 

Welcome to the new Green Room!

posted at 10:41 am on October 26, 2012 by Ed Morrissey

Over the last couple of days, you may have noticed some changes in our Green Room, and a few readers expressed some puzzlement over suddenly seeing Allahpundit, Mary Katharine, Erika, Jazz Shaw, Guy Benson, and myself posting our thoughts in that forum.  We’ve decided to repurpose our Green Room into a Hot Air/Townhall conversation area, where your favorite bloggers — and perhaps a few of your favorite radio hosts — can post shorter-form thoughts, debate points amongst each other.

We want to thank our friends who have written in our Green Room over the last few years. They’ve done a great job, and we’ve had a blast working with them.

So what’s next?  We’ll start with the six of us while we’re building some better access to GR posts on our home page, but we’ll shortly be adding some of our Townhall colleagues, and perhaps by next week a few other Salem favorites, too. We hope to have this in full throttle by Election Night, and you can bet we’ll be posting quick updates all night long.  Be sure to keep an eye on the Green Room, because you’ll never know what — or who — to expect there!

Update (AP): In case it’s not obvious, the “More Green Room” link in the box on the Hot Air front page will take you directly to the master Green Room page. You can read everything there with one scroll, a la Instapundit. Links to individual GR posts will cycle off the HA front page quickly, so that’s the easiest way to get caught up on everything if you’re behind.

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By the way: People do realize that they can read all of the Headlines that have scrolled off the page by clicking the “All Headlines” link in the Headlines box, yes? We’ve already gotten an e-mail from someone complaining about the shrinkage of the Headlines box on grounds that he’s going to miss some stuff now.

Allahpundit on October 26, 2012 at 11:41 AM

True enough, but that takes some extra clicking (whine, whine, whine, I know….)

The problem is, most Hot Air visitors don’t click over to the “expired” headlines, they just visit the ones that are visible on the main page. With fewer headlines visible, there may be less engagement and discussion between the commenters (i.e. less traffic).

Just my two cents.

UltimateBob on October 26, 2012 at 11:53 AM

I quit Breitbart for over 6 months when they changed their format. The only time I go there now is when it’s linked by Drudge.
Oh well…

OkieDoc on October 26, 2012 at 11:05 AM

Are there any thoughts on changing the commenting system? Such as Livefyre or DISQUS?

NO PLEASE DON’T~~~~~

CoffeeLover on October 26, 2012 at 11:15 AM

I submit that the Disqus commenting system would be a better alternative than Facebook. You can at least stay anonymous, but with the addition of an avatar, and your free account compiles all your comments as links back to the articles you’ve made comments on.

If the comments here require Facebook commenting, I’m gone. It’s for the same reason I hardly ever read Powerline any more.

The only thing I’d ask is that if you all go elsewhere to another site, let me know so I can join you there.

PatriotGal2257 on October 26, 2012 at 11:54 AM

When one makes changes to a thriving site, they should be improvements. These changes are a step back. The headlines are fewer, the headline section looks cluttered, and articles without comments are like days without sunshine.

Cara C on October 26, 2012 at 11:54 AM

Well, we don’t want to push the blog posts too far down the page. We’ve already had one tech designer e-mail us to complain that he can’t even see the top posts on his monitor anymore. (I can see them just fine, but whatever.)

Allahpundit on October 26, 2012 at 11:49 AM

For PCs at least, I’d think most everybody these days would have something x 768 monitor resolution, at which point the top two blog posts are readily available without scrolling unless you’re jamming your browser full of toolbars (in which case you probably have bigger problems anyway). In fact in that regard, I’m pretty certain a shift back up to eight headlines at least wouldn’t scroll them off of the bottom of the screen.

Gingotts on October 26, 2012 at 11:54 AM

Ed’s CQ was what made this blog. Is there another good blog like CQ where we can go and have fun without all the commercial and nicespeak harrassemnt?

Old Country Boy on October 26, 2012 at 11:49 AM

Not just no, but emphatically no. Hot Air was a massive powerhouse long before Ed’s CQ came into the picture, no disrespect to Ed, but coming to Hot Air from CQ was a major step up for Ed. A step sideways for Hot air at best.

SWalker on October 26, 2012 at 11:55 AM

I know this, and while I won’t presume to speak for all others here I think most do too. The problem is, let’s face it: even if they are archived once the headlines roll off of the main page the comments in there die. I think we liked the time of discussion available when it came to the headlines.

Reducing it to six seems as if that time frame of active discussion is shortened a bit too much. Unless fewer headlines are introduced through the day, at which point we probably miss some interesting stuff. Ten seemed to work well, it’s what we’re used to, and you are running a conservative blog here after all…

Gingotts on October 26, 2012 at 11:49 AM

Well said. That’s what I was getting at with my comment above.

