We want to make it easier for you to read the online version of The Daily World so we’ve launched a new design for our website.
The new version of thedailyworld.com is simplified visually and in our opinion, the effect is that the stories and photographs stand out, with room to breathe and less clutter to compete with.
The same is true with the online advertising. The whole site feels less crowded and the individual elements — stories and advertising — are easier to find.
By far the biggest improvement is the way the site displays on mobile devices and tablets. More and more of us are reading our news on our phones now and this design makes that experience much easier.
For the most part, it’s business as usual. No matter whether you read us in print or online, we want to give you the most in-depth coverage of news and sports and the widest reaching advertising medium on the Twin Harbors. This is just another tool. But it’s a good tool and we really hope you’ll try it.
There is one fundamental change in the way we’ve been doing things.
Our comment feature at the end of stories represents a revolutionary way of encouraging more comments and respectful discourse.
The new system we’re using is called Civil Comments and it’s administered by a Portland-based startup company. If you want to comment on a story, you’ll sign up for an account and when you make a comments, you will be asked to rate the comments of three other people who have commented, although not necessarily on the story you’re commenting on. Another group of three will be looking at your comment.
After the review of three, the comment goes through another level of review that is basically an automated look for objectionable phrases or other red flags.
And if red flags come up at either of the first two levels, someone at Civil Comments reads the comments and makes a determination.
We’re hoping that the system finds the sweet spot that melds civility and rough and tumble debate, while eliminating the badgering and belligerent comments that sometimes stifle voices that simply don’t want to put up with the grief.
So you can explore the site, we’re going to take the paywall down for a while. We hope you take the opportunity to explore and that you’ll make it a daily part of your lives.
And we’d like to know what you think about the changes. Please let us know how you like the new system and the new website.
Sincerely,
Stan Woody, Publisher
Doug Barker, Editor
