I recently met with some of our volunteer moderators and contributors while in the Bay Area, and they provided some valuable suggestions on WUWT and its place in the climate debate.
Of course, I haven’t asked WUWT readers on this topic , so here’s an opportunity to weigh in.
First, I’d like to point out that I don’t know that I will make any changes. I’ve heard some interesting ideas, but have not decided on any course of action. I’d like to hear from readers what they think.
Some topics that I’d like input on:
Format and style: too busy or easy to read and use?
Content: too much/too little/too narrow/too broad?
Content: too much news/not enough news?
Moderation: too heavy/too light? Too troll tolerant/not tolerant enough?
Features: (no I can’t make comment preview work, see this) what would you like to see?
Guest authors: good/bad/ugly?
Ideas for regular weekly features
How do you most use WUWT? Reference, portal, news, commentary, bird cages?
What could we do better?
At the same time, I’d like to mention that a part of WUWT’s success is owed to linkages…and I’ve noticed many readers not taking advantage of the ability to spread the word. It would be enormously helpful if you would use other blogs, Twitter, and Facebook to announce WUWT posts of interest. Some web ranking services now figure these in. Even if you don’t retweet, simply signing up as a Twitter follower improves WUWT’s ranking in some venues.
For example, the Wikio Sciences blog rating we have in the upper right sidebar depends on retweets to some degree, they write in FAQs:
The position of a blog in the Wikio ranking depends on the number and weight of the incoming links from other blogs. Our algorithm accords a greater value to links from blogs placed higher up in the ranking.
A blog linking another blog is only counted once a month i.e. if blog A links to blog B 10 times in a given month, it is only counted as having linked to that blog once that month. The weight of any link decreases over time. Also, if a blog always links to the same blog, the weight of these links is decreased.
Only links found in RSS feeds are counted. Blogrolls are not taken into account.
In December 2010, retweets were added as an additional factor to the ranking algorithm. For each twitter account, only one backlink per blog is taken into account each month.
So, links to WUWT are important, retweets are important. If you haven’t joined up with Twitter and Facebook, I understand, it took me awhile to overcome some of my personal objections to this form of social networking, but once I did, I never looked back.
Thanks for your consideration – Anthony
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More cowbell.
Anthony
Frankly, I wouldn’t change a thing. I’ve learned a great deal here and a lot of the commentary is excellent. My only bug is troll control and the occassional food fights that erupt (the Singer thread got a little bizarre and ugly and off topic) but the trolls do serve a useful function and moderation is not heavy-handed at all – sheesh, I can’t recall ever being snipped here and I’m sure some of my posts must have stretched the patience of the moderators. I use your site for news, reference and gauging the temperature of the blog-o-sphere. Keep doing what you are doing.
I would like to thank Anthony and the Mods for allowing laymen such as myself to post thoughts and comments. I would hope that the these comments can give a hint to what the average Joe on the street is thinking. You also give us a window into what people of other countries think. And that is one of the best benefits of visiting this site. I have learned more about Australia and how it works than I ever could have bar living there myself. I am also glad to know how many Brits feel about the doings over there.
Keep up the good work.
Best science blog on the web. Pity we are always dominated by AGW, but that’s the way of the world at present. However, every so often you give us something different and challenging, which makes coming here even more enjoyable.
The trolls are a nuisance, but the great strength of this blog is tollerance of all views, long may it continue. Trolls by their nature have short attention spans, and soon get tired when their brains are challenged, so don’t change anything. This site has grown and matured, and I have visited daily since I first read about your experiments with different paints on the Stevenson Screens. Did you ever come to any conclusions?
Generally, I find the site good. It would be nice to be able to contact you personally more easily on occasion, but I fully understand why that is not so :). While one could argue ad nauseum about layout and design, really, there is only so much you can do to handle the sheer volume, currency and rapidity with which information moves. I can’t find enough time to read enough topics to the depth I’d like. There are times when I curse my education – I’m regularly challenged here to wade deeper and more thoroughly because I know enough to know there is more to know and understand, but I lack the the time, and, to a degree, the resources, now that I am out of a university environment, to go really deep. Still, a taste keeps the promise alive, even if the appetite never gets fully whetted, and I simply wouldn’t even have the taste without your effort.
