New HuffPost Features: More of What You Come Here For

From the beginning, HuffPost has worked to bring our users the most dynamic mix of breaking news and opinion possible -- and to use the latest technology available to improve the user experience, and to bring you more of what you come here for.

With this goal in mind, we are rolling out a number of new features that will continue to make HuffPost a go-to web destination for up-to-the-minute news and fresh takes on the stories everyone is talking about.

For starters, we know that our readers have always loved the rapid updates on HuffPost's front page, so we've switched over to an Ajax interface that lets our stories and images load faster -- making the site more vibrant, and the updates more seamless. No more clicking and waiting for the site to refresh; the latest news stories, blog posts, and comments now automatically appear on the page.

We've also upgraded our Quick Read feature, which allows you to get the gist of a story without clicking to a new page. Now, when you open a Quick Read box, you are also shown four other stories that your fellow HuffPost readers have been drawn to -- and you can rapidly check out each of those stories without ever leaving the Quick Read box you initially opened. If you've never used the Quick Read feature, give it a try.

HuffPost's upgraded Quick Read feature

And we've added a "Most Popular on HuffPost" feature on the right hand side of every section's home page that allows you, at a glance, to see the hottest stories and blog posts from the last few days. It's continually updated and showcases a rotation of the top 12 HuffPost pieces at any given moment. And if you have your own blog site, you can add our Most Popular widget to it.

Of course, since these changes have been made with you in mind, we want to hear what you think of them -- good and bad. Let us know by sending an email to [e-mail].

Thanks again for reading, posting, talking back, and being such an integral part of what we do. And if you haven't made HuffPost your home page, you can do so by clicking here.

Comments

[StrangeTorpedo]

The change I want most it the ability for members to set story exclusions in their profiles. I don't want to see any bottom-feeding celebrity "news" on the front page. It's disgraceful. You should be deeply ashamed of mixing serious news that MATTERS with voyeuristic tabloid garbage.

With a filter I could get rid of it. Same with the Living section, which I assume was originally entitled "The Narcissism of Motherhood", but that was too long to fit in the banner.

And hey, same with the Media section where they alternately bemoan the state of American journalism and breathlessly report on the latest happenings on "The View".

[derik]

A good feature would be to provide a means where a user can view replies to comments they have posted. Basically, I tend to post and do not have a means to see the replies unless I remember my posts (and manually scroll/search thru). By having this feature, we could have a true peer to peer dialog about things.

[catsails]

No question your site has become a success, and I am glad for that, and you have a right to feel a sense of accomplishment. We are all grateful. Yet, as I watch the site evolve (and I have been here since the beginning) I have become increasingly anguished as more and more 'tabloid' type stuff nudges other more serious stuff to the margins. I couldn't agree more with the other commenters here on that issue.

Too many 'gimmicks', too much trying to be all things to all people. In any enterprise, that approach never works. It always dilutes things to the point where allegiance just drifts away.

Truly, I believe that if you don't address this issue and make some changes, Huffpost's image will fall (as I sense it already is) in the eyes of those who count (serious, notable contributors and readers both) as a place of real significance, of almost historic influence.

Be careful. You are in danger of losing what you have so carefully nurtured... that would be a shame.

[SayYaWantRevolution]

I used to believe in you Arianna, I used to haunt Huffpo, I used to believe you were going to hold their feet to the fire, I used to have hope, I thought you were going to hold Pelosi to her word. Now I don't come around so often, the celeb and sex crap makes me sick, your selling out, I am starting to feel your no better than "they" are.

[ljsfolly]

I have frequently been dropped when I comment especially with certain writers and my content is respectful and not profane as some are. I think I read that you have the comments set to moderate so I fail to see why if I comment it is dropped. Nothing inflamitory is usually in my comment. Is it the article writer or someone who reads the post who decides what is going on the post or not? I post a lot and some shows, some doesn't I just want to know why/why not. Also I understand what is entertainment and I would like for it not to be shown under politics as I know how to get there on the site.

[scooperss]

The pelosi interview ( dismaying and useless) and the celebrity fluff had almost made me leave. I stayed to read the user comments. I find them a more accurate barometer of how the people feel than the polls touted by the MSM.

[Picasso]

Add my vote to those wanting the tinsle town
trivia moved to the back pages or totally off
the site.

Picasso.

