Regular and not-so-regular readers: please let me have your suggestions and ideas
This website is headed for some changes – whether they will be minor or major, I don’t know yet. Gradually over the last six years and then suddenly over the last two or three years, it has acquired a sizeable readership and is now the fourth-ranked Maltese site for news, views and news-related information, after Times of Malta (no. 1), The Malta Independent (no. 2) and Malta Today (no. 3).
It is the fifth-ranked of all Maltese sites in general, with Maltapark getting in there between Malta Today and this one.
This despite the fact that it is a single person’s self-funded blog and spare-time operation with no newsroom, and doesn’t carry the daily grind and clutter of the general news which people get elsewhere anywhere. Or is it because of that? It is not actually in head-on competition with anything else, and trying to do the same job better, but is in a sort of slot of its own, filling what was quite clearly a bit of a gap in the market.
We’re now averaging 200,000 views a day (views, of course, not readers), and had 271,000 views yesterday. Our highest ever, during the general election last year, was 385,578 views in a single day.
Do people like reading it because of the personal touch, because somebody is talking directly to them and they are talking directly to that person when they post comments? Do people feel more comfortable and secure sending information to this site because they know it is going to one person with a face they can see, rather than to an anonymous newsroom full of people they don’t know?
I know that what works well is the mix of really serious stuff with really not at all serious stuff: the news stories about important issues that haven’t been covered elsewhere, interspersed with funny pictures and the big debates on what Chris Cardona is wearing tonight. I like eclectic – it works in most contexts.
Now I really need to hear your suggestions and ideas – from the technical (Like buttons and the rest), to the content, to the visual – whatever. One of the reasons that this site works is because people feel personally involved with it, almost as though it is a community project or something, which in many ways it is because that is exactly how so much of the information, pictures and the rest come in.
Please post your views below, marking them ‘not for publication’ if they are for my consumption only (incidentally, you can do this whatever you send in), or email me at dcgalizia@gmail.com.
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Mobile phone version which displays on small screens.
Make it worth your while (not a la Bondi) and sell advertising space.
Auto linking previous stories on repeat protagonists.
Hi Daphne, here are my main suggestions in order of priority.
1. Mobile App
2. Features (more in depth investigations to uncover the depth behind your stories).
3. Browse Archive e.g. by Tags for topics, names, etc
Archive browsing definately needs improving , video “editorial” would be a nice touch , youtube channel maybe
And maybe some volunteers for the task in hand?
Dear Daphne, I like your website just fine. I access it on a daily basis (sometimes more). With the help of us followers the only thing I wish for is more “name and shame”.
Too many people are are getting away with murder.
Rest assured that most literate people from all walks of life follow your blogs and I’ve heard them being discussed often. Keep up the good work and do call on us for information when you need.
Whatever the look you have in mind, don’t give up this site. We need it. It speaks out on things which others fail to expose (whatever the reason for them doing so). I agree that its success is also due to your outspoken way of relating serious or non-serious issues. And let me express even a word of thanks for your worldwide network of spies. Keep it up.
Maybe a direct link were we can send you more information would be great.
Thank you for your hard work. I’m addicted to this blog because you’ll find information which you will not find in any other newspaper. This blog makes other newspapers look like comics.
My only suggestion is if we could have “older post” “new post” button at the end of the page. I know just by pressing home button it will take me to the top of the page but it helps.
Thank you
From a technical perspective, this site is a joy. it is very simple. what i would probably change is the following.
1) User log-in: users would need to register, and each would have a sort of history of comments posted, but more importantly that that, a way how to find out whether someone has replied to a comment that I have posted. Same as Times of Malta basically.
2) Searching old articles: I am not sure whether this is me not knowing how to use it or whether it is a shortcoming in the website itself. I think that one of the ways of achieving this in a simple way is by tagging the articles. So for instance: if you are writing about Ali Zeidan living in Xemxija, you would tag the article: AliZeidan;Libya;Xemxija;NationalSecurity… and so on. Keywords basically.
It would enable a keyword search and all the articles you have tagged with AliZeidan for instance would all come up, then it’s a much shorter search because one doesn’t have to field through months of archives to find something.
In terms of management, you’d need a function which gives you the possibility of using the same keyword over and over again. It would be no good if you use AliZeidan then Ali Zeidan. You’d have to be consistent.
3) I know you have written against this in the past, but I really do think you should allow advertising on this website – controlled and limited, yes, not overkill. Maybe 2 brands/adverts consistently, and sell them. It would allow you to keep investing in this medium with no outlay from your side.
With such a wide-readership, I think companies would buy that advertising space very quickly. And with the high rankings, you can afford to (1) be picky, (2) charge premium rates.
4) A mobile (ios and android) version would be extremely useful.
5) Maybe you should stop being a one-man-band, and branch out into full-scale online journalism. I have no doubt that with you as editor (and then you must also keep the posts coming in order to maintain the integrity and credibility of the medium), this will be a much bigger hit than you probably think.
Other than that, keep up the good work!
Implement point one and I am out.
Hi Daphne,
First of all keep up the excellent work.
As for improvement, could you keep older articles than current ones, available for viewing for a longer period on the main screen?
Also, when one opens a picture or a reference to another article, could you make it in a way that it opens in another tab, and not on the main site?
Anyhow, as previously stated, keep it up!
I would like that this site would be accessible in simple Maltese so that it will reach the less educated as well. I understand it is more work, but it is such a shame that only the learned few understand its value and its importance.
It is funny you make such a request seeing as it is the uneducated who normally have the worst Maltese.
there is a lot of truth in what you say here, but never the less, education was always the key to society and its welfare.
Unfortunately Malta has been intoxicated with the ” jew b’xejn jew xejn” phrase.
Some people genuinely believe that the government has endless sources of money. Generation of wealth and a healthy society comes only from education. Germany for example has survived destruction through education.
Its people understand rules, and they believe in rules in a way that no one dares breaks them in front of others. We in Malta resent rules. And as the saying goes “il-huta minn rasha tinten”.
Daphne’s blog is sadly the only blog which has no personal gains and runs purely on the fact that society should be aware of what is really going on behind the scenes.
The government loathes this blog, just because it exposes its dark deals. As it is our prime minister would only last a few weeks if he had to be elected in Germany, and he would be totally forgotten in the time dustbin.
Is there a way to know when someone answers your comment so that you can go back to it? This will be especially useful when you write a lot of posts in one single day.
Thank you.
The main improvement I’d like to see on a technical level is easy navigation of older articles.
At the moment, one has to go to Archive -> Choose the Year/Month -> Click older, until you get to the last article read. Then start reading from there. It seems I’m not alone in reading all your posts, so when we’re away on holiday for a week or so, we tend to have a lot to catch up with.
An internal “Like/Dislike” button would be a nice to have. Just to give a stamp of approval to a comment we like, without sharing it all on Facebook or other social media.
The “Archives” section is my pet peeve. It is rather unwieldy to navigate and sometimes very difficult to find old posts.
I don’t have any particular suggestions for improving it, beyond that there should be a way to see more posts on each page, given the sheer number of them in any given month.
Thank you, Daphne, for the excellent work you do.
I agree with Peritocracy as to navigating through to older posts.
Otherwise I’m quite satisfied with the whole set up. I’m 71 so I find dealing with changes consternating but whatever changes you make I’ll learn to adapt.
Once again thank you very, very much. You’re indispensable.
I think some way to follow a post and be notified of comments and/or replies to your own comments would be very useful. Also an RSS feed of posts and comments would be great too.
I really love the witty way in which you present stories and how you sometimes answer comments. Of course, your blog is journalism at its best.
These are some features I would love to see.
1) Choosing to follow a story and its comments, maybe by sending an email to inform the reader about new comments.
2) I try to log in once a day (at least) but sometimes it isn’t possible, or you go off on a writing spree and I find that you’ve written plenty of other articles which aren’t on the front page, so I would have to go back article by article until I find the last one I’ve read.
Maybe a button which shows the number of new articles since I last logged in would help. The Malta Independent main site used to have this tool.
3) The ability to follow any comments I post and any responses I receive. Maybe even getting to know when my comment has been uploaded.
4) A ‘like’ button would be a good feature too. Sometimes I want to show my approval of a comment but I wouldn’t want to post mundane or obvious posts, so I end up posting nothing.
Thanks for asking for our input. Well done on doing such a great job and doing it single-handedly.
Point 3): I meant ‘uploaded’ not ‘updated’.
A Twitter button would be superb.
I would suggest a change of domain name.. not to hide you name per se, but it seems that all of Malta is addicted to your posts, whilst at the same time there is a taboo about naming/quoting your website.
I’m sure that a rebrand would help address this, giving more credibility/professionalism to the site.
I like the eclectic attitude taken to the subjects of your various posts, as I think it adds the much-needed comic relief (or tragi-comic) to what would otherwise be extremely depressing situation.
I’d like to see some kind of notification system when you’re away for a few days. Even just a post saying you’re taking a break would be nice. I’m sure I’m not the only one who gets jittery when you don’t post for days as you’re an important part of the daily routine many individuals.
Also what might be interesting would be some form of keyword/s linking to each post. I often would like to refer back to articles which I’ve seen in the past and having keywords would make it easier to do so: e.g. press ‘Manuel Mallia’ link and we get the entire sordid history.
I think if this formula is working well, there shouldn’t be huge changes to it (if it ain’t broke…).
One thing, however, which I’d like to see improved, is the ‘Archives’ section. It would be nice if the navigation interface through previous posts were more user-friendly.
As it is right now, when you click ‘Archives’ you get a list of the first posts (dated 1904, 1713, etc – this is a date error which you can perhaps fix). There is also a drop-down menu where you can select the dates, which I think can be improved (it’s a bit too basic as it is).
I’m not too keen on a simple ‘Like’ button for posts, but I don’t suppose it would do much harm. Don’t go for a thumbs up/thumbs down button though, because it would just encourage the (dumb) trolls who come here just to be disparaging.
You could also experiment with Google Ads, as it could help generate substantial income to assist you in maintaining this blog. Althought I expect that it could be you don’t want several ads on the site.
How about changing the sequence of the comments and having the last comment in on top? Also, a ‘back to top’ tab at the bottom of the page.