I appreciate that you stand your ground. I know that it has not been without personal cost. Hail and salut to you for that. May there be some tangible reward beyond simply the satisfaction of holding your head high and proud. Life shouldn’t be entirely virtual, even as it may be virtuous.
I await patiently the appearance of a button adjacent to the comment stream that facilitates the reprogramming of trolls. If Staples can do it with “EASY”, I prefer to believe that all things are possible. Next to it would be a button that makes PhD degrees disappear for those who intellectually and serially transgress. This, in my view, is an incredible sociological failing. Accountability isn’t solely for certain professions. The damage a loudmouth can do is no less significant then the engineer who catastrophically fails a bridge project.
So, links to WUWT are important, retweets are important
Please critically re-evaluate this. Retweeting is largely nothing more than serial spamming and a huge annoyance. I remove tweeters from my follow list who use this (not that it seems to matter – I get them anyway) due to an incredible amount of inane clutter. My tweet management programs are clogged with retweets. As a result, I pay less and less attention to tweets. You’d better be making serious coin from them, because they will cost you in the long run.
Chose your alternate posters carefully – its hard, but some are not scientifically up to speed and it hurts your credibility and unnecessarily embarrasses well-meaning individuals.
As they say, “don’t fix what ain’t broke….”
I’m having a hard time defining what I like most about WUWT. In no particular order, I’d say:-
Reference pages – just amazing.
Guest posts, particularly the sciency ones, including the ones from people on the other side of the divide.
Anything by Willis and Josh. They’re always good for morale.
Readers comments and links, particularly the sciency ones.
The moderation policy is peerless, probably the best in the blogosphere. Thank you, guys.
About the only gripe I would have is the sheer amount of time it takes to get through all the posts and comments. If I miss a day, I’m really struggling to keep up.
I’m having an equally hard time thinking about things that would improve on what you already have.
Keep your sense of humour and don’t burn out would probably be the most important one.
Possibly a vulcanology reference page.
Keep mixing it up with sciency articles that are not necessarily solely about climate or weather.
Keep extending invites to scientists from the other side, and articles from skeptics who might not be full time scientists.
Dear Anthony,
What can I say in view of one the most interesting places on the Internet.
Given the prominence of the “AGW” discussion I would favour some integration of the diverging technical topics, outside politics of course, like I have recently found at e.g. Climate Realist (Steven Wilde cs). Say a topic Synthesis understanding “global warming/cooling”. In this case for the lay-man an digestable line of reasoning integrating sun charactistics, position of jet streams, reaction of aircolumns, landmass/water ratio’s and the like. Even including Landscheidt like discussions on planetary-sun interactions.
Having comments numbered is a good idea.
Otherwise – why change a winning blog!
I haven’t found a better site for learning, not just from the guest posts but also from the comments. Sometimes it feels like having a private lecture at the best university there is.
The spread of information is excellent, and having a Josh interleaved here and there is good fun.
The reference pages are outstanding. The whole blog is easy to read.
The moderators should be given prizes – their comments on what the current trolls are producing never fail to make me grin.
So for the time being – no need to fiddle with the best science blog.
Thanks, Anthony and mods – and commenters!
Sorry about the link I used on my prior post, I should have used the one:
http://weaselzippers.us/2011/02/19/us-government-software-creates-fake-people-on-social-networks-to-promote-propaganda/
Format and style: I would like to see comments threaded in a staggered format that allows one to follow some threads, and to skip others.
Content: I would like to see a separate forum for chatting about more general, off-topic matters. This would also make the WUWT site much more active and popular. To unburden moderators, you could limit the membership in this forum to those who participated by commenting for some time, and are thus “vetted” to behave properly.
Moderation: seems to be much more reasonable and fair than on most other sites.
Guest authors: some are very good, especially Mr. Eschenbach, who demonstrates remarkably clear thinking and writing skills.