[malrubius]

Hmmm...I just started coming to Huff Post, but when I see lead stories like "Sting's Sex Den" and some bullshit about Sharon Stone, I doubt I'll be coming here often. This is "news" in the style of MSNBC's round-the-clock coverage of the Spears family.

[Nyland8]

I've posted comments on HuffPo since about late August '05 and, in the past, anything I posted came up with the same punctuation. If a quote was in a foreign language, the umlauts or tildas would come out the same, the elipses and other marks would not change. I could post in Arabic or Cyrillic or Chinese and the content never changed. Whatever I wrote or copied from my own MSWord program translated without alteration to your post.

Why did that have to change? Why the step backwards? Over the past year, there were times when I swore that it seemed like the website was trying to make it more difficult to post. It was as if we had to jump through flaming hoops to get our opinions posted.

Now there are times when the entire page simply won't load, and my browser seems to take in 90 percent of it and then hover in limbo. ??!!

Change for the better should be credited, but change for its own sake, which often seemed to be the case, is better left undone.

In the past, I was able to post my own writings which, at times, ranged from 800 to 1200 words. 350 words doesn't cut it. Even Paul Krugman gets 650. Your bloggers seem to have no limit, but if we attempt to post a rebuttle we may be limited to a quarter of their length. I'm not one of the posters who have ever come here to copy and paste miles of other people's screeds. With the exception of the occasional quote, my writings have always been my own, but I feel penalized for their inconsiderate actions. Can we lift the 350 word limit again? Perhaps with the format "improvements", it won't be such a problem as it was in the past.

8
.

[SkeeterVT]

When the Digg-like Huffit page was taken down, its editor said that it was being "retolled" for a future relaunch. It's now been six months. When is the Huffit page going to return? I lost more than a third of traffic to my blog site http://www.skeeterbitesreport.comm) when I could no longer alert HuffPost readers to new postings on my blog. Now I rely heavily on Buzzflash. I love Buzzflash, but I'd also love to have Huffit as my blog's second major traffic generator.

[DieboldHacker]

Dear Arianna,

I appreciate the site, and the work to revamp and revise.

Unfortunately, the fault here lies with you. I have yet to see a refutation of the fallout from your interview with Nancy Pelosi. That episode changed my view of yourself, and as an extension, this site. You ignored our overwhelming desire for accountability, and instead chose to lob softball questions, and gloss over her obvious failure as a Speaker.

Your credibility took a huge hit that day, and it has never recovered. This latest re-arranging of your deck chairs does absolutely nothing to reassure me that you are actually willing to ask the tough questions when push comes to shove.

Tough love,

[Orikinla]

Hi Arianna,
Well done!

The concept and format of Huffington Post attracted me and as you can see, I am hooked.
There is nothing like this in my part of the world, Nigeria. I am challenged to learn from what I have seen so far and share the vibrancy of your news website with my people.

I wonder how you have been able to attract the outstanding leaders of thought to blog for you.
These intellectual elites of the American society have shown me the stream of consciousness of your political leaders and the great faith you have in your democracy.
But something is missing on Huffington Post.
Something I know you love very much.
Art Appreciation.
In fact, I prefer the celebration of Art Appreciation to the celebrity gossip.
Remember Pablo Picasso's "Guernica"?
Have we seen such awesome works Art on the war in Iraq?

Cheers!

[DC]

Maybe it is your business plan, and maybe it seems that it brings more clicks and traffic, but I suspect filling more and more of your content with titillating celeb trash dilutes your identity and your readership. There is then nothing to distinguish huffpost from other media sites.

Identity is lost along with a loyal readership. If only the trash side of the site (which is increasing) were gone, huffpost could be such a force in online media!

[WIDESTANCE]

i can immediately see the "upgrades"

click on an article (romney didn't march with king) and you get a fullscreen ad which you then have to click off to get to what you wanted to read

then when you try to click through the ad you get a scarylooking yellow triangle/exclamation point IE warning with a bunch of gobbledegook that means nothing (you know, the kind of crap that makes you want to leave the site) which you then have to click off and pray to god that something isn't trying to screw up your pc

wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!!!

love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[sagebrush5]

I love the blogs, most are intriguing. However, the Hollywood drivel cheapens the whole front page. Why is it there? How can Brittney Spear's pregnant sister be as important an issue (except to her family and fans) as real news and real commentary on that news? Can't that whole Hollywood scene be posted on a page of its own? Ugh. Pure drivel. Drivel!! BTW, worldnet.com dictionary defines drivel as "a worthless message." Yep.