UltimateBob on October 26, 2012 at 11:56 AM

Good luck, HA!

MeatHeadinCA on October 26, 2012 at 11:56 AM

It’s kind of like NRO’s The Corner, with a fifth as many writers and a tenth as much content, where you can read individual posts but not comment on them.

KingGold on October 26, 2012 at 11:38 AM

Except that you *can* comment on The Corner. (Well, *I* can’t anymore, since they converted to Disqus – it gets blocked at the firewall.)

GWB on October 26, 2012 at 11:57 AM

Well, we don’t want to push the blog posts too far down the page. We’ve already had one tech designer e-mail us to complain that he can’t even see the top posts on his monitor anymore. (I can see them just fine, but whatever.)

Allahpundit on October 26, 2012 at 11:49 AM

What’s he got, an iPad mini? Really, I got a small screen (13″) MacBook Pro, and can see the blog posts just fine, even if you reinstate the number of articles normally carried there.

TXUS on October 26, 2012 at 11:57 AM

We want to thank our friends who have written in our Green Room over the last few years. They’ve done a great job, and we’ve had a blast working with them.

And that’s it? “We want to thank our friends” but you couldn’t take the extra time to name all of the great writers down there by name? Just “friends”?

Wow, way to throw some great talent under the bus.

Shameful.

JPeterman on October 26, 2012 at 11:57 AM

I hate it!!
I hate it!!
I hate it!!
.
Wait..what’s this about?

Dr. Carlo Lombardi on October 26, 2012 at 11:58 AM

Bowing to the Twitter crowd. I hate to have to agree with Sasquatch (my name for Sesquipedalian), but epic fail. Too confusing and no commentary. Not everyone thinks Twitter is the best thing since sliced bread, you know.

College Prof on October 26, 2012 at 11:58 AM

Except that you *can* comment on The Corner. (Well, *I* can’t anymore, since they converted to Disqus – it gets blocked at the firewall.)

GWB on October 26, 2012 at 11:57 AM

Yes, you can. Unlike the useless Green Room here.

That was my point.

KingGold on October 26, 2012 at 11:59 AM

JPeterman on October 26, 2012 at 11:57 AM

Yeah. All we got was an email the day before saying “You’re through. Thanks. Bye.”

Not even a link in this damned post so that the old GR articles can be easily accessed. A true middle finger.

MadisonConservative on October 26, 2012 at 12:00 PM

Nice site…kind of like Drudge on crack. Unfortunately, it also seems slow as s**t.

MadisonConservative on October 26, 2012 at 11:33 AM

Yeah – so I click on the “Most Clicked” link, skim the headlines, right-click on interesting ones –> open in new tab, repeatedly, then click on all the tabs I’ve populated. I couldn’t deal with the auto update and this proved to be a nice workaround. Very efficient for me.

ericdijon on October 26, 2012 at 12:01 PM

We’ve already had one tech designer e-mail us to complain that he can’t even see the top posts on his monitor anymore. (I can see them just fine, but whatever.)
Allahpundit on October 26, 2012 at 11:49 AM

It’s a real pain designing for all the different display types and resolutions out there.

whatcat on October 26, 2012 at 12:01 PM

I have to agree with a lot of the commentators here. Change Headlines back to 10 posts, change Green room back, if you want to have your new green room format, that’s cool, just come up with a different name. And eliminate Facebook posts!

Jason Taylor Sacked You on October 26, 2012 at 12:01 PM

Thanks, but no thanks.

I came to the Green Room SPECIFICALLY to NOT read Ed, Allah, et al. I enjoyed the different voices of Dyer, Portnoy, Doc Zero (when he was here) and the perspectives they brought. Now you’re telling me I just get more of Ed, Allah, et al, except in bite-sized chunks?

I’ll pass.

Thumbs down, Hot Air. Thumbs down.

Dominion on October 26, 2012 at 12:02 PM

The problem is, most Hot Air visitors don’t click over to the “expired” headlines, they just visit the ones that are visible on the main page. With fewer headlines visible, there may be less engagement and discussion between the commenters (i.e. less traffic).

Understood. As I say, we’ll see what we can do. If worse comes to worst, we could simply go back to 10 headlines and push everything underneath down a bit further. You’d have to scroll a bit to get to the main content, but oh well.

Looks like GR comments are back. I’ll post something there to let people know.

Allahpundit on October 26, 2012 at 12:02 PM

Yeah. All we got was an email the day before saying “You’re through. Thanks. Bye.”…A true middle finger.