How do you most use WUWT? I read articles and comments, how else? I would never use facebook, tweet, linkedin, or whatever they call those sites that give their participants an artificial sensation of doing something or being part of something, whereas, in reality, they waste their time and are as lonely as ever.
What could we do better? Not being a climatologist, as I mentioned already, I would like very much to see comments in a threaded, staggered format that would allow me to participate in a discussion of social and cultural tendencies affiliated with the green hoax but to skip boring skirmishes between vain people most interested in who is better qualified to understand correctly some particular feature of atmospheric circulation or solar magnetic activity. I would be more than happy, for example, to skip forever all caustic, self-aggrandizing (and often scientifically dubious) expostulations posted by Dr. Leif Svalgaard.
How about a list somewhere of what all the initials mean, like NASA, NOAA, RSS, ENSO, NCDC, CCSA, etc., etc., etc. for all us technodinosaurs or for newbies.
Otherwise, leave it alone, it reads easily, we all know where everything is, and, mostly, how to work it all.
Above all, keep up the good work.
REPLY: See the glossary on the menu bar, or here http://wattsupwiththat.com/glossary/ – Anthony
MikeW says:
February 20, 2011 at 10:28 am said in part …
“I have a special OT note to add here: The US Govt is putting out a contract for development of Software to manage “Fake People” on social media websites to help promote their ‘message’. This could take the promulgation of Global Warming ‘information’ to new levels.
http://weaselzippers.us/2011/02/19/us-government-software-creates-fake-people-on-social-networks-to-promote-propaganda/#comment-61651”
____________________________________________________________
Darn, you mean a few of us will have to gear up our spambots ?
Anthony,
Just keep as it is.
First time poster, I have been reading this site for about 18 months.
What I would like to see is a limit on number of comments per page, possibly 50 posts per page. This is needed when viewing on a mobile phone (android) with limited memory, this would also help when I need to read the latest comments, due to time difference (I’m in the uk).
I look at WUWT as one of the insider looks at the world of science to get the real deal that CNN or FOX may glaze over in reports. I only have background of traditional college with majors in psychology and art. In spite of that I have kept up with weather all my life. Now my teenage daughter is using this site as a source of current events in the fields of science in two classes. They are required to discuss verbally in class and on paper what is really happening out there. And yes, she’s getting A’s doing this. So while you have kids running around you while writing, you have kids on the other end of the web reading and discussing those issues. Keep this up but give more detail for the more of us who don’t have the physics background!
I usually use an RSS feed to see what’s new, and I tend to read about half the WUWT articles. There has been an oddity the past week, however, in iGoogle often showing headlines which are many days old. Of course I can’t tell how much of that behavior is due to WUWT and how much from Google’s mysterious servers.
The only desired feature that comes to mind at the moment is a “Quote” button for comments, which would copy that comment’s text (or its highlighted text) into my comment’s input form, and include a link to that original comment. That would simplify responses to a previous comment.
The WUWT content seems just right to me. Some variety, and many things which are of interest to me.
If it’s not too much to ask, how about adding some puppy videos? Everyone likes puppies!
REPLY: sure, here ya go, I feel like the cat some days:
Anthony,
I totally agree on the wordpress.com platform – if only I’d gone that route in 2005, I’d have saved a year’s worth of sleep! But on the other hand, I never learned so much about blog hosting, PHP and MySQL as I did for four years.
I like the fast pace and the diversity of posts about all sorts of topics, not just climate change.
I dislike posts (and comments) that are American party political talking points (the “everything that is wrong with the world is caused by liberals/neocons” blah blah blah). It’s pointless and repetitive and divisive. There are plenty of liberals out there who are dismayed and disgusted by the perversion of science and reason that has happened in climate science and beyond.
The great thing about the Internet is that like-minded people on one subject can be totally at odds on any other. This is how its supposed to be. Academics are like this all of the time and consensuses are rarer than hen’s teeth in Universities.
Guest posts are very welcome even if those posts are pro-AGW, just so long as the argument is reasoned and factual and the author is willing to defend his thesis to the commenters. I enjoy the posts by Willis and Indur Goklany and Roy Spencer even if sometimes I disagree with them (and can say so, thankfully).
