I Tried Using New News Site ...

... but half the site didn't load this morning. Instead, I kept getting the message, "Sorry you are experiencing a delay. Please try your request again." And it won't verify my subscriber account -- now I have to call just so I can read that story about how "Carrollton councilman...

By Robert Wilonsky

January 18, 2011

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "18855504",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17105533",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18349797",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17105532",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18349797",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17105535",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

... but half the site didn't load this morning. Instead, I kept getting the message, "Sorry you are experiencing a delay. Please try your request again." And it won't verify my subscriber account -- now I have to call just so I can read that story about how "Carrollton councilman urges residents to join him in losing weight." Um ... no. Of course, that'll get worked out soon enough; they had a launch date and were sticking to it, kinks and knots and all.

Still, "the next generation" desktop News doesn't look very 2.0 -- 1.2, maybe. (Everything's been shuffled around just enough to make it confusing, headlines are bigger, and blogs are now buried ... somewhere -- though there will be more of 'em!) Which may be the point: Jim Moroney did hint he's trying to move readers off the website and onto the iPad app, where most of the stories this morning are hidden behind the paywall. All is explained on the WTF page: "Although many sites may claim to offer local news, only dallasnews.com can provide online the insights and perspectives of the experienced journalists at The Dallas Morning News." That, right there, that's a shot.

Become A Member

BEFORE YOU GO...
Can you help us continue to share our stories? Since the beginning, Dallas Observer has been defined as the free, independent voice of Dallas — and we'd like to keep it that way. Our members allow us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls.