Comments on: Prediction: How geezers will adapt to web, mobile for news

By: Eugene

Eugene — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 00:10:22 +0000

Now everyone is talking about the American economy and eclections, nice to read something different. Eugene

By: John Hopkins

John Hopkins — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 20:41:02 +0000

When those electronic news sites start investing in newsgathering, maybe they’ll get this geezer’s eyeballs. So far, no city I know of, other than Madison, Wisc., has an Internet news site that does more than retread — or brief in advance of publication — what some print product’s staff has created.

By: lee anderson

lee anderson — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 18:31:22 +0000

Web operations at newspapers aren’t paying for themselves — much less showing profits — even with full-time regular print staffers & shooters & designers providing all the content. How can Web news sites possibly continue if they abandon the print newspaper but have to hire staff to write the stories the techies shovel onto the site? Maybe newspaper web sites will become aggregators of others’ work instead of content creators, but at some point someone’s got to hire reporters and editors and pay them. At my paper, there is virtually no cross-readership among Web and newspaper subscribers, and less than 25 percent of the Web readers start from the main page. I’m sorry, but I can’t find the logic to support the author’s arguments.

By: MoJo DoJo » Tuesday Web Wrap-Up

MoJo DoJo » Tuesday Web Wrap-Up — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 18:04:24 +0000

[...] Steve Outing: Give it time and The Great Migration of a sacred demographic will lead Old People right into our hands. [...]

By: Editor’s Note » Hey, geezers: Click here

Editor’s Note » Hey, geezers: Click here — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 22:55:19 +0000

[...] Here’s a link to a delightful blog post that asks and answers this question: How will geezers adapt to “web mobile for news.” Enjoy. [...]

By: K. Charles

K. Charles — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 15:21:33 +0000

As a geezer (54), I love getting more out-of-town stuff from the ‘net: Wash Post, LA Times, NY Times for national news and opinion, plus local news from places I like.

Pitfalls:
- re: “need to put most of their resources into improving digital news delivery and innovating further there…”
But digital news is not paying for itself. It remains uncertain whether it ever will. Local advertisers don’t care about national readers; national advertisers mostly don’t want to screw with local newspapers or sites. Where’s the money to pay reporters and photographers and designers coming from?

- For my geezer tastes, too many sites load up their sites with too much stuff. Videos? Don’t want to wait for the balky download, and I have a nice TV, thanks. Slide shows are nice, but don’t make me sort through 63 slow-loading images.

- Disagree with Mr. Klein above. Every time I compare the print version of the local big daily (Miami Herald) with their site, I find lots of stories I didn’t see online (they may have been there but don’t make it a treasure hunt). The St. Pete Times site had a fine feature that showed you the hed for every story in paper, quick and convenient. Except its been purged in a “redesign.” When you don’t see paper, you don’t know what you’re not seeing.

- Reading on mobile device? Maybe for the non-geezers. Not for me, nor for most I know.

By: Carol Anne

Carol Anne — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:41:26 +0000

How to ban pop-up ads easily? Download Google’s tool-bar and set up that option.

I’m 63 and read the Seattle Times every day. I also spend far too much time surfing the web, mostly news-related material. (And LolCats.) I carry the paper in my daypack and read it in the park at lunch–hard to do with a PC. As for reading on itty-bitty screens, no way!

By: Ydobon

Ydobon — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 23:57:21 +0000

08, Ronni Bennett wrote, “What IS a problem (and probably not just for elders) are the animated ads next to online news stories. It’s really painful to have something flickering to the left or right of the story while you’re trying to get the facts. Just as bad are those #$%^& advertising and survey pop-ups that cover exactly the words you’re reading and do their best to hide the close button.”

There are a number of techniques for eliminating annoying ads, especially in FireFox. Pop-up blockers, ad blockers, NoScript, freezing gif animations, even completely blocking the worst ad servers.

By: Steve Outing

Steve Outing — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 23:43:49 +0000

I’ve received a couple objections to my somewhat flip use of “geezers” in this bog item. Well, since I’m 51 myself and now officially a geezer (confession: I actually got an AARP card so I could get the discounts), I feel that it’s OK and not “disrespectful” (as one correspondent suggested) to use the term. It’s used in self-deprecating humor. If I was in my 20s or 30s, then you could probably criticize me and I’d deserve it.

By: Steve Klein

Steve Klein — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 22:45:22 +0000

I don’t fully agree with your premise.
Newspapers have probably NEVER provided the depth of information (isn’t that part of quality?) readers/citizens have required. Part of that is a result of physical limitations. Part of that is their role as gatekeeper. Part of that is just poor news judgment. Part of that is their roles as community servant.
I have never been as well informed as I am since browsers. I am now able to be as well informed as I CHOOSE TO BE.
Newspapers are and have always been a limited channel. And they are getting narrower and narrower for the reasons you mention.