The moderation is sensible and pretty even-handed. Kudos to the volunteer mods for keeping WUWT a great place to comment.
I like the fact that WUWT is part of a wider debate and links to a diversity of opinion (even if some of those sites don’t return the favour) and encourages other people to blog as well.
I’m glad that you Anthony are in reasonable good health and hope that you and WUWT keeps doing what you do best – reporting and commenting on events with the minimum of rancour. Hopefully you don’t lose too much sleep over this corner of the Interwebs.
John
Anthony. Great web blog but more importantly a great forum for free exchange of scientific ideas/information. After four years I am so used to the format that any change would throw me off. The guest authors and several commentators are extremely valuable. The moderation is about right. Sometimes it seems heavy-handed but some people are just uncivil. I have increasingly less time (along with everyone else) and I use WUWT for keeping up with the recent scientific announcements instead of trying to skim all the other blogs/journals. I skim over the “IPCC/Team’s/Administration’s” “consensus” announcements as their 30-year old broken record is stuck in early 1980’s computer models.
Dear Anthony,
What can I say when visiting one of the most interesting sites on the Internet.
Anyway, given the diversity and depth of the presented topics I would suggest a Synthesis folder in which the understanding of Global warming/cooling is build up from the basics. Sun (active/not active – planetary influences) magnetic field interactions with meso/stratosphere colums) jet stream positions and cloud formations, in other words a kind of pattern of possible mechanisms based on fact, not politics of course.
Anthony – I have a look at your site on a daily basis. I am interested in both the science and the politics; my aim is to educate myself and keep abreast of new developments.
Your format and style (e.g. choice of font) are excellent, the blog is one of the easiest to load and read.
The style of moderation is just right, and is a key to your success.
I would suggest a distinction (e.g. in headers) between 3 types of topic: (a) science, (b) politics and (c) mixed science and politics (I will even guess that you will have about 1/3 of each).
Links are important: sometimes the best ones are in readers’ comments.
You are right to review things. Your ability to delegate is perhaps the single most important thing as the site continues to grow. I trust we will hear more reports of quality family time spent away from the blog.
All the best.
Leave mainly ‘as is’
The most distinguishing feature is that adversaries can freely comment and have their comments remain for other to read. The resulting trolling is not a great problem, most threads are long anyway and filled with bot high and low (from bot sides)
Posting frequency is quite high, and partly due to interestings guest-posters. No need for weekly features: Post things when available/justified, not for contrived reasons.
Discussions in the comments are sometimes as interesting and informative, expecially if between opposing parties. Maybe, the best should be summarized and kept.
Wellcome would also be opposing viewpoints and postings by intelligent warmist who are not afraid of, or run for (moderation-)cover in the face of opposition.
Numbered comments would be helpful for easier references.
I really like the balance between science, criticism, general discussions, politics, society and humor etc. Means you check back frequently, gett godd overview and updates … and stay when things get ‘hot’ in a particularly interesting field.
WUWT is great as is – it ain’t broke, so don’t fix it.
To relieve the Moderators of some of their workload, you might consider letting Comments by Guest Contributors and Frequent Commenters who have a record of rationality and courtesy a free pass around Moderation on all Topic threads if WordPress allows such a setting. (On my Google Blogger site, the Comments of my Authorized Authors, on any Topic thread, show up immediately without my having to Moderate them. On WUWT, my Comments on Topics where I am the Author show up immediately, but have to go through Moderation on Topic threads by other Authors.) Of course, any Frequent Commenter who violates that trust would lose his or her privileged status.
I like your site mostly as it is , and I am a daily reader ,
so please be at least a little conservative with changing it.
I find the site good , and as someone else posted ” If it aint broke dont fix it”
As for Trolls— let them post– our arguments are generally much better; more science based and less hate based. The Trolls only post because they fear the truth and balance this site shows.
A comprehensive, routinely updated alphabetical index to key words of stories would be an immense help. Exactly the same as the index at the back of a good textbook.
All too often when I comment on another blog and intend to link to WUWT to acknowledge the source of a story, I can’t find it!
Thanks.