If it ain’t broke why fix it?
hear, hear.
I read the newspaper stories first, then I turn to this website to find what the others did not dare say, or simply did not know.
I would like to see your email address on the front page
I really like your style and how well-written and researched you articles are. You’re also the ONLY one that brings the real stories.
Times of Malta and The Malta Independent are too afraid of the Labour goverement, so only occasionally they print something worth reading.
Thanks for all your hard work.
We love your blog because we have trust in you. We are obliged for what you are doing with this blog. We ask you to keep it up. Should you need financial support please let us know.
Whatever the changes may be it must be simple for everyone to read. And the only reason your blog has so many views is the truth in your articles. Keep it up, Daphne.
I come here because you point out stuff that is not in order, regardless whether it is this party or the other.
Granted, it seems that incorrect or unethical behavior of a particular politician during the previous administration is now brought to a whole new level of consistent abuse of power, blatant lying and malicious actions of an entire government, but you have always been that critical note.
I would like to see some tags or categories to your articles, allowing the reader to open a ‘file’ and re-read all articles related to a certain topic. For example, when the Tanti (Dingli) case moves to the next stage, that it will be easy to find all related articles and comments.
Not just using search (and finding all sorts of Tanti’s out there), but by opening the case-file.
Or when I want an overview of iced-buns to really get a good feel… Or when I want an overview per minister and ‘his achievements’.
Go for an online paper…. Malta Insider or something of the sort.
Readers can contribute with articles…. ‘Comment is Free’
The site has the potential to fund itself via advertising … Banners and the whole lot.
Don’t forget the ‘ Baxxter Corner’
Good luck!
A ‘Baxxter button’ would be good, too, to see who he is. His fan-base in my family runs from my pre-teen daughter to my septuagenarian mother.
It’s going to get very crowded in that salon.
Well, I’m on Fejsbuk.
Some suggestions:
– Upgraded comment system (where one can follow, vote, track …) such as Disqus;
– Member registration, so that registered members can possibly have the facility of creating topics;
– More social sharing buttons;
– I would go for more of a ‘forum-style’ site rather than a blog, but this is just me preferring clearly-defined topics.
I think the success of this site is due to ‘gossip-potential’ content. Don’t get me wrong … I’m not comparing this blog to a tabloid, but people in general, nowadays more than ever due to the extent of social media, feel the need to know about others (as much as the need they have to share their life events with others).
I myself (and I think others share such a view) prefer topics on for example Joseph Muscat or Chris Cardona, rather than on the government in general. Let me re-phrase … we need to know how the government is performing, but linking to the specific person within line of responsibility makes it more understandable.
People prefer linking a face to a piece of news – especially when such face has history known to the reader.
If I may … a thing which bothers me with certain websites is the amount of time taken to publish user comments (in your case it is totally understandable because you have to moderate all the inflow on your own).
I know you want readers to be mainly engaged to the blog content, but user comments do add to the experience and these are what engage returning visitors.
Maybe a way around it could be publishing comments and moderating afterwards.
[Daphne – That’s out of the question for me because the law comes into play at the point of publication. And also because people have a tendency to be awful about others under the cloak of anonymity and when they know that their comment is not going to be moderated until after publication if at all.]
This would have to be done hand in hand with my previous point re User Registration so as to limit spam, vulgar comments etc.
[Daphne – I don’t wish to have users register. It is an unnecessary inconvenience and it stops non-registered people from commenting spontaneously because the only people who register are those who intend to contribute comments regularly.]
As a side note – you previously referred to Times of Malta as a ‘go-to’ resource, which to some extent is true. But on the other hand your blog has very powerful SEO … I would say more than Times of Malta and Malta Today. So this is something one could build on.
If it works, don’t fix it!
Hi Daphne can I have you email please?
[Daphne – dcgalizia@gmail.com]
I am expat, having lived away from the island for more than 10 years, and your blog is my primary news source for political affairs in Malta.
Although I apply my filter to anything I read here as you, like any human being, have your own biases and perception of the world, I find it the most compelling reading originating on the island and rarely has any news you broke been proven inaccurate.
For the rest of the ‘journalistic’ community, I don’t know how they face going to work each morning as they are either muzzled by overbearing editorial agendas or otherwise simply incompetent while thinking they are doing a good job because of the blinkers effect that seem to afflict a large part of the rock’s population.
I would not change too much. Please do not accept Malta-generated advertising as this will slowly but surely erode the site’s independence. Try using PayPal donation function or maybe international paid ads which may pay less but will not tie you to the local ‘system’.
As a technical suggestion, maybe have a mobile-device friendly version which is easier to read on cellphones?
Thank you.
I read this blog 7 days a week. I admire your courage & honesty, Daphne.
The most important thing is that this site remains factual, that is why people visit it.
Keep it up and lets make it No.1
Hi Daphne,
One suggestion that I would like to make – add a side menu on the page right or hand side, to be able to access all the articles from one page.
Once you read an article you either have to go back or press running commentary which sometimes it takes ages to load again, whilst if you have a side menu with headings and you just click to read it will be much easier and user friendly.
Thanks and keep it up.
The attractions for me:
* The only place on the rock where one can read fresh, crisp, correct and current English.
* Stories and opinions are expressed without fear of or favour for anyone.
* Attitude: if you are out there in the public service expect to be scrutinized – including your private life.
*Huge thirst for serious investigative journalism on issues that affect us all. Who cares about car accidents involving private individuals.
* Admiration for your lack of interest in making money out of this most appreciated service (project) which points to your passion for the freedom of expression which is so essential in a democracy.
Fantastic news. It would be great if you could install a feature such as disqus (I think it is called) so that if anyone replies on a comment, one would be able to follow.
I also find that if I haven’t read the blog a few days and there are quite a few stories to catch up on, the only way I can read up is hitting the ‘older’ button and go one by one.
Whatever you change please try to keep it simple, leaving the focus on what really matters, therefore your opinions and your viewers’ comments.
I would improve the archive by adding 2 buttons at the bottom to navigate between older and more recent posts similar to Tumblr.
Hope this helps, if not, well, keep up your good work.
Thank you.
Hi Daphne
These are the good things (probably which you know already).
1. It hits a niche market (no need to explain this).
2. The content is rich (no plagiarism, updated regularly, and written in extremely good English).
3. The journalism involved.
4. Website design is not cluttered, so UX is great.
5. Controversial.
6. You have put it behind a proxy (Cloudflare) so it is able to handle DoS attacks and real organic traffic spikes, making it also very responsive.
7. Yourself – well, you have an interesting character – people either love you or hate you.
These are the not-so-good things.
1. Despite the stated 200k views the audience is not engaged in that scale (I always see the same people who comment).
2. Somehow you need to start experimenting (A/B testing) with social plugins, ads, Facebook groups/pages, etc. What makes Times of Malta popular? Is it content? NO! Is it grammar? NO! Is it reliability? NO! The right formula is the people who comment on it is what makes Times of Malta popular.
[Daphne – No, actually it’s the fact that it’s still considered the newspaper of record. Its go-to influence is a direct reflection of the print edition’s go-to influence. The comments-board is an attraction to exactly the sort of people who add no value and whose presence there have done a great deal to create the gap in the market which this comments board fills. I discourage that sort of comment. Comments-boards are like bars: the minute the chavs and crazies get in, everyone else moves out. I make an exception for Eddy Privitera because he’s a sort of mascot.]
Not only that, but the majority of the people who comment are all pro-DCG. You need people who actually start posting against you, against the content, more controversial comments, etc. Then a community is built within your blog.
[Daphne – I’m not interested in comments for or against me, because I’m not the subject under discussion. Comments are generally for, against or about the topic of the post.]
Hope you find the above useful. Take care.
Never change a winning formula. There are several reasons why a large number of people read your blog and if you try to become like the rest..people will no longer knock at the same door.
I think you have created a winning formula – best described as a cyber “zuntier tal-knisja” where you blog about everything – the serious political issues of the day, the stories behind the official news stories and the village gossip – and all in grammatically correct naturally flowing English instead of the Manglish found elsewhere.
Why change a winning formula? Your readers may not agree with your views but they certainly appreciate the way in which you express them.
Keep the use of the editorial blue pencil to a minimum especially where not legally necessary and minimize the personal jibes. Once in a while it would be interesting to have a guest post from the other side of the political divide to provoke a healthy and lively debate and may actually increase your readership beyond the already successful levels you have achieved.
I like you just the way you are.
Daphne, you’re offering your readers a golden service, something which we cannot find anywhere else. Keep it up!
Dear Daphne,
Congratulations for hitting the fourth ranking and your site deserves first place. I am writing this since your contents always say the truth and not on facts that will be “according to sources'”
Keep it up and I will always follow your great site.
May I suggest that there should be a hitting counter so that one can see the daily visits.
Good luck.
Do you mean more journalists trained in your tradition? Well, I can’t say no to that; more people exposing inconvenient truths which the mainstream media won’t dare touch upon – not without mincing words at least is conducive to a healthy democracy.
That said, I do think people would still prefer the personal touch, so perhaps you can hire some people to moderate the comments, so you’ll have more time to spend elsewhere.
As for the technical features, an edit button would really come in handy to fix any typos and perhaps add a few afterthoughts to a post.
What I’ve also felt lacking is a text formatting bar of sorts, mostly to add emphasis by bolding or italicising text (Do these text boxes support HTML or BBCode, by any chance?)
As a final suggestion: Perhaps a side panel on the homepage containing a list of comments flagged up by the users. Something like a ‘Today’s Top Comments’ scroller. This could go hand in hand with like buttons.
Daphne, I think that you are the only person that provide us, readers, with what is really happening on our islands. So please don’t ever stop.
I am being selfish because I can only image all the work it involves & time as well!
I’d recommend picture annotations kinja.com style and linking other similar blogs together in a registry. Also, a lite version could be created for smartphones.
I’m actually surprised at my first thoughts: I’m generally a very creative, innovative person (or would like to think so).
However, when checking out news and blogs, I do love simplicity. No complex browsing, no elaborate stunts – just a simple blog that delivers the message is probably what makes this website my first click in the morning. So I do hope that this ‘simplicity’ is preserved.
