This piece on Richard Dawkins caught my eye this week because I figured it would be a good piece that incorporates social media with analytical writing. I anticipated embedded tweets, responses to his tweets, and the like — but none of that appeared.
My initial reaction was that maybe it's the site's style policy to avoid embedding tweets, but I've certainly seen pieces on Slate before with embedded tweets, such as this analysis a few weeks ago of people's tendency to tweet in memory of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
So why did they not include the tweets directly embedded in the story, as opposed to linking them? I think the piece could have been much more efficient that way. Slate doesn't get any advertising money (as far as I'm aware) by linking back to Twitter, and I'd be surprised if people actually want to click on tweets to see the full context of them. I think it complicates the piece by forcing readers to physically exert effort into looking at the tweets referenced.
I think it could have also made the piece less dry to read if it had the physical boxes of embedded tweets breaking up the story. The piece isn't overly long as a whole, but some of the paragraphs are a bit long, so it would be nice if it was broken up a bit.
Also, I think it would be nice to have the visual context of the numbers of retweets and favorites Dawkins' tweets were getting, just for the sake of adding another dimension as to how popular these (arguably outrageous) tweets are.
Sunday, September 27, 2015
Sunday, September 20, 2015
NewsTrack: Slate's 'Dear Prudence' column, what works, what doesn't
One of my personal favorite aspects of Slate — which happens to be my favorite online publication — is the "Dear Prudence" column written by Emily Yoffe. It's a spin on the traditional "Dear Abby" advice column in that it's more of a contemporary, high-tech, PG-13 spin on proper courtesy.
It can touch on modern, current events: What do you do if your name is Hillary and people automatically associate you with Hillary Clinton? In that same column, should you allow your child to attend a party with an unvaccinated child? What is proper etiquette for Uber ratings? What happens if you found your husband in the hacked Ashley Madison database?
But her advice is very much evergreen content. When Yoffe is on vacation, Slate likes to recycle old columns and almost "highlights" of her best advice. Recently, they created a "greatest hits" of her wedding-related advice and vacation-related advice. This is a good way to continue to draw in page views (and advertising money) despite not having any new content.
Prudie's column, much like any other advice column, relies on user-generated questions. It's quite an interactive, accessible model — every week, Yoffe hosts a live chat where users can submit questions about anything for her to use in her column that week. It doesn't require quite the effort that a traditional advice column format does.
Occasionally Yoffe will post videos of her giving advice instead of giving written advice, to give some variation in the way people can consume her content.
The column, in all, is a pretty straightforward format that has been modernized to make it younger and more user-friendly.
It can touch on modern, current events: What do you do if your name is Hillary and people automatically associate you with Hillary Clinton? In that same column, should you allow your child to attend a party with an unvaccinated child? What is proper etiquette for Uber ratings? What happens if you found your husband in the hacked Ashley Madison database?
But her advice is very much evergreen content. When Yoffe is on vacation, Slate likes to recycle old columns and almost "highlights" of her best advice. Recently, they created a "greatest hits" of her wedding-related advice and vacation-related advice. This is a good way to continue to draw in page views (and advertising money) despite not having any new content.
Prudie's column, much like any other advice column, relies on user-generated questions. It's quite an interactive, accessible model — every week, Yoffe hosts a live chat where users can submit questions about anything for her to use in her column that week. It doesn't require quite the effort that a traditional advice column format does.
Occasionally Yoffe will post videos of her giving advice instead of giving written advice, to give some variation in the way people can consume her content.
The column, in all, is a pretty straightforward format that has been modernized to make it younger and more user-friendly.
Monday, September 14, 2015
New construction detracts from COM building, students say
The new Center for Integrated Life Sciences and Engineering at Boston University promises to "bring together life scientists, engineers, and physicians from the Medical and Charles River Campuses" by spring of 2017, but some College of Communication students said they view the project as an "eyesore" and inconvenience.
