Editorials & Other Articles needs to be a main forum!

[BWdem4life]

Last edited Wed May 15, 2024, 05:15 PM - Edit history (1)

(JMO of course)

Here is my supporting evidence:

I examined the Greatest Page this evening, clicked on every GD link, and classified it as either "EOA" (Editorials & Other Articles) or "Non-EOA". In order for a post to be classified as "EOA", it needed to follow the standard format of up to 4 paragraphs quoted, followed by a non-twitter link (with or without additional commentary by the poster).

I counted 57 "EOA" posts in GD, and 81 "Non-EOA" posts - all from the Greatest Page.

This means approximately 40% or more of Greatest Page posts from GD could be more appropriately posted in EOA.

(During this same time period, only 7 EOA posts made the Greatest Page, including one that was a cross-post from a different forum - not GD).

First, what's the big deal?

Well, just for myself, I would like to be able to streamline my browsing and focus on the things I want to read most since I don't have time to read everything. It's a selfish concern, but one I suspect might be shared by many other DUers. It would greatly simplify and amplify my enjoyment of DU, and again, I suspect it would do so for others as well.

Second, why is this not already happening?

(a) Recs: I noticed one poster who was cross-posting in EOA; the posts in EOA received significantly fewer recs. It's my opinion that if DU were to make EOA a main forum, there would be higher readership and increased recs.

(b) Ease of posting: It only takes one click to get to GD, and so DUers are just naturally more likely to post there. Again, making EOA a main forum (preferably between LBN and GD on the left side of the screen) would make it quicker and easier to navigate there.

(c) Habit: People are just used to it. But habits can be changed if there's a good enough reason for it. An announcement could be made about the new forum; some of the more prolific DU posters could be personally asked to begin posting their articles and editorials in EOA.

Yes, I know I'm a fairly new DUer but I really would love to know what everyone else thinks about this idea.

Thanks in advance!



Edit: Due to some pushback, I'm removing the idea of altering the GD Statement of Purpose to discourage the posting of editorials and other articles in GD.

28 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	Yes! Make Editorials & Other Articles a main forum.
	26 (93%)
	No! Three main forums are enough.
	2 (7%)
	Undecided / other
	0 (0%)
	0 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

1. kick for more voting.

[Judi Lynn]

2. This forum is so useful, and flexible, allowing space for LBN articles which are slightly over the 12 hour deadline,

but still exceptionally important mainstream news.

The "and other articles" has always seemed an invitation to share focused, well-written, thoughtful other articles which add ideas of real value which might take a little more thought in reading than ordinary General Discussion articles.

For some reason, E&OAs has always seemed to be viewed less frequently, as well as being less accessible, and as the original poster indicated, even taking more separate actions to find.

It would be outstanding to see this forum joining the main forum choices, as it has always contained outstanding, worthy information.

Thank you, BWdem4life.

[riversedge]

13. I also use it fairly frequently for artiles recently over the 12 hr limit on LBN . I would favor it being in Main forums

[babylonsister]

3. Rec'd with thanks, BWdem4life.

I absolutely post things in GD that might more appropriately fit EOA but the lack of traffic there has always been concerning. We post on DU to share with others; hard to do if no one is looking.

[ShazzieB]

5. Same here!

I do the same thing (post articles in GD) for the same exact reason.

I think BWdem4life's suggestion is a very good one.

[Pototan]

4. I like the idea.

Since so many DUers come from all over the country and the world, to be able to go to one page and get an opinion piece from another place would be quite informative and convenient.

[sl8]

6. K & R. nt

[jgo]

7. Super idea ...

To me, EOA is a great grouping - not headline screaming articles, but more considered articles, with interesting and in-depth topics.

[Passages]

8. Wonderful idea, and so glad you put this together for it to be considered.

Thank you, BWdem4life.

[intheflow]

9. Fantastic idea!

K&R!

