Random Ideas: The Unicorn Chaser sidebar (new feature!)

January 8, 2009 · Posted in Random Ideas 

This is going to be something I’ll be adding to as often as I come up with something.

This morning’s Random Idea is called the Unicorn Chaser sidebar.

We’ve all seen the “related content” links that show on a web site’ story page. Here’s one from the New York Times:

related1

So the idea is this: people are always complaining that there’s not enough “good news” being told. What if you created a “related content” box that featured good news as an antidote to the bad news you’re reading currently.

I’m calling it the Unicorn Chaser box in honor of Boing Boing’s original Unicorn Chaser.

For instance, let’s say you were reading an article about how disgusting and unclean doctors’ lab coats are, an article by the Wall Street Journal. (aside: why is this article in the “opinion” section? Does that diminish the factual basis for the article? Shouldn’t it be in the “Health” section?) Obviously, this is the type of article that can put you off your breakfast, especially if you’ve recently been in a doctor’s office. So, to counteract that mental disturbance, In the article sidebar, you’d see something like this:

unicorns2

Click for larger version

Some people will dismiss this with a wave of the haughty hand and a suggestion that it’s somehow beneath journalism to provide links to positive stories. To which I respond: why? If it’s information, why not link to it from disparate places on your web site? Is it a little bit “light”? compared to all the heavy-hitting innovation that’s happening these days? Sure. But why can’t we try some light with the heavy subject matter?

Thoughts?

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Related posts:

  1. Random Idea: Newspaper Tycoon

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Comments

  • dentalimplants
    great post , really good perspective on the subject and very well written, this certainly has put a spin on my day, many thanks from the UK and keep up the good work
  • I think it's a great idea. We're going to start deeper linking inside and outside our site and we can add this, I think.

    If I have an issue it is this: I routinely hear from people complaining that we don't have enough good news in the newspaper. But I rarely hear from anyone saying that we don't have enough good news online. Perhaps they know not to come to us for that or they know how easy it is to click elsewhere for information to brighten their day.
  • scmurley
    Yeah, I think that's the real question - whether people can *find* that content in the forest of negativity they encounter so often. Thanks for the reply, John.
blog comments powered by Disqus
This site uses a Hackadelic PlugIn, Hackadelic Sliding Notes 1.6.2.