Hands on Birmingham volunteers (including me) set up
the A.G. Gaston Boys and Girls Club for an event
on today’s MLK Day of Service.
In honor of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, I want to turn the spotlight on one of my favorite Birmingham nonprofit organizations …
I’ve worked with Hands on Birmingham for 7 years, though it has been some time since I last volunteered with the agency.
This nonprofit group pairs volunteers with service projects in the metro area. Saturday, I spent some time helping with setup at the A.G. Gaston Boys and Girls Club in western Birmingham.
My debt to Hands on Birmingham is huge, having worked with their personnel on the Magic City Mission from 2006 to 2008. The United Way agency was instrumental in bringing together supplies and resources to aid the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina.
I realized that I could do more to help people in my own back yard. Fortunately, Hands on Birmingham makes it easy to jump in. The website offers service projects throughout the year, encouraging individuals, church groups, corporate departments and civic leagues to take an hour or a day to lend their assistance.
Volunteers can work on landscaping, office duties, emergency training and pet adoption. They can spend time with zoo animals. They can socialize with senior citizens. Then can bring support to homeless persons. They can spend time with schoolchildren.
This set of opportunities gives volunteers flexibility and variety. And it shows just how much help is needed in our community.
Hands on Birmingham not only works with numerous local agencies but also steps in during crises to deliver supplies, food, water and staffing for relief efforts. It mirrors the efforts of similar centers around the world as part of the Hands on Network.
The wide outreach makes it easier for those in need to connect with those who can help. I’m proud to lend a hand to a worthy organization.
The New Year’s Day “Today” featured travel picks for 2013, made by Jetsetter.com, a travel booking site. Birmingham made the list, along with Miami, Pittsburgh, Croatia, Nicaragua and Marseille, France.
Video: “Today” features Jetsetter.com picks for 2013,
including Birmingham. (See full segment.)
Editor Kate Maxwell mentioned Birmingham’s 50th anniversary of the 1963 civil rights movement events, along with the affordability of local hotels.
Sadly, if you visit Jetsetter.com and search for “Birmingham,” you get … nothing. Pittsburgh (“The Birmingham of the North”) also turns up nothing on the site.
Searching for Birmingham on Jetsetter
When asked about this oversight, Maxwell said by email, “We’re always looking for new destinations for Jetsetter and hope to add some properties down South in the near future — Birmingham is definitely on our radar.”
So when booking your vacation in Birmingham, listen to Jetsetter.com, but don’t use Jetsetter.com?!
Video: The official BCS rankings putting Alabama
and Notre Dame in the top game.
For those who enjoy the comforts of seeing the same teams again and again, this football post-season is for you …
• No. 2 Alabama capped another stellar season with an 11-1 record, a win over Georgia Saturday night for the SEC Championship and a BCS title fight against undefeated No. 1 Notre Dame next month.
The two storied programs haven’t faced each other in 25 years. Notre Dame leads the series 5-1, going back to New Year’s Eve 1973.
This marks the Tide’s third trip in 4 years, and the fourth consecutive year the state is represented in the national championship. The game takes place Jan. 7 in Miami and airs at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN.
• It wouldn’t be the BBVA Compass Bowl without Pitt. Literally.
Since the bank took over title sponsorship in late 2010, the 2011 and 2012 games invited Big East-but-soon-to-be-ACC member Pittsburgh to Birmingham’s bowl game.
Pitt (6-6) returns Jan. 5 to face the SEC’s representative, Ole Miss (6-6), making its first appearance in the game.
Kickoff is at noon at Legion Field, airing on ESPN. Tickets are $30 and $50 and can be purchased online or by calling (877) 464-9529.
• Hoover will play for the 6A state high school championship Friday. If that sounds familiar, it might be because this represents the Bucs’ 12th trip in the past 13 years. Dynasty much?
Undefeated Hoover plays Opelika (10-4) at 7 p.m.
Meanwhile, McAdory (14-0) makes its first trip to the big game on Thursday. The Yellow Jackets face Spanish Fort for the 5A title at 7 p.m.
All Super Six games take place Thursday and Friday at Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium, airing on My68. Tickets are $10 and available online.
Map: Recycle cooking oil at 27 locations in Jefferson County.
Deep-frying the Thanksgiving turkey has grown in popularity over the years, and so has the oil needed to cook those birds. The average fryer requires 2 to 3 gallons of peanut or vegetable oil.
Rather than toss it — and pollute our water supply — home cooks have another option: recycling.
Jefferson County set up 17 stations (shown in blue) for residents to pick up containers and drop off used cooking oil and grease. Donors are asked to allow oil to cool first and use either the provided containers or non-glass containers.
Hoover collects close to 10,000 gallons annually for recycling into bio-diesel fuel.
For more information on Jefferson County’s program, call (205) 238-3876. For more information on Hoover’s program, contact (205) 444-7655 or fire@ci.hoover.al.us.
To aid your trip to the polls, we have the sample ballots for Jefferson and Shelby Counties for the general election. (The 180-page Jefferson County ballot has a version for every district.)
Know the candidates. Study the 11 state amendments. Be an informed voter.
Also, check out the Alabama Voter Guide, with voting procedures and frequently asked questions.
For easier viewing, you can print, download or zoom to full screen with each ballot.
Video: A look at Birmingham’s $150 million bond referendum
on Tuesday
Birmingham-area residents won’t have to wait till November to visit the polls. August had municipal races, September had a state referendum, and October …
This month is special, with two dates and three different elections. It’s like Christmas for voters. A horrible, horrible out-of-season Christmas.
