Relax, AN isn't changing that much more. I've just been doing a lot of thinking about how to make the site better this past offseason. It's where the Staturdays idea came from and I think it's been an excellent addition to the site as devo, grover and sal have done a magnificent job. So Staturdays is becoming a regular three-man rotation between those ANers. I'm really happy to have them contributing and increasing the stat presence on the site.
I also discussed how to make sure that the front page writers for AN continue to stay inspired. They came back to me and made some excellent suggestions. First and foremost, we're changing how the front pagers post. The only responsibilities that will be assigned to people are game threads and any regular features like Staturdays or ANtics.
That means that you could hear from any of the front page group on any day. Nico, baseballgirl, monkeyball, louismg and myself are going to have the ability to essentially write whenever they see fit. I'm hoping this means that we'll be writing and updating the site more frequently this year. And the writers will be free to write whenever inspiration hits rather than being forced to write on particular days (other than the game threads and game wraps). The goal is to give our writers more free reign to be able to write when creativity hits. We're going to move to this starting when the spring training games start next week.
That being said, I'd like to officially announce that notsellingjeans is officially joining the front page crew. I think he's going to be a fantastic addition to the front page as he has some great experience in writing about baseball and understands the game really well.
We're also planning on having Brad Ziegler back for a diary this year and hopefully he somehow winds up making it with the big club. That one is TBD.
Regardless, I'm hoping that you embrace the new AN. Everything we've been doing from the new platform to the changes to the front page rotation has been to try and improve the community.
Speaking of which I noticed the discussion of AN's numbers yesterday in the DLD. The numbers are actually very skewed downward for two reasons. First and foremost, the numbers took a big hit when we switched to AN 2.0 (the way the comments regenerated affected page views badly). Sitemeter also made some changes in how they calculated numbers recently as well, which led to the visits being more of a reflection of what the site is really doing.
So you don't have to worry. It actually hasn't changed all that much judging from our google analytics numbers.
Trust me, if the changes to the front page posting don't have a good overall impact on AN, it won't last. But I think it will be for the better. I hope you like them too.
1 recs | 43 comments
Cool ...
a suggestion -- leaving the rest of you front pagers un tied down should work during the regular season, when game threads/wraps will ensure frequent updates and the season should provide consistent motivation ... but I'd suggest that in the off-season, it might be better to return to a regular schedule.
devo - February 21, 2008
Interestingly devo, as a front page writer
I feel the opposite - during the season I usually have something to say on a given day of the week, because stuff is happening daily. It's during the off-season that I feel "forced" to write if it's day-of-the-week based and not "have something to offer today" based.
Nico - February 21, 2008
We don't disagree on that point ...
What I'm saying is that during the season people will be inspired to write sufficiently frequently that a schedule isn't necessary to ensure sufficient updates.
During a slow couple of weeks it might be tough to get sufficient updates to keep the site interesting.
devo - February 21, 2008
We'll see how it goes
I think this will naturally work itself out. Just like it didn't make much sense to post new ANtics in the off-season (with no new photos), things do change in the slower months. But let's give this a chance to work, and we'll watch. I'm looking forward to the flexibility.
louismg - February 21, 2008
I side with Nico on this
If writers have nothing worthwhile to say, I don't want them to be forced to make "sufficient updates". That's how we get lame-ass front-page threads. I'd rather have it go idle for a few days than have people write just for the sake of filling space.
But I think I'm the #1 h8er here of forcing content to fit form....
iglew - February 21, 2008
Very ambitious
but far supeior to the existing media coverage of all things "Athletics".
Susan Slusser does a very good job, but she gets only so many inches of space.
Great team of writers on AN. Props to each!
One won lost won - February 21, 2008
I feel similarly about Blez's page views as I do about Lew's payroll
Which is to say, I'm much less interested in the raw numbers and the parties' profitability as I am the quality of players/posters included within those numbers. To me that's the big To Be Determined factor on AN in the coming months, as influenced by a mix of factors including the 3.0 upgrade, the A's team quality, and the level of participation by AN community members.
FreeSeatUpgrade - February 21, 2008
Still waiting for the "Widescreen AN" addition
That is capable of using the wasted space on either side of the content.
Signed,
People who have monitors purchased within the last, oh, five years or so.
mikev - February 21, 2008
+1
xbhaskarx - February 21, 2008
Help me out here
What exactly do you want to do with that extra space?
Because the only thing I can think of is to make the text column twice as long, in which case I think it would be hard to read.
Were you imagining a two-column format? More ads and pictures in the margins?
