Can you put the article author at the top of the page?
Can you put the article author at the top of the page?
Author
Discussion

SleeperCell

Original Poster:

5,591 posts

271 months

Tuesday 7th February 2012
quotequote all
This has been a minor irritation of mine for some time but on frontpage articles the author is listed as a sort of afterthought at the very bottom of the page. This was never an issue in the past as most articles were either written only by PetrolTed or else were in a fairly neutral tone where the author identity was unimportant.

However over the past few years you have gained quite a few different staff and other writers who are now writing in a much more personal style. These stories sort of imply to the reader that you know, or should know who is writing the article for the full understanding to take place. But to actually find out who this 'voice' of the article is, involves scrolling all the way to the bottom of the page to see the author, then going all the way back up to resume reading the story. Sometimes you do list the author in the opening paragraph, but this is applied inconsistently.

As an example, on the front page currently you have the C250CDI story, which does introduce Garlick in the opening paragraph, so that story makes sense as soon as you start reading it. The Evoque story on the other hand has no author listed until the very end and is written in a personal style, so if you start reading it you have no idea what to make of this personal account, it could be Harris or Garlick or Riggers or one of many other authors, each of which will require a minor mental adjustments for the opinions to understood in the correct context.


Papa Hotel

12,760 posts

211 months

Tuesday 7th February 2012
quotequote all
I think he's got a point.

PH lurker

1,301 posts

186 months

Tuesday 7th February 2012
quotequote all
I'd agree, in the main.

crocodile tears

755 posts

175 months

Tuesday 7th February 2012
quotequote all
I'm not going to lie.. I often read articles then rightly or wrongly slightly change my opinion on them once I've seen the author.

MattDell

3,302 posts

184 months

Tuesday 7th February 2012
quotequote all
Not a bad idea. I'll see what the editorial team thinks about this. smile