Perhaps, however, the archives could be sorted out better. My major issue is that sometimes, you upload a dozen or so stories in day, resulting in stories from the same day disappearing from the main page and it’s somehow not that straightforward to find stories from the archive.
I like reading it because it makes me think – I don’t always agree with your point of view, but you discuss topics which often don’t either make it in the mainstream media, or do, but not in the same way.
This blog is addictive and I find it very informative and entertaining, much more than any newspaper.
The two suggestions I make are to put your email address under your picture so people do not have to keep asking you for it, and the Like and Dislike buttons on the article as well as the comments.
My idea:
What you do is priceless. Start your own news organisation. Make it a mission statement that it has no permanent friends, particularly in politics.
I know you’re not politically impartial and probably can never be so. But what I find missing in your blog is criticism of the Nationalist Party–or its individuals who sit too cosily in it, many times to the party’s own detriment.
I’m sure your comments will help people speak out more about the party and about the required changes, rather than just enjoy the Laburisti-bashings.
This could also enable–from a business point of view at least–the option of making some money from sponsors/adverts, rather than slogging it out without any financial compensation, as I’m sure you have your days when you wonder why on earth you bother to spend so much of your free time on this blog.
Also as you are quite aware advertisers are very touchy about offending “the other side”, so if you offend both sides it’s all square.
Another new option could be to occasionally let other people contribute by writing about some particular subject or other. It will possibly add some more flavour to the stew.
It’s perfect as it is. I can’t imagine any ways to improve it.
I, and many others like me, follow your blog out of sheer interest for the information you provide and given that we deem that you are our beacon of light against the evil forces of our flailing democracy.
Thus I don’t mind the spartan appearance of your site as I access it for the reasons above, and when I say I access it, I mean that your site is practically open most of the day on my computer.
Re. having a one man band or not, I wouldn’t mind having this blog managed by a newsroom if and only if you will be leading and vetting them.
The most important thing is that the blog remains yours and that the content of it is by your approval. We were very worried when last Sunday your site was offline for some hours. Please inform us when something of the sort is going to happen. Thanks for everything.
[Daphne – It was a Denial of Service attack as it turned out. I can’t give advance warning of those.]
Daphnecaruanagalizia.com has long since become an institution. I would not change much.
As they say, don’t change a winning (one-man) team.
I would, however, strongly implore you to add on an occasional video-blog. In the past I made this suggestion and you shot it down. However many would love to hear and watch you in person.
We had a sneak preview of this on the eve of last year’s general election when you gave a splendid one-man show on your doorstep and at the entrance to the Mosta Police Station. If you could do that in that state (i.e. under huge pressure and in your son’s clothes at 1am), imagine what would it be like if done in a more appropriate setting.
You should really consider introducing adverts, because with that amount of page views, it’s worth a fortune.
Please also re-introduce the RSS feeds button.
Frankly I think that reporters in Malta cover most of the news items in a very superficial way. There is no attempt at investigative reporting at all. You do this but you also tend to look at things from a refreshing point of view. These are things I like.
If I want to know the story behind a story I have nowhere to go to other than this site, so full marks there.
There is one thing I don’t like …well, two things really.
I don’t like it when the posts are vulgar and I don’t like it when people – no matter who they are – are criticised for physical attributes over which they have no control.
One suggestion would be to include an upload photo option along with one’s comment/s. Another thing would be to include a subscription option so that once a post is updated, one would receive a notification via email (though I think that this would take most of your time).
From a visual point of view, you do not need to improve on anything since the site in itself meets the purpose, and readers tend to visit it for its content rather than for the graphics. Moreover, readers are never bombarded with unsolicited advertisements.
I enjoy reading your blog since you are true to journalism and the fact that you upload your posts as a hobby, makes it more appealing. You are always after the truth and when you upload a post you do it responsibly.
Qieghed nibaght din l-email u nixtieq nibqa anonimu. Din il-website qed timla l-vojt li hawn fil-politika Maltija.
You might include a sophisticated internal search engine to allow the reader to look up all posts and comments concerning a particular topic or person.
The important thing is the content and I had no doubt in my mind Labour would provide you with plenty of fodder. My day is not complete without having a look at the latest Labour shenanigan on your site.
I honestly have no idea how you manage to do all that work apart from your other commitments. Quite beyond my comprehension. Whatever you decide I will follow your site to keep myself up to date with issues concerning my country.
I’m a daily reader of this site and a very rare commentator. I find this website a source of information that would not be found elsewhere, as you rightly put it.
I believe that all the way from the format to the content and the visual, it is very easy to follow and user friendly. Basically I wouldn’t change a thing.
Thank you for the work you put into it to keep us well informed. Work that should be done by all decent journalists.
Agreed.
On that note some kind of agree/disagree or like/dislike button would often have been handy.
How about a ‘return to top tab’ or a duplication of the ‘older’ and ‘newer’ tabs after the comments? Sometimes when there are numerous comments it would save the you the time of scrolling back to the top, especially if you’re using an iPhone and have elephant’s digits like me.
As far as I’m concerned the only things missing from the site are an RSS feed and a good search function within the archive section.
Other than that please, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.
If you don’t want to implement an all-bells-and-whistles search, you can get some help from Google by typing the following site: daphnecaruanagalizia.com [searchphrase]
They are there, just not visibly exposed. I follow the site virtually exclusively through rss.
Posts: http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/feed/
Comments: http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/comments/feed/
Daphne, you have a webpage to be very proud of.
I suppose many here come to confirm that it’s not they who are imagining things being manipulated in the daily media. This creates a sort of community feeling which helps in times of despair.
The personal touch is definitely a reason I like this page. As is the use of mixing serious with lighter content.
Technically, I’d like to see the following.
1) A long front page that scrolls down, say, a whole week or two. I’ve at times found it hard to catch up with your posting (again, compliments), and have missed a couple only to find them later tucked away in the archive.
2) For those who read at night (especially those with a sleeping partner next to them) I’d suggest a button to change the site to a white-on-black version. This is less hard on the eyes.
3) I’m not for Like buttons, though it’s often easier to show appreciation about some witty remark from a contributor with a single click.
4) Do you have a live mirror-website? You should, for many reasons.
5) Finally, I suggest you use the rest of the real estate on your page (like under your photo) for Google Ads. With so many views you could afford to work a couple of hours less and it can pay for the website costs and pots of coffee.
Dear Daphne, it is not because of how your site looks that we click on it because it’s the content that we are after. Keep it up. I’m a daily reader.
I don’t think you should change it much, but you need a mobile friendly version. Many people view your site from mobile devices and it can get rather tiresome having to scroll left to right and up and down to see all the stories on the front page.
Another possible improvement would be a way of notifying users of what they haven’t read yet. After a long trip I usually find myself going through the main page and opening each and every story in a separate tab. You can achieve this using cookies.
I would also consider forcing links in your comments to open in new tabs/windows as the way they are set up now can drive traffic away from your site.
I’d be careful about integration to Facebook. It can sometimes be detrimental to the quality of comments on the site. I believe the share button is all that is needed.
Hi Daphne,
Chat rooms (with various themes) for registered users only would be cool!
[Daphne – That would require huge moderation input, though, and is currently impossible. There’s no way I’m going to leave chat-rooms unmonitored. The things people say about others when left unchecked are just beyond belief.]
Daphne, I agree with you but since this site is huge even in terms of hits I assume that sponsorship and adverts can help solve the moderation.
Well what ever you come up with I am sure it will be super!
Well done and keep it up!
“The government has also bought property in Sao Paolo, Brazil, to serve as a consultate. 80% of the expenditure will be borne by the EU, he said.”
http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2014-06-10/news/government-will-not-accept-people-who-were-dismissedfrom-their-country-carmelo-abela-5415796737/
I am subject to correction but I think that the EU does not fund the setting up of a consulate/embassy. Such projects are undertaken completely by the state.
No doubt, they have found a suitable loophole that allows them to use other countries’ taxes to finance a bazuzlu’s lifestyle in Sao Paolo.
Whatever you do don’t use Google ads. I’m pretty sure Labour would pay Google extra to have ads on your blog.
[Daphne – I don’t mind having Labour ads on this site. I don’t even mind having Labour commentary and guest posts on this site, but all I get are poorly written Labour insults. Blocking stuff I don’t agree with isn’t in the spirit of this site, but then neither is rubbish writing.]
If Google Ads placed Labour ads on the site it would mean the Labour Party finance the site, in a small way.
It would be hilarious to have Labour ads on Daphne’s blog. Absolutely hilarious.
Think it perfect as is! My only comment is that a few years ago there used to be a list of latest comments down the right hand side of the page. That made searching much easier.
Din il-website timla vojt li hawn fil-politka Maltija, dik li ma hawnx pressure group indipendenti mill-partiti. Ghalhekk il-poplu dejjem jibla b’ghajnejh maghluqa dak li jghidlu l-partit u ghalhekk ma jkunx jista’ jifli u jaghti gudizzju fuq dak li jigri.
Jiena nhoss li f’dan ir-rigward din il-website qieghda tkun ta’ servizz lejn il-poplu. Nixtieq li biex tilhaq firxa akbar tal-poplu tigi b’ verzjoni bil-Malti, ghalanqas dawk is-suggetti li huma ta’ interess li jikxfu l-qerq u l-habi li jkun qieghed jaghmel il-gvern jew xi adzjendi ohra.
It’s the layout which has to change. Looking for past articles can also be tricky, and needs to be improved.
Agree with this. The 10 articles per page in the archives is useless. A longer list, with a search feature and/or tags for articles (although might add unnecessary work for you to keep tagging articles).
I know it’s a bit cliched, but having “most commented” or “most visited” lists in, for example, a sidebar is quite useful at times.
Daphne, one small suggestion to its structurel – can we have a ‘return to top’ button after all the comments? When there are loads of comments beneath a single post, the trek back to the top can be seriously time-consuming.
Otherwise don’t change a thing. Not everything has to change to remain relevant. Cheers.
Ctrl + home is a handy shortcut to learn
Ctrl+Home takes you the top
If you can arrange the function for viewing articles but not on the main page, it would be great.
