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High on a Hill

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by Hillary Chan, Malaysia

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Help The Star Online go Web 2.0

Mar 30, 2008 21:36

I have to admit I haven't read The Star Online for some time even though it provides news from Malaysia's most widely circulated newspaper for free. I'm probably the last person in the country to notice it has updated its site.

Apart from looking Web 2.0, the new site has incorporated a few features from Web 2.0. Here're a few differences I've noticed on the front page.

Did you notice the RSS button at the footer? :)

Here're two differences I've noticed on the article pages.

Now that we know The Star Online cares enough to move out of the clunky Web 1.0, my imagination is running wild.

Let's pretend we have all been commissioned to advise the team behind The Star Online on how to take the new site even further. What would you suggest to them?

Here're my two ideas.

Allow comments for each article

Add a contact page so readers can write "Letters to Editors" quickly and easily

Now it's your turn. What would you advise? The person who has the best tip wins, er, a mention on this blog. (Unless The Star Online would like to offer a reward?) *evil grin*

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bomberchia

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bomberchia says...
Nice article on The Star Online. I personally feel it has a similar template with Channel News Asia Online and BBC News.co.uk.

I used to read The Star a couple of months ago because of some interesting news on the proton waga acquisition issue. Now that it has changed its look and feel, I believe there are alot of things which they can improve like what you mention allowing comments for each article, and adding a contact page so that readers can write "Letters to Editors" quickly and easily.

I feel that The Star can perhaps create a section on Related Articles after each news article at the bottom of the page. It might be useful for students who are doing research or surveys to tap on the related articles to help with their assignments.

Perhaps their left navigation sidebar's font can be increased a bit more because it does look a tad small at first glance.

The Young Businessman

Mar 30, 2008 22:27

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Geekonomics

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Geekonomics says...
It's kinda tough for a more traditional site like 'thestar' to go Web 2.0 and UGC (User Generated Content) and all.

Looks like they've already taken a positive move but they'll have to do a lot more to ride the wave of the new 'tsunami' of new media that has swept across Malaysia.

Without going into specifics of what they can and can't do (coz all the details would be too much here and probably be without context anyways), 'thestar' can consider the 'mullet strategy' used by many major sites which is basically 'business up front, party at the back!'

Basically the strategy is to keep a professional front of the site, but behind, to let the party go wild with UGC and let go on the user interactions. This way, you have a much better chance to build a community who is free to express themselves and yet keep the professionalism of the site.

More of the mullet strategy here www.buzzfeed.com...

Apr 04, 2008 03:02

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Hillary

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Hillary says...
Ahh, interesting. Thanks for introducing us to the mullet strategy. I notice that even though The Star's website now looks 2.0, very little (if any) interactivity is built in.

Perhaps the traditional media is still concerned about allowing their readers to have an opinion? They might have missed the whole point of web 2.0

Apr 04, 2008 09:02

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