Comments on: Google News revamps with “news for you” angle

By: A year after its big redesign, how Google News is thinking about the best ways to present news stories | Current News

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 15:50:18 +0000

[...] the best ways to present news stories Tweet It’s been a year since Google News launched its big redesign, the first major update of the Google News interface since it launched in 2002. The revamp put a [...]

By: A year after its big redesign, how Google News is thinking about the best ways to present news stories » Nieman Journalism Lab » Pushing to the Future of Journalism

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 19:10:40 +0000

[...] been a year since Google News launched its big redesign, the first major update of the Google News interface since it launched in 2002. The revamp put a [...]

By: Jonathan Stray » What’s the point of social news?

Jonathan Stray » What’s the point of social news? — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 16:39:08 +0000

[...] the headlines for every reader, so that leaves algorithmic filtering, such as Google News’ personalization features, or social filtering, such as [...]

By: Google News revamps its revamped design » Nieman Journalism Lab

Google News revamps its revamped design » Nieman Journalism Lab — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 18:36:11 +0000

[...] much more in that vein. And while our commenters, in number, don’t make for a scientific sample, it seems that those [...]

By: Former Google News Lover

Former Google News Lover — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 16:03:08 +0000

I have had to find new source for my news because:

*1* The new page is a jumble of information, it’s impossible to find anything.

*2* My carefully constructed page disappeared overnight replaced by this jumble.

*3* Personalization results in stories from Los Angeles being featured even though LA is over 700 miles from where I live and has no relevance to us here at all.

*4* I could care less about sports, but the World Cup dominated the page for days.

Watch my stats, google. I’m done with your jumbled-up mess of what was the best news aggragator in the world. So, from the comments above, are many other of your loyal followers and we’re only the ones who care enough to try to stop your leap off the cliff.

By: Irritated

Irritated — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 14:23:51 +0000

Like everyone else, I too am irritated about the change. I can’t use it at all, and I honestly tried more than once. I’ve tried other news sites, but even if you get one with a good layout, it’s lacking the variety and complexity of the old Google News, and most times it will have a link to a page that doesn’t exist or won’t load. One of my biggest irritations with the new site is not being able to remove the crap ‘sections’ that I don’t want to see and can’t even enter the correct zip code or city that determines my weather and ‘local’ news. Right now they have it listed as a city that is well over 600 miles from my location and I can’t change it at all, even if I wanted to see weather and local news (which I don’t). The satellite companies pull this crap, too. Instead of giving me the local channels from the city that’s 160 miles away and has the same weather patterns, they give me ‘local’ weather and news from a city over 600 miles away that doesn’t even cover a part of the state I live in, much less my area. It’s useless, but just like the new Google site, I can’t get rid of them. I can, but if I want the basic ABC, NBC, CBS channels, I’m stuck with news and weather that has nothing to do with me. It makes no sense. I understand why Google did this, but why can’t they have separate sites like other sites do: one for the classic Google news, and one for mobile or ‘social’ Google news? With iPads, I would think that the old Google news would actually be a better layout. It seems like a very simple solution and gives Google much more flexibility in the market. The problem is, I don’t think they are listening and I hate the idea that I have to ‘login’ to leave a comment on their site and even more irritated that I have to login to ‘customize’ the news page. How many websites do you have to login to? Why can’t I just purchase something online without creating an account? Wasn’t it nice when you could just go into a store and pay for something without someone asking for your phone number, e-mail address, and first born? I fear this is the way Google is heading. I don’t think it’s deliberately done to piss people off; I just think that they think that’s the way of the future and that’s the way they’re going to do business, too. It’s so terribly unfortunate.

By: Randy

Randy — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 00:06:22 +0000

I hate to seem like I am piling on, but the new Google News format really sucks. It has been my home page, but I have now fixed that. Wonder if we can opt into having the old format back??

By: New Google News is More Personal and Spontaneous | IT News Wire

New Google News is More Personal and Spontaneous | IT News Wire — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 06:03:30 +0000

[...] options and adding a section for local news and weather, among other features. As Megan Garber at The Neiman Journalism Lab puts it: “The new site is trying to balance two major, and often conflicting, goals of news [...]

By: wib

wib — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 17:45:44 +0000

I am switchingh to Monitor and other web news outlets. Google is on the way downhill. Will they see it? Or have they gotten too big.

By: Mark B Shaw

Mark B Shaw — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 21:33:59 +0000

The news page is a disaster. It is not of any value to me anymore. Looks like I’ll have to find an alternative. I am looking.
Mark S.

By: Josette Kirby

Josette Kirby — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 17:40:16 +0000

While I understand the reasons for the new layout, it’s horrible to use. I *don’t* want my news personalized. I want to see everything so that I can decide what to read and what not to read.

I do not want to read mountains of text under a headline that I (according to the “news for you” credo) am apparently wanting. NO! I don’t want! I just want single grab lines – that is, the way it was before. No photos. No fancy pants. No bells & whistles.

Please Google, leave it just the way it was. It wasn’t pretty but it was effective.

By: Bastian

Bastian — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 08:18:59 +0000

the new layout is useless and the arrogance of google with which they force it on us is unbelievable.

By: todd elco

todd elco — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 13:41:58 +0000

yuk! Please give us the option of using the old format.