Currently, to see an article which is not on the front page, we have to chose archives, choose from the drop down menu to select the month, and then click on ‘older’.
Simplifying this process would be great!
Daphne, I find your blog interesting and enjoyable, informative and even entertaining but when you become personal with others, I just switch off and stop reading.
I am not the only one it seems. I have encountered others who agree.
This is my honest view. It is really such a shame that at times you tend to make it somewhat personal. There is no need for it. It just takes away from what would otherwise be a good read and weakens your effectiveness.
There are others of course, who relish the personal slant. They thrive on it and even encourage more of it. At 200,000 viewership, surely you can raise the ethical standard and run the risk of making your writings more objective?
[Daphne – I don’t know, Paul. There are two ways of looking at it. The ‘personal’ slant is really just satire or semi-satire or good, old-fashioned insult which is routine in the rest of Europe, but something of which people are absolutely starved here in Malta. And I think it’s actually one of the main reasons for the high readership: it’s the gap-in-the-market factor. I tend to find that the reason lots of other people find it unnerving, upsetting or annoying is because they actually know many of the people involved, or because it feels too close for comfort. That wouldn’t happen with a London-based or Milan-based site, and it’s an inevitable consequence of living in such a small society. However, my view is that people living in small societies should not be deprived of satire and a ‘let’s insult the politicians’ approach to democracy and free expression, just because some others are uncomfortable with it being so close to home. Thanks for writing in, incidentally – we’ve had our differences of opinion on certain matters, but then we share other views.]
For politicians and other ‘public persons’ it is actually a small price to pay to be laughed at or ridiculed. I mean, come on, they are the ones that seek the limelight in the first place, and why do they think that everybody should adore them constantly?
Besides, being exposed to ridicule for their ‘mistakes’ is only a small price to pay compared to their benefits and other ‘perks’. And I would add that maybe being mentioned on such a site might remind them to stay a bit on their toes, hopefully. Just keep it going, Daphne!
Daphne, I tend to agree with Paul on this. Just do away with the “good old-fashioned insult”. The site doesn’t need it.
I hear you Daphne. I think that the very fact that you reached out to everyone to hear their views is wise and shows maturity. Not many writers would dare do what you did.
In football circles we say: Never change a winning formation.
Dear Daphne,
I am addicted to your blog and have severe withdrawal symptoms when you fail to post – making me jittery when there’s nothing new to read for longer than a day.
Some of the things I truly admire are: (1) you aren’t sued for libel very often – which means that you only print what you are sure is fact, and (2) you have no problems calling a spade a spade.
I just wish I had a fraction of your gumption.
Perhaps a system which notifies you – possibly by email – when there is a reply to comments we post.
One of the things I like about some news sites is that users can rate comments. Perhaps you may want to do something of the sort.
Looks like coconut got himself an assistant. Carmelo Abela just became assistant spokesperson to the Government.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20140610/local/government-buys-brazil-property-for-consulate-new-agency-to-promote-literacy.522779
Whatever you do keep it simple and accessible. The most important thing is the content.
This country needs more investigative journalism and less reporters on a political agenda, and payroll for that matter.
The people have the right to have full access to information for them to be able to judge correctly, and it is the responsibility and the duty of a journalist to bring issues to light, whether or not it will make him or her unpopular.
Journalism is a service and you are doing a great job of it. Having said that, I don’t agree with everything you write, but everything you write helps me making the best choices. Keep it up.
And today, Daphne, marks the 15th month of the Labour Government. 25% of the legislature is gone. The honeymoon period is well over by now.
Kont digà ktibt ftit suggerimenti li skond jiena l-blog jista jitjieb bihom imma nahseb li kien ikun hela ta’ hin specjalment meta ghandek blog li tlett kwarti mill-artikli tieghu mibnijin fuq ritratti ta’ nies li tkun gibt mis-social networks u li ma tafhomx min Adam u wara thalli lil erbà dixxipli tieghek jarmaw ikomplu joffendu b’aggettivi denigrattivi etc…
You can do whatever you like to the site…as long as you are involved in it.
For me it has become the only means of keeping my sanity intact these past 15 months.
Sometimes I miss not having the possibility of being able to ‘like’ a comment such as Stephnie’s here which reflects my own thoughts perfectly.
Thank you for the work you do!
Congratulations on your success.
Is there a way that your readers can upload JPG images?
Dear Daphne,
Nobody in Malta has managed to achieve anything remotely close to what you have done with this blog. There are several reasons for this.
First of all, your style of writing is both fluent and affluent, your English impeccable, and your vocabulary extensive. Search as hard as one may, these traits have all but disappeared from the articles one finds in the Maltese press, many of which are littered with spelling mistakes or written by semi-literate posers with a basic communications degree.
Secondly, you say it as it is, and without mincing your words when you do. You have an axe to grind, and cannot claim to be impartial. But then again, you never did claim that you did not take sides. When you do grind your axe, you do so intelligently and often with a wit that may be lost on many. There are of course instances when you may have stooped a touch lower than is befitting, or where you may have exceptionally overstepped an otherwise invisible line. Yet we all do so, and cannot fault you for occasional lapses. You have also had the spine to criticise the PN when criticism was due, an admirable quality that many do not possess.
Third, the Maltese love gossip and in the absence of tabloids such as The Sun, your blog fills a void. Yet this blog is so much more than that. If you want next week’s news today, then this is the place to get your news. You are proactive, when the rest of the press has become reactive, a leader rather than a follower.
Fourth, your personal touch is ever so evident. You comment and interact with your readers in your opinionated manner that is sometimes somewhat forceful, even relentless. But what does one expect from a person who is clearly an opinion maker? Silence?
Fifth, you take your reader’s suggestions and posts on board giving them prominence merited. This is a very intelligent manner of engaging your readers’ loyalty, increasing their readership as well as their future contributions, also widening your ever-increasing ‘network of spies’.
Sixth, you are a person that many love to hate. You are excellent in what you do, but excellence pleases some and displease others. You will take on those readers who post negative comments (even though you may do so to showcase the backwards mentality that exists in ‘the other Malta’) without fear and sometimes, show true spine, strong character and the mettle from which you are forged.
As to the site itself, not much needs to be changed. Your blog is simple and effective, it is not littered with flashing adverts, pop ups and too many buttons. It does what it does and it does it very well.
Your prolific writing may sometimes work against you and may affect the reach of certain articles, given that some of them may be off the home page in a relatively short time. The home page could therefore be improved to retain the last two or three days’ articles, thus making it easier for readers who would otherwise have to sift through articles individually, particularly if searching for an article they may have read earlier of the day before. Alternatively, there could be a simple tab for each of the last seven days allowing readers to call up articles written within the last week with relative ease.
But I would be very wary of changing much. I have found Maltatoday’s recent page changes to be the straw that broke the camel’s back and have hardly been back since. Neither have I posted a single comment on The Times of Malta ever since the introduction of Disqus – I also find myself accessing it less frequently these days.
No. Not too many changes are necessary. After all, why complicate matters beyond necessity when all that is being accomplished here is being done much better and with so much less than others?
Publish if you deem fit or do not. The above comments are meant with the best of intentions and my appreciation for all that you do is heartfelt. Thank you Daphne. You have earned my respect. The people of this country are truly in your debt. You’d have my number one vote any day, any time, because I know that unlike many you would not sit on the sidelines. Our politicians should learn a thing or two from you.
Yours sincerely,
Osservatore
The reply is simple! You do proper investigative journalism which puts most of the “real” so called journalists and newspapers to shame. Keep that up whatever format your new site may take
Is it broke?
Then leave it alone.
The blog has your distinct stamp, that is its greatest strength and appeal. To lose that or water it down might weaken it significantly and make it less interesting.
At the same time I am sure the blog must be a burden as well as a pleasure. Why not include more guest writers with you remaining as editor and chief writer – maybe become something like this: http://www.spiked-online.com/
I like your both your points Steve.
Daphne, you should open up the site to advertisers who need your audience, so that from the revenue you can hire help. It will free up your days to enjoy the things you deserve to spend more time on.
1.For your sake I think you should first open a “donations area” and start allowing advertising, then hire a part-time journalist. You can’t keep doing it all!
2.I think that you could create a general discussion area (not related to news) where the readers can discuss topics such as retirement age, social services, poverty etc.
Maybe this site would educate its readers more (something similar to Tedtalks on Youtube). A good, well thought article like you are very capable of would definitely give rise to some serious discussions.
3. You could also compile list of information where everybody can add something interesting. For example, promises that Labour has broken, things that +ve Labour has done in 1 year and the negative PN never did in 25 years. Everybody would come up with ideas and write them down (no jokes and comments permitted to keep it short but powerful). This would definitely be an eye-opener.
regards,
kevin
Dear Ms.Caruana Galizia,
This is the first time I am writing a comment but I am an avid reader of this site. I have become ‘addicted’ to your stories and also follow most of the comments people submit.
I think you are a superwoman, super in all senses/meanings of the word. I like everything about your page and cannot suggest any improvements.
Please keep it up and God bless you.
Best regards,
Antoinette Debono
Do you know that merely glancing at this website is grounds for a transfer for those that work in the public sector?
Are you serious? If there is a memo, then circulate it. Let youngsters start to see where there liberties are going.
Oh no no there won’t ever be a memo, but there have been circumstances when MITA went through the Government computers, found out who was on the site and passed on the information to ‘the relevent authorities’.
*cough* enemalta *cough*
We read it and come here so very often for all of the reasons you’ve mentioned above, Daphne. But also because there is obviously a huge lack of true journalism, investigative journalism in Malta.
You know this of course, as you refer to it often. Your site is a daily staple for the regulars, who quite selfishly may get a little bit miffed when you go off on holiday and are not keeping us up to date! (You know it’s true, readers…)
As for the mechanics of the site, Like buttons etc are an instant gratification, a good idea. Although I shudder to think of the testosterone fueled ‘I got more likes than you did’ battles with the likes of Baxxter & co.
Archive – how about having, say, the last 12 months’ all linked via individual buttons down the right side of the main page, (June, May, April, etc, etc). I do use your ‘The Old Way’ feature, but it’s not very friendly.
