeal to them to write an essay or short-short story set in Brooklyn, once in a while. Having that kind of content could be fun.
I was recently turned onto ATP by a friend, but was then quickly turned off of it because of all the pornographic videos. I had the bad luck to hit one of the vids (which were disguised) just as my little nephew was looking over my shoulder!
I’d like a regular column where readers could send in a picture of an interesting building in their neighborhood, or in their travels. (limited to Brooklyn, of course) Mr. B. has been doing this all along, and these have often been very interesting looks at places not all of us know about. This could point out endangered buildings, great architecture, terrible architecture, remuddled messterpieces, homes of historically significant New Yorkers, George Washington slept here, anything of that sort.
Editorially speaking, I have no problems with strong opinions, or even crackpot opinions, as long as comments are allowed to freely go back and forth with some kind of civility. I don’t always agree with Brownstoner, but I’m very glad his site is here to provide a forum for his viewpoints, and anyone else who has an opinion. A healthy discourse can aid us all in common cause and understanding.
Maybe the neighborhood reports could be in a separate section like the Forum.
Add my vote to those asking for fixing TypeKey. FWIW Typekey still works on other blogs (ATP, for one). Wish I had an idea about HOW to fix it.
I love you just the way you are…don’t give in to the hype. Stay intelligent and well-informed. You are doing a stellar job.
Any techie out there who could help us fix Typekey? Our web designer can’t figure out the problem.