I wrote about the new version of Google News yesterday for ReadWriteWeb yesterday, and I’ve been a little surprised at how universally reviled the new layout is.
It seems like most of the vitriol stems from Google moving from a more dashboard-style layout to a layout that emphasizes one particular wide column in the center. I’ve mostly used Google News as a research tool instead of as a news portal, so I wasn’t particularly attached to the old view. I think the new layout is quite interesting but I’m not sure if I’ll start using it heavily.
What do you think?
July 1, 2010 at 6:51 pm
I don’t like that the right column seems un-editable. I’d prefer to make the World Cup standings disappear and local weather up top. Can’t put the “Your News” section above “Top Stories.”
Also wish it could be viewed as just headlines that would be clicked on to expand the blurb more like how google reader works. Although maybe there will be browser plug-ins that can make that happen.
July 1, 2010 at 6:59 pm
Yeah, not being able to get rid of the World Cup thing is a pain!
July 1, 2010 at 7:30 pm
I use Google News regularly throughout the day. I preferred the two-column layout. but I don’t think switching to one column is that big of a problem. The main problem so far is that I haven’t found a way to change the order the sections display in. Right now I have the stuff I care least about up top and the stuff I read the most at the bottom.
With that one problem aside, I’m willing to give it a try. I’ve seen users freak out over changes to every popular site- livejournal was legendary for it, and facebook is taking it to new heights. But I think there’s a selection bias too. Those who like it or don’t care are less likely to speak up. The internet focuses attention on complainers because they’re the most vocal.