By: Shadow of the Panther, cont’d | MorallyRight.org

Shadow of the Panther, cont’d | MorallyRight.org — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 13:41:46 +0000

[...] Google News revamps with “news for you” angle » Nieman Journalism Lab [...]

By: Steven

Steven — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 18:49:55 +0000

Really bad move, Google. The new layout takes away personalization and moves a set of (to many people) unwanted sections at the top of the page. The new column layout means twice as much scrolling to see the sections I really want. I don’t care about incorporating Twitter, Facebook, or any other service; news is news. Bring back the old layout, please.

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 14:15:09 +0000

I also do not like the new layout. I like being able to scan various topics and not have my sports, world news, tech, medical, EVERYTHING mixed in together. Sometimes I feel like looking at the top entertainment stories first, sometimes I want to look at medical news first. Everything now is just jumbled together and I am suddenly forced to read headlines that maybe I am not all that interested in this moment in time.

By: This Week in Review: Weigel and new journalism values, Google News gets personal, and Kos’ poll problem » Nieman Journalism Lab

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 14:02:29 +0000

[...] Lab’s Megan Garber also has a helpful summary of the changes, noting that “the new site is trying to balance two major, and often conflicting, goals of [...]

By: DrDUH

DrDUH — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 13:25:26 +0000

… oh, and narrow columns are much easier to read (for all, but particularly for speed readers

and here’s that missing “)” from my last posting :)

Prof W…

By: DrDUH

DrDUH — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 13:09:27 +0000

Congratulations Google, It now takes 5 pages to see the news that used to take 2. Boy, if I had your designers in my Human Factors course…

(aside from the fact that I selected Google News to give me a general view, not a “personalized” viewpoint.

Please bring back “Classic” as an option.

Professor W…

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 05:54:13 +0000

It’s unfortunate that they don’t have the personalization of the old Google News, but http://news.ask.com/news at least has the right layout

By: ANONOM

ANONOM — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 02:11:59 +0000

I really dislike the new layout

By: Susan Clizbe

Susan Clizbe — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 01:03:36 +0000

I’m with #1 above. I had a completely personalized page, and I especially liked the 2-column format. I could skim 4 sections per page-down scroll, and easily remember what was where. Now the news sections are presented in one column with the other stuff down the right. The only things over there that appeal to me at all were already on my page: the local section with weather and the top recent stories.

Forcing readers to track all the way across the 3/4 page width to read 2 lines of text is ridiculous. It takes me twice as long to scan through my page, and I’m more likely to miss something interesting with the long eye travels.

Finally, the first warning of changes to come was earlier in the week, maybe even last week, when a big blob of crap about the World Cup plopped down on the right side of my page uninvited. It’s still there now, even though I confirmed for the page’s benefit that I HATE sports and want to see NONE.

I don’t know what I would replace Google News with for my home page and frequent touchstone, but for the first time since it was introduced, I am looking for that replacement, hard. What a total debacle.

By: Brent Kitchen

Brent Kitchen — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 23:57:24 +0000

I can’t believe the stupidy in the minds of businessmen who think things like this are a change for the better.

Long lists of random news stories undifferentiated by categories is supposed to be an improvement? You’ve GOT to be kidding.

If the news isn’t presented attractively in an easy to read format, it’s a big turn off. And Google’s new format is HARD to read and UNATTRACTIVE.

By: Lauren

Lauren — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 22:45:06 +0000

The new format is terrible. Where to start: Way too busy, can’t find anyting, visually unappealing.

Yuck! bring back the old one, I am already looking for alternatives!

By: rich

rich — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 21:32:47 +0000

It’s bad , I’m out! What is next, must I replace gmail as well because someone at goggle is bored??

By: ANONOMOUS

ANONOMOUS — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 21:20:09 +0000

Put the old format back or at least provide us the option for OLD or NEW.

By: Fuready

Fuready — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 20:42:39 +0000

How to ruin a perfectly good cup of morning coffee: Open the new Google news page.

By: chuck

chuck — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 19:06:03 +0000

HATE IT !!! Everyone go over to their Help Forum and complain. 100% negative feedback. Or go to Kevin Stolt’s FB page and send him a message

http://www.facebook.com/kevin.stolt

HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT !!!

By: Dale Gentry

Dale Gentry — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 16:53:46 +0000

Correction:If the new service is truly better, over time, the new format will dominate and the rest of us will have to yield.

By: Dale Gentry

Dale Gentry — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 16:11:36 +0000

I would like to say I immensely dislike using the new Google news format. I believe I understand the several different rationale for the change. One reason I like the old format is precisely the opposite of the common (Google) definition of personalization. I relish finding new, and interesting, topics that diverge from my usual interests. With the old format, I could complete a quick survey, then look at the more extensive list of stories within each category, also while noting unfamiliar content. (This is my personalized mental way of organizing – big picture to little picture, and divergence, not convergence). I cannot do the quick flip between screens that many might, because I have the latency of satellite service; the new format takes me much longer to view and read the news. And, as Google itself knows, a long latency in response to a viewer means dropped contacts. My suggestion to Google would be to go ahead with the planned changes, but allow users also to select the old service. If the old service is truly better, over time, the new format will dominate and the rest of us will have to yield.