Also, interacting with social media – love it or hate it. I know you have the FB recommend button, maybe that can be improved, and have you considered Twitter? Love ’em or hate ’em but they shouldn’t be ignored or dismissed as insignificant.
I actually think you’d see your ranking soar even higher by exploiting what’s already out their, with little or no extra effort.
Carry on as you are. Nothing can please the PL more !
Apparently the PL is very pleased and attentive to this blog.
As soon as one contributor commented here on Carmelo Abela and his recently given role, hey pronto he gave his first press conference today.
Eddy, it’s good to read your stupid comments once in a while.
Eddy, why do you have to be a spoilsport?
I might be asking too much, but can you automatically filter idiots out of the comments-boards? These belong to MaltaToday and Times of Malta.
The quality of the discussions in this blog should remain distinct from that of certain newspapers.
I vote for giving Eddy Privitera more space. He’s one of he amusing sideshows on this blog, much like the caged freaks in an antediluvian circus.
Definitely! We need more space where we can tear his online comments to smithereens.
Naqbel, pero ma jridx jinsa jiehu l-pilloli.
Oh and please add a auto-redirect for Eddy to Maltastar. Their comments pages have been too bare for too long.
And speaking of satire, a guest post once a week from Privitera (no, let’s be generous and say daily) would not only double your ever-expanding popularity and readership but succeed in shutting this guy’s gob once and for all.
And as for humour no one could be better than Eddy.
Mr Privitera, this blog pleases you, most of all.
You, like many of us, enjoy reading and getting involved in the debate.
I rarely agree with your views, but as far as I know, your comments are always courteous and decent. You see, this blog is a celebration of freedom of speech.
Eddy, I assume (hoping not to make an ass of you and me) that you don’t speak in the PL’s name, because otherwise they wouldn’t advise this Blogger to carry on (sic) as she is.
Hark ! Our mascot has spoken !
Still no iced bun Eddy ? …. darn … you should have appeared on a billboard
Congrats, Daphne.
Your incisive and no-frills journalism is what gets people back here again and again.
Apart from behind the scenes robustness of the site there isn’t much that I think needs changing.
The clean and simple set-up with out any unneeded clutter is perfect.
Maybe a simpler archiving system through which one can search for past posts. Like a calendar which would list posts according to month & day (similar to that one can add to a WordPress blog).
Cheers and thanks for keeping us informed.
Can we have your gmail address listed permanently at home page instead of having to ask you for it?
What is the reason for change?
This site is simple to follow, with one page that shows all the latest, as it happens.
One touch and you get the details and commenting is as easy as anything.
We know that our personal data is protected from police requests – something which unfortunately Times of Malta does not do.
Advertising could bring in funding to run the site.
Should you consider getting help from aspiring young reporters who want the experience?
I think it is time to also include an Android App as the website is difficult to read on a smart phone with a small screen. Keep up the good work.
I think that your blog is so popular (and amongst such a broad age-group at that) because of your mainly spot-on, often no-holds-barred opinion pieces.
The only person who could ever possibly have been compared to you – albeit remotely – was Lou Bondi before his silence was bought by Labour.
Even those who say they never read your blog actually do, and love it, even if they are too old-fashioned and conservative to admit it.
True. All the trolls, dwarves, creeps, halfwits and assorted freaks on VivaMalta’s racist Facebook group (I know that’s a redundancy, but they don’t) are avid readers, even though they pretend to ignore you.
I like to read news on my phone, with a small screen. So my suggestion is to make the site easier to read on mobile phones.
The news is news on this site, no bullshit and none of the whitewashing, wishy-washy, afraid-of-treading-on-toes stuff gets written.
It is good to see our Speaker now wear black socks whilst our President has sorted out her dressing habits due to looks into this blog.
On a more serious note, here we are allowed to see that what our anointed leaders get up to and sometimes a reader gets to be able to shine a light on the high and mighty via this blog.
Heads up, girl, you deserve it.
I read it for the gossip that one cannot get anywhere else but I find the attitude that Malta should be permanently under NP rule a bit tiring.
As from a technical view, a mobile version would be nice but would not do more than what you already have for the wider version.
More adverts is fine by me but a. do not do that scoll inside the page like what The Malta Independent has and don’t do the Maltatoday format with just a few headlines on front page and having to hunt for the rest.
On Times of Malta, for example, I go straight to the news tab. KISS :)
1. Make the archive more user friendly. It is very difficult to go back even just one day.
2. Make the site more accessible on iPhone/iPad. Have you considered an App?
3. Save commenters’ email address automatically; it’s pretty annoying to have to type it in with each comment.
The content mix is great as it is.
I tend to use Windows Explorer when I post. My name and email address are filled in automatically most of the time.
Għażiża Daphne, jien nista’ ngħid li spiċċajt ivvizzjat. Kull ħin tal-ġurnata jew permezz tal-laptop jew jekk inkun barra fuq l-iPhone nittawwal ħalli naqra l-aħbarijiet.
Il-gazzetti spiċċaw għalija. Meta ma nsib xejn jew għax ma tkun tfajt xejn jew għax ma nkunx nista’ naċċessa l-blog bilkemm ma nibdiex naħseb ħażin.
Naqbel ma’ ħafna mill-kummenti li l-blog għandu t-timbru tiegħek u tajjeb li jibqa’ kif inhu, biss kif qed jgħid/tgħid L.Gatt u oħrajn, li l-arkivji jkun hemm mod eħfef kif jiġu aċċessati. Mill-bqija ibqa’ sejra kif int. Prosit u grazzi ta’ kollox.
Speaking as a frequent user of site, I’ve come across a few annoyances:
1. I think you’re right to say this website has a community feel. It would be valuable to capitalise on that. Improving social interaction on the site would increase viewer engagement, both in terms of views and time spent. This can be done in two ways –
1.1 If we had user accounts then I could be sure that HP Baxxter was really and always HP Baxxter (he probably is, but there’s no way to be sure). Something that helps people post is the prospect of anonymity, but user accounts don’t need to store much information, they could be as simplistic as just a username, email and password.
[Daphne – You can be sure that identities are not stolen. People can steal the nick but they have no way of knowing what the email address is. I’d immediately see a different email address even if I didn’t notice a change in style.]
1.2 User accounts would also improve user engagement, because they could be used to flag up replies to posts. Sometimes, I’ll post a question to another commenter. If I want to see their reply I need to remember to check it, but of course, they don’t know I asked anything, so they probably won’t answer. I often forget anyway, so if they do answer, it’s ‘lost’.
2. The comment system really is too basic for a website this popular and busy. There are no sorting options and frequently, finding what’s new and interesting is difficult. User voting on posts has proven quite good at dealing with this and because this website does have that community feel, I think this would be hugely successful. It would also serve to improve the quality of posts made, as bad ones would be voted down.
3. The content you post on your website is great and I trust you as a news source – that’s why I keep coming back. Having a newsroom is tricky, because it could change that dynamic. The present system of occasional “Guest Posts” works really well. A suggestion might be to have a prominent way for people to submit an article, which you could review and decide to post/send back for editing/delete.
4. Your website is a trove of information. Some of the stories are significant and it would be very useful to be able to refer to old stories. Unfortunately, the search function is poor and if a story is not on the front page, it’s impossible to find. Recently, I wanted to find the picture of Muscat ignoring a no entry sign. It took me about half an hour of looking – finally found it using Google. I proved my point and won an argument, so it was time well spent. Nevertheless, looking shouldn’t have to be that hard. This could be addressed by categorising posts, but I’m not sure what else could be done.
Offhand these all look like major changes, but you’re running WordPress, so there are tonnes of plugins available that should do most of what I’ve suggested.
http://www.wpexplorer.com/wordpress-plugins-comments/ suggests some popular comment systems that could replace the present one and address points 2 and 3. It’s worth noting that Disqus is the system in use on timesofmalta.com.
I don’t have much experience changing the WordPress Comments system (I’ve only used WordPress at a hobbyist level), but if you’d like I can look into details of a comments plugin and set up a demo site to test it out. I really think that a good comments system would improve the website experience for all users.
Someone has created a Reddit account under my name, linking my article. That’s not too bad.
But various people calling themselves HP Baxxter have posted various comments on various news portals, and that’s just not on.
Your website is in a class of its own. One is better off reading the Beano than The Times of Malta, especially as of late.
You are a ray of hope in a country that is in most part only European in name.
Would love to see a mobile-friendly version of the site – it’s provided automatically with the most popular blogging platforms.
Also, easier access to older posts would be nice for those of us who cannot visit every day. Otherwise, keep up the good content. Believe me, you are an oasis in a vast desert of ignorance.
Daphne, here are my two suggestions.
1. Upgrade the search engine, so as to include search by nickname, and also searching of all posted comments.
2. The new headlines of each day will be kept for a few days somewhere very easily accessible to us.
Fully agree with your point no.1, Tarzan.
Otherwise quite a user friendly and up to date news portal.
First and foremost, Daphne, prosit on your website’s proliferating readership. Despite taking on the job single-handedly (how do you manage, for crying out loud), your site comes across as informative and shocking, the reasons pertaining to your deserved success.
As regarding change, certainly nothing major, please. Your site is clean, tidy, simple and above all user-friendly. Never change a winning horse, so to speak. Subtle changes may be required to the strip header up top.
Daphne, please do not change much as it is perfect as it is.
I can’t speak for others, but I like reading for the following reasons.
* More than not I agree with what you have to say.
* You don’t shy away from judging others.
* You stand up for what you believe in.
* You are Malta’s closest answer to a tabloid and investigative journalism.
* You post nationally relevant and exclusive content before everybody else.
* But the biggest reason I log in here everyday is to see what the fuck is going on in this messed up country, because I’m not going to get better news from anywhere else. If they block this website where are we going to get our news from?
A certain group of people feel more comfortable posting here, because it is the one place online where there is a positive feedback loop for our ideas and has an opinionated no-bullshit moderator.
Are you on Facebook, Daphne? You should see the comment threads – its like Lord of The Flies and we’re all Piggy. Those who agree are either afraid to talk or don’t want to waste their time getting insulted by ‘La Familia Laburista’ while their own peers instead of stepping in to defend (their own ideas) sneer and joke behind their backs.
