inferring that I claim a special body of knowledge unavailable seemed pretty much like an attempt to undermine any authority or authenticity I could claim in my post. to me, using a straw man like that indicates at least disrespect, if not contention.
My apologies, I meant no disrespect. To me it sounded like you had some idea what our readership's interests were beyond what we both had access too (the forums). The fact that we get thousands of unique visitors to the front page and have, maybe, twenty people in the world who visit the forums implies to me that there may be a significant difference in the interests of the two groups.
anyway, I still maintain the reasons I have as valid. I dont' think the front page is the forum for news items like that except in a very exceptional case. As so few of our people are currently influenced by Gemmel, I don't find this to be an exceptional case. I believe that the sort of people who would read an obit on our front page and actually take note of it would be the same sort of people who would find the same info in the forum, where a more complete discussion can be done.
I do find Gemmell to be an exceptional case.
The fact that so few of our peope are currently influenced by Gemmell is a reason, in my book, to say something about him. They might like him.
I think that there are plenty of people who check the front page occasionally who never enter the forums. There are lots of sites I visit like that and I know people personally who visit our site like that. And maybe if the news item linked to the forum, someone would jump in and make a comment who might not otherwise have done so.
Thus, I feel the forum is a more appropriate place for such a notice. It will be, imo, at least as effective in notifying people of a possible new interest, and won't alter the normal pattern of our front page.
For the reasons above I don't think the forum is as effective a place of notifying people of a possible new interest.
And how would it alter the normal pattern of our front page? We're so short on content and time that it doesn't really follow a pattern at all. Maybe we could make up some of the content shortfall if we started posting the occasional news item like this? I seriously doubt we'd lose any readership if we did. Maybe we'd gain some.
It comes down to opinion, and it is my opinion that obits shouldn't be posted on the front page.
It does come down to opinion and it is my opinion that it should be posted on the front page.
Tiebreaker?
