Where's the Live Reports?

[jimster]

I logged in today to read the live reports for the weekend's Dauphine and Tour de Suisse stage races, but they are nowhere to be found. Are they gone? Do I need to search the archives?

I would agree with others that, when going to cyclingnews.com, you could go straight to the "complete live report" and enjoy the race, even if the outcome had already been decided. Now, you have taken all of the suspense out of it.

Wow, my early mornings in July just got a lot more boring. If the live reports don't return, this may be my only post ever on these forums.

 

[oldsteel206]

Live Posts & Results???

I too am left wondering where the 'Live Reports' and 'Results' have gone?? Instead, today I see straight away that Cavendish wins the 3rd Stage of the Tour de Suisse. I agree with the jimster - my mornings have suddenly become more boring. Seriously guys - I have enjoyed CN for some time now, but you were alone in that you kept the suspense intact! Please do bring the Live Reports & Results BACK!

 

[Anonymous]

I too am left wondering where the 'Live Reports' and 'Results' have gone?? Instead, today I see straight away that Cavendish wins the 3rd Stage of the Tour de Suisse. I agree with the jimster - my mornings have suddenly become more boring. Seriously guys - I have enjoyed CN for some time now, but you were alone in that you kept the suspense intact! Please do bring the Live Reports & Results BACK!

yup.. that completely ruined it for me..

THANKS A LOT CYCLING NEWS

please replace the names of winners with STAGE ?? RESULTS so that those who want to can go through the live reports line by line, or those that perhaps are about to watch it can visit cycling news without having it ruined..

MAJOR FAUX PAS

 

[scottsmack]

Spoilers, Live Reports

- Please do not post results on the home page! Lots of people come after the fact to read through the complete live reports and experience a little of the race drama.

- Don't presume to know what we want to see. Cyclingnews was great because it offered everything in a fairly balanced design, letting the user go to their preference. I, for one, never read tech or "soft" editorial.

- What is the difference between "News" and "News Editions"?

- Where did "Live Report" go??

 

[agaler]

Live Reports

The live reports from the dauphine are http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2009/jun09/dauphinelibere09/?id=live/dauphinelibere097 (as is everything else)

Don't panic, the live reports aren't going anywhere. As for the rest of your concerns I'm sure if you tell the team about your issues in a sensible and constructive way they will do all they can to accommodate you.

 

[wdymtlrt]

and how do I get there?

So the Dauphine-LR is there (http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/...phinelibere097). But how do I get there? [Road]>[Races&Results]>[Dauphine].... I would expect it somewhere there! Am I blind?
I also couldn't find any Tour de Suisse LR, just in case there are any.

 

[Susan Westemeyer]

I also couldn't find any Tour de Suisse LR, just in case there are any.

There aren't any live reports for Suisse.

Susan

 

[wdymtlrt]

But where would I find them if there were any?
I also don't get to the Dauphine-LRs...

 

[agaler]

So the Dauphine-LR is there (http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/...phinelibere097). But how do I get there? [Road]>[Races&Results]>[Dauphine].... I would expect it somewhere there! Am I blind?
I also couldn't find any Tour de Suisse LR, just in case there are any.

The live reports from the Dauphine aren't on the new site as yet. Live reports done on races from now on (I'm not sure when the next one is scheduled) will be there - yes, where you expect - though.

 

[bentman]

Access to live reports

I concur with some of your other readers. It is important to me to be able to access the live reports without seeing a headline announcing the race results. That is why I avoid VeloNews after a race, if I did not watch the race live and have yet to read the live report. I do not want the headlines to spoil my pleasure in reading how the race unfolded. You should do live reports for the Tour of Switzerland. Live reports are great. They complement live video. I often find myself switching back and forth between the two. Live reports are also a great historical record. It is nice to be able to go back in time and read what really happened instead of the post race spin.

 

[Susan Westemeyer]

We're going to do a live report tomorrow for Suisse, so give it a look tomorrow afternoon.

As to the "spoiler" issue: I am on the other side of this. It was always more important to me to know as soon as possible who won. And as a news site, I think we are obligated to put the news up and announce the winner, not hide it.

Susan

(When I say "we" are doing a live report tomorrow, I mean me. I am, shall we say, not particularly technically-talented, so I hope the new system isn't too hard!)

 

[allezkmiec]

It was always more important to me to know as soon as possible who won. And as a news site, I think we are obligated to put the news up and announce the winner, not hide it.

I strongly disagree, at least in execution. I think a much better solution is the way you folks always did it: a simple link to the results. One extra click doesn't hurt anything, and it gives people the option of not having the entire race spoiled for them. I for one like to read the complete live report to follow the race; this is rendered moot if the winner's name is plastered right above the live report link. The comments on the forum thus far indicate that I am very far from alone on this point. Please remove the spoilers, we don't want them.

