I’ve got a question for you
I experimented today with having a long post be split into segments with a “continued” button that the reader can click to go to the second page of the post (scroll down on this page to see what I mean; it’s the post entitled “Would courts actually ‘settle’ the birther issue?”). This makes for a cleaner home page with less scrolling down, although it means the reader has to take an extra step to finish the longer posts.
What do you think? Should I continue this practice? Does it make it easier to see what’s what and to read it, or harder?
See the advantages, find it mildly annoying. Use it sparingly?
I very much like the “continued” button, mostly because it requires less scrolling down to see the next/earlier post.
…so then the comments would be split up as well?
Do it.
Ann Althouse does.
snopercod:
I don’t think it would affect the comments.
Myself I prefer scrolling.
I don’t see the “continue” button.
me either…
I’m ok with it. If I want to see the comments, I have to open up a new tab anyway (I like to keep the main page up). And for some reason, I don’t like being transferred to the “more” entry point. Not sure why, maybe it’s the interruption. So I usually open the entry from the main link.
Plus, if there’s a long entry that I don’t want to read, it’s hard to find the next one if it’s all embedded in the main page. That’s a plus for the “Continued” feature.
Since most blogs do it, I think it’s a fine format. You always have to click to read the comments, and at neo-neocon, the comments are consistently interesting… I always read the comments, so I always click anyway.
In general, although not universally, your blockquotes from other sources are far, far too long. Exercise restraint and the posts that are now classic “TL;DR” fodder will become more readable. Otherwise you are always in danger of sliding into MEGO territory. in general when the post gets to around 800 words it’s time to use the Artfldgr shears on yourself.
I often agree with vanderleun, but not this time. Your block quotes would probably be too long for other sites with a more snapshot, read-quick-and-move-on approach, but not for your more thoughtful, measured, detailed approach, or for the readers who come here looking for that. Yes, your posts — quotes and all — are probably too long for some readers, but those aren’t your readers. You should follow your own leadings.
As for the “continue” button, it doesn’t bother me. I always click through to read the comments, anyway.
Jay Kaplan; snopercod:
The button actually says “continued.” It appears beneath the text of the post on the homepage, to the left, and it’s in a medium-brown color (the same color as links). Do you see it, now that I’ve described it?
I like it. That’s one of the things I really like about PowerLine, a short blurb with a continue link
vandeleun:
I was unaware that I had appointed you my editor.
I use quotes that are as short as they can be in order to convey the ideas I’m trying to convey. This isn’t Twitter.
Segmented “continued” posts are much better for me. I often have little time to scroll as I scan posts during brief down time intervals at work.
Neo– OK, I see it now on the home page, not the article itself where I was looking for it. Yeah, I think it’s a good idea now that I understand.
–Sometimes I sits and thinks, an sometimes I just sits…
If you’re going to do more than two or three longish posts a day, it’s a good idea. Otherwise, I prefer the status quo.
Don’t bury the lede and it should work fine.
FYI, clicking on the “Continued” button didn’t open up the post for me. The button just hopped up and down when I scrolled and clicked on it. I opened the post using the permalink or comment link.
Wooly Bully:
“Otherwise, I prefer the status quo.”
I’m fine with how it’s been, too.
I have mixed feelings because I sometimes have problems with my iPhone loading some ‘continued below’ postings on other blogs (especially Ace). Still, I acknowledge that this problem may be unique to me, and can see some benefit to the change.
Predicted side effect: You may have to start writing more like a classic print reporter; you usually get all the “who’s, what’s, where’s and when’s” in there pretty early, but if you change the format you should be careful to ‘set your hooks’ before the page break!
Nope. Not appointed as editor but the quotes are often longer than they have to be. We’re here for you, not for the quoted ones.
I don’t like the continue option…
On a tablet, it sometimes takes longer to reload pages, especially if there are links and ads and other hidden things.
And, if this replay shows up, then there is also a problem with Windows 10 and the replacement for IE.
It worked! MS Edge apparently won’t send comments. I’m still on my tablet, just switched to IE.
The interesting thing about Edge was that you could take a long article, save it and read it later.
I tried “continue” links on my blog. Most people hated the extra click, even though many of my articles are plenty long. Scrolling is easier than clicking, perhaps?
I don’t mind scrolling, m’self. It’s easy enough to see the next headline as I scroll down. Ultimately, I prefer no Continue links, since I’ll often just read as I scroll, but it’s not a big deal to me either way.
You know, you’re right. Those quotes aren’t too long. They just look like they are. Increase the width of the left column to 640 pixels and problem solved. They shorten themselves.
This is your party and do what you want to. (Channeling my inner Leslie Gore.)
I think it’s disruptive to the reading process. My eyes have to go to the top of the page and re-register. Not a big deal unless you have sight issues like I do, then it can be quite annoying. I do like the way that the Weekly Standard recently went about it. Their next page just opens up below and allows you to seamlessly keep reading, but that’s not practical for the style of this layout.
