THERE IS a widespread perception on the Left of Rupert Murdoch as publishing's Doctor Evil, the very essence of omnipotent wickedness. It is a notion that has never enjoyed much currency at the Billabong -- and a good deal less this morning, which sees the unveiling of the Herald Sun's revamped website. If Murdoch really is that inter-galactical arch-villain, then he has placed Mini Me in charge of his web efforts
What a pig's breakfast!
Inspiration! Murdoch IS an evil genius. The redesign must be part of an effort to repel readers, thereby establishing a potential defence before any government watchdog: We're not worth regulating because no one reads us anymore!
Oh, and one other thing. The site cannot even get its own star columnist's name correct:
It is a good thing Andrew Bolt is about to be appointed editor of the Age, where they won't be sticking his columns behind a paywall.
Seriously, it is 2012 and web-savvy developers cannot be that hard to find. Why has the Herald Sun placed its paywall project in the hands of the lady who formerly cleaned the toilets?
ADVISORY: Off to the golf club until early afternoon. Feel free to leave comments on this and other posts, but don't expect them to be approved until the sun is high.
Tee hee. Don't know why these glorified "journalist-bloggers" don't just use Wordpress of Blogger.
ReplyDeleteFor that matter, why aren't all government websites on those reliable and easy-to-use open source platforms? Might make up for the chronic IT incompetence of the public sector.
I must admit it does look bloody awful. Trying to leave a comment on Andrew's site is made more difficult by the narrow comment real estate and terrible type formatting. It's as if they wanted you to leave. Finkelstein and Co shall be well pleased with Rupert's self regulation.
ReplyDelete"It's as if they wanted you to leave."
DeleteYes, I agree the site looks dreadful. But News Ltd has been deliberately discouraging commentary on Bolt's blog for quite some time. Its moderators obviously are not tuned in to Bolt's point-of-view at all. Andrew has had to point out on a few occasions that he has no control over the moderators. The sooner he finds another publisher the better for him and his readers. I wonder how long before The Age announcement. Perhaps Gudgeon can conduct a poll.
Full agreement here
DeleteI agree the site looks dreadful and is confusing. As you have commented Profesor it was formerly neat, clean and easy-to-read. Is this another way to turn off readers and their comments.
ReplyDelete"It is a good thing Andrew Bolt is about to be appointed editor of the Age, where they won't be sticking his columns behind a paywall."
ReplyDeleteMischievous, prof, mischievous. But don't we all wish it were so!
Imagine the tortured screams!
My first read of the day (sorry Bunyip). This morning I got onto Andrew's blog. Bunyip, I'm shocked. Shocked. Do you hear?
ReplyDeleteI agree with your criticisms. I can add they have now stuffed up printing of an article - look at the mess in print preview. It must be paywalled as my month-freebie Oz account was invoked.
Bunyip, tell me it's not true. Andrew editor of the blinkin' Age. Goodbye Andrew. Goodbye Andrew's blog. You'll never get that mob to report news unless you sack most of them. Gina what have you done?
-Carl the perplexed
I always found the comments moderation at Bolt's blog erratic at best.
ReplyDeleteThe front page of his blog looks all right on my computer - clean and neat. But the comments look horrible.
And I suspect the occasional Bolt typos will continue unabated (as example, see the O'Farrell/Baillieu headline captured above)...
Hey Prof OT but have you seen this? Mediawatch has sent a bunch of ridiculous questions to Jen Marohasy and she's given the both barrels. It's great stuff.
ReplyDeletehttp://jennifermarohasy.com/2012/03/media-watch-under-scrutiny-2/
Enjoy your golf, mate.
At least you can actually access it Professor. I can't get past the "registration required for full article" bit, even when registered and signed in with registration and password.
ReplyDeleteThis is the last straw. Bolt's place was mostly ruined by the (I'll be kind) quirky moderation, now the reformatting is administering the coup de grace.
ReplyDeleteHad a look today. It sucks a dead dingo's, all right.
DeleteAgreed! Absolutely appalling.
ReplyDeleteJakartaJaap
Would be interesting to know whether this web development was a local or an offshored effort.
ReplyDelete"It is a good thing Andrew Bolt is about to be appointed editor of the Age, where they won't be sticking his columns behind a paywall."
ReplyDeleteHa Ha - very droll. Not even AB( he is too sensitive could clean out that dung heap of leftie shite but Professor your loyal band of followers think you are the one that could.
In my mid day fantasy I imagine you striding into the Age building, smiting the foe and pulling every one into line.