Times of Malta recently posted an advert for Eddie Fenech Adami’s biography as a Fathers Day present and there were comments about how their dads would beat them up or how they would use it as toilet paper or to wipe their liba with (though I think that comment was removed). Who will talk there?
Agree with everything il-Ginger says. The comments under Mr. Fenech Adami’s book advert were simply unbelievable. This country is so much full of hatred.
Some adverts, with adblock for those who want it.
Search power by Google or Funnelback.
From the front page allow people to back to the previous page (chronologically)
Tagging
Comments by Disqus
Most commented and most viewed
Keep the design clean.
Dear Daphne,
This is why I read your blog.
1. You are an excellent investigative journalist.
2. You have integrity, are trustworthy and reliable and therefore people trust you with information.
3. You focus on the issues at hand and follow up your stories when there are new developments.
4. You tend to publish news stories before other news outlets.
I personally am not so keen on the personal comments about people, though I have to say if you had any impact on the a President of Malta’s dress style it was all for a good cause.
I don’t know why but sometimes cartoons seem (to me) more acceptable when making personal comments. I thinking depicting Dr Mallia as Humpty Dumpy in a cartoon feels more acceptable than calling him Humpty Dumpty.
Also, again I don’t know why, an amusing story feels less uncomfortable than personal pointed comments about people. Perhaps it’s because I like journals like Private Eye. Your blog has the same sort of investigative stories but without the cartoons and amusing stories that a whole newsroom with journalists and cartoonists with different skills can produce.
All in all though, an excellent blog.
If I can give my two cents worth, Daphne, I propose the following.
1. Third-party links should open in a separate tab.
2. Text font could be made a bit bigger; most websites are using clearer fonts nowadays.
3. A mobile app would be good.
4. Find a way to automatically block people like Eddy Privitera.
Having said that, your site is doing its job as it is. The content makes the design quite expendable.
This is rather a long shot, but I’d like to see the virtual network turn into a real one.
I count three people among my best friends, and I met them through this blog.
Do you really want to meet Eddy Privitera?
No. I want a Daphne’s coffee shop, or a salon. Eddy Privitera wouldn’t set foot in it. He’s not the sort.
Too right. He’s the sort who’d walk past muttering profanities and spitting on the doorstep.
Hear hear…. but who am I to join such a network when I don’t feel entitled to tie the shoe laces of some of you? Yes, a long shot by any definition.
Actually H.P. your comment about a Daphne cafe is pretty near to the mark. Costa Cafe just opened in Embassy complex. Big, spacious and just opposite the Law Courts. Ideal on the ground floor for watching the passing trade.
I agree with the archiving issue so as to make it more accessible and more user-friendly, especially the recent news which gets over-riden with new data as soon as you insert new articles
It would be better if hyperlinks open in a new window rather than in the same one and having to go back with the same button. If a link takes you to, say, the timesofmalta webpage, there’s the “risk” that the reader remains on the timeofmalta webpage for other news items rather than going back to read the other articles on your website.
I agree also with the Android version, but you need to study this well cause sometimes the mobile versions are not very user-friendly (considering that a sizeable bulk of your readers are the likes of Eddy Privitera – notwithstanding them giving the impression that they don’t visit the site).
The number of daily views speaks for itself. So why change a tried and tested formula? I like this site because it is so different and refreshing then other sites, even though I do not always agree with the content.Keep it as it is and change nothing about it.
Except for techie details already mentioned, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it !
As far as content is concerned there is not much to change. Your incisive posts are second to none. This is a website I visit every day and has been an eye-opener from day one. Also love your writing style, well done.
I’m pretty sure you can open up some advertising space to help with running costs. You should also consider installing widgets on the right or left side column which will point to ‘Most commented on’, ‘Most popular’ posts, etc. Also provide a better archiving system as it is currently next to impossible to find a post that is off the main page.
I find that this site works fine on iPad and iPhone but a toned down mobile version makes things simpler.
Dear Daphne,
Your blog is superb!
I think you should have a section where people send you photos of chav politicians and their hangers-on, having lunch or dinner at their favourite watering-holes.
The archives need fixing (the date order system is not ideal). Maybe add tagging so an article tagged with “MeeShall” would, if you click on the tag, bring up all articles on Photoshop tips and fashion shows etc.
Also the pinning of articles to the front page should be extended so you can pin the top 10 hot topics as opposed to just 1 at a time.
WordPress is ideal as a platform so you will likely find a good responsive theme (i.e. screen adapts to iPad and mobile) that tackles the above (and other comments) as well as some other minor modern bells and whistles – e.g. share button etc.
Daphne,
Thanks for this blog. We are enormously grateful since this blog is the only site for sanity, quality and professionalism. The amateurish level of journalism in Malta is scary.
I like (i) the mix of posts, i.e. serious investigations, revelations, and also the light entertainment that makes my day, (ii) the personal touch, in particular when you respond directly in bold format to the readers’ posts, (iii) the quality of most posts including the instances when you disagree with readers and vice-versa, and (iv) the frequency of the posts.
I am put off when posts are taken over by staged idiots and posers maneuvered centrally by those who want to ridicule this blog.
My suggestions are (i) include advertisements on the right hand side under your picture, which is actually lost space, (ii) add tags at the end of each post – the hyperlinks of these tags/topics would help the reader to find posts on the same subjects as the tags, (iii) add a permanent section for guest posts and invite qualitative writers/contributors to write these posts on a regular basis (preferably non-active and boring politicians), (iv) add a new section with the key headlines of the day (refer to http://www.drudgereport.com for context), and (v) add a section on the right-hand side for the most read or most active post. Since these suggestions might cost money and time, I suggest you introduce advertisements or a subscription fee.
I have no suggestions on the format since I like the way the site looks.
Thanks again for maintaining this website at a personal cost. It is a sane oasis for me, and probably most regular readers.
I’ll second that.
What attracts me to your blog is the depth of detail that you dive into when reporting a story. Whenever I want to find out more on something that I’ve read elsewhere, I instantly come here.
I also find your opinions extremely entertaining and can’t help agreeing with you on most topics. I also admire your courage to voice your opinions on whoever and whatever.
I’d like to see an improved search function, as I’ve often tried to show someone a post I would have read but then can’t find it again.
Please keep it clean and clutter free. There’s enough design-hullabaloo on other sites.
Eddy, meta se taghmlu l-precett, nhar il-Hadd?
Keep it running as it is, clear and simple. This has become my only source of Maltese news and current affairs analysis; all the rest is trash.
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to comment. I live overseas and this blog is my source of real news from Malta – and, admittedly, also the source of many a worry about the worsening state of our country. Please keep on digging for the truth.
I’d like to make one suggestion – aim for a wider audience. Through this blog you are preaching largely to the converted. But I believe that many many more in Malta are ‘convertible’ if you can tap into their frequency. So:
– consider a parallel blog in Maltese (reduced content, part-time student to assist you);
– drop the tone a notch so that you do not continue to alienate certain strata of Maltese society.
You have an edge over all other newspapers because at the moment they are dead in the water.
I find that your blog reveals the truth about what is happening in Malta.
I’m 21 and would rather read your blog than spend time on other websites.
I would try to arrange the search function since looking for older articles is a bit tedious.
Otherwise, well done and thank you for being an honest journalist!
I love both the great content and the simple layout. Your articles are informative, relevant and entertaining.
It is very hard to flaw this blog in any way except for one tiny detail – I don’t mind you getting personal, but I don’t like it when you mock someone for physical attributes beyond their control. That’s my two cents.
Have you thought about having proper user accounts and registration for posts? It’s of course easy for people to set up multiple e-mail addresses, but it does clean out a few lazy trolls.
A simple registration, with either e-mail or sms (cost permitting) verification goes a long way in verifying users. It would also make it possible to ban e-mail addresses and mass-delete comments, rather than doing it one-by-one.
Another aspect is the ability to promote users. Frequent, reliable users could be flagged as “trusted”, potentially allowing immediate, unmoderated commenting.
The blog is perfect as it is. It doesn’t need changing but augmenting.
The country needs that you go up a level. You need a cameraman and a reporter (your clones, if possible) to really do an investigative reportage available as podcasts on your site.
Your reporter could also cover the MLP PR events and ask the questions that all the rest of the press don’t have the ##### to ask. Joseph Muscat will have to stock up on the tu quoque retorts.
Daphne I am so grateful for your blog. I go through it every day.
I have been living in Canada for the last 28 years but still hold Malta dear to my heart.
From what I read, Malta is back to the early eighties. I used to work for a parastatal company in Malta under a Labour government and the political interference, intimidation, incompetence and ignorance were the order of the day.
I just cannot believe that a total new generation of people still has the same mentality of the old Labour. It is pitiful.
Daphne I love the way you love your job. I wish all the journalists were as courageous and daring as you are!
I love the way you always manage to find the right answer to whoever tries to shut you up. Very clever u prosit tassew.
Daphne, I have 2 suggestions to make:
1 – Many people find you getting too personal sometimes with others annoying and needless.
2 – Please make the archive easier and more user friendly.
Than you and keep up the good work. You are unique!
I think adding tags at the end of a post so that they fall under a certain topic would be a useful addition to the site. So, for instance, if you created a tag with ‘Anglu Farrugia’ in it, all Anglu Farrugia posts could be reached from that very tag.
Also, as has been mentioned above already, the archives section is something that is not so user-friendly. It would really help if articles are accessible in some kind of a better way.
Other than that though, don’t change a winning formula. Your website is on my favourites bar (and probably that of many others too) and I read it religiously, accessing it multiple times daily.
My first instinct was a forum of some kind, since sometimes there seems to be a real discussion rolling. But that often is periphery. I come here to get your views first, and then that of other people. Maybe…
Is it possible to have a like / dislike button under people’s comments?
And a more user-friendly way of getting into archives.
Love your blog :)
Dear Daphne,
I read your blog because you have passion for truth and justice . You have courage in what you write. You don’t gossip or twist stories. You just give us pure great journalism. I also read it because here I can easily hear my conscience.
Daphne, the site might need a tweak here or a tweak there, and in any case, the above comments have just about got it covered. However, there is ONE thing that the COUNTRY needs, and that is a Daphne School for Journalists. Think about it please.