Tuesday: Suburban residents will choose mayors in these runoff races:
Alabaster: David Frings and Marty Handlon
Brighton: Eddie Cooper and Barbara Watkins
Fairfield: Kenneth Coachman and Fredrick “Rev. F.D.” Scott
Helena: Mark Hall and Charles “Sonny” Penhale
Irondale: Tommy Alexander and James Stewart Jr.
Montevallo: Hollie Cost and Ben McCrory
Tarrant: Joe Matthews and Loxcil Tuck
Trafford: Clint Daniels and Robert Niblett
Also, city council runoff elections will take place in various suburbs.
Oct. 23: Another trip to the polls for Birminghamians to pick officers for the 99 neighborhood associations. The officers serve 2-year terms.
For more information on polling places, call the Mayor’s Office of Citizen’s Assistance, at (205) 254-2806. Or contact your neighborhood association president.
Polls will be open on both days from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Voters cast ballots today despite some heavy rain from the approaching Hurricane Isaac.
Mayoral race winners from today for cities in Jefferson and Shelby Counties:
•
Adamsville: Pam Cairns-Palmer Calera: Jon Graham Chelsea: Earl Niven Clay: Charles Webster Columbiana: Stanley Handley County Line: Arthur “Buddy” Self Fultondale: Jim Lowery Gardendale: Othell Phillips Graysville: Mary Sue Morgan Harpersville: Theoangelo Perkins Hueytown: Delor Baumann Lipscomb: Lance McDade
Midfield: Gary Richardson Morris: Joe Pylant Mulga: Dennis McCrary North Johns: Kenneth Lindsey Pelham: Gary Waters Pinson: Hoyt Sanders Pleasant Grove: Jerry Brasseale Trussville: Gene Melton Vincent: Ray McAllister Warrior: Johnny Ragland Wilsonville: Lee McCarty Wilton: Joe Fancher
•
Runoffs:
Alabaster: David Frings and Marty Handlon
Brighton: Eddie Cooper and Barbara Watkins
Fairfield: Kenneth Coachman and Fredrick “Rev. F.D.” Scott
Helena: Mark Hall and Charles “Sonny” Penhale
Irondale: Tommy Alexander and James Stewart Jr.
Leeds: David Miller and Eric Patterson (corrected Oct. 9)
It wouldn’t be an election year without a lot of Election Days, and maybe a tropical storm coming in from the Gulf of Mexico.
Polls open at 7 a.m. Tuesday in 46 towns in Jefferson and Shelby Counties. Voters will select mayors and council members in these municipal races.
The precincts close at 7 p.m. Runoff races, if needed, will be held on Oct. 9.
Cities in Jefferson and Shelby Counties holding elections on Tuesday:
Adamsville
Alabaster
Brighton
Brookside
Calera
Cardiff
Center Point
Chelsea
Clay
Columbiana
County Line
Fairfield
Fultondale
Gardendale
Graysville
Harpersville
Helena
Homewood
Hoover
Hueytown
Indian Springs Village
Irondale
Kimberly
Leeds
Lipscomb
Maytown
Midfield
Montevallo
Morris
Mountain Brook
Mulga
North Johns
Pelham
Pinson
Pleasant Grove
Sylvan Springs
Tarrant
Trafford
Trussville
Vestavia Hills
Vincent
Warrior
West Jefferson
Westover
Wilsonville
Wilton
And for those still interested, the general election takes place Nov. 6.
A look at the reaction online to the move … and the controversial publisher statement
Kyle Whitmire, Weld co-owner, splits for Birmingham competitor
A look at the reaction online to the move … and the controversial publisher statement
Storified by Wade Kwon · Tue, Jul 31 2012 09:34:34
undefinedWadeonbirmingham
Photo: Kyle Whitmire, left, and Mark Kelly
Kyle Whitmire, new media editor and co-founder of Weld for Birmingham, surprised Birmingham readers Friday morning, July 27. He was leaving the startup outlet to join the Alabama Media Group, the company formed to take over the Birmingham News and al.com.
It’s official. The bosses just announced hiring Kyle @WarOnDumb Whitmire and my old friend Mia Watkins at Bham News — I mean AMG. Welcome.John Archibald
Twitterers were stunned.