MadisonConservative on October 26, 2012 at 12:00 PM

I’ll understand if you don’t want to say too much, but is this money related?

RushBaby on October 26, 2012 at 12:03 PM

yuck

smill1953 on October 26, 2012 at 12:04 PM

I submit that the Disqus commenting system would be a better alternative than Facebook.

PatriotGal2257 on October 26, 2012 at 11:54 AM

Except all the comments will disappear (not just the ability to login and post) if Disqus happens to be blocked by a firewall. (It is where I am.)

If the comments here require Facebook commenting, I’m gone.

PatriotGal2257 on October 26, 2012 at 11:54 AM

Yep.

GWB on October 26, 2012 at 12:04 PM

I’ll understand if you don’t want to say too much, but is this money related?

RushBaby on October 26, 2012 at 12:03 PM

I can’t speak for the others, but I never got a penny for anything I wrote.

MadisonConservative on October 26, 2012 at 12:04 PM

Looks like GR comments are back. I’ll post something there to let people know.

Allahpundit on October 26, 2012 at 12:02 PM

Wonderful.

Now…how about returning the Green Room bloggers?

Seriously, how is it that less points of view make this a better site?

trapeze on October 26, 2012 at 12:04 PM

Why would I be interested in you guy’s conversations?

avagreen on October 26, 2012 at 12:05 PM

Understood. As I say, we’ll see what we can do. If worse comes to worst, we could simply go back to 10 headlines and push everything underneath down a bit further. You’d have to scroll a bit to get to the main content, but oh well.

Looks like GR comments are back. I’ll post something there to let people know.

Allahpundit on October 26, 2012 at 12:02 PM

Or…. You could split the current Headline thingy, keep the headlines at the top of the page, and then the main post’s and put the Green room headlines at the bottom of the page, and that way everyone has to scroll through all the main page posts to get to the Green Room Headlines… Just a thought for ya…

SWalker on October 26, 2012 at 12:05 PM

Hey Allah, ‘All Headlines’ is only valuable as a place-holder. Why?

No hovering. Whaaaat you say???

Yeah, no hovering. Unlike when on the front page, in ‘All Headlines’, the link to the external story just shows up in the status bar as a loop back to headlines. I have no idea what I’m about to walk in on.

Please update the code on that page.

xyzzy on October 26, 2012 at 12:06 PM

Looks like GR comments are back. I’ll post something there to let people know.

Allahpundit on October 26, 2012 at 12:02 PM

I’m not seeing comments.

Without comments the GR just looks like a troll free zone for HA staff only.

farsighted on October 26, 2012 at 12:07 PM

Seriously, how is it that less points of view make this a better site?

trapeze on October 26, 2012 at 12:04 PM

Indeed.

MadisonConservative on October 26, 2012 at 12:07 PM

-1
Dislike

Jeddite on October 26, 2012 at 12:07 PM

Seriously, how is it that less points of view make this a better site?

trapeze on October 26, 2012 at 12:04 PM

It’s only a matter of time, I’m sure, before the Green Room “conversation expands with fresh and new talent” rehashed from crappy, banal, unreadable Townhall.

KingGold on October 26, 2012 at 12:07 PM

Yeah. All we got was an email the day before saying “You’re through. Thanks. Bye.”

Not even a link in this damned post so that the old GR articles can be easily accessed. A true middle finger.

MadisonConservative on October 26, 2012 at 12:00 PM

This makes me ill.

This is the kind of crap that is practiced by the left. Conservatives are better than this.

Are you listening, Ed? AP? Please have a few words with upper management on behalf of all of us.

trapeze on October 26, 2012 at 12:08 PM

Looks like GR comments are back. I’ll post something there to let people know.

Allahpundit on October 26, 2012 at 12:02 PM

Thx, bro. Hey, I love cats, too.

/obligatory suck up

UltimateBob on October 26, 2012 at 12:08 PM

All snark aside…

Personally, I would dump the Green Room altogether.

It’s creating lots of problems.

It doesn’t really make any strategic sense.

It’s pushing the main content further down the page.

I don’t see any upside.

It feels like something a corporate person would do… hey, let’s get rid of the writers, but, let’s try to cover it up and keep the Green Room section.

Just cut your losses with it, and dump it now.

faraway on October 26, 2012 at 12:10 PM

Now…how about returning the Green Room bloggers?

trapeze on October 26, 2012 at 12:04 PM

Yeah right, why share the limelight…or diverse opinions.

cozmo on October 26, 2012 at 12:10 PM

Or…. You could split the current Headline thingy, keep the headlines at the top of the page, and then the main post’s and put the Green room headlines at the bottom of the page, and that way everyone has to scroll through all the main page posts to get to the Green Room Headlines… Just a thought for ya…

SWalker on October 26, 2012 at 12:05 PM

People won’t scroll forever to read stuff, though. Typically they’ll read about three posts down in the blog queue, and then traffic for posts below that tumbles.

