Tuesday, 5 January 2010

State of the Blog: New year, new ideas?

Tuesday, 5 January 2010
I'm always keen to shake things up from time to time, because blogs are like sharks (they die if they stop moving), and I sometimes get bored. Some things will always remain the same (there's no chance I'll ever stop reviewing films/TV -- er, obviously), but I'm interested to hear people's opinions on what they like/dislike about Dan's Media Digest. Don't be too harsh, I'm a sensitive guy. But, with so many new readers arriving here during '09, and a remarkable increase in traffic recently, I'd love to hear what the current readership think.

New Year always feels like the best time to implement change, so have at it:

  • Is my balance of US/UK television reviews good?
  • Are you interested in "open threads" to cover shows I don't review?
  • Would you like more film reviews?
  • How about more "Trailer Park" posts? I changed how I approached writing them this year -- so was my informal, gut-reaction style better? I also stopped providing direct links to HD downloads -- was that okay, or do you want them back?
  • Is there an appetite for more DVD/Blu-ray reviews?
  • Did my "win a DVD/Blu-ray" competitions (Moon, Terminator Salvation) go down well last year? I guess with the winners they did!
  • Are there any old features you'd like to see revived? Short Film Saturday? The Hotlight? Catfight? I forget the others. Maybe you have an idea for a new one?
  • Can you think of an "interactive feature" for the blog (a game, quiz idea, challenge) that more than two people will participate in? I seem incapable...
  • Are you happy with my weekly "TV Picks" and monthly "DVD/Blu-ray Releases"? Both take more effort than you perhaps expect, but rarely attract comments, so I'm never sure if they're popular and worth doing. Are they atleast useful?.

Any other suggestions and comments are much appreciated.

A few changes for 2010 have already started to appear -- most notably the fact I'm splitting my weekly "Box Office Charts" post into two parts. Friday's "In Movies" will outline the weekend's new UK cinema releases, and the weekend's "Box Office" charts will be revealed when the information becomes available (Mondays, hopefully.)