Comments on: If you could start from scratch would you build the same product? http://patthorntonfiles.com/blog/2008/09/19/if-you-could-start-from-scratch-would-you-build-the-same-product/ Random musings from a technologist Wed, 06 Apr 2011 15:43:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Tuesday squibs : Notes from a Teacher http://patthorntonfiles.com/blog/2008/09/19/if-you-could-start-from-scratch-would-you-build-the-same-product/comment-page-1/#comment-4852 Tuesday squibs : Notes from a Teacher Tue, 23 Sep 2008 16:58:07 +0000 http://patthorntonfiles.com/blog/?p=589#comment-4852 [...] If you could start from scratch would you build the same product? Pat Thornton on newspapers’ websites, the price of legacy code and the pace of innovation. [...] [...] If you could start from scratch would you build the same product? Pat Thornton on newspapers’ websites, the price of legacy code and the pace of innovation. [...]

]]> By: Mark Friesen http://patthorntonfiles.com/blog/2008/09/19/if-you-could-start-from-scratch-would-you-build-the-same-product/comment-page-1/#comment-4848 Mark Friesen Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:42:07 +0000 http://patthorntonfiles.com/blog/?p=589#comment-4848 Just for the record, Advance Media is <em>not</em> the name of the company (<a href="http://www.advancemediaonline.com/" rel="nofollow">that's something else entirely</a>). Advance Publications is the company, and Advance Internet is the subsidiary that runs the websites (but not the newspapers). Just for the record, Advance Media is not the name of the company (that’s something else entirely). Advance Publications is the company, and Advance Internet is the subsidiary that runs the websites (but not the newspapers).

]]> By: pat http://patthorntonfiles.com/blog/2008/09/19/if-you-could-start-from-scratch-would-you-build-the-same-product/comment-page-1/#comment-4834 pat Sun, 21 Sep 2008 19:03:38 +0000 http://patthorntonfiles.com/blog/?p=589#comment-4834 @Angela, I'm not sure if the Web site is a priority at a lot of newspapers even today. We can talk all we want about business models, multimedia, curmudgeons, etc, but the most basic problem is that the Web sites of many newspapers are terrible. They are hard to navigate, have poor search engines and in general are not fun to use. Who would want to advertise on that? Heck, what users would really want to go to those Web sites often? Would good online content even matter on such a bad platform like that? The most basic part of having a good Web site is having a good Web site itself. By that I mean the actual user interface and code base, not the content. I agree with you that many newspapers have treated innovation as an option. Can you imagine that? On the Web, innovation is not an option but rather a requirement. <a href="http://patthorntonfiles.com/blog/2008/01/27/innovation-is-the-path-to-salvation/" rel="nofollow">Innovation is the path to salvation</a>. @Angela,

I’m not sure if the Web site is a priority at a lot of newspapers even today. We can talk all we want about business models, multimedia, curmudgeons, etc, but the most basic problem is that the Web sites of many newspapers are terrible. They are hard to navigate, have poor search engines and in general are not fun to use.

Who would want to advertise on that? Heck, what users would really want to go to those Web sites often? Would good online content even matter on such a bad platform like that?

The most basic part of having a good Web site is having a good Web site itself. By that I mean the actual user interface and code base, not the content.

I agree with you that many newspapers have treated innovation as an option. Can you imagine that? On the Web, innovation is not an option but rather a requirement. Innovation is the path to salvation.

]]> By: Angela Connor http://patthorntonfiles.com/blog/2008/09/19/if-you-could-start-from-scratch-would-you-build-the-same-product/comment-page-1/#comment-4826 Angela Connor Sun, 21 Sep 2008 00:48:41 +0000 http://patthorntonfiles.com/blog/?p=589#comment-4826 Patrick: Newspaper websites were not a priority in the beginning and were very much the dumping ground for the print editions. Heck, I'm sure we could find quite a few with that philosophy still today even when they KNOW better. I worked in the Cleveland market, at WJW and WKYC in the mid to late-90's and I know the Plain Dealer. Though I did not work there, I learned a heck of a lot about newspapers as a multimedia editor at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel for 6 years, and I know the mindset and the amazing push back. Innovation has been an "option" for so long that the thought of it being a "requirement" is still a bit much for some print editors. So if they could start over, I don't know how much we'd see that isn't what we see today. How many have even admitted that they did anything wrong or that something isn't working? Patrick: Newspaper websites were not a priority in the beginning and were very much the dumping ground for the print editions. Heck, I’m sure we could find quite a few with that philosophy still today even when they KNOW better. I worked in the Cleveland market, at WJW and WKYC in the mid to late-90′s and I know the Plain Dealer. Though I did not work there, I learned a heck of a lot about newspapers as a multimedia editor at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel for 6 years, and I know the mindset and the amazing push back. Innovation has been an “option” for so long that the thought of it being a “requirement” is still a bit much for some print editors. So if they could start over, I don’t know how much we’d see that isn’t what we see today. How many have even admitted that they did anything wrong or that something isn’t working?

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