Allahpundit on October 26, 2012 at 12:11 PM

KingGold on October 26, 2012 at 12:07 PM

I notice Guy Benson is on the roll, despite never having been a contributor of any note. Wonder if Tina will also be given access.

MadisonConservative on October 26, 2012 at 12:11 PM

Looks like GR comments are back. I’ll post something there to let people know.

Allahpundit on October 26, 2012 at 12:02 PM

I’m not seeing comments.

Without comments the GR just looks like a troll free zone for HA staff only.

farsighted on October 26, 2012 at 12:07 PM

For me, I can see comments for posts that have comments (Erika’s apparently from before the formal changeover has 5) but I don’t see an opportunity to post comments. On posts without comments there is no sign such things exist.

Gingotts on October 26, 2012 at 12:12 PM

faraway on October 26, 2012 at 12:10 PM

Wholeheartedly agree. The Green Room, as it currently stands, serves no purpose whatsoever.

We already are able to read the thoughts of the site’s main writers. It’s called the main page.

KingGold on October 26, 2012 at 12:12 PM

Allahpundit on October 26, 2012 at 12:11 PM

Depends on the topic?

I’ll keep a separate window open for a good topic for quite a while.

cozmo on October 26, 2012 at 12:13 PM

If you’re going to do something new… do that. Kill the Green Room. Then rebrand the new idea with a new name.

faraway on October 26, 2012 at 12:13 PM

New Coke.

Windows 8.

HotAir sans Green Room bloggers.

See a pattern?

trapeze on October 26, 2012 at 12:14 PM

I notice Guy Benson is on the roll, despite never having been a contributor of any note. Wonder if Tina will also be given access.

MadisonConservative on October 26, 2012 at 12:11 PM

Yes, I noticed that. Hence my snark earlier about importing a bunch of writers from Townhall to fill space. I think Tina has gone her own way, though, and Guy didn’t do main page posts in any case.

KingGold on October 26, 2012 at 12:15 PM

People won’t scroll forever to read stuff, though. Typically they’ll read about three posts down in the blog queue, and then traffic for posts below that tumbles.

Allahpundit on October 26, 2012 at 12:11 PM

Have to admit that sounds about fair for how I experience the site.

So far the best suggestion I’ve seen as far as placing is to shift everything down on the right side and place the Green Room there alongside the Headlines. You should be able to have four Green Room posts there without the Facebook stuff being shifted down too far. Just make sure the titles aren’t too long.

Gingotts on October 26, 2012 at 12:15 PM

SWalker on October 26, 2012 at 12:05 PM

People won’t scroll forever to read stuff, though. Typically they’ll read about three posts down in the blog queue, and then traffic for posts below that tumbles.

Allahpundit on October 26, 2012 at 12:11 PM

This is true. If you guys are going to continue the Hot Air Corner it needs to be visible near the top, just don’t shorten the headlines to do it. And thank you for taking the time to respond to our concerns about the new layout.

NotCoach on October 26, 2012 at 12:17 PM

For me, I can see comments for posts that have comments (Erika’s apparently from before the formal changeover has 5) but I don’t see an opportunity to post comments. On posts without comments there is no sign such things exist.

Gingotts on October 26, 2012 at 12:12 PM

I just looked, again, at all four GR posts displayed on the home page.

EJ October surprise: Frankenstorm?

EM Goldman says …

GB Re: Romney running ads in Minnesota?

AP Romney running ads in Minnesota?

I see comments for none of them. Nor do I see anything that would let me post a comment.

farsighted on October 26, 2012 at 12:17 PM

Since I know the mods are reading, another thing on the to do list is to check all the links in the “hot links” section. For example, the link to Treacher’s place is so old that moths fly out if it when you click it.

RushBaby on October 26, 2012 at 12:17 PM

Yeah. All we got was an email the day before saying “You’re through. Thanks. Bye.”

Not even a link in this damned post so that the old GR articles can be easily accessed. A true middle finger.

MadisonConservative on October 26, 2012 at 12:00 PM

I’m sorry that you were all treated that way. So instead of some quality content down in the Green Room, we now get to look at conversations between the full time writers here?

What’s next, an AOL chatroom for the rest of us??

JPeterman on October 26, 2012 at 12:18 PM

For me, I can see comments for posts that have comments (Erika’s apparently from before the formal changeover has 5) but I don’t see an opportunity to post comments. On posts without comments there is no sign such things exist.

Gingotts on October 26, 2012 at 12:12 PM

Mark, our tech guy, tells me that he has to make this change programmatically and he can’t today because he’s at a conference. So comments *will* be back, but not until tomorrow or next week. They’re coming, though.

Allahpundit on October 26, 2012 at 12:18 PM

Comments in the Green Room …
Oct 26, 2012, 12:09pm | Ed Morrissey

… will eventually turn back on. We’re working with some of the new features, and that forced us to turn a few things off temporarily. Keep an eye out for their return!

Okay.

farsighted on October 26, 2012 at 12:19 PM

What’s next, an AOL chatroom for the rest of us??

JPeterman on October 26, 2012 at 12:18 PM

Hence the Facebook comments.

MadisonConservative on October 26, 2012 at 12:19 PM

If you guys are going to continue the Hot Air Corner it needs to be visible near the top…

NotCoach on October 26, 2012 at 12:17 PM

Meh, after trying it out last night and this morning, there is nothing to see there and i move along. It has now turned invisible. I didn’t even notice Guy Benson.

cozmo on October 26, 2012 at 12:19 PM

As someone who is still mourning the loss of the starting handle, I find the changes a tad abrupt. However, let’s give the guys a chance to get it right, eh?

OldEnglish on October 26, 2012 at 12:19 PM

Allahpundit on October 26, 2012 at 12:18 PM

Big change then off to a conference?

Some real forward thinkin’ there HA.

cozmo on October 26, 2012 at 12:21 PM

People won’t scroll forever to read stuff, though. Typically they’ll read about three posts down in the blog queue, and then traffic for posts below that tumbles.

Allahpundit on October 26, 2012 at 12:11 PM

I will scroll forever to read new content. I will also scroll forever to read good content even if it isn’t super duper fresh.

I do not, however, like being taken for granted by the Townhall overlords. I do not like be told, “You’re not doing it right,” when I don’t like the “improvements.”

trapeze on October 26, 2012 at 12:21 PM

Since I know the mods are reading, another thing on the to do list is to check all the links in the “hot links” section. For example, the link to Treacher’s place is so old that moths fly out if it when you click it.

RushBaby on October 26, 2012 at 12:17 PM

Meh, could be worse. It could still have a link to LGF. Which it did long after Mad King Charles’ breakdown, when he was using “conservative” as a curse word.

KingGold on October 26, 2012 at 12:21 PM

Meh, could be worse. It could still have a link to LGF. Which it did long after Mad King Charles’ breakdown, when he was using “conservative” as a curse word.

KingGold on October 26, 2012 at 12:21 PM

There was a time when Hot Air was slow to make changes…careful…calculating…conservative.

Not anymore.

MadisonConservative on October 26, 2012 at 12:24 PM

Meh, after trying it out last night and this morning, there is nothing to see there and i move along. It has now turned invisible. I didn’t even notice Guy Benson.

cozmo on October 26, 2012 at 12:19 PM

I understand what people are saying about how many voices have been arbitrarily cut from Hot Air with this change. It seems they did one thing sort of right while doing another thing totally wrong at the same time. I didn’t visit the old Green Room very much myself, usually only seeing Green Room posts when they were promoted. So if they wanted more visibility of the Green Room, why turn it into something entirely different as well? Why didn’t they just bring it to the forefront and keep the unpaid help?

NotCoach on October 26, 2012 at 12:25 PM

Meh, could be worse. It could still have a link to LGF. Which it did long after Mad King Charles’ breakdown, when he was using “conservative” as a curse word.

KingGold on October 26, 2012 at 12:21 PM

Oh, I remember that. I don’t remember the “final straw” that finally resulted in getting that link removed, but I celebrated the day that link came down. FLOUNCE!

RushBaby on October 26, 2012 at 12:25 PM

Comments in the Green Room …
Oct 26, 2012, 12:09pm | Ed Morrissey

… will eventually turn back on. We’re working with some of the new features, and that forced us to turn a few things off temporarily. Keep an eye out for their return!

Good. Now move this “new and improved” Green Room back to the side and give us our full headlines back.

JeffWeimer on October 26, 2012 at 12:26 PM

Hence the Facebook comments.

MadisonConservative on October 26, 2012 at 12:19 PM

Wait, those are open comments?

I thought that was just Kunta Kinte’s Comedy Trolling Hour.

KingGold on October 26, 2012 at 12:27 PM

Oh, I remember that. I don’t remember the “final straw” that finally resulted in getting that link removed, but I celebrated the day that link came down. FLOUNCE!

RushBaby on October 26, 2012 at 12:25 PM

I remember them moving it to “Left Talkers” right after the Killgore Trout episode.