@JohnArchibald @warondumb So Kyle turned to the dark side eh? 😉 Seriously though, congrats! Good luck.Joe Walker
@JohnArchibald @MCuthbert @WarOnDumb Seriously?Scott Wilson
Exciting news: Kyle Whitmire (@WarOnDumb) is joining Alabama Media Group starting next month as politics & gov reporter. A great addition.Marty Swant
Congrats to Kyle Whitmire. You and Barnett can be a team nowAlan Collins
@WarOnDumb Congrats on the new AMG gig. Looking forward to reading more of your work.Jeremy Burgess
@JohnArchibald @MCuthbert @WarOnDumb Congratulations, then. Welcome to the ‘Salt Mine’ folks. :)Scott Wilson
"Official" congrats @WarOnDumb! You, @JohnArchibald and I should chat some time next week ;-)Tanya Ott
Looks like Kyle Whitmire joined Ala Media Group/al·com, dumped @SecondFront, uses @WaronDumb. But what of @WeldBham? #bhamWade Kwon
@WadeOnTweets first @glennybrock and now @warondumb – think @WeldBham should speak up?Kevin Storr
@kevinstorr @WadeOnTweets @WarOnDumb @WeldBham I’ll speak up: We’re all on a media merry-go-round & I’m riding a unicorn instead of a horse.Glenny Brock
@glennybrock @KevinStorr @WadeOnTweets @WarOnDumb @WeldBham best line of the week & u can’t sum it up better than that!Kevin Storr
Whoa. @WarOnDumb? Well now…King Cockfight
Happy for @WarOnDumb. @aldotcom/@Birmingham_News is leaps and bounds better with him on board, and no better fit for transition. #alpoliticsKing Cockfight
And hell, if you can sell Kyle Whitmire on Alabama Media Group, you can definitely sell me and the rest of AL. Very cool news. #alpoliticsKing Cockfight
@KingCockfight @WarOnDumb @Birmingham_News |Restoring balance to the Force? Or cruel joke to force Kyle into moderating #aldotcommentary?Virgil Hailwood
I’m very proud of @WarOnDumb and @glennybrock.brad daly
Thanks @bwdaly. I’m proud of us too. @WarOnDumb is full of surprises.Glenny Brock
@WarOnDumb Congratulations on the new job!Jim Little
Kyle Whitmire @WarOnDumb is moving from @WeldBham to AMG. But will that be the @Birmingham_News or @aldotcom? Or will there be a difference?Jim Little
The fact that @warondumb has a) apparently named his new column "war on dumb" and b) joined http://al.com shows we’re screwed in BhamJoseph Blake
Oh, perfect! RT @martyswant: Kyle Whitmire (@WarOnDumb) is joining Alabama Media Group starting next month as politics & gov reporter.Kelly
“Over the past several weeks, substantial differences arose between our management team and Kyle. Those differences were related to our plans for the immediate and future direction and priorities of Weld for Birmingham and its online and print publications. They also involved issues related to Kyle’s current and past job performance and fulfillment of his duties as a shareholder in our company.”
Weld publisher Mark Kelly releases statement regarding Kyle Whitmire’s departure from Weld: http://weldbham.com/blog/2012/07/27/statement-regarding-kyle-whitmires-departure-from-weld/Weld for Birmingham
Reaction on Twitter was equally unkind.
@WeldBham Oh snap.Mike Douglas
@WeldBham ‘s letter regarding Whitmire’s leaving sounds personal and petty. Sorry one of your talent’s is leaving, but your letter is sad.Ryan C. Moon
Mark Kelly @WeldBham publisher issues statement on @WarOnDumb departure. http://weldbham.com/blog/2012/07/27/statement-regarding-kyle-whitmires-departure-from-weld/ Not gonna lie, it sounds kinda bitter.Jim Little
@JimWLittle @WeldBham @WarOnDumb “kinda”? psh. reeks of it.Luke Lucas
I don’t know the first thing about Kyle Whitmire, but I know butt-hurt pettiness when I read it. http://bit.ly/OUBOWSChris Lee Gray
Whitmire leaves WELD and raises a welt. I’m torn between thinking this is bad form or seeing it as transparency. : http://bit.ly/LSKHEtwordrocket
@martyswant @bwdaly @WarOnDumb gosh, did you read that cry-baby pr from the guy left at Weld? Do what’s best for you, Kyle.John McCarter
Yikes! Why don’t you just say I’m taking my ball and going home? @WeldBham @warondumb http://weldbham.com/blog/2012/07/27/statement-regarding-kyle-whitmires-departure-from-weld/Greg Wingo
Whitmire, along with former Weld editor Glenny Brock, worked together for almost 10 years at another publication, Birmingham Weekly.
@WeldBham to merge with @BhamWeekly to better cover "former staffers" beat.Birminghamster
@WeldBham Sorry to say, "Goodbye Kyle? Goodbye Weld."Adele Culp
@WeldBham I strongly advise that Kelly’s future statements re:staffers exits be passed by HR or legal prior to release.Readership withdrawn.Jason Templin
All current managers, supervisors, leaders, bosses, etc… This is a template for how NOT to handle employee exits http://weldbham.com/blog/2012/07/27/statement-regarding-kyle-whitmires-departure-from-weld/Jason Templin
@WarOnDumb Wow! Want to make a statement? I thought you were Weld!bfpmusic
Peas in a pod. @warondumb http://instagr.am/p/Nmwh-jKQPm/brad daly
@MaximusShelby @secondfront @weldbham reading Mark Kelly’s response it appears Kelly is a dick and Kyle smart to get the hell away.Rufus T. Firefly
Longer responses to the publisher’s statement
Statement regarding Kyle Whitmire’s departure from WeldPublisher, Weld for Birmingham Statement regarding Kyle Whitmire’s departure from Weld from Weld Publisher Mark Kelly As has been reporte…
The longer comments left below the original statement reflect even more critical reaction from the readers, including “unprofessional,” “arrogant” and “disgusting.”
