Variations are easy. Over time we’ll see what readers respond to best.
Some possibilities:
1. Titles only. We could show 10 or more instead of four or five.
2. Titles plus bullets. The number of bullets can vary depending on the story.
3. One-Line Wrap-Up (OLW) only. That format actually works surprisingly well.
4. Bob’s Take alone, or Bob’s Take plus the OLW.
I download roughly 450 opinion articles a day in under a minute. Been refining that app for more than a year. My role is mostly editorial—I try to surface the top-tier pieces based on relevance to Rip’s lane and overall literary quality. But variety and reader recognition of the author are also factors.
Thanks for the input. Most readers seem to prefer the summary format. Another option is a short paragraph summary instead of bullets, but the feedback I’ve received generally favors bullets. Frankly, so do I.
Thanks. One thing I appreciate is how little clutter there is. Most of the articles are refreshingly free of the usual online noise, and the Substack pieces are especially clean—just the writer, the idea, and the argument. No flotsam, no jetsam, and very little ballast.
Okay, mixed feelings about the format. Personally, I look at title of article to decide if I want to read it. At this point in my life, having read so much fluff and nonsense, I feel my discriminatory faculties function reasonably well. Your previews are certainly helpful, but...for me, unnecessary. I still focus on the title. One man's opinion.
Thanks for continuing Rip's newsletter. And special thanks for including the source (website) for each article. It's a great help for those who wish to post some of the articles.
Variations are easy. Over time we’ll see what readers respond to best.
Some possibilities:
1. Titles only. We could show 10 or more instead of four or five.
2. Titles plus bullets. The number of bullets can vary depending on the story.
3. One-Line Wrap-Up (OLW) only. That format actually works surprisingly well.
4. Bob’s Take alone, or Bob’s Take plus the OLW.
I download roughly 450 opinion articles a day in under a minute. Been refining that app for more than a year. My role is mostly editorial—I try to surface the top-tier pieces based on relevance to Rip’s lane and overall literary quality. But variety and reader recognition of the author are also factors.
Thanks for the input. Most readers seem to prefer the summary format. Another option is a short paragraph summary instead of bullets, but the feedback I’ve received generally favors bullets. Frankly, so do I.
Thanks. One thing I appreciate is how little clutter there is. Most of the articles are refreshingly free of the usual online noise, and the Substack pieces are especially clean—just the writer, the idea, and the argument. No flotsam, no jetsam, and very little ballast.
Okay, mixed feelings about the format. Personally, I look at title of article to decide if I want to read it. At this point in my life, having read so much fluff and nonsense, I feel my discriminatory faculties function reasonably well. Your previews are certainly helpful, but...for me, unnecessary. I still focus on the title. One man's opinion.
Thanks for continuing Rip's newsletter. And special thanks for including the source (website) for each article. It's a great help for those who wish to post some of the articles.