Daphne, your blog is successful, do not change the format, though I would have a ‘Like’ button next to comments.
I very rarely comment, but like comments and wish there was a way how I can show agreement.
I also agree with the comments that the archives section is a weak point. Sometimes when the page files up quickly it is hard to catch up with what was posted in the past few days.
Keep up the good work though and if at all possible build a team. I am sure that if you allowed ads or introduced subscription, revenue can be raised from such a successful blog.
Thank you for providing us with such a sterling news site.
It would be useful if the blog posts could be categorized, perhaps using a hashtag system.
For example, the post about Chris Cardona’s wedding attire could have been tagged with #chriscardona #humour #secondmalta whilst the previous post regarding Dr. Farrugia’s opinion about cannabis containing products could have been tagged with #godfreyfarrugia #health #medicine #marijuana etc.
This might make it easier to read up about one particular topic (eg. Health) or minister in order to pick out trends, changes, developments etc. It would also make it easier for one to find all your humorous posts at one go when they need a bit of a pick-me-up after a long day of work.
I think one thing that would help is some form of tracking of one’s own comments and any comments one gets on his own comments. A bit like Facebook’s notifications which show you who has commented on your image or comment.
Apart from this one thing that I would add to the reasons why people like this site, is that whilst you will find the odd inane comment below your posts, these are the exception not the rule.
A Like button would be great, for when you don’t have anything specific to say but want to agree with something.
I also enjoy it when you get academic about things: insights into the “Malteseness” of things. I think this blog is unique in providing a forum for discussing certain issues in this respect.
I don’t think you should block certain people from commenting though, as some people have suggested. I find even the stupid/obtuse/hateful comments fascinating. It’s all part of the experience, a real insight into things.
You could have a sort of “comment is free” feature, like the Guardian has, where readers suggest a topic they would like to see analysed/discussed (on a monthly basis for example), and either you write about it or invite entries from readers and choose which entries to upload.
I don’t like having the articles in that new toilet roll fashion, one after the other to suit those hand held devices like iPhones and other mobile phones or iPads and such.
I find it confusing on a Desktop computer to see where the article starts and the applicable photo to illustrate ends.
Other than that, as others have already succinctly stated, DO NOT change a winning formula, or at least don’t change it too much.
Hi daph,
It all boils down to what your intention or the intention of whose pushing you to make changes is. Here is my honest suggestion. If for the benefit of the PL, well done keep it up.
If for the benefit of the PN. Change and be realistic. Bye bye.
Anthony,
Quick question please. If the PL is so happy with Daphne’s blog as it is today, why do they hate her so much and accuse her of being a PN puppet?
Anthony, You do not have the Eddy Privitera touch. You are light years behind. His comment above brought a smile to my face when I read it. Learn from him. Bye bye.
Daphne, I don’t know what changes you have in mind, but I can’t imagine anything better than it already is. You are superb.
Dear Daphne,
You’ve got the winning formula already.
What I would suggest is tagging articles according to the characters that feature in them. That way you would be creating a sort-of encyclopedia of Maltese politics.
I take this opportunity to thank you for this small corner of ‘normality’ in an otherwise banana-republic.
Daphne, I follow your blog because I love your factual, honest and clear style but mostly because I agree with the absolute majority of your views instinctively.
You speak my mind.
There are times where I disagree with your opinion or approach but these are very, very rare. This is why I follow your blog.
I wouldn’t change the content much. Maybe a few more posts here and there about the PN, your views on where the party stands, where you think it should head, and how it should get there would be welcome from my end. Especially since the PN seems very lost at the moment. And definitely more investigative journalism! Nobody does it like you.
One thing I suggest tweaking about the website itself is the archive section. Sometimes you’re posting like mad and if I miss a few days it’s not that easy to see what you’ve posted during those days. I might be missing some interesting stuff.
Maybe you could keep the most viewed posts or the posts you deem as real must-reads highlighted somewhere where they can be easily seen for a week or so.
The main reason why people keep coming back is because of your personality and your content. You are true to yourself, your readers and your beliefs. The wind might sway lesser mortals like Lou Bondi but we know for certain that it won’t ever sway you.
You write a lot of exclusive stuff and you often do what well staffed media houses with much better resources fail to do.
Your personal touch is important. You call a spade a spade and avoid the pussyfooting which mainstream media usually resorts to. You have no commercial interests in the website and this works in your favour. No advertisers to appease, no sponsors, no political interference. The website is independent in the true sense of the word.
Another great aspect is that you rule the website with an iron fist. Bullshit never gets through unless you want it to in order to make a point. The way you comb through the comments, and find time to reply to some of them, makes the comments section worth reading. Comments sections in other highly visited websites are not even worth looking at.
Sarcasm is another big plus. This country badly needs more sarcasm. I wouldn’t even call it a mixture of seriousness and humour. Sarcasm and mockery are serious. They are powerful means of communication and tell us things about people which we would otherwise not know. A politician who doesn’t know how to accept mockery gracefully doesn’t deserve our vote.
I could probably stay here all night writing about what is great about your website but I’ll move on to the changes you are asking us to suggest.
My top tip is to learn from the best, the richest and the most visited, Google. Look at the 1995 website layout and the 2014 one. That’s right, practically nothing has changed. If anything, it has become even cleaner and less cluttered than it used to be.
It ain’t broke so there really is no need to fix it.
That aside, these are some changes which would be nice to see or to try out:
Three buttons added to the comments section, or at least one of them: italics, bold, underline. As things stand, the only way to show emphasis while writing is by WRITING EVERYTHING IN CAPITAL LETTERS, which is irritating because it makes you look like you’re always shouting.
A button with which one could submit an image as easily as one can submit a comment would also be great. It’s great for when you’re at Lidl and you manage to photograph Manuel Mallia or you’re in a foreign country and you see something related to Malta or you photograph the police doing something illegal or you get photographs of Ali Zeidan traipsing around in Mellieha.
Some readers might have interesting graphs, pie charts, memes and so on which they might want to submit. I’m sure that if it can be added, it would be a great asset. It’s easy for you to monitor as well. With text, you have to read through it. With an image, you can just press delete if you don’t like the look of it.
A ‘print article’ button next to the Facebook like button would also be a good idea. Some people print articles and distribute them amongst friends, family and co-workers in order to try to reach people who don’t usually visit the website or who don’t use the internet.
Regarding what other readers have suggested, please don’t add a registration system to the website. Many people wouldn’t bother and the number of comments, and maybe even the number of readers, would fall.
I’m wary of adding forums of debating sections too. Bigger websites with staff on the payroll often give up on this because such sections on websites are hard to monitor. They will attract a lot of people who have nothing to contribute and just want to tell us how evil your witchcraft is.
Regarding the archives, I find them easy enough to navigate, although finding a specific post is hard if you have no idea when it was posted or some key words which were in the headline. I’m not sure how or if archives can be made easier to look through. I have always thought of it as something to be expected and always assumed that there isn’t much one can do although if something can be done, it would certainly help.
That’s all I have for now.
Thank you for the music, Daphne. You are a legend. Your contributions to Maltese journalism, literature, sartorial advice and language education are second to none. History will look kindly on you.
I like this blog just the way it is because it’s user friendly.
Thank you for keeping us up to date with the real news.
Dear Daphne, here are my suggestions:
1. Link related articles, for example many news websites have a link with ‘related articles’. In this way if you have a developing story, one can follow the previous article related to that particular story.
2. I would also like to see the option ‘Most Read’ which shows us which stories are popular at that particular moment.
3. More social media plug-ins and not just the Facebook Recommend button, for example Google Plus plugin.
4. I noticed many people ask you for your email address all the time, and I also read your replies. It would be ideal if you have an ‘upload’ section, where people can send you photos or documents. For this to work out properly, you would need a website where people have the option to register and login as users.
Thanks for keeping us posted about what really matters in this country and good luck for your new website.
I check your blog several times a day. Apart from the archives being a bit of a bind to navigate I have no problems with the site.
I can understand your reluctance to have ads despite the sure remuneration to be derived from it. However, without ads nobody can accuse you of being beholden to this or that company.
For some income you could develop an app for smartphones. I would be happy to pay for it. Yet it is important that the blog should remain open for free for everybody. It is far too important for Malta to restrict access in any way.
Finally, it matters little to me what you change as long as you do but change. Thank you for the service you’re providing Malta.
Hi Daphne, I follow your blog religiously because you manage to strike the perfect balance in posting important news and satire, being both informative as well as highly entertaining.
More importantly, visiting your blog after a busy day helps me keep up to speed with anything that’s worth knowing in Maltese current affairs and politics – if it’s not on your blog, then it’s probably not worth my time.
In terms of the website, some ideas could include:
1) A like button to help show approval in the comments section.
2) A ‘Most viewed’ section which shows you which post got the most hits on a certain day. As things stand today, the amount of comments posted on your articles is usually indicative of its popularity with your community of readers. Having a ‘most viewed’ section would make this easier, highlighting your best articles.
3) Tabs and Keywords could also be used for articles, helping you categorize the articles posted on your blog, and making it easier for readers to read on one specific topic by following the tab.
4) The pictures and snapshots you upload together with your articles are extremely entertaining. An interesting idea would be to have a section with different photo albums where readers can easily access the numerous photos posted on this blog. A good place to start would be an album called ‘Sartorial tragedies’
Keep up the amazing work!
Daphne, for so many of us you are the first and last read of the day. (And that includes ALL the politicians).
You have given the term “freedom of speech” its true perspective, and your wit, your depth of investigative journalism and your guts are second to none. Thank you for being there for us through thick and thin.
Hard to improve such a winning formula and being a huge fan of yours tends to inhibit my creativity.
– MuscatMeter.
like this Obameter: http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises.
– Guerrilla social media marketing.
Half the world is on social media.
– VICE US Media, is the new media model.
Taking a leaf or two out of their recipe won’t hurt the new media giants.
– A DOs & DON’Ts section.
Malta’s first unsponsored what-to-wear guide.
– Tackling youth social issues.
Young people need to learn that understanding and discussing politics is the norm in a democratic nation.
Keep it Raw & Real.
I’ve been meaning to write this for a while. To start with, I’d like to thank you wholeheartedly for the incredible service you are fulfilling.