I’m sure I don’t need to point this out because it is already beyond apparent – but this public statement reeks of butthurt. Unprofessional!Tori LaConsay
hmmmmShannon E Johnson
This absolutely stuns me. People say that I know everybody and everything about Birmingham, which is just flat false. However, I was under the impression that Madison Underwood and Kyle were what kept WELD running. I am not sure what WHAT will keep the Birmingham News running….Richard Dabney
Very unprofessional.Heather Taylor
Holy crap. In the category if you can’t beat ’em, join them. Or is it if you can’t beat them, offer them more money and steal them away from the competition?MD Words
Somebody’s feelings are hurt. What goes around comes around suckas. No Glenny. No Kyle. No reason to continue with Weld. See ya. Kelley Carmon Brown
Y’all should each roll up a copy of your fish wrappers and bludgeon each other with ’em.Derek R Trimble
I read this and really was left hoping it was joking jester between friends to start a little competitive rivalry. Otherwise, this is in very unprofessional.Tamara Pitts Mahaffey
theis is one of the most uuprofessional "statements" of this type I ever remember reading. Not to applaud BN company for their layoffs etc. but most of this should have been keep "in the business closet. "Richard Robinson
Did he call you a poopoohead on the way out the door, too?Trey McClure
Oh, my. Well, we all must be accountable for our own journey. Carry on and look forward.Wendy Price
I confess, Kyle Whitmire I why I read Weld B’ham.Adele Stockham Culp
I like this statement. I respect that something can be written where parties are not obliged to add sentiment to fact. There couldn’t be anything more professional in the journalism industry. This statement makes sense, is well written, and pulls no punches. I say KUDOS!Kelly Barr
We wish him well in his new position and look forward to competing for readership in this exciting and evolving market. Nuff said. Leave the panty wadding at home.Mark DiChiara
Sorry to hear about your loss. Kyle was really the only reason I ever visited this site.Richard Thomas
First Glenny and now Kyle — two founders of the paper. Based on this statement I’m wondering if it’s Weld’s management that (sadly) has the problem.James P. Fahy
Kyle Whitmire is one of the best reporters I read – I look forward to reading what he ‘s able to get in the News.Johnny Coley
"I think it would be fun to run a newspaper".Dave Arndt
What a piece of crap comment by Kelly. Hey Mark…If you were any manager at all you would accept your pain and not act like a child publicly. In fact, perhaps if you valued talent as you insinuate, you would never have lost your most talented reporter and the name/face behind your publication. Best of luck finding reporters trying to better themselves…particularly if this is how you treat them…Matt Murphy
I call on Mark Kelly, publisher of Weld for Birmingham, to publicly state the specific stated "differences" between management and Kyle Whitmire. Also – please explain these "job performance issues" you claim your newspaper had with its star reporter. If you cannot detail these in a public forum, then you owe the defamed, Whitmire, a swift and formal apology. Oh yeah… on a side note…your MOST loyal readers did so because of Kyle. Whitmire. Way to piss them off by shitting on him as he walks out the door to a better and more stable gig. BRILLIANT move….Perhaps this type of decision making is what lead Kyle to make the move in the first place…Matt Murphy
What an arrogant and unprofessional statement! You might want to hire a pr person to help you out of your own ditch! Disgusting!Donna J. Eddins
Well Pro for Lazy-ham News and Con for Weld….Welcome to the old business tactic of "Absorb competitor’s talents until they cant sustain the business". Mark I hope you can get a suitable replacement for Kyle, cause otherwise they just strong-armed a good reporter from you. Lazy-ham News is still screwed, Kyle is the one that benefited the most out of this cause he got PAID.John Wood
Weld Birmingham = BBoE.Chris Morrow
In a rare moment of candor, Lee Waites of The Birmingham Free Press stated "Hell! No offense. But I thought Kyle Whitmire was Weld!"Birmingham Freepress-music
This commentary was a total dick move on your part. You could have been professional about the whole matter, but you really Chick-Fil-A’d it here.Anthony DeWayne Mack
Maybe a tad unprofessional compared to other industries, but that’s the media business (remember, Weld runs columns like ‘Ask a Mexican’ and reports on hard news which just at its core can be unprofessional sometimes). That is very different from a bank or a local shop or any other type of business really. I thought Kyle was one of the owners at Weld, and if an owner is leaving a locally-owned independent publication to go to work for a major competitor owned by a New Jersey-based company that just eliminated half of its workforce here in Birmingham…then Mark might have a point. If I were Mark, I would be concerned about leaks of strategy information and maybe I’d be wishing I put a non-compete in place too. If I were a ‘News reporter who worked there for 15 years or more and is out of a job soon, then I’d wonder about the hire too. That being said, Kyle is one of the best – if not the best- political reporters in the state of Alabama and the ‘News clearly got a catch. But, Mark and Weld deserve to feel a little slighted by this as they are a start up trying to build a locally-owned news business in a time of incredible disruption in the media industry and clearly Kyle was a core part of that until now. Let ’em have this. Looking forward to seeing more of Madison’s stories too.Emily Lowrey
Wow. I hope Mark Kelly has the sense to be embarrassed by this eventually.Monica Crosby Donohoe
Yes, this article is unnecessarily cheeky, but I’m mostly just sad about Whitmire’s move from Weld to the Birmingham News. Hell, bands are accused of selling out all the time, just because they opt for a bigger label. Integrity doesn’t feed your family, etc. So, I’m not hating on that. But, Whitmire is one of the only voices that speaks truth in journalism, and frankly, I was invigorated that Weld was a new hope for our city in that manner. I know so many conservatives and liberals that found relief in such good reporting at Weld. How rare is that? Fact: One Weld article covers more detail on important Birmingham issues than 10 Al.com pieces. (ok, that’s my own fact, but I’m a frequent reader of both) So, I will continue to read and support Whitmire, but I worry what the B’ham news will do to his style over time. I’ll also continue with Weld, but worry about this rift. An undeserving competition just stole Weld’s quarterback, but the team can recover. Don’t waste this, Al.com… you thieving bastards.Christina Smith
I have always heard that feelings are not facts. We may never know the facts. The feelings speak for themselves.Jerry Griffies
Birmingham Business Journal
Even the Birmingham Business Journal’s article on Whitmire’s departure drew interesting comments.
