links for 2011-04-14

I feel like I have been whisked back to 2004 - underneath this post a conversation has developed in the comments by people I actually know... :-)

"For Die Welt, the target was the modern newspaper reader - with the emphasis on 'newspaper' -- someone who values professional journalism, loves to read, wants curated content, knows what is possible on connected devices, but is neither a digital native nor avant garde. 'The newspaper readers praise us for bringing the newspaper they love to the iPad,' says Mr Otte. 'The digital natives criticise us, saying this is not what the iPad is for, 'I want the internet there.''"

"While it is true that good content can survive a bad design, a bad layout gives your visitor a negative impression of your site before they read word one and forces your content to claw your reader out of that."

The issue is both technical and cultural. Many of these crusty old media behemoths are still embedded in the maw of very old editorial workflows that simply make it impossible to link out. Personally, I find this hard to believe, since if they’re publishing to the web, surely they have some way of linking within their articles. What I find more easy to believe, but not entirely a valid excuse, is the culture.

Leanna Gingrass, who gave one of the best talks at the IA Summit, with her take on the event