[Uncle Joe]

10. This sounds like a good idea.

Thanks for the thread BWdem4life

[question everything]

11. Wholly agreed. For me it is the ease of searching. Before I post a story I check whether it has

already been posted. The search is limited only to Main so if I don’t find it in the first search I repeat it specifying the EOA.

I hope that this petition helps.

[Kennah]

12. Definitely support this

[appalachiablue]

14. Good suggestion, I hope it comes through. TC.

[lees1975]

16. I like the idea of this being a main forum.

More traffic, more people seeing a wider variety of stuff.

[dalton99a]

17. Kick

[highplainsdem]

18. I prefer to post in GD and don't want to be discouraged from posting there and

told that something that should be a subject for general discussion instead HAS to go in Editorials & Other Articles. I'm honestly not interested in looking at a forum that's ONLY editorials and articles. I find the mix in GD much more interesting, and IMO trying to force those types of posts into another forum would hurt the board.

I really don't understand why you'd ever want to separate editorials and other articles from general discussion, any more than I understand people who want videos walled off. Almost all of us get news from lots of sources, and to me E&OA seems like a little reading room set off from the main discussion area here. Which is fine, I guess, if people want that, as long as there AREN'T restrictions on people who'd prefer to post editorials and articles in GD, where they'll be with news videos, online commentary and DUers' posts on the same subjects.

[BWdem4life]

19. It's a conundrum

I can see how people would not want the articles gone from GD, making it less of an interesting mix. If only there were a way for DU to have its cake and eat it too... Maybe there could be a checkbox which, when checked, automatically cross-posted the same thing in E&OA. This would of course create more duplicate posts on the Greatest Page and Latest Threads, but people could trash one forum or the other (depending on preference) to alleviate that concern.

[highplainsdem]

22. Trashing GD would be a really horrible idea for any DUer. It's the main forum here for a reason. It IS DU.

I wouldn't bother with E&OA as a main forum. My recollection of how it worked in the past when it was more visible was that it still had very little traffic compared to LBN, GD and the Lounge. And trying to force people to post there would likely backfire.

Look, DU forums are never going to be a perfect fit for any of us. All of us see threads we just scroll past. You see complaints fairly often in GD from people who'd like certain posts banned so they wouldn't have to waste precious seconds scrolling past them. Of course those people rarely agree on what should be banned.

It's GENERAL discussion. It should be a wide range. That's why it gets the activity it gets.

[question everything]

20. No one wants to "discourage" anyone from posting on GD. Only to include EOA in the Main

One problem with GD is that unless a post generates many replies, including “kick” it will sink quickly.

If the Lounge is included in the Main, why not real, important stories?

[highplainsdem]

21. You must have missed this in the OP:

Perhaps even the GD Statement of Purpose could be altered to discourage the posting of editorials and other articles in GD.

This will create more work for the people hosting the main forums. In LBN, they already have to lock duplicates, news more than 12 hours old, and articles that are more analysis/opinion than news.

And "real, important stories" often break on TV faster than in print.

Yes, threads can sink quickly in GD when something important happens and a lot of people are reacting to it. That's because it's a community interested in what's happening, and responding to it. It makes sense to keep latest breaking news in one forum. It makes less sense to silo off a selection of articles and commentary that could have been published at almost any time and are there in E&OA because someone found them interesting.

I don't think making E&OA a main forum will add to discussion here. It's more likely to fragment activity and result in a lot of DUers missing those editorials and other articles completely. If they're important or interesting enough, they belong in GD where more people will see them. And if you want them in E&OA because they won't sink as quickly there...well, the only reason they wouldn't sink as quickly there is the lack of activity.

[Yonnie3]

23. Editorials and Other Articles was a main forum for more than a few years.

It was called something else (Good Reads maybe ) when I joined DU eight years ago.

When DU4 went live it was moved from the main forums.

It actually seems to me to have more posts lately.

[question everything]

24. It is done! Thank you EarlG and everyone who asked for it! And thank you BWdem4life for pushing it