Updating the PICKS area
To be honest, the PICKS section of Blotanical is always undergoing some form of update. Members make great suggestions or point out problems that fixes often become more helpful for themselves and other Blotanists.
Over the next week though you should start to some major changes being applied to this area. I'll be rolling them out individually after testing to make sure they're not going to throw out too many bugs. As each one comes out I'll try and explain the change and why the modifications were made.
So, the first 'cab off the rank' is the Popular Posts page. This is the page you arrive on when you first click the Picks tab. While we did modify it quite considerably in the middle of last year, it needed some extra changes to help an ever-growing Blotanical community.
Change #1: SPEED
This page was getting a little tardy in the speed department so it has been sped up quite considerably - and will continue to speed up even more over the next few weeks. In actual fact, you should notice that this page is twice is fast to load the first time and each time you load thereafter it should be even faster. The goal will always be to make it faster than it is with even more functionality added to it.
Change #2: POPULAR POSTS FRESHNESS
When Blotanical was in its infancy, this page correlated the picks data based on a 5-day cycle. We then cut it down to 4 days (unfortunately an old page slipped in since the server update and it reverted back to the 5 day cycle) and now it's been reduced to a 2 day cycle. Hopefully we shall reduce this down to a 24 hour cycle meaning the freshness of popular posts will be even crunchier!
Change #3: TOP PICKERS
This may seem like we're encouraging Blotanists to just become Picking junkies to make it onto these lists - and I'm sure we'll cop some flak for this. However, while not in place just yet - and may still be a week or two away - a new Picking score system is due soon. This new format aims to encourage Blotanists to "READ" the posts rather than just Pick them for points. It will become much harder to 'game' and in future bloggers will be rewarded for their posts.
As always, I'm keen to hear your thoughts and suggestions.
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Comments
Love the Top Pickers idea, Stuart. I'm not sure how you'll work it, but it should be better than people just clicking away and getting rewarded for it. I never liked the competition.
Posted by: Jane Marie | March 14, 2010 8:31 PM
I love these initial ideas, Stuart! The page looks good, too. I've always said I couldn't care less about the number of Picks a post gets, but it IS very nice to know it has been READ. I hope this works well for everyone.
Posted by: Nancy Bond | March 14, 2010 9:14 PM
can already see the differnce in the loading time for the picks page Stuart - and it's wonderful. Used to drive me mad. You have my vote for the other changes too. Look forward to seeing them as they all become operative.
Posted by: Sue in Milan | March 15, 2010 12:18 AM
PS - have just seen that my last post has made it onto the picks page. I'm even keener opn the changes than I was before.
Sorry about the double comment before - may have found you your first bug. I got a message telling me to refresh the page, did, and the result was the comment posting twice.
Posted by: Sue in Milan | March 15, 2010 12:33 AM
Stuart, You are the greatest.
Helen
Posted by: Helen at Toronto Gardens | March 21, 2010 7:10 PM
Great idea on allowing pickers to read posts. Makes a lot of sense to me. I used to try to comment on all posts I picked but gave that up a long time ago for various reasons, I do however read the posts I pick. That is probably why I don't pick that many. One note though on picking, if I've already visited AND commented on a blog I regularly read from my blogroll then see that post come up here on the popular page post or under my faves I do NOT take the time to read it again but may still pick it. This may account for some quick picks and I'll readily admit it but the comment has already been posted via my blogroll-so I've read the post. I use the blogroll as much as Blotanical, probably more actually. Just thought others may do the same thing so not all are just picking, though that is mighty fun too.
Posted by: tina | March 22, 2010 5:44 AM
I'm late commenting on this, but I'd like to see the "most popular" list stay at 48 hours rather than limit it to posts published in the last 24 hours. My reasons: (1) Not everyone can pick every day, and those who cannot lose out if "most popular" only records picks in the first 24 hours. (2) Many popular posts get a second life after they reach the "most popular" list as those who don't usually read that particular blog discover them. This is less likely to happen if they are on the list for only 24 hours.
Posted by: Jean_P | March 25, 2010 10:32 AM