Fucking Kotaku

[deanb]

Kotaku when I woke up:

 

 

Something feels a bit off...

 

*check RSS*

 

But that can't be right. Because you see:

 

http://kotaku.com/comment/35900468/

 

 

Hmm....

 

You know it'd be awesome if all these policies n what not that they supposedly had were in some kind of policy page.

They don't exactly follow it to the letter but : http://www.joystiq.com/ethics/

Just something where they cover what they'll do with promo stuff (post about them like the PR puppets they are), article correction policy (correct it, give no indication, make early commenters look weird), article removal policy (it's an issue with your PC), and stuff on how they cover rumours, misleading headlines, and such.

But I guess the main reason this "polciy" that supposedly exists isn't actually up anywhere officially is because it'd make it oh so damn easy to call them out on it.

http://handbook.reut...ards_and_Values - I'd maybe start here.

This kind of stuff doesn't just apply to Kotaku mind. Most gaming sites. Surely it'd be a better world for all, writers, readers, developers & industry, etc if some kind of code/policy/guideline was adhered to.

 

 

Oh and for extra Brucie Bonus: http://kotaku.com/comment/35752908/

[Strangelove]

The weird thing is that the article hasnt been delted. It still exists and you can comment on it. All they did was change the title to be less douchey and hid it from the front page.

 

I dont blame them. I think this was the worst article ive ever seen on kotaku. It was useless, pointless, not really game related, and it was just dickish.

[Can]

You mean the Pokemon arm one? I'm just used to Kotaku putting up stuff like that now.

[deanb]

15:27 - linklonk([k]): I see kotaku went full herp-derp

15:36 - Win Laik Pya: it did.

[King Jimmeh]

Well the site has been "updated", but you can find a sorta retro version @ blog.kotaku.com

 

For me though, I used the Fusion feature to have a single feed of the interesting Gawker blogs, but that's dead, so goodbye bookmarks.

[toxicitizen]

To update on my previous post, now that the proper version is live, I'm seeing the gray, non-star comments like before.

 

So I guess there's that...

 

Still not sure if I'm going to stick with it yet. I usually don't have difficulties adapting to change, so I'll probably get used to it, but meh... Just so damn ugly.

[deanb]

Yeah I can see the non-stars, but only in articles. On Speakup it's Stars n promoted comments only still.

[toxicitizen]

Ah you're right... The buttons to show all comments or only featured ones still aren't there.

 

Nevermind, then. I was in TAY when I noticed them and thought it applied to everything, but I guess not...

 

Wonder why they would have them everywhere but in speakup?

[deanb]

Well it's not just speakup but all their "Forums"

Also looking at the other sites I see Gizmodo has disabled comments on their announcement article, and all the sites now, not Just kotaku, use White background for text reading, despite Kotaku now finally gaining a faint yellow background.

[Mr. GOH!]

I know I'm usually the first one to savage Kotaku writers and eds for their numbskullery, but the redesign was foisted upon them. I kinda feel bad for them, especially if the redesign is a failure and ad revenue drops. Well, I'll never feel bad for Ashcraft, but I think I could pity the rest of those yahoos.

[deanb]

Oh god... bashcraft. I'm going to be waking up to his articles blasted with huge images across the front page :/

As for it being foisted upon them, in the last change Crecente quite openly mentioned he was one of the main motivators in the tweaks and such the site got, so I wouldn't be surprised if he was involved in this one too. Don't forget he helms their second highest hitting blog and is the longest serving editor on the network.

[Strangelove]

Ugh. The new site does not play well with my phone. The shit on the right appears and dissappears. It just keeps doing it. Its fucking pointless. I guess i wont be posting for a while then.

[deanb]

TTFN Kotaku/Gawker network.

[excel_excel]

Argh. Argh. MY EYES THE GOGGLES DO NOTHING! Seriously. That layout.

[Kau_Kau]

People have been saying that the new kotaku is for ipad users but I disagree. The buttons for the next article block off the reading of some of the text and move when scrolling the page. It's probably a bug.

 

With that said the new design seems to benefit them more than us. It forces us to click on the sensationalist and sometimes confusing headlnes to get any idea of what the article is about.

 

Worst of all this change applies the to the lifehacker site as well. Kotaku had a good community, especially when they had people audition to be commenters, but lifehacker is actually useful and interesting still.

[deanb]

Hah the article layout is now garbage on their new layout but part of the reason folks call it iPad friendly is cos they started it:

http://gizmodo.com/#!5508793/preview-our-new-ipad+ready-site

Though so few folks have an iPad I guess to be able to tell it runs like crap on touch screen devices. Also doesn't work so well on laptops from what I've heard due to the scroll wheel only navigation.

[TheForgetfulBrain]

Not Kotaku and not about the redesign, but we don't have a 'Fucking Gawker' thread.

 

I'm the first one to stick up for Gawker usually, and I'm probably the biggest fan among the TAY folk.

 

This, however, is troubling.

 

http://gawker.com/#!5753570/anonymous-hackers-pay-back-fbi-snitch-with-50000-leaked-emails

 

Adrian writes:

 

"This is a typical mode of attack for Anonymous when they're up against an individual or lightly-defended target: Dig up confidential information through hacking or social engineering, then dump it on the Internet as a "fuck you." They did it to a bullying copyright lawyer in England, leaking a database of 5,000 porn pirates he intended to sue. And, yes, they did it to Gawker. No wonder they like Wikileaks."

 

It was not Anonymous that attacked Gawker, but a separate entity/hacker, Gnosis. Gawker, and Adrian should know this of all people.

 

If it's a typo, okay, that's fine, but if it's deliberate, that's libel, and I'd like to expect more of Gawker.

 

Hopefully they correct this, but I don't know how often Gawker corrects themselves...

 

EDIT

 

Okay, and related to the new design, comments are acting funky.

 

My comments are disappearing and reappearing in response to comments on that article, where I mention that part is incorrect. Thought they were deleted at first, but I think it's just technical hiccups.

Edited February 7, 2011 by TheForgetfulBrain

[FrankieDF]

I'd been regularly visiting kotaku, and been a star commenter for three years.

Not anymore.

I can't really understand why Gawker would make the beta accessible, see the loads of criticism, and ignore it. There are too many problems with the gawker sites and policies as is. This is just too much. I look forward to seeing how their readership drops. Maybe they will admit they made a mistake.

[deanb]

By the way any migrants from Kotaku you guys want to say Hi?

http://board.pressxordie.com/topic/413-introduce-yourself/

[Mister Jack]

THEY JUST

 

DON'T

 

LEARN!

[Mercurial]

my feelings on the new kotaku layout

Edited February 7, 2011 by Hakidia

[RadiantViper]

Well, just left my obligatory 'Your new site design is awful and I'm leaving because of it' post on Kotaku. Won't make a difference at all but I felt I had too. Other sites can give me the same news, without a design that's such a pain ...

[ZTF]

Fuck the new layout. Can't upload pictures directly from my computer, my posts mysteriously migrate around because the tag system is fucking useless now, and I can't view unpromoted comments outside of articles.

 

Probably won't comment there any more, might still read it though. Dunno.

[Faiblesse Des Sens]

using nothing but the keyboard to navigate is pretty cool. j/k through each article, skim it (or just read the first paragraph like the old view) and move on.

[Mister Jack]

Would you guys recommend Joystiq, Destructoid, or something else? I don't have much room in my favorites toolbar on firefox so I can only keep one site up there. So which one is best?