[Bill,
April 10, 2008]
Reader Survey
Bill's Notes seems to be running out of steam lately. I've felt it; and now former regular reader Jim has said as much. I'm probably in a lull — it happens, especially as I concentrate more on matters offline.
Anyway, I'd like to ask a few questions in order to provide a better writer's notebook experience for y'all:
1. What kind of posts do you prefer?
2. Is there any kind of post you usually skip?
3. Is there any kind of post that makes you think — shit, what am I doing on this Web page?
4. Is there any particular post that makes you think — now I'd like more of that.
5. Any other suggestions you might have.
Thank you in advance for any feedback.
The Management
UPDATE: The results are in. Everyone is perfectly happy with this blog, except for one reader thinks the 70s video posts are lame. However, drawing from this, I'm going to take the following action steps:
1. The headlines need to be sharper and promise more benefit to the reader.
2. The ledes need to demonstrate immediacy — I mean, why should you read this now?
3. More kickers, subheads and pull quotes.
4. 100 word sentences? That's not fast-read!
5. My product manager said I should also keep doing posts like the one that got linked by USA Today, and run all posts by him so that the marketing department can do a focus group on the relevance of any new topic I decide to write on.
*****
NOTE: Yes, this is all an in joke. Sorry to those of you who are puzzled.
Anyway, I'd like to ask a few questions in order to provide a better writer's notebook experience for y'all:
1. What kind of posts do you prefer?
2. Is there any kind of post you usually skip?
3. Is there any kind of post that makes you think — shit, what am I doing on this Web page?
4. Is there any particular post that makes you think — now I'd like more of that.
5. Any other suggestions you might have.
Thank you in advance for any feedback.
The Management
UPDATE: The results are in. Everyone is perfectly happy with this blog, except for one reader thinks the 70s video posts are lame. However, drawing from this, I'm going to take the following action steps:
1. The headlines need to be sharper and promise more benefit to the reader.
2. The ledes need to demonstrate immediacy — I mean, why should you read this now?
3. More kickers, subheads and pull quotes.
4. 100 word sentences? That's not fast-read!
5. My product manager said I should also keep doing posts like the one that got linked by USA Today, and run all posts by him so that the marketing department can do a focus group on the relevance of any new topic I decide to write on.
*****
NOTE: Yes, this is all an in joke. Sorry to those of you who are puzzled.