Weld’s Whitmire leaves for Alabama Media Group – Birmingham Business JournalDate: Friday, July 27, 2012, 2:23pm CDT – Last Modified: Friday, July 27, 2012, 2:27pm CDT Well-known columnist of Weld for Birmingham, K…
It is interesting to note that Weld is suffering from the same talent drain that afflicted the Birmingham Weekly when it ran off Kyle and Glenny Brock, who had edited both publications. If I was a Weld investor, I would be extremely concerned with the safety of my money right now.Beau Butts
Shouldn’t the BBJ disclose that they are owned by the same parent company as Alabama Media Group?Joseph Blake
Wow I was already on the fence with WELD once Glenny left, now Kyle Whitmire also? This statement put out by WELD publisher Mark Kelly however stinks of bitterness and to me seals the deal. So long WELD, we hardly knew thee.Jason Hamric
NBR: Kyle Whitmire leaves Weld BirminghamCountdown to Kickoff UAB Blazers I Root For: University of Alabama – Birmingham Location: Birmingham AL UAB Blazers I Root For: Universit…
Wade Kwon is a communications consultant based in Birmingham, Ala. He has also been a journalist for 25 years.
A terrific free happy hour event — #bhamtweetup — to celebrate community with 25 attendees
From left, Zack Sylvan, Tanya Sylvan and Jennifer
Howell at the J. Clyde on Southside for the
Birmingham tweetup for today’s Social Media Day.
Social Media Day 2012: Birmingham tweetup at J. Clyde
A terrific free happy hour event — #bhamtweetup — to celebrate community with 25 attendees
Storified by Wade Kwon · Sat, Jun 30 2012 20:38:39
undefinedWadeonbirmingham
• Zack Sylvan, Tanya Sylvan and Jennifer Howell at #bhamtweetup •
To mark Social Media Day in Birmingham, we had a fun happy hour tweetup at one of our favorite Southside hangouts.
Special thanks to the J. Clyde (@JClyde_Bham) for being a wonderful sponsor, with delicious food, terrific service and a can’t-miss door prize, a $100 gift certificate, won by Gabe Rios (@gabinator).
The J. ClydeCrafting the Revolution in 5 Points Pub Crawl with Oskar Blues on July 3rd Join us for Crafting the Revolution, a pub crawl with the brew…
Will I be seeing any of you at tonight’s #bhamtweetup at J. Clyde? http://wadeonbirmingham.com/2012/06/21/celebrate-social-media-day-at-the-j-clyde/David Griner
The only thing that will get me out of the house today is seeing my friends at the Social Media Tweetup @JClyde_Bham at 5pm #StillWillMeltMezzoEnekes
VIDEO: Happy Social Media Day! Talking about #bhamtweetup: http://bit.ly/LGZ91j. See you tonight: http://bit.ly/PBsbiuWade Kwon
#bhamtweetup! Join us at 5 for #craftbeer, conversation, appetizers & air conditioning! http://fb.me/1vP2OPkgvThe J. Clyde
Anyone going to the #BhamTweetup at @JClyde_Bham tonight?Chris Griffin
Excited to be INSIDE @JClyde_Bham for our #bhamtweetup! Drop by for a cold beer and free food till 7. (@ The J. Clyde) http://4sq.com/N7TzCZWade Kwon
@WadeOnTweets @jclyde_bham We’ll be there soon. Looking forward to it. Wearing shorts and little else. #hotashellJoey Kennedy
@joeykennedy The less the better? #bhamtweetupWade Kwon
@MezzoEnekes Boooooooo. Peer pressure will change your mind. #bhamtweetupWade Kwon
@WadeOnTweets @joeykennedy Would love to come. Hate I am missing it. #bhamtweetupCynthia D. Miller
#bhamtweetup (@ The J. Clyde) http://4sq.com/LoIkWmSherri Ross
Bham folks, come join us at @jclyde_bham RIGHT NOW for the #bhamtweetupDavid Griner
@ursulink @socialmediabham @yougotrossed At J Clyde??Tanya Sylvan
Excited about social media day @JClyde_Bham #bhamtweetup :)Stephanie Hutcheson
#bhamtweetup great group (@ The J. Clyde w/ @wadeontweets) http://4sq.com/OQAtXnTom Brander
Enjoying #bhamtweetup w @wadeontweets and othersMarquelon Sigler
Hanging out with Jason Fulmore at the J Clyde while he tweets or twerps or twits….whatever twitters doJohn Dantzler
Having a wonderful time at #bhamtweetup. Thanks to @WadeKwon for setting it up and to @JClyde_Bham for hosting us. :)Sherri Ross
I’m at The J. Clyde w/ @zacksyl @dartdog @wadeontweets @ursulink http://4sq.com/MJVGizsocialmediabham
At the @j_clyde. enjoining a beverage at Wade Kwon’s twittermeet. #fun.Joey Kennedy
@joeykennedy @j_clyde good things happening #bhamtweetupJoey Kennedy
@yougotrossed @WadeKwon We are glad to have you here.The J. Clyde
@joeykennedy @j_clyde @WadeOnTweets soory to miss you was there earlier…Tom Brander
@JClyde_Bham y’all should totally put this on the menu for cider drinkers #justsayin http://pic.twitter.com/QD7srZ3vsocialmediabham
Loving the social media day #bhamtweetup @JClyde_BhamGabe Rios
@JClyde_Bham @yougotrossed Thanks! We’ll do it again soon …Wade Kwon
Celebrate Social Media Day with an old-fashioned tweetup!
Join us at the J. Clyde on Southside for a Saturday evening happy hour. We’ll have complementary hors d’oeuvres and the legendary J. Clyde beer selection.
