tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462769615692467456.post3439888023868347863..comments2021-08-16T09:52:42.362-04:00Comments on Innovate this: Making readers' opinions workAndriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14611584722138503167noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462769615692467456.post-69638296930639039502008-07-31T10:14:00.000-04:002008-07-31T10:14:00.000-04:00thanks for the kind words, andria and mary.... ed ...thanks for the kind words, andria and mary.... ed wms and i agreed early on -- 1992! -- that published ltrs should be more concise (and thus more numerous)... everything else is pretty much an outgrowth of that approach.... eg, pleasing readers trumps pleasing writers.... i feel the same way about blog posters: if they dont add anything to the conversation, we have zero obligation to share their bile.... lew <BR/>(btw, i was on vacation the sunday andria cited and ed edited forum)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462769615692467456.post-3012077518278864232008-07-29T19:40:00.000-04:002008-07-29T19:40:00.000-04:00Andria, Thanks for the plug for The Naked City. A ...Andria, Thanks for the plug for The Naked City. A few observations:<BR/><BR/>The reason the Observer's letters are so addictive to readers is because there is a very sharp mind editing them. Lew selects well, prunes well and writes great headlines. He also has a rare sense of "opinion as entertainment" -- predating the blogosphere -- and a sense of pacing. In other words, it takes time and human brainpower to make those letters shine. Remove the time and brainpower, and you lose the shine.<BR/><BR/>As to the commenters on The Naked City, since returning from Harvard I've pushed myself to post a lot more often. It seems to be luring more readers. Plus, I've cracked down on nasty comments, and they're diminishing. I let anyone comment and I monitor (and delete) half a dozen times daily. I think letting people comment immediately is like impulse-buying -- you don't want to discourage it. It helps build the fan base. Posting/monitoring can take up to two hours or more a day.<BR/>I'm curious whether there's a way to use the new Pluck software to form something akin to a Facebook group, Friends of The Naked City, or some such. I think some commenters and readers feel as if they're part of a community, and it might be fun to try to create a stronger sense of that.<BR/>Sorry to ramble on. Time to go home.Mary Newsomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12202416766614180007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462769615692467456.post-87742511775498403472008-07-28T20:48:00.000-04:002008-07-28T20:48:00.000-04:00And another link. Don't miss the specific, concret...And another link. Don't miss the specific, concrete advice in the comments from Liz Ditz:<BR/>http://bit.ly/comments3Andriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14611584722138503167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462769615692467456.post-44220652087884485542008-07-28T08:49:00.000-04:002008-07-28T08:49:00.000-04:00More, related, from Jack Lail at:http://tinyurl.co...More, related, from Jack Lail at:<BR/>http://tinyurl.com/6nstg4Andriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14611584722138503167noreply@blogger.com