 

[Domingo]

Susan,

Your reply says it all about the site re-design. Lots of people saying they want to read a live race report without knowing the winner in advance. Your response is that it's not going to happen as you're a news site - I think sometimes the customer knows best. After a (hard) day at work I too want to catch up on the race without knowing the result. It was one of the best features of the site (by accident or design I don't know). If I'll get the result regardless then I may as well go to Velonews/L'equipe etc. (Even the BBC website now gives cycling results if Cavendish wins!) - maybe offering an alternative view/service is a good thing.

 

[Susan Westemeyer]

Spoilers are such a non-issue for me, that I only today realized that they never before appeared on the CN front page.

Frankly, I don't know whehter there was an editorial decision to change that, or whether it is simply that the headlines of the stories are used on the front page now.

I will puruse this for you.

Susan

 

[scottsmack]

Spoiler poll

Susan

put a poll or survey on the homepage about spoilers and I would bet it would be 95/5 against. In fact, this is a subject that raged for years on the newsgroups. Here's a post of spoilers from 1997 http://groups.google.com/group/rec....ec4a1b8b5?lnk=gst&q=spoilers#bfb63d6ec4a1b8b5

One of your readers says he consciously avoids other outlets so that he can enjoy "reading" the race unfold in the live reports. I think that the majority of your audience does the same thing, and that CN would lose a lot of eyeballs if that feature goes away. There is always a bit of excitement when you come to the homepage and you see the "Live coverage on now!" link in bold. It's like a little gift.

Thanks for listening.
Scott

 

[stpete300]

Why limit yourself to only being a "news site"? If you reveal the results in a header, I am much more apt to simply skip reading about it, thereby simply skipping the ads that pay for all of this. That "immediate reporting because we're a news site" is really old fashioned thinking...the web has grown beyond that. Please reconsider not putting spoilers on the home page, it is a bad decision to do so and obviously is meeting with a lot of resistance. I've already spent far less time on cyclingnews than I usually do just because of the redesign.

Also, as less critical criticism, in the news section, I preferred access to the daily "editions" to be the leading items in the news column. I liked having that digest to look forward to. The links to the individual stories are more daunting. The edition allowed me to pick and choose and skim thru, having the individual stories doesn't allow for that.

 

[Susan Westemeyer]

It's not my decision, folks. I'm just a part-time contributor, and not involved in this kind of executive decision.

However, I have already passed along these thoughts and suggestions to those in authority.

Susan

 

[titan_90]

Spoilers are such a non-issue for me, that I only today realized that they never before appeared on the CN front page.

Frankly, I don't know whehter there was an editorial decision to change that, or whether it is simply that the headlines of the stories are used on the front page now.

I will puruse this for you.

Susan

Please also we don't need spoilers in the headlines of the race report or have a photo spoiler of the winner. That is why we read the report. If I already know who won from the headline or the photo why would I read the article? The drama has been ruined for me.

Cyclingnews.com was different than all of the other cycling news sites it was created by a fan for the fans and the design showed that. To me what made it great was these small details like no spoilers. So you could read how the race unfolded and you could feel the drama. This just shows that the staff now just doesn't get what made the site great and draw such loyal fans.

I do believe if you guys and gals listen to what the fans are saying in the forums and implement that then we can together make the redesign work. If you don't listen to us then cyclingnews will just be a shell of what it was.

 

[Anonymous]

its ok folks.. ive found a solution

ignore the website.. go to the official thread on the forum....

and if we all make an effort when watching races to maintain the official thread ourselves there is no need for live reports at all and we dont have to visit the site..

 

[Festina]

New CN Site

Absolute rubbish!!! No live reports, no start lists and no result lists which can easily be printed. Get rid of it NOW and bring back the old site.

A very unhappy cycling fan

 

[eyemgh]

Hate it...

My wake up routine is the same every day. I crack my eyes open, check my e-mail and then go to the live feed if there's a race, even if the stage is over. I want to live the stage/race, not just read who won. I don't peruse ANY other cycling web pages, because cyclingnews did what I needed so well. With the spoiler right on the front and no live feed, I hate it. Where else can we complain?

M

 

[Briant]

Routes and stage profiles gone??

Agreed re keeping results off the front page!
Also along with the live reports where are the stage details & maps & PROFILES??
Previously was all set out well, easy to access info and could go straight to complete live reports to relive the excitement of the stage. hope this is fixed before the TdF. (I know anything new takes getting used to & also there are often bugs but.....)

 

[jola1019]

Live reports

I too am wondering what happened to the LR's, have the joy was reading the blow by blow leading to the final result, now you just get the facts. Where's the passion in that....no love! Boo!http://forum.cyclingnews.com/images/icons/icon13.gif

 

[Briant]

Yes! Live report stage 6

Great! I actually ate my breakfast while reading the live report on stage 6 TDSwiss! Managed to avoid the spoilers too!
Thanks guys!

 

[Symon the fireman]

Have you got the message yet CN? stop putting the results on the home page and have a prominent link to the live report. It was always my first port of call.