RSVP in advance to be entered in a drawing for a $100 gift certificate to the J. Clyde!
Online reaction to previews of a new look to Alabama’s biggest website
al.com 2012 front page redesign
Online reaction to previews of a new look to Alabama’s biggest website.
Storified by Wade Kwon · Wed, May 23 2012 18:02:40
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AL.com, the state’s biggest website, announced it was making changes to the home page and to its site navigation. Advance Digital, based in Jersey City, N.J., had already rolled out the redesign to sister sites in Michigan and New Orleans.
The new version launches Wednesday.
We’re remodeling your place: About the new al.com homepageEarly Wednesday morning, al.com will launch a major redesign of our homepages and navigation. Our goal is to continue standing out as the…
Comments show a fairly negative reaction. Concernedbr wrote, “Advance Digital should be ashamed of this turkey.”
• • •
To compare the designs, take a look at the front page of al.com, before the 2012 makeover …
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… versus the front page of Nola.com after the makeover.
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… and the new version of al.com.
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Early in-state Twitter reaction was … tepid.
.@aldotcom will be renovating site soon. Will be all AL/AU football & comments. All other content deemed irrelevant.Brian LeCompte
just saw the new @aldotcom redesign. I, um, wish them luck with that. #BIGFONTS #BRIGHTYELLOWchris
• • •
Reporter Michael Tomberlin also wrote a story for the Birmingham News on the upcoming changes: “The home page at al.com is undergoing its first revisions since 2008 as part of what officials say is the most far-reaching redesign since the site launched in 1997.”
The last major revision (that I recall) a few years back opened all stories to comments; previously, only blog posts had comments, while stories from the print edition had no comment option.
My story yesterday: RT @BhamNewsBiz: http://Al.com to unveil major new look for its homepage http://bit.ly/Koe5OvMichael Tomberlin
Al.com to unveil major new look for its homepageVisitors to the most popular website in Alabama will notice some major changes when al.com launches a new format on Wednesday. The home …
Comments were a mixed bag. Mixduptranslator wrote, “This just looks terrible. Horrible. It’s amazing that the same company that owns Ars Technica, Wired Magazine, and Conde Nast owns this upcoming monstrosity of a news site.”
• • •
Kyle Whitmire of Weld had a mini-discussion on his Facebook page about the design changes.
AL.com posts a… | FacebookRevamped design based on user feedback.
Kathy Chahrouri comments in the thread, “AL.COM is such a JOKE for an online newspaper. Stupid commenters ARE NOT NEWS. It gripes me no end seeing headlines about what the stupid commenters are saying. GAH. Who thinks that is news? Except page-view-counters!”
• • •
I heard a lot of critical feedback on Twitter after sharing the news …
This is what @aldotcom will look like starting Wednesday … http://nola.com / http://mlive.comWade Kwon
@wadeontweets I’m guessing it’s because they’re all sister publications. I know NOLA is, anyway.Scott Wilson
@wilsonsway That is correct — Alabama is third in line.Wade Kwon
@WadeOnTweets Looks like Advance Digital is making a sweeping overhaul of their online presence.Scott Wilson
Yuck! RT @WadeOnTweets: This is what @aldotcom will look like starting Wednesday … http://nola.com / http://mlive.comEboni Thomas
@EboniDaScrooge They are doing it to make us better people. That is what I have been told to say.Wade Kwon
@WadeOnTweets @aldotcom when http://NOLA.com changed their site everyone complained via FacebookTeam NOLA-Ice
@NOLAIceBham Thanks! I found it: http://on.fb.me/KFGZgn / and this http://bit.ly/JduDaEWade Kwon
@WadeOnTweets YikesMike C
@WadeOnTweets YELLOW. YELLOW IS A CHEERFUL BRIGHT SHOUTY COLOR. LET’S MAKE EVERYTHING YELLOW.BitterOldPunk
@BitterOldPunk "HI, I’M A NEWS SITE. I WANT TO HUG YOU WITH MY BOLD FONTS AND BUMBLEBEE PALETTE. LOVE ME. CLICK ME."Wade Kwon
@WadeOnTweets I don’t want to be hyperbolic, but it might be the worst thing I’ve ever seen.chris
@Cin_D_Z @ditchell It’s a delightful punch to the face of headlines and itty bitty photos. Plus, everyone loves scrolling.Wade Kwon
Are they trying to reduce readability? RT @WadeOnTweets: This is what @aldotcom will look like starting Wednesday … http://nola.comageekgirl
@ageekgirl Wait till you see the mobile version …Wade Kwon
@WadeOnTweets ack! Talk about running yourself OUT of business.ageekgirl
Any improvement is good?! RT @WadeOnTweets: This is what @aldotcom will look like starting Wednesday … http://nola.comLK Whitney
@ditchell @WadeOnTweets I’m not sure the biggest problem w/al.com is the way it looks.Chance Shirley
• • •
Comments were somewhat negative from my Facebook post.
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Ed Noles wrote, “I think I’m digging the consolidated IA [information architecture] and the mega dropdowns… but why is it soooo yellow???”
• • •
For comparison, the rollout on Nola.com pulled in nearly 400 comments. Not surprisingly, they echo the early comments from al.com visitors.
About the new NOLA.com homepageWe are pleased to present a major redesign of our homepage and navigation. Our goal is to stand out as the most useful and responsive sou…
EddieIsDaBomb wrote, “There is no so much less actual CONTENT on the screen … huge images and headlines force you to scroll, scroll, scroll all over. A crime against usability.”
