Sidebar Newsfeed?

July 6, 2004 7:00 AM

How about an AP news feed on the sidebar, Salon-style? It would both discourage boring cnn.com Newsfilter links, and encourage in-depth analysis posts from multiple sources.
posted by PrinceValium to MetaFilter-Related at 7:00 AM (29 comments total)

people may be interested in it, but is this the best place to talk about it?

for those that don't want newsfilter, I don't think its a bad idea.

but not sure if we want something else on the side of the page, and not sure how much work that would be for Matt.
posted by evening at 7:16 AM on July 6, 2004

Right, because "people having opinions about hot topics=MeFi post-worthy"?

I think that it's a great idea, PrinceValium. If posters really felt that a topic deserved a front page post, they would find a more in-depth, interesting article and link it along with the AP story.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure where you'd stick it on the front page. As a ticker right below the logo?
posted by BlueTrain at 7:18 AM on July 6, 2004

it never fails to amuse me, this "best of the web" vs. "newsfilter" debate, when actually what most people come for is the hate and discontent!
posted by quonsar at 7:21 AM on July 6, 2004

when actually what most people come for is the hate and discontent!

So true.

You suck, quonsar!
posted by BlueTrain at 7:24 AM on July 6, 2004

The existing sidebar could be cut in half (it contains posts going back to March.) It would be tight, but workable. A ticker would look pretty fugly.
posted by PrinceValium at 7:25 AM on July 6, 2004

How many completely ignore the sidebar already?
posted by mischief at 7:47 AM on July 6, 2004

You suck, quonsar!

damn low pressure system screwed up the entire holiday weekend!
posted by quonsar at 8:09 AM on July 6, 2004

IF this is what you want, why not just use MyYahoo with the MeFi feed in one of the boxes?
posted by smackfu at 8:18 AM on July 6, 2004

How would it discourage newsfilter links? People don't post the news here because they want everyone else to see it, they post it to generate discussion. Most of us are well able to type n-e-w-s-.-g-o-o-g-l-e-.-c-o-m, and those of us that aren't, use bookmarks.
posted by DrJohnEvans at 8:34 AM on July 6, 2004

Salon-style? Next thing you know, Matt would burn through megabucks building lavish offices, threaten repeatedly to shut down MeFi, and finally, force us to click through an ad before viewing each comment. He would also start calling quonsar "Camille Paglia."
posted by stonerose at 9:36 AM on July 6, 2004

*preens*
posted by quonsar at 9:41 AM on July 6, 2004

Maybe we could put buttons on the sidebar that would allow you to scroll past posts you don't like.
posted by badstone at 9:45 AM on July 6, 2004

Or maybe a sidebar post that says "Yahoo! News has comments. Have fun. Bye."
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 9:47 AM on July 6, 2004

How many completely ignore the sidebar already?

There's a sidebar?
posted by falconred at 10:21 AM on July 6, 2004

This is a great idea.

[sidesteps the rest of the newsfucker debate]
posted by scarabic at 10:27 AM on July 6, 2004

And who is going to pay for the not-cheap AP feed?
posted by bonaldi at 11:20 AM on July 6, 2004

at first when i read this i thought he was suggesting plastic.com style threads for top stories. i dont really see where having a news feed on the side would improve the quality of newsy posts anyways
posted by yeahyeahyeahwhoo at 11:43 AM on July 6, 2004

better yet, how about a sidebar scoreboard that tracks every time someone drops the "NewsFilter" bitch, then proceeds to make a gigantic post (or 12) in the offensive thread?
posted by badstone at 11:56 AM on July 6, 2004

Shaddup about Newsfilter, already!
posted by sidebar at 12:01 PM PST on July 6


Shaddup about Newsfilter, already!
posted by sidebar at 12:03 PM PST on July 6


Shaddup about Newsfilter, already!
posted by sidebar at 12:06 PM PST on July 6


Looks like somebody beat you to it, badstone.
posted by DrJohnEvans at 12:23 PM on July 6, 2004

How many completely ignore the sidebar already?

:::raises hand:::
posted by rushmc at 1:05 PM on July 6, 2004

I don't completely ignore it, but I look at it rarely. That's because new content is only rarely posted there. If all the day's news were over there, I'd look more often. I'd even advocate expanding it sideways if it meant fewer newsy posts on the rest of the page.
posted by scarabic at 1:38 PM on July 6, 2004

I'd even advocate expanding it sideways if it meant fewer newsy posts on the rest of the page.

That's a good idea as well. A scrollable top bar underneath the logo for those who consider MeFi to be their source for news. As far as paying for it, either start another donation fund or use the cash generated from the google ads.
posted by BlueTrain at 1:54 PM on July 6, 2004

Have a MeFite code it and write their username in the corner somewhere: "Coded by 'x'". I'm sure there are plenty of people here who have some free time to make this site better.
posted by BlueTrain at 1:56 PM on July 6, 2004

Entertaining Google results for the word newsfilter.

Supreme Court Rules Against Eldred is the 10th most popular result for the bare search word "newsfilter".

Google has indexed at least 366 separate threads on metafilter.com with the word "newsfilter" and 162 of them were on meta.
posted by sequential at 3:24 PM on July 6, 2004

Buying the AP feed is so not mathowie anyway. Where's the free-and-funky-coded-by-a-friend-and-safari-compatible-open-source version?
posted by scarabic at 10:49 PM on July 6, 2004

Good heavens, sequential. That's my first FPP you're talking about. Oh, the infamy!
posted by Songdog at 9:10 AM on July 7, 2004

moreover feeds
posted by yerfatma at 9:52 AM on July 7, 2004

....most people come for is the hate and discontent! - quonsar (or is it Camillia?)

MetaFilter: most people come for the hate and discontent!

My apologies...but it had to be done.
posted by dejah420 at 10:03 AM on July 7, 2004

It's probably more like:

MetaTalk: most people come for the hate and discontent!
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 11:43 AM on July 7, 2004