Dear reader:
It’s been a few months since we last spoke to you about the new spotlightnews.com.
In that time, we’ve experimented with new features, learned some lessons and taken plenty of feedback from users.
We’ve also come to realize that, more often than not, when someone has trouble or a gripe with the website, it’s a simple matter of pointing them in the right direction, not taking note of something that isn’t there. It’s with that in mind we bring you this short update on the new spotlightnews.com. With all its functionality it can be — and for many, it already is — a powerful tool for you and your community.
Make yourself comfortable
One of the greatest things about the world of journalism in this day and age is that the conversation we have with our readers is no longer one sided.
We’re taking things to the next level in this respect. While our old platform allowed anyone to make comments, our new Internet presence unveils a whole new set of conversational tools.
It all starts with you signing up as a user of spotlightnews.com. All you need is a valid email address.
From there, you’ll notice a “profile” tab on the menu bar. This is your launchpad to the online community, and you can share as much or as little information about yourself as you please under the “profile” tab, including uploading a picture.
Now, you don’t have to give your real name, but if you’d prefer to be yourself, we’ll be happy to verify your identity when you adjust your “anonymity” settings, and display your given name rather than your user handle.
From there, the world’s your oyster. You can comment on nearly every type of content on our site — not just what we decide should be discussion topics — and interact with other users. You can also “follow” other users to easily see what they’re up to, send private messages to one another and more. If you have something to say at length, we’d even be happy to talk to you about setting up your own blog.
An important note: when you first join up, your comments and other actions will have to be approved by a Spotlight moderator. After a short time, however, we’ll drop that requirement and allow you to immediately post to the site. We’ve heard for years from folks frustrated with mean-spirited or even libelous comments, and this system creates a happy compromise for all our users.
Local listings for you, by you
Want to know what’s going on this weekend? Well, our announcements page we print every week is a great place to look, but there’s no way we can fit everything in. That’s where our online calendar comes in.
We have a large online listing of local events already, from theater performances to fundraisers to farmers markets. A simple search will help you narrow your scope as you look for something to do.
But here’s the best part: our listings are always growing. Since users can submit events to the calendar, you’ll always discover something new under the events tab. If what you’re into isn’t listed, submit the event and let everyone know.
Submissions for our print product can always be sent along to [email protected], too.
Looking for something?
You’ll find our search bar has become a lot more useful. In fact, this could really be considered the window into the website for many of your needs.
When you search a term (like “Rotterdam,” “Cuomo” or “ham sandwich”), instead of spitting out a long list, we’ll break out search results into categories so you can better locate the stories, editorials, pictures or event listings you were looking for in the first place. What’s more, you can create a custom alert for any term under your profile options, so you’ll get an email every time your biggest interests are mentioned.
Short on time?
Speaking of email alerts, if you’re one of those busy, on-the-go types (or if you’re not prone to surfing the ‘net all day) you might want to consider signing up for our daily e-editions. We’ll send you a daily digest of the newest items on spotlightnews.com or on any or all of our five other, hyperlocal domains (bethlehemspotlight.com, coloniespotlight.com, guilderlandspotlight.com, saratogacospotlight.com and schenectadyspotlight.com — simply visit the site you want and look under the “profile” tab to sign up).
If you’d prefer, we’ll also alert you via text message. And we promise to never distribute your email address or other information to advertisers or other third parties.
This is only a sliver of what you can do with the new system — we’re not getting into things like our online obituary submission system, our new online classified listings, our ongoing online contests, our powerful yet simple weather hub or the fact you can now go online to find letters, columns and opinion pieces.
The point is, we’ve had a pretty big facelift. Don’t feel like you have to use it all because what we’re finding is everyone has a corner of spotlightnews.com that they’re interested in. But do come on in, look around and get involved to whatever degree you like. We’ll still be bringing you the best in local news, sports and features, no matter what the format.
We hope this information helps make your time at spotlightnews.com all that more rewarding. And please feel free to contact me personally at [email protected] or 439-4949 ext. 435 with questions, concerns or comments.
Yours,
Charles Wiff
Interactive Editor