JeffWeimer on October 26, 2012 at 12:27 PM

Looks like GR comments are back. I’ll post something there to let people know.

Allahpundit on October 26, 2012 at 12:02 PM

.
In my opinion, it needs to be said that the GR commenting was never anywhere near the quantity that is proportional to the propensity of the outrage you’re receiving.

I guess the ol adage is true, that if a wheel squeaks, it must need oil.

FlaMurph on October 26, 2012 at 12:27 PM

There was a time when Hot Air was slow to make changes…careful…calculating…conservative.

Not anymore.

MadisonConservative on October 26, 2012 at 12:24 PM

HA is still all those things when it comes to getting rid of trolls.

farsighted on October 26, 2012 at 12:28 PM

Bring Back … generally.

TarheelBen on October 26, 2012 at 12:28 PM

A thought: get rid of the pictures of people who like HotAir on Facebook, and put the Headlines, then the Green Room down the right side. That way you get the main posts right at the top, *and* you get headlines right at the top – just over in that column.

GWB on October 26, 2012 at 12:29 PM

Change…OMG…change is coming…change is coming…run, run for your lives, change is coming…oh, wait, it’s just the Green Room? Nevermind…

right2bright on October 26, 2012 at 12:29 PM

FlaMurph on October 26, 2012 at 12:27 PM

You think the outrage is just about commenting?

It has nothing to do with telling a bunch of good writers to hit the bricks and establishing an echo chamber in its place?

KingGold on October 26, 2012 at 12:30 PM

In my opinion, it needs to be said that the GR commenting was never anywhere near the quantity that is proportional to the propensity of the outrage you’re receiving.

Yes, but it may be that more people want to comment on posts by the site’s main authors for whatever reason. Ed and I didn’t think people would mind if one section had no commenting, but yeah, they mind.

Allahpundit on October 26, 2012 at 12:30 PM

I vote Disqus!!!

AND stop PLEASE with all the ADS.

Its annoying.

Thank you

poljunkie51 on October 26, 2012 at 12:31 PM

AP and Ed,

Please don’t let your Townhall overlords make this place in to Townhall part deux.

I used to love Townhall years ago, but with the autoplay, the popups and the clutter that makes it impossible to find anything, I gave up.

Sometimes less is more.

BacaDog on October 26, 2012 at 12:32 PM

Personally, if you are going to clog up the front page, I would rather see the latest Twitter posts from each HA writer.

But, I am unclear how that would impact your revenue stream.

faraway on October 26, 2012 at 12:33 PM

Yes, but it may be that more people want to comment on posts by the site’s main authors for whatever reason. Ed and I didn’t think people would mind if one section had no commenting, but yeah, they mind.

Allahpundit on October 26, 2012 at 12:30 PM

I think Green Room commenting was lackluster because the Green Room was kind of hidden and lazy people like me rarely clicked over to it. Making the Green Room more prominent will increase commenting regardless of who is posting in it. But this isn’t really the old Green Room anymore anyways. This is now The Hot Gas Corner.

NotCoach on October 26, 2012 at 12:33 PM

This is such a failure, both in content and timing.

Our guy is riding a wave in the polls (Wisconsin now even!), the smell of Axelrod desperation is thick in the air, the campaign just “jumped the shark” with their “Like a Virgin” campaign ad which is revolting even democrats. We could take this thing in a landslide.

But instead of following what may be the defeat the most destructive American political regimes in my lifetime and coming together to ensure its end here we are instead stressed out about the Green Room.

Can we just go back to the old format and revisit this after the election? Every time I come to this site and see those measly headlines and pointless Green Room posts I am just getting annoyed.

And thinking about how those Green Room writers have been treated just turns my stomach.

We’re supposed to be the good guys on this site fighting for individuals, freedom, human dignity in the conservative spirit. And you guys make this corporate power play now?

Totally depressing.

Equitare MD

equitare on October 26, 2012 at 12:34 PM

There was a time when Hot Air was slow to make changes…careful…calculating…conservative.

Not anymore.

MadisonConservative on October 26, 2012 at 12:24 PM

So slow that there are links still up for “Nevada Caucus Results”?

JPeterman on October 26, 2012 at 12:35 PM

Is there a Town Hall/Hot Air merger down the road? Is the new Green Room a step in that transition?

Delta Tango on October 26, 2012 at 12:37 PM

People won’t scroll forever to read stuff, though. Typically they’ll read about three posts down in the blog queue, and then traffic for posts below that tumbles.