Then one year later, when you have fully done the deed riding off into the sunset with wave after wave of applause breaking across those broad shoulders as you take your rightful place on Mt.Olympus.
Ah well. I told you it was a fantasy.
The good professor would have to raid every sex shop in Melbourne looking for whips, leather truncheons and gag balls to pacify that mob!
DeleteCount me as unimpressed too. I was automatically logged in, being a subscriber to The Australian, but couldn't access bolta's full columns using Chrome. I trust one can comment using a different name as I certainly don't want my real name splashed around for potential clients to see.
ReplyDeleteMeantime there is a simple technique for accessing subscription comment that words well on all News Ltd sites.
I tried twice to register on the stupid bloody thing ,you'd thinlk the Fink ran it! I kept getting knocked back on the grounds Orc not enough letters in my password ( 8 or more specified) I only had 10and 12 not nearly enough ! I gave it the flick, I do not tolerate FOOLS gladly.back to the old way Rupe ,or you'll go down the tube like Fairfax.
ReplyDelete"...Andrew Bolt is about to be appointed editor of the Age..."
ReplyDelete:cocks eyebrow:
It is a dog's breakfast. The paywall will become exactly that. There goes a part of my morning "paper".
ReplyDeleteMarcus
"But News Ltd has been deliberately discouraging commentary....."
ReplyDeleteYou've noticed too, hey? But have you also noticed that the discouragement is pretty selective? For example, the GetUp trolls seem to get a first-class ride in that they appear to have no trouble whatsoever in getting published. So much so, in fact, that I half suspect that they are not really trolls at all, but rather News Ltd.'s agents provocateurs, whose job it is to incite outraged comment - it's just the sort of sneaky tactic Rupert's minions would employ.
Bolt continually washes his hand of the shonky moderation but I notice that if he gets pinged extra hard, he does make a personal reply to the pinger - which suggests that he is doing some moderating.
Jasbo, in my experience working in the web industry, the good-old-reliable open source platforms are great for small-scale, DIY type situations, but have many shortfalls when it comes to prime-time media and large-scale guvvie web site content production.
ReplyDeleteThe Australian's updated web site is in my opinion extremely good - they got it right, and they got it right across print, web and mobile devices.
The new look sun-herald on-line is a copy of news.com.au styling for the most part, but the bolta blog new look really is riddled with quite amateurish flaws - it looks a lot like it went to the cheapest respondent to a tender. They didn't even do cross-web-browser testing !
The Australian started with its print edition, then created suitably similar-but-modified look-and-feel for the web. That is the way it should be done.
Well, that'll learn the bean-counters, one would hope. Then again, bean-counters being what they are might see this as a triumph of cost-effectiveness.
I was thinking for about $20 a year I'd sign up, would be a first for me. But 3 bucks a week, $150 a year, and that only gets you ONE of the stable's offerings... why do they have to make it all or nothing?
ReplyDeleteGets you the whole lot, total content of the HS and The Australian.
DeleteTrue, Walter ! It was not at all obvious (i.e due to the way the 'register now' is presented with Sun-Herald as the subject, not News Ltd), but based on a similar comment to yours on Bolta's blog, I tried my Australian login details and voila, I was in.
DeleteWhy did they not just say so? Its a good thing, yet not obvious ! I can see how there might well be some people unwittingly registering again, paying a 2nd time.
biggest headline (on my browser at least): "TELL US WHAT YOU THI"
ReplyDeletehmm
I remain to be convinced that RM is the media mastermind as described (with ill-concealed envy, I might add) by his legion of foes.
ReplyDelete2005: Bought MySpace for $580 million.
2011: Sold MySpace for $35 million.
Foresight. Vision. Yeah, right.
I've been a long-time subscriber to the Wall Street Journal online - I have no issue with paying for quality news & journalism.
ReplyDeleteI just looked in my records, and the WSJ was $99/year last time I renewed.
And the Melbourne Herald Sun reckons they're worth over $150 a year? For that dog's breakfast of a paper?
Really, Rupert? REALLY?
Spot, the tragedy of the HS is that it used to be a terrific Melbourne newspaper. A couple of years ago, it simply went stupid. It's one of the reasons I get so upset with the Age. It's a disgrace that a fantastic city like Melbourne, of 4 million people, no longer has a newspaper you can open beside the morning coffee and actually read.
DeleteAnd you want to know the strangest thing about the lobotomised Herald Sun. It prints the same stuff that the commuter MX gives away for free, there is just more of it.
I know I'm an old fart and the younger set don't read newspapers at all, but I still like mine.