The announcement on Nola.com’s Facebook page also pulled in dozens of negative reactions.
Exciting news! – KM | FacebookOn Thursday, NOLA.com debuts a major redesign of our homepage and navigation. Prepare for a big change: Bold colors, less clutter and new…
The Birmingham News announced the updated al.com front page on its Facebook stream.
Guess what? Our… | FacebookGet the latest Birmingham, Alabama Local News, Sports News & US breaking News. View daily Birmingham, AL weather updates, watch videos an…
Al.com has not posted about the upcoming change on its Facebook page yet. Al.com posted about the change Wednesday afternoon on its Facebook page.
Have you noticed… | FacebookWhen we launch the new design for al.com homepages early Wednesday morning, it is is just the beginning of our work to make your place be…
Also, a look at how user feedback can help shape — or derail — new products and services on Birmingham Blogging Academy.
The perilous world of user feedbackGrocery IQ received hundreds of bad reviews after its latest app upgrade. I love users, even when they don’t love me or my company back. …
Birmingham designer Brian Krogsgard pointed me to this review of the redesigned Nola.com from Alabama-based designer Matt Thomas of WordPress company Automattic.
It Gets WorseThe state of web design in the news business has always been bad, but it seems to be getting progressively, demonstrably worse. It’s not …
Twitter reactions from the Wednesday morning launch …
The new @aldotcom page needs more yellow. I’m not quite blind yet.Brian LeCompte
Seriously. That header bar popping back is annoying. Make it static. @aldotcomBrian LeCompte
so @aldotcom gets an overall positive grade from me so far on the new site, but as @flashpointblog pointed out…stop the floating header bar.Matt Murphy
OMG, anyone else seen the redesign of @aldotcom today? Colors are HORRENDOUS!!Brian Wright
@aldotcom Your new web design is awful. It is not user friendly.Maxwins Racing
Ewww @aldotcom! Change it back! #changeitbackEric Craig
Can appreciate the need for an updated look at @aldotcom, but it looks too much like the yellow pages.Chuck Tonini
So, I complain about @aldotcom yesterday and today it looks like its designed for an 8 year old. My opinion at work people.clickityclack
The new @aldotcom layout doesn’t really bother me. I’ve just got to make sure that I never look at it while hungover. #BRIGHTHunter Johnson
@aldotcom Ack! Not a fan of all that yellow on the homepage. Tone it down a little!Andrea Wright
#Huntsville peeps dislike the new @aldotcom design? Here’s your new bookmark: http://mobile.al.com/advhunts/index.htmεriç αtk¡ñ§
@MattScalici @aldotcom Don’t like the yellow.Zeke Byers
@AdamThompsonAL Now @aldotcom looks like one giant Yellow Book ad.Gina Smith
what in the world is this new layout on @aldotcom??! #BRIGHT is an understatementSeth Bryan
@WadeOnTweets @aldotcom Morning! The sis told me about it earlier. I am quite fond of it. Change is good!Shermika Dunner
@aldotcom I applaud the recognition that a site redesign was needed. However, the new design color scheme and fixed header is jarring.nathan claburn
@wadeontweets Couldn’t @aldotcom give us the better navigation w/o the ugly? Those colors will make us all go blind.Carl Carter, APR
Congratulations to @aldotcom on the new layout! Kudos from @KC_ProjectsKC Projects
@aldotcom new design looks really bad. #lookslikeshit #wtfyo http://instagr.am/p/K-Q8lQhlwG/Zac Uselton
Digging the new @aldotcom http://www.al.comChris Yow
Mindfuck of the day: The same company that owns/designs @arstechnica and @wired owns and designed @aldotcomJoseph Blake
The font on the new @aldotcom appears blurry around the edges on my display. Anybody else seeing that?Taylor Nichols
On my laptop, @aldotcom’s new header takes up the entire top half+ of the screen. And 1/3 of what’s left is ad space.Taylor Nichols
It’s so cool that @aldotcom’s header follows you down the page as you’re trying to scroll away from it so you can read your article.Taylor Nichols
I think I need sunglasses to view the new @aldotcom Also, does their web admin know there is a baseball tournament going on?Melanie Hatcher
I assume the new @aldotcom was designed with a stick on a plate of mustard by a three year old in 2003. @WadeOnTweetsMatt Davis
I’ll be using Google Reader to avoid this forced http://waybackmachine.org experience that is @aldotcom.Matt Davis
I’d love the new @aldotcom design if they could use more yellow, incorporate more nasty fonts, and sprinkle in some huge flash ads.Christopher Ware
@WadeOnTweets @SecondFront @aldotcom Tried it this morning. As expected, errors on the site. #crappysiteSteve Bottchen
What in the world happened to @aldotcom ? Did it hire a blind web/graphic designer for its new site? Is today April Fools…? #hideousNathan Payne
@deongordon @walkerdl y’all say tomato… i say tomato! @aldotcom’s redesign may be bad, but it’s better than it was! ijs…Iva Williams
I have no words for the new @aldotcom design…. looks I need to ONLY read RSS from now on.Matthew Sheets
They might as well as just move this entire @aldotcom debacle to TumblrMatt Davis
The new @aldotcom site is a kick in my eyes’ balls.Ryan Harrison
@davidmurphree You’d think @aldotcomwould have a designer or just well a human look at it prior to launch.Matthew Sheets
I’m pretty sure that the universal reaction online today is that @aldotcom’s redesign is the worst since Geocities went extinctJoseph Blake
Holy buckets, @aldotcom has changed the web site and it is dreadful! Might take the rest of the week to find what I’m looking for.Natasha J. Parker
@Dawn_Kent I was more impressed by the new http://al.com than I thought I would be. I am now interested in digging around it.sorensonbhm
@Dawn_Kent worst site possible, pushed loyal readers away Dick Phillips
@Dawn_Kent Like it. What went into choosing the yellow?Gary Lloyd
@GaryALloyd If they went w/ red or orange, they’d get blamed for being biased toward Bama or AU, right? Totally kidding, no idea. I’ll ask.Dawn Kent
@MattScalici thought I had accidently followed a link to http://yellowbook.com. Don’t mind change, but this is not an improvement.Curt Martin
@MattScalici I mean, if the goal was to wake my eyes up, then mission accomplished, pal.Hunter Johnson
@mattscalici are we sure that yellow is the optimum color for a news page? You know, "yellow journalism," what have yougreg dawkins
@MattScalici Yikes! What was http://al.com thinking!Marynell Ford
Jimmy Rane bought http://al.com?Mark P
If it doesn’t say http://al.com on the header, believe me, you don’t want it RT @TheAuburner: Jimmy Rane bought http://al.com?The War Eagle Reader
"I’d like it to be confusing. I want the colors to be puke-centric, and I want text everywhere." – some web guy at http://al.comAdam Kramer
Everyone come check out the redesigned http://al.com!Wesley Sinor
@Birmingham_News I think the new http://al.com STINKS! I liked it the way it was. I have it as my home page, but that may change.David Green
Made my first visit to the "updated" http://al.com site and was almost blinded by the bright yellow color scheme.Ben Woolnough
@BhamBargainMom I can’t find your column with the new layout on http://al.com. I hate it alsoExplosive
The new http://al.com layout is pretty awful. The overuse of yellow being my biggest problem.Stuart Hartley
Spoiled the reveal of the new http://al.com by visiting http://nola.com yesterday. Good luck with all that, guys.Eric Turner
Best part of the new http://al.com? That postage stamp logo looking lost and confused in the upper left.Eric Turner
Have y’all seen the new look at http://al.com? It’s easier to navigate! And yellow!Elizabeth Hoekenga
http://al.com Please consider a change back Dick Phillips
The new http://al.com seems less professional. if these papers want to be considered serious they need to take a cue from NYT or WPZachary McAuley
@KaraKennedy please help http://al.com is the worst page now!!! Dick Phillips
@kammieavant Hated http://al.com before. Hopefully this will be easier to navigate, but it looks kind of "small town."Mariesa
My eyes are burning from the http://al.com redesign. Terrible.Laura
The new look of http://al.com sure is something to behold. http://blog.al.com/al/2012/05/about_the_new_alcom_homepage.html #ewBrian Krogsgard
Didn’t think it was possible to make http://al.com more unreadable than it already was. #hurtsmyeyesSusan Fillippeli
@WadeOnTweets To paraphrase a recently popular tune, http://al.com "got me scrollin’… I’m hatin’…" And why the YP yellow?Richard Kirby
I’m not a design nerd, and I don’t have much of an aesthetic sense, but wow. New http://al.com makes me want to tear my eyes out.Jason Gruber
I personally love the color yellow, so I like the redesign of the Press-Register website, http://al.com. http://www.al.com/mobile/Carol McPhail
I almost had a seizure when I looked at the new http://al.com site layout.Ross Collings
…and you thought the already horrible design of http://al.com couldn’t get any worse. The new layout looks like a cheap phonebook.Nico
Wow. http://al.com’s redesign is absolutely terrible. Just a complete UI/UX nightmare.Rob Peck
Wow. Really dislike the new http://al.com http://al.com website. Doesn’t work in standards compliant Opera web browser.Cain Markham
http://al.com. Navigation is a screen nightmare in firefox. I like the heavier use of yellow, though.Cain Markham
I don’t know how, but http://al.com has managed to make their website worse than it was. What a terrible redesign job.Chandler Parker
The only way the new http://al.com layout could be any worse is if all the font was in Comic Sans.Hays Latimer
The new http://al.com layout nice tho. They need to thank the person responsible. IjsBlkDollyParton
Dang. Y’all weren’t joking about how shitty the new http://al.com looks.Will Duncan
The YellaFella rides again! RT @TheAuburner: Jimmy Rane bought http://al.com?George Talbot
Gah, http://al.com has been hit with the same ugly stick that http://nola.com was. Oregon, New Jersey, your sites are next!Matt Thomas
@Dawn_Kent I was more impressed by the new http://al.com than I thought I would be. I am now interested in digging around it.sorensonbhm
OMG the new http://al.com is…yellow. #webdesignGabriel Tynes
Except for the blinding yellow color, the new http://al.com site has some cool new features. Good job! #just_switch_colorsMarlin Caddell
@Birmingham_News I only got a chance to glance at the new http://al.com, but it seems slick and modern.G Everett Reeves
@kammieavant The Yellow Pages called. They’d like their 90s site design back.digitaldemented
@kammieavant I think it looks like the yellow pages.Lori Merricks
@kammieavant all the yellow makes me feel like I’m at Waffle HouseSam
@kammieavant Anything is an improvementClark Virden
@kammieavant I love the "notice anything different?" You mean that I can navigate your site for the first time in 10 years? And it’s yellow.Mariesa
@kammieavant could use some more testing… http://pic.twitter.com/X4RUg5kXcraig justice
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What do you think of the new al.com design? Leave a comment on Wade on Birmingham with your thoughts.
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