What Do You Want From Master New Media In 2008?

Robin, you already have one of the most informative and right-on site on the web, so don't make any gigantic changes.

I enjoy the in-depth articles, especially those with mini-reviews of specific tools and sites.

You are one of the few bloggers who consistently pay attention to graphics. Keep the illustrative & pretty photos coming.

The issue of engaging others in dialog is a toughie.

I've been trying to figure it out myself.

Blog DNA is an individual sharing snippets of information.

Blog software always makes commenters look like second-class citizens.

Have a great year.

jay

Thank you Halina, much appreciated indeed.

Good advice also here. Tell you what works best for me and focus on new tools and specific applications.

I am working on the layout and I could get a new web designer on-board now (I am badly looking for one), I am sure you would see the benefits in just a matter of days.

All the best!

Robin, I have found just so much valuable information here along the way - I appreciate this site and your work very much.

The feature I use the most is when you present different new websites/solutions for a specific job/problem.

Since you do the work already I'd like to know which ones you find most valuable, so that I don't have to explore all the many options all over unless I want to.

I don't read the long philosophical articles and I don't read the marketing advice.

I'm sometimes confused about the layout, the ads being placed in between text. But then, I acknowledge that this is how you choose to do it and it's OK with me.

And I do in fact visit some of the ad-links (when I find them interesting/relevant)

Thank you for your great work!

Wow! What a set of great comments guys. This is really fantastic.

@Heike - great advice! I'll do what you ask me to: The Robin Good's Community Interviews Live... - thank you

@Donald - absolutely so - there is now the George Siemens digest on weekends that should help in that direction too, unless you were already following him elsewhere

@Bonnie - you are totally right on - I will do what you say and appreciate your open and straicht to the point criticism - thank you - mp3 of all articles next

@Maurice - that's a great request Maurice - I will get you this too - I am only missing a reliable new web designer :-)

@Thatch - got all your points - well taken and outside the breaking news all well in the planned strategy ahead - there is going to be even more in fact in the direction of learning better any of those topics

Re the Breaking News I definitely hear you, but I would love to have the comfort of more people saying they find this redundant. It may really be so, but I have a feeling that it is very valuable for a lot of my readers, so it would be good to find out from more of you what you think of the left column news I have on my front page. Care to share? :-)

@Gabriel - I wish your dream comes true - with a distributed open-source engine ...would be even better :-)

Hi Robin,

Well after over a year of lurking you finally flushed me out. I feel that it's about time I contributed something.
And this is a good topic to start on.

a) What is the feature or the trait that do you like the most about MNM (MasterNewMedia) ?
Your Mini Guide are the reason I have you on my RSS feed. "How to Send Large Files without Email" and "Where to Find Free Images and Visuals" to pick just two that I have forwarded onto clients in the NPO sector.

b) Which is the one that you like the least?
The Breaking News seems a tad redundant, it's your featured articles and the your take that is important. I don't think you are always right but you always leave me with stuff to think about.

c) If you were to add a feature or editorial component what would it be?
I need to think about this one.

d) What bothers you the most on this site?
See "b" above

e) What is something you would like to see more of?

Your miniguides,especially on audio. Delve further into the "grubby" techbits. More on IP issues.

Thanks for a stimulating read, I hope that 2008 is an even bigger and better year for you.

Hi Robin

I would really appreciate an archive of the "breaking new media news".

Thx.

Ciao Robin,

I'd like to see more about VOICE RECOGNITION as I have a dream:

Talking to Google !!

..And Google talking back to you but that's easy as Text to Speech is well developed by companies like Loquendo.

It ought to be e speaker independent and multilingual killer app.

It also might mean the end of Call Centers as we know them..

This site has been my main course guide in my self-education toward s mastering new Media.

Since my Project focus on alleviating poverty and other socio economic problems associated with low or no income, through the development of cottage industries.

I especially like the focus on independent entrepreneurship and the use of free and open source software rather than gaining and depending on corporate acceptance and revenue.

Thank you for Bring back Sharewood Picnic. It was the guide that I could actually trust, and way ahead of it’s time!

If I had to suggest an improvement it would be some type of reader’s choice, last year alone one site had a count of over 7000 web apps (granted it seems everyone has a different idea of what is a web app.