Allahpundit on October 26, 2012 at 12:11 PM

Wow, really? That actually blows my mind. I come to the site and open new tab after new tab, scrolling down until I hit posts that I have already read. i also open new tab after new tab in the headlines, always using the comment number to open it so that I can comment if I choose. i love new content on this site, I love reading the green room articles that have not been promoted just to read another view on the news of the day. I don’t understand how someone would only scroll down a little ways.

Jason Taylor Sacked You on October 26, 2012 at 12:38 PM

KingGold on October 26, 2012 at 12:30 PM

.
We all wished we lived in a world as simple as that. Anyone who has any involvement in Web development with Online content in the media industry is getting squeezed pretty hard.

The liberal utopian all volunteer workforce may be on the way, but it ain’t here yet.

FlaMurph on October 26, 2012 at 12:39 PM

And thinking about how those Green Room writers have been treated just turns my stomach.

equitare on October 26, 2012 at 12:34 PM

Exactly!

Jason Taylor Sacked You on October 26, 2012 at 12:40 PM

I think Green Room commenting was lackluster because the Green Room was kind of hidden and lazy people like me rarely clicked over to it.

NotCoach on October 26, 2012 at 12:33 PM

The commenting was lackluster because, except for one who deleted unfriendly posts, it was written so well and backgrounded that no comment was necessary.

Sometimes I think Portnoy went a little hyperbolic to get some push back.

Dyer would take you to the edge, but smack down what you were thinking before you got a chance to write it.

Patrick? who did the polls was hard to argue with because he was so well resourced.

The guy who wrote on teachers had information first hand.

And Jazz knew his stuff on energy.

cozmo on October 26, 2012 at 12:43 PM

And why do I find myself less than shocked that a post made after this one, with a third of the comments, has been “Top Picked”, but this one hasn’t?

MadisonConservative on October 26, 2012 at 12:44 PM

I know that many of you would like to get rid of me (my paranoia speaking), but if you go to any third party, such as Twitter or Facebook, for comments, then I’m out o’ here. Both of these can be very dangerous to your privacy.

Old Country Boy on October 26, 2012 at 12:47 PM

The liberal utopian all volunteer workforce may be on the way, but it ain’t here yet.

FlaMurph on October 26, 2012 at 12:39 PM

That’s a clever strawman, but it’s predicated on the idea that the Green Room folks were getting any commissions other than in-kind traffic and publicity for their own sites.

People are free to correct me on this, but if MadCon’s right, they weren’t. In other words, getting rid of them was not necessary.

KingGold on October 26, 2012 at 12:47 PM

People are free to correct me on this, but if MadCon’s right, they weren’t. In other words, getting rid of them was not necessary.

KingGold on October 26, 2012 at 12:47 PM

That is my understanding as well.

cozmo on October 26, 2012 at 12:50 PM

And thinking about how those Green Room writers have been treated just turns my stomach.

equitare on October 26, 2012 at 12:34 PM

Amen. Really disgusting. I expected much more from this place. And a few of those writers down there put up farewell posts yesterday, only to be buried last night.

JPeterman on October 26, 2012 at 12:51 PM

People are free to correct me on this, but if MadCon’s right, they weren’t. In other words, getting rid of them was not necessary.

KingGold on October 26, 2012 at 12:47 PM

There was the possibility of compensation mentioned back when they were first thinking about creating the Green Room, but I never heard money talked about once it was up and running.

MadisonConservative on October 26, 2012 at 12:51 PM

And why do I find myself less than shocked that a post made after this one, with a third of the comments, has been “Top Picked”, but this one hasn’t?

MadisonConservative on October 26, 2012 at 12:44 PM

Because in this case, the number of comments don’t reflect the activity on the post. This post is 12th in traffic on the front page, which is ridiculously low for a post that’s only a few hours old. The Lena Dunham post from last night, as stale as it is, is doing better than this one. But let me hop to it and send this over to Top Picks, just to make sure the great Hot Air conspiracy to silence critics is well and truly thwarted.

Allahpundit on October 26, 2012 at 12:51 PM

Oh…and the Google links for the various authors in the Green Room now lead to a page that simply says “Sorry, no posts matched your criteria.”

So either links need to be updated, or the articles have been nuked.

MadisonConservative on October 26, 2012 at 12:53 PM

Amen. Really disgusting. I expected much more from this place. And a few of those writers down there put up farewell posts yesterday, only to be buried last night.

JPeterman on October 26, 2012 at 12:51 PM

I just went to try and find them and couldn’t…

OmahaConservative on October 26, 2012 at 12:56 PM

But let me hop to it and send this over to Top Picks, just to make sure the great Hot Air conspiracy to silence critics is well and truly thwarted.