I think its agood thing to do as your post coming more frequent, i.e saving space and time in scroll down.
So only the title and few line of post that enugh to decide if need to read all text.
Thank you for asking and sharing this matter with readers
I think if it is just an update to a current news item or is on the same exact topic, you should just update the same post at the bottom. Using more as the break line, would be one way of doing it.
I wouldn’t want to click on another link just to read the entire initial post, however. Especially if it was a unique topic.
Then again that depends on the topic.
I scroll using my mouse wheel. I read most of your posts top to bottom. I don’t need the extra step. I find it a bit annoying at Powerline that I have to do a click to see comments. That may be because I find Powerline commentators more interesting than the Powerliners themselves.
Rule of thumb:
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Second rule of thumb:
See rule above.
No, I don’t. And there was no way to reply specifically to your reply to my comment other than as I did with this end of all comments comment.
“What do you think? Should I continue this practice? Does it make it easier to see what’s what and to read it, or harder?”
I don’t see a problem with the possibility of messing up the print function. Sometimes if If I don’t have the time to read the article, I’ll save it off as a pdf (less the comments). If the cont button segments the whole article, it will make it more difficult to do this. You may want to check out a Townhall article. With their articles, you have the option to view the whole article as a single page. But either way, its your ball and your game 🙂
1 2
View Full Article
http://townhall.com/columnists/johnhawkins/2016/01/19/the-25-worst-quotes-from-donald-trump-n2106456
I always have a nagging suspicion that blogs who ask us to click for more are doing so to increase the number of clicks. That could well not be the case, but I don’t really understand the inner workings of these things.
In any case, I would not suspect you of doing that as I think you are more interested in an honest discussion than in collecting clicks.
All that said, this experiment did not prove onerous, but I tend toward Barry Muslin’s rule of thumb: don’t fix what ain’t broke. Unless, of course, there’s an advantage to you (other than click count) that I don’t understand because of something to do with electronic formatting or something.
I actually prefer the way many of the bigger blogs do it, with a descriptive title and maybe a sentence or two then comes the click button to get to the rest, where the comments also reside. I have a broad and eclectic field of interest, but it rarely includes ballet, obits of hippie era musicians, the minutiae of legal procedures, poetry, et al. I prefer to be able to quickly see all the day’s new topics to zero in on the ones I want to read or comment on.
Why not make the center column wider?
The actual business portion of the visible window, only appears to take up about a third of the viewing screen, with two equally wide blank columns on either side.
I don’t know if this is how it appears to others, but that is what I see.
I like your format as it is now. Going to a second page takes a long time on my tablet.
Oftentimes Less Is More.
Old Internet adage.
Neo: I don’t usually comment but I have a thought here. I don’t agree that you should have a continue button unless it is an EXTREMELY long piece. I find it most annoying on Powerline to have to do all that clicking! Especially if I get to page 2 and there are only two or three lines continued there! I didn’t really need to see that!!
CCB:
Right now, that’s pretty much the compromise I’m leaning towards.
Yikes, 42 comments to vote on a button. Are readers of this blog opinionated?
Well, maybe I’m a minority, but I’m sure I’m not alone in liking Neo’s longer blog posts. After all, even the longest ones would be no more than a short essay in an old-fashioned paper magazine. I think it usually takes a bit of time to express a complex thought, and if a “continue” button encourages Neo to write more long pieces, then I support the button.
Perhaps this is a minority view, but I don’t mind scrolling past the few posts I’m not interested in, and I much prefer that to having to click “continue” to read the whole of the many posts that I am interested in. I’ve stopped visiting some blogs that require lots of clicking to read the content.
Whatever you do about “continue” is fine with me. I DO NOT want you to change your style with block quotes and length of posts. I was just thinking yesterday how many writers give too much information or use unnecessary words. That causes me to subconsciously start skimming. That rarely happens when I read Neo and Thomas Sowell. You two are masters at making every word count. For me, both of you present the right amount of information very logically.
Yes … do it. It is common practice on most blogs and it will clean up the homepage.
Save it for long posts with images. e.g. your ballet posts, which are interesting, but do tend to run on.
The column width is extremely narrow on your blog, with only 6-8 words per line. Very irritating to read. I would visit more, but I can only tolerate this format so long. WordPress has modern templates that resize to take advantage of any size screen. That would be a huge improvement. And no, don’t make me click to a second page, a la Powerline. Scrolling is easy.
Chris:
I have no idea what your settings are, but I use a fairly big font size, and I work on a laptop, and even with those settings, I get about 12 words per line. On my smartphone, I get even more words per line if I turn it sideways, about 15.
I have no idea what the difference is about for your computer or smartphone.
The difference must be that I have a hi-res iMac screen, and therefore have to sit back a ways from it, which means I have to enlarge the type for it to be readable. “DNW” above mentions making your center column wider, so he/she is also seeing your site using a mere third of the available real estate. Contact me via email if you want to discuss further; I design websites for a living.
Chris:
Thanks!