Strive Notes

Most newspapers have moved online either wholly or within a mixed publishing model. There is a myriad of benefits to both the publisher and the reader, but there is one downside that comes up time and again.

People like to read the newspaper.  They like to spread it out on the table and take their time dipping into the news, especially at the weekend.  Getting their news served up online eliminates important rituals and some of the enjoyment of a Sunday morning.

That’s why the New York Times has just introduced an online article skimmer that organises and lays out stories to look similar to a hard copy newspaper.

The reader can easily scan sections and dip into the stories that interest them most. And the articles will gradually fade as they get older, so the newest content is identified at a glance.  Of course it doesn’t look exactly like a newspaper, because that format would be too difficult to navigate and would be counter intuitive to Internet users. But does spread the news out across the screen instead of displaying a list of links.

Unfortunately,  graceful flutter of turning pages is not there, but then neither are the blackened fingers.

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Filed under: Media