More specifically: what do you want?

I admit it: I pulled a little bait-and-switch on you just now. But only because I wanted to grab your attention. I hope I did because I need your help.

My job is to share useful information in a useful format. Thanks to the Internet, I have more tools at my disposal than I did when I got here eight years ago. How do I most effectively incorporate them for you?

For instance, one frustration a reader shared early on was not knowing how to contact an author for more information. That’s why we include e-mail addresses in the italicized “bio” at the end of articles. Do you want the author’s Twitter handle as well? Facebook page?

  • For instance, we don’t run as much news as we used to in print on the theory that we can fill in the gaps in our weekly e-newsletter. But this is just an assumption. Is it correct?
  • Do you get our e-newsletter? Why or why not?
  • Have you ever used a “shortlink” to watch a slideshow or video? We create these so you don’t have to type an excruciatingly long address into your Internet browser, hit enter, and then get a notice that the page can’t be found because you mistyped something. Shortlinks shorten the window for error.
  • Is a list of related articles on a topic at all helpful? Why or why not?

Getting the content right

  • What topics aren’t we covering that we should be?
  • When I got here, “innovative projects” was the No. 1 thing readers wanted. Is that still true?
  • I don't care how many pages an article is if it's interesting. I'd also rather read text on paper than on a screen—but maybe that's just me. How about you?
  • I pull teeth sometimes to find out how much a product or project cost and how the public works department paid for it. Do you care about these things?
  • What can we tell you about a product that's not in this issue?
  • If Facebook, Twitter, and/or LinkedIn is your thing, visit us there and tell us what you like and don't like. 

In short, what ONE piece of information would make your work life easier, and how would you like to access it?

E-mail [email protected] or call my direct line at 773-824-2507.