The new nine-story, 170,000-square-foot project — costing $150 million — will "include neuroscience research (animal & human subjects), systems/synthetic biology research, a satellite vivarium, and a cognitive neuroimaging center," according to the release on BU's website.
The structure, which started undergoing construction in May at 610 Commonwealth Ave., is being built on top of a parking lot next to Morse Auditorium. But construction has expanded into parts of the lawn in front of the COM, and has cut off a main sidewalk entrance to the building, including the entryway to the main stairwell in COM.
Some COM students expressed displeasure with the prominent construction and lack of accessibility, particularly the removal of parts of the "COM Lawn," where students of all schools at BU relax or work when there is nice weather.
"I miss the little park-like thing, the benches, and the tree they took down," said Isis Evens, a second-year advertising graduate student in COM, who also completed her undergraduate degree at BU.
"I think it's a bit of eyesore, because during construction, they have those faux-buildings, and it kind of looks tacky," she added.
One student said the construction takes away from the visibility of BU's COM program.
"It kind of looks like they're putting down COM a bit, just because they're building something right in front of it," said Dan Behar, a senior studying film and television in COM.
Behar said he enters and exits COM approximately three or four times a day, and frequently relaxes on the COM lawn.
"I just don't like it because it took away so much of the green space that I sit on," he said. "My favorite bench was over there. They took away my favorite bench. It makes it look not as nice. They're gonna block this entire entryway. "
However, one student not in COM expressed pleasure with the project. Katherine Ilia, a freshman studying biomedical engineering, said the construction shows promise.
"I like it because there's something new coming," Ilia said. "We pay a lot of money for tuition, and it's getting put to good use. It's something that I'll be able to use, or in the future someone else will be able to use. Because that's what science is about. I contribute something, and then someone else gets to contribute something else."
The new nine-story, 170,000-square-foot project — costing $150 million — will "include neuroscience research (animal & human subjects), systems/synthetic biology research, a satellite vivarium, and a cognitive neuroimaging center," according to the release on BU's website.
The structure, which started undergoing construction in May at 610 Commonwealth Ave., is being built on top of a parking lot next to Morse Auditorium. But construction has expanded into parts of the lawn in front of the COM, and has cut off a main sidewalk entrance to the building, including the entryway to the main stairwell in COM.
Some COM students expressed displeasure with the prominent construction and lack of accessibility, particularly the removal of parts of the "COM Lawn," where students of all schools at BU relax or work when there is nice weather.
"I miss the little park-like thing, the benches, and the tree they took down," said Isis Evens, a second-year advertising graduate student in COM, who also completed her undergraduate degree at BU.
"I think it's a bit of eyesore, because during construction, they have those faux-buildings, and it kind of looks tacky," she added.
 |
| Blue window coverings on COM classroom and office windows. (Photo by Sarah Kirkpatrick) |
One student said the construction takes away from the visibility of BU's COM program.
"It kind of looks like they're putting down COM a bit, just because they're building something right in front of it," said Dan Behar, a senior studying film and television in COM.
 |
| Construction of the new building expands partially in front of the sign on the College of Communication building. (Photo by Sarah Kirkpatrick) |
Behar said he enters and exits COM approximately three or four times a day, and frequently relaxes on the COM lawn.
"I just don't like it because it took away so much of the green space that I sit on," he said. "My favorite bench was over there. They took away my favorite bench. It makes it look not as nice. They're gonna block this entire entryway. "
 |
| The location of Behar's favorite bench on the COM lawn is now blocked by construction. (Photo by Sarah Kirkpatrick) |
However, one student not in COM expressed pleasure with the project. Katherine Ilia, a freshman studying biomedical engineering, said the construction shows promise.
"I like it because there's something new coming," Ilia said. "We pay a lot of money for tuition, and it's getting put to good use. It's something that I'll be able to use, or in the future someone else will be able to use. Because that's what science is about. I contribute something, and then someone else gets to contribute something else."
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