But I like to see how others who actually use these, rate them so I have a meter of which is worth the few minutes I have to spare.

I would immediately remove the How to Guides…. Or rather its placement.

How about moving the how to guides to a new page and expanding the offerings .

Maybe use that valuable “web estate” to highlight some of the other pages, (some of which I have not visited in a year)

On the new “How To Guides” page, maybe add some video tutorials as well as more sales and ad links for tools. Contrary to what has been previously suggested I enjoy ads and marketing on sites.

I consider them a service to readers. (I’ve actually found some great leads this way) It is an easier way to source products within a niche I just hate contextual ads that pose as link.

I agree more thought needs to be put into their placement, would be nice to have a simple store designated “marketing area” ,

While I appreciate the “pundits”, I would love to see more of a community feature, see how other readers, are adapting and integrating not just speaking about, or designing new tools.

What part does cultures, society, socio economic forces play in their choices.

I’d actually like to use a focus on adaptation

I hate reading; keeping up with these post, takes up too much time, but listening to the audio from your video I love.

How about an audio feed of your post? Utilize some of that stuff you tell us about.

“Stop Talking Start doing”.

At a recent Start-up camp I attended I realized that a lot of publishers are simply stating theories few actually integrate the tools into their own site or lives, a room full of techies and the question persist “who’s taking notes”, and no live or for that matter taped session. “

Live interviews are fine, but how about simply taping each interview, so I can listen rather than read.

I want to see more sites that utilize rather than speak on new media integration.

Do include education more often when looking at new media perspectives. Up to now I've got some great inspiration on how to make use of the tools of new media for educational purposes from your site.
Lots of business uses can be transferred to education.

Hi Robin,

You are doing such a fantastic job and I don't know what I would be doing without your daily news of 'goodies' from the web, trends, Zeitgeist awareness and much much more.

Your site is a treasure and I feel like digging deep everytime I visit.

There is something however I dearly wished for.

You know such great people and interview them and you create videos of the interviews. Superb stuff.

But... how about inviting these experts, bloggers, thinkers, entrepreneurs and researchers for live events?

Stage a webcast and allow us, the public, to post questions to them. A talkshow on the net with immediate questions from the participants, webcams and all.

You are such an excellent journalist and moderator and you ask great questions.

This is what I hope you would do, Robin, stage unforgettable and inspiring events.

:-)

I wish you a tremendous 2008!

Rgds Heike

I really like your content Robin. Few if noone goes out of his way like you do to explain things and make them intelligible for everyone who's not a geek by definition.

Have us discover more news sources in your breaking newsw, do more video and keep doing the in-depth stuff.

That's my recipe.

Hello Robin,

I think you are doing a truly wonderful job.

I do do hope that you will achieve all that you desire with Master New Media.

For me this is as good as it can get.

No changes needed.

Hi, Robin!

In terms of useful information for my everyday digital life, this is invaluable!

I *love* your in-depth articles and find I use your site as a search resource.

I think the one thing that could be addressed is the layout - making it easier to read - placing ads on the side and/or differentiating them from your awesome content.

Great job - great resource. Please keep doing what you are doing.

Robin,

I think your site really sucks. It is full of useless ads, it has little or no comments and you sound like you know everything about what you write.

Is this a blog?

If you wanted to write magazine why didn't you print one?

Gianni, James, Kendall thank you all for your great feedback. Much appreciated indeed.

Kendall thanks for the smart sugegstion which would provide etxra accessibility and navigation to the article. Great points!

Now the issue is really to understand whether you guys like the in-pdeth work focus or not.

:-)

Actually, I like the long, in-depth articles, but to accommodate the other comments, how about a brief summary of contents below the subhead--or in a bumpout--with links down the page if someone wants to jump to a specific subtopic. Subhead position, though, would show up in a reader window and make it easier for a viewer to jump to that topic. And naturally, those topic lists could be keyword rich--everybody wins.

Hi Robin,
I have not been following long but I definitely a problem with your long research articles. Yes, they are valuable but I have don't have all this time to read them entirely. Couldn't you create some short summaries of these?

Robin,

I think you have been doing a nice job all along and I really like it as you have it now.

If there was one thing I would add is more of your videos.

One that I would drop, long in-depth articles on topics that are a bit too advanced for us.

Keep it up!