Wide screen is great for watching movies, but as long as we read text on horizontal lines, it's no help for reading text unless you have a way to make columns.
Maybe you need to go out and buy a new monitor ... one of those ones where you can tip the screen 90 degrees. Then make it go to the tall way and you can have lots of AN.
iglew - February 21, 2008
Blez clearly is a top-flight executive talent.
Attract talented people to work with you. Attract a whole bunch of customers. Everyone feels a stake in the enterprise. Great sense of team and community with diverse personalities and areas of interest. Interaction with the team. Color me impressed!
WaddellCanseco - February 21, 2008
I was going through the
list I made and am looking it over....ahhh, lets see where, ahhh, oh yeah, I wrote him down...son of gun, he made the list. Congrats Nico.ak_A - February 21, 2008
Thanks - now my life is complete
Nico - February 21, 2008
If by talented people you mean...
will work for free, then yeah, Blez has found a boatload of talent.
grover - February 21, 2008
Blez is a 21st century Robber Baron?
Props to Blez! Do you have any idea of how hard that is to pull off in this day and age?
alox - February 24, 2008
34
I'm demanding a party for my 20,000th post.
Jennifer - February 21, 2008
In Soviet Russia, party demands *you*
monkeyball - February 21, 2008
Ooooo!
Can your 20,000th comment be about how awesome I am? I'm feeling really needy.
Poppy - February 21, 2008
Links to other Team Blogs
Where are the links to other Teams Blogs located. I may be blind, but I'm not finding them.
HuskerFan - February 21, 2008
You're not blind
You've got to go the the SB Natiom site (link at top L of the page) and from there you can jump to another site. Because the other SB Nation sites haven't upgraded to 3.0 they still have a direct side link back to AN.
grover - February 21, 2008
IIRC,
either clockwerks or lovitt or someone said they were planning on adding them back in soon, as well.
pam5981 - February 21, 2008
Along with the Community Guidelines, I hope
Right now, you are all accountable for adhering to guidelines that you cannot read. Don't mess up!
Nico - February 21, 2008
Ah..
AN 3.0 is illiterate... Just like me
DMOAS - February 21, 2008
So, totally OT . . .
. . . is it free "reign" or free "rein"? Curiously, and interestingly, I think you could make a case either way. Can't think of another figure of speech so interchangeable.
camperdog - February 21, 2008
I thought it was ...
"free Rainn"
monkeyball - February 21, 2008
It's free rein
I clicked "flag", but the only choices were spam, troll or inappropriate.
I want a grammar flag.
iglew - February 21, 2008
.
Poppy - February 21, 2008
where do you get these cat photos?
OaklandSi - February 23, 2008
Usually...
from here. But that "grammatically accurate" one just came from doing a Google image search for "grammar flag"... LOL
Poppy - February 23, 2008
Why does it still say "A's 2006 Stats"?
WaddellCanseco - February 21, 2008
I'm looking forward to reading ...
NotSellingJeans. I usually admire his diaries. I liked the writers writing on a schedule , though. I like organization but I am sure you guys will work it out just fine. I know it will be another good season on AN even if it doesn't turn out that way for the A's .
IM4Oakgal - February 21, 2008
I just read the headline as
"New Season, New Addictions"
My Oakland A's addiction is more than enough, thank you ;-)
OaklandSi - February 22, 2008
Late, as usual
I go away for a lousy year and BAM! It's the friggin Oakland Rivercats of Sacrafremont only with the same old cement bowl of a stadium (thank god). Swish, I'm sure this has been expressed 10 million times already, but damn, the White Sox?
eamb - February 22, 2008
Hey!
Welcome home! :)
Poppy - February 22, 2008
Hi
Thanks!
eamb - February 22, 2008
Great to see you back!
mikeA - February 22, 2008
Nice to be back
Cool! Auto-refreshness.
eamb - February 22, 2008
woah!
Welcome back!!!!!
batgirl - February 22, 2008
Most excellent to see you back so soon
Tanned, rested and ready, no doubt.
FreeSeatUpgrade - February 22, 2008
allow me to hop on the welcome wagon
monkeyball - February 22, 2008
Great to have you back, eamb!
Ice Cream - February 22, 2008
eamb...
It's good to see you back where you belong.
IM4Oakgal - February 22, 2008
Good to see you back!
I was asking about you a couple of months ago. I hope all went as well as possible!
alox - February 24, 2008
You must Login with your SB Nation account and be a member of Athletics Nation to post a comment.