Allahpundit on October 26, 2012 at 12:51 PM

Yes. You’re the Illuminati, Bilderbergers, and Bohemian Grove rolled up into one. Alex Jones just announced you as his favorite website. Totally what I meant.

MadisonConservative on October 26, 2012 at 12:57 PM

Oh…and the Google links for the various authors in the Green Room now lead to a page that simply says “Sorry, no posts matched your criteria.”

So either links need to be updated, or the articles have been nuked.

MadisonConservative on October 26, 2012 at 12:53 PM

I know. I was only able to get the links for a few of the writers before everything went poof.

Very low class for people who have worked to help this place.

cozmo on October 26, 2012 at 1:00 PM

Because in this case, the number of comments don’t reflect the activity on the post. This post is 12th in traffic on the front page, which is ridiculously low for a post that’s only a few hours old. The Lena Dunham post from last night, as stale as it is, is doing better than this one. But let me hop to it and send this over to Top Picks, just to make sure the great Hot Air conspiracy to silence critics is well and truly thwarted.

Allahpundit on October 26, 2012 at 12:51 PM

Crazy people more interested in an all-time epic failure of a campaign ad eleven days from a crucial Presidential election than they are with site formatting. They need to resort their priorities.

Gingotts on October 26, 2012 at 1:00 PM

A possible thought as to why the Green Room writers were unceremoniously junked – it’s possible that Salem didn’t want to be seen as endorsing the writings of people who aren’t employed by them.

Much better, of course, to stand foursquare behind their regular columnists like Pat Buchanan. Because the Third Reich has always been so misunderstood, right?

KingGold on October 26, 2012 at 1:02 PM

So yeah, I don’t really “get” the new Green Room thing.

But I never read the old Green Room.

So I shall simply do as I did before and not click on the Green Room and stick w/ Headlines and the regular blog. Carry on, people.

MikeknaJ on October 26, 2012 at 1:03 PM

I liked the old Green Room.
.
..

Fewer comments to read through, no trolls, and I usually got the last word. :)
…..
…….

MichaelGabriel on October 26, 2012 at 1:03 PM

A possible thought as to why the Green Room writers were unceremoniously junked – it’s possible that Salem didn’t want to be seen as endorsing the writings of people who aren’t employed by them.

Much better, of course, to stand foursquare behind their regular columnists like Pat Buchanan. Because the Third Reich has always been so misunderstood, right?

KingGold on October 26, 2012 at 1:02 PM

Ooof.

MadisonConservative on October 26, 2012 at 1:04 PM

I know. I was only able to get the links for a few of the writers before everything went poof.

The GR archives will be available. I e-mailed Mark to see if he’s figured out yet where they’ll be accessible on the site. He was busy with the rollout of the new format and hasn’t gotten to it. But carry on, cozmo.

Allahpundit on October 26, 2012 at 1:05 PM

Oh, Ed. Ed! Ed! If you get rid of the Green Room, where shall I go? What shall I do?

Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.

Oh, I can’t let the Green Room go! I can’t! There must be some way to bring it back. I can’t think about this now. I’ll go crazy if I do! I’ll think about it tomorrow.

But I must think about it. I must think about it. What is there to do? What is there that matters?

[Allahpundit’s distant voice: Do you mean to tell me, Fallon, that Hot Air doesn’t mean anything to you? Why, the blog’s the only thing that matters. It’s the only thing that lasts. Something you love better than me, though you may not know it. Hot Air. It’s this from which you get your strength. The red meat of Hot Air. Hot Air! Hot Air! Hot Air! It’s the only thing that lasts. Something you love better than me, though you may not know it. Hot Air. It’s this from which you get your strength. The red meat of Hot Air. Hot Air! Hot Air! Hot Air!]

Home! I’ll go home! And I’ll think of some way to get the Green Room back. After all tomorrow is another day.

*Music swells, pan out and fade…*

Fallon on October 26, 2012 at 1:06 PM

Ooof.

MadisonConservative on October 26, 2012 at 1:04 PM

I’m really not trying to be so vitriolic as I’m sounding, but I do think that you guys got a raw deal, and that the Green Room is completely, utterly useless right now.

Even just reading the conversation taking place now, there’s no value for a reader. None at all.

KingGold on October 26, 2012 at 1:07 PM

This is not about “site formatting.”

This is about the core values of a quality on-line community. If the course correction is not made early it will be irreversible and the site will lose all value.

Allah, Ed and company do such wonderful work for this site and it is such a success. But sometimes it can be hard to know exactly why success comes when it does and we know what happens to the golden goose when we are too eager to get a hold of the eggs.

This is a very important thread, Gingotts.

Equitare MD

equitare on October 26, 2012 at 1:08 PM

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