Ongoing DiscussionsAny Blog Can Be a New Blog
The problem with confining blog postings on related topics to strings is that they don't get nearly the audience face time that a new blog posting brings. Perhaps more importantly, while one blog topic might seems similar to another in the "editor's mind," it can be quite different in point and nuance to the author. Hot discussions and all the rest are good ideas and worth integrating into the web site but a discussion is just that. It should not confine an author from further exploring a blog topic because of the perception that the topic had been previously covered. If authors wish to discuss or respond in a string format, great. If they want to elborate on a previous topic with a totally new blog, there should be no restrictions in doing so. January 30, 2008 - 01:11
My Practices
As a reader, I'll either check the New Content box or use the Search field to find articles I'm interested in. As a commenter, I'll simply check the New Content box. As an author, I know whether I am writing a blog or a comment. Daryl Choy, the founder of Touchpoint eXperience Management, helps firms make a difference at every touchpoint. Choy can be reached at wisdomboom.blogspot.com. January 30, 2008 - 02:29
I think new entries on old
Balancing Recency with Frequency
Gwynne Personally, I use CustomerThink for two things: Firstly, to see what great ideas authors have had, particularly blog postings. I rarely read the articles as they are generally just padded-out blog posts. Just like most business books are generally padded out Harvard Business Review articles. And finally, to participate in the blog discussions. And very occasionally, forum discussions. I do not follow old discussions on the blog, not even those I started myself with a blog post, as they are old news. They are history in the fast-paced blogosphere. That means I would prefer that authors have the first say on whether a blog post is made as a comment or as a new post. As Bob said, the authors often have something different in mind from an apparently related earlier post. And they can always create a cross-link to an historical post if they want to. But the editors should always have the last say, if a blog post should obviously be appended as a comment to an existing post. Trust the authors, they know their material much better. Of the options you suggested: I don't use quick links as it takes more clicks to get where I want to go. I use the direct links on the landing page. I like the idea of extending the hot discussions box. It is visible, easy to use and relevant. Adding another box isn't appropriate on an already overcrowded landing page. I am not interested in golden discussions unless they were largely recent (in which case they will be hot discussions). A new post months after a topic has been widely discussed on CustomerThink and in the contemporary news isn't generally something worth highlighting. Just my three-penneth. Graham Hill January 30, 2008 - 09:18
Blog comments
Gwynne - I'm very much in favor of keeping comments as comments. In fact, I believe the increasing volume of posts makes that almost mandatory to prevent the blog from turning into a blob. However, I'd limit the "posts on a covered topic should be comments" rule to 30 days from original posting. That way, authors can quickly scan Quick Links to make sure no one else has written on the topic. I'd also make an exception in cases where substantial "new news" breaks within the 30-day period. Also, I love the idea of highlighting active discussions on the jump page. And because CT visitors, while great readers, tend not to comment, I'd reduce the number of comments required to be a "hot topic" to 5, at least initially. January 30, 2008 - 15:21
Let's follow forum etiquette -- search then post
As Dick noted, our volume of blog postings has increased. To the point that a new post might be visible on the home page only for a day. That's not much visibility. The best visibility comes when a blog post is featured by Gwynne. This "pins" it to the top of the blog list for an entire week. And featured blogs are also promoted in our newsletter. We're planning to feature discussions, too, in our next design update in February. So new comments on existing threads will be more visible. I suggest a return to old forum etiquette. Give a quick search of the site before posting a blog. Then make your decision whether what you want to say could best be added as a comment to an existing thread (if there is one), or a new post. January 30, 2008 - 16:51
NOT GETTING BLOGGED DOWN
Creating a link in Quick Links to highlight new comments would be very helpful. Creating aging rules, etc., tends to make a forum complex. Editors should always have the final say! January 30, 2008 - 21:51
How I use CustomerThink
Personally I'm mainly interested in whats going on now and whats raising lots of interest that I can learn from or contribute too. I never go back to old stuff and avoid commenting on things more than a few days old. Anyway that the site can make it easier and quicker to get access to whats important to me is good. I sense from the way from the question was asked that there may be another discussion to start about what CustomerThink is for and what its not for. Malcolm.wicks@simpleplans.co.uk January 31, 2008 - 12:06
Threads thing
Hi Gwynne, I just blog. I say what I think and get going. There's a lot going on in my day and in my head and I am not sure I catch all the threads anyhow. I am in favor of posting early and often, or at least when the spirit moves me. A sales manager I once knew told me "Eagles don't flock" and I think there's some wisdom in that idea. The fact is that the people who blog here and elsewhere are original thinkers and that originality should be respected and encouraged. If there is some order that can be ascribed to the compilation of these entries it is necessary to add it after the fact, so I suggest letting the bloggers blog and perhaps tags and key words might serve to do the clean up. Thanks, Denis January 31, 2008 - 14:26
Tagging. Now There's an Idea
Denis I do like the tagging idea. But I see them more as freestyle tags like on del.icio.us, rather than the pre-cast categories like on CustomerThink currently. Freestayle tags doesn't mean that everybody calls the same things by a different name. Take a look at del.icio.us if you want to see how it works. But it does give authors the freedom to add new tags which the categories currently don't allow. Graham Hill January 31, 2008 - 14:45
What about the experience of our visitors?
Thanks to all for your comments. On this site, we're trying to provide a service that's fun and rewarding for authors, while also providing a great experience for visitors. Of course, 99%+ of visitors don't post anything, so they're kind of important. The comments so far have all been from bloggers. No surprise there. And it's also not surprising that bloggers prefer to just post and not worry about previous discussions. In the extreme, however, we'd have no discussion threads--which are much easier for visitors to read--and 5x more blog posts that visitors would have to piece together with searching. Editorially, we're trying to balance the needs of bloggers with the needs of our mutual customers (site visitors), who are busy business people trying to find insights. So, I'd ask all bloggers to consider whether what you'd like to do is really being "customer-centric" on a site that is all about being customer-centric. All this goes to show that's not easy being customer-centric when you're trying to balance interests of different stakeholders. :) January 31, 2008 - 17:30
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When you come to CustomerThink.com, do you start with the home page and read all the new headlines? Do you go to a bookmark? Do you search? Do you go to your favorite author's home page? Or do you use Quick Links?
We're trying to figure out the best way to deal with ongoing discussions on the site. Without having an overt policy, we've quietly been nudging bloggers to keep discussions in one place. We've done this for a variety of reasons, but they're all meant to make it easier for community members—and other visitors—to keep up with discussions.
We don't want people to have to click four times to try to glean everything that's been said on a topic—or have to figure out which thread is the best one to add their comments to.
From personal experience, I know it's extremely frustrating to have composed an argument on a topic, participated in the give and take and then seen months down the line someone re-introduce the same topic.
But this is presenting a challenge to authors who are rightly concerned that if they post a comment to their old discussion, it won't have as much visibility as posting a new blog. If they post the comment, how will people ever find it? they argue. Further, they point out that they wouldn't have a problem with posting a comment to a recent discussion, but, c'mon, does it really matter if the original post is six months old?
All good points—which brings us back to the question: Which is more important to you as you click around the site, that discussion threads stay together or that new posts get their day in the sun?
In light of this debate, we're considering making some changes, and I'd like to know what you think:
I don't want to load the discussion, but I really like the idea of bringing discussions that have garnered a lot of comments up to the top.
What would work for you—as a reader, commenter, author?
Gwynne Young