I feel it’s hard to overstate how important a strong (as opposed to powerful) and independent media is in maintaining a healthy democracy.
Unfortunately, in Malta, there is painfully little evidence of the sort of journalism (print or otherwise) that promotes a truly progressive society.
Even The Malta Independent can seem feeble and dim-witted at times, though it is encouraging to see it sharpening up of late. And don’t get me started on the columnists in the main papers… my goodness some of them are witless, dull and so predicable – and that’s not even the worst of them. It is therefore so incredibly refreshing to read your column and blog.
I believe there are three main sorts of visitors to this site. First, there is a loyal band of regulars who find it an oasis of sanity in the rabbit-hole which is Malta. I fit into this first grouping.
Then there are the frequent visitors who pop in to find out what is really going on in Malta, and the story behind the headlines (sometimes before it’s even made it to the headlines). Your attention to detail and the reliability of your sources, not to mention your investigative mind, serve you well here.
The fact that more than half the island, including the party in government (with the police in tow, unfortunately) would love to nail you for libel (to say the least) given half the chance, actually gives you a huge amount of credibility (a horrid word being bandied about recently).
The last group of note are probably the frequent-to-occasional visitors, looking for their gossip ‘hit’.
As for the user interface, all I can say is that I read the articles in an RSS reader on my phone and this works pretty well. It actually works better than The Malta Independent’s RSS feed which only gives a little snippet of the article – never annoying. I will certainly be hoping you keep the RSS feed and, if anything, making it easier to set up.
A note to the others who seem to have had difficulty with the RSS feed – I’ve found it best to link to the website from within the app, inputting the URL directly.
Thanks again!
Dear Daphne,
I have read every post on your blog since its beginning and I highly respect the hard work and dedication you put into it. You are not only filling a gap in the Maltese media but also provide a valuable service that strengthen democracy.
I reckon that the simplicity of the interface is a retainer. Don’t go too fancy and make it hard to load. I have logged in your site from all over the world and it was always accessible unlike other news portals coz its not heavy on images.
Few things I would improve to make it more user friendly.
1. Archive more user friendly with a search option.
2. A contact tab where people can easly email you stories and the option to upload files.
3. If possible a comment email notifier. I find that when I comment on a post and try to visit the post to follow it up on a busy day the post goes past the front page and sometimes its hard to find it again especially when browsing from a slow mobile devise.
4. I also think that you should harness the commercial potential and make some money out of it. But please keep it subtle and not overly done. Definitely no popups or autoplay video ads, I think that kind of advertising is the most intrusive thing on the net.
5. When you provide reference links or any other link from your site I think it should open up in a new tab so you keep users on the site (on the other hand this might reduce hits as there will be no need to go back to the site to continue browsing)
Keep up the good work.
Like many others commenting above, our family is addicted to your blog. And having said that, we come from mixed political backgrounds.
And yet we agree with what you say more often than not.
You’re enabling a niche of people who appreciate opinionated writing and caustic humour to come together online and get their daily fix of it.
This is not about advantaging or disadvantaging any political party. In any country the percentage of people who truly appreciate a journalistic style such as your own will always be in the minority. And the majority will choose to ridicule that which they do not comprehend.
Suggestions for improvement –
a ‘Like’ button if possible for those quick reads at work when I don’t have time to comment
Notifications for replies to my comments
Permanent display of your contact email
But above all, keep it coming!
I think that the enormous feedback you have received for this blogpost is an answer in itself. Change nothing at all – but give yourself a break.
Personally I’d leave any change for when the figures start to dwindle, if they ever will.
Considering that this site is still on the up I’d not touch anything.
Whether intentionally, by accident or by natural progression you have hit a winning formula.
You have managed to attract all age groups. Even my mother enjoys reading it and she’s in her nineties.
My honest opinion?
Let’s listen to Eddy for once, we know he means harm.
So don’t touch it.
Hi Daphne,
I visit your website on a daily basis. I feel it is the only medium that really tells me what is going on back home. I find it very refreshing reading your articles.
You put forward your point of view very eloquently. They very much reflect my opinions on most matters discussed. I admire your ability to juggle so much.
With regards to your website, I would change nothing about the content. I like the variety of subjects discussed.
At times I find it tedious going through your past articles when I am looking for something. A search function would be great.
I also feel, like many others that you should make this worth your while, in financial terms. I am sure this takes up a lot of your time, therefore why not have some financial renumeration? I think advertising would be a great option and I am fairly confident that there would be companies willing to buy the space.
Either way whatever you eventually decide to do, I wish you all the best. I would also like to thank you for all that you write.
Your blog is simply excellent. It is very popular too. As a matter of fact my retired friends and I refer to your posts and contributions in our everyday talk and we spend time discussing and arguing about them.
Keep up the good work. I would vote for you if you had to run for politics.
I haven’t missed a post in the last six years, so whatever changes you make will not put me off. I love the clean presentation and the simple format. I’m uncomfortable with cluttered pages such as MaltaToday’s.
In terms of content, more of the same please. It’s ridiculous that you – a part-time one-woman job – are far more effective in investigating scandals and matters of national interest than the armies of ‘journalists’ that work for the rest of the media in Malta.
It would be great if you could take on a small team of budding journalists and train them to assist you with this. You would obviously need some form of income to make this sustainable; I believe that you are sitting on a goldmine for advertising, which could very well be your source of revenue.
Of course there are arguments for and against you taking this route, particularly since you are doing an excellent job on your own. I just wouldn’t wish for this to become too taxing on you with the result that we could ‘lose’ you and your much-needed contribution to this country.
Good luck!
Most suggestions that I wanted to put forward have already been listed.
Just one word of warning, if I may. Don’t clutter it with lots of buttons and doodahs. The best thing about this blog is its simplicity.
Agreed.
It seems that many already suggested technical changes which I would have suggested, so I will not go there.
What I like is that you always give a different perspective to news, a perspective which is completely ignored by other journalists.
I wouldn’t call this site a news site even though many a time you are the first to report on a particular subject. You do not simply report a news like news sites.
I wouldn’t call this a blog cause there are many bloggers on the island and most of these just give opinions on a subject and repeat rhetoric or what the general public is saying on the street. You give a unique perspective. Yours is not simply an opinion.
You rightly describe your site: live commentary. And this is what I like about this site. All the rest are frills and decorations. You write a piece of your mind and post it here for everybody to read, learn and mull.
We have way too many social networks: nowadays even news sites have turned into social networks. So you shouldn’t go there. Maybe you involve one or two other writers (such as H.P. Baxxter?) but really what matters is your perspective of current affairs. One may not agree but one cannot ignore!
Well done and keep it up!
No need to add any more with what has been said. Just DONT GO AWAY, because it it is thanks to you that we get to know the dirty dealings that are around us.
Thank you once again for all your hard work. You are my daily fix. I cannot start my day without your blog.
The format clearly works, so perhaps a tweak here and there but not much.
The front page could show more articles. An app would be welcome but I realise that may involve a cost. No Likes or anything suggesting a migration to social media, please.
Daphne, congratulations for your work, your readership and the quality of some of your readers’ contributions.
With a No. 4 ranking for Maltese sites, this blog cannot be termed otherwise than influential.
To quote Jawaharlal Nehru, with freedom and power comes responsibility.
Journalism is about shedding light on what is in the public interest and the ability of journalism to do so is the test of the strength of any democracy. Where access to information is denied, then it is right and responsible to ask questions until there are answers to be shared publicly.
It is your job as a journalist to put public figures on the spot and challenge or uncover misdemeanours or uncomfortable truths.
What I like less about this site is the contribution to societal polarisation. Malta is in dire need of positive role models. Seen from abroad, this senseless reciprocal bitching about the other side does not contribute to engendering responsible members of society.
I have memories of playground in a church school where we all knew whose parents were red or blue. Girls were left out of games because of the way their parents voted. Yet that same school was trying to nurture very different values in what should have been innocent six-year-olds. I have observed in my adult years that we are back to that playground again.
[Daphne – It wasn’t at all like that in the schools I went to, and that was in the worst of times. Just to cite one example, Arlette Baldacchino was in my class and it was only many years after we left school that I found out her father had crossed the floor to join Mintoff. Nobody ever mentioned it at the time. We didn’t bother about that kind of thing.]
I honestly doubt the public interest of people’s sartorial choices or excess weight.
[Daphne – Elena, if you live outside Malta as you suggest, you will know that jokes about politician’s sartorial choices and excess weight are considered normal, while it is considered NOT normal to avoid the subjects. Public interest has nothing to do with it. Public entertainment does. Many make the same mistake you do, thinking that there has to be a public interest reason for writing something about a politician. There doesn’t. The jokes and mockery are as crucial a part of free speech in a democratic environment as are the public interest issues which are more serious. Britain’s newspapers had a field-day with Theresa May’s leopard-print shoes and John Major’s Y-fronts are legendary.]
What matters is whether the power entrusted to members of government is being used responsibly, that citizens are not being defrauded, that oligarchies are not being created.
That same school taught me it is uncharitable to publicly rail at the looks or size of others. And it reflects so badly on the complainant. If you feel so strongly about somebody’s dress sense, then provide good advice bilaterally.
[Daphne – Another common mistake. What your school would have taught you is that it is wrong to laugh at the things that people cannot control. Choices, however, are a different matter. It is perfectly legitimate to criticise a public person’s choices, in clothes, hairstyle, behaviour, whatever. What you are criticising is the choice, something over which the person has full control. To be specific: mocking a politician for a physical disability is ghastly. Mocking a (male) politician for wearing a wig is legitimate and necessary. You should be clear in your mind about the distinction. ]
What I would like to see more of on this blog is highlights of exemplary actions by different Maltese people. To counter the excessive collective negativity, there are so many talented people in Malta really leaving a mark. They are unsung heroes, pursuing honourable or innovative causes, serving society with passion, generosity, dignity and selflessness.
My last comment is that you should reduce your reactions to comments by readers. It gives the blog a flavour of a “salott tal-pezzakustjonijiet biss”. You are a woman of strong opinions (not a problem), so again, if you really need to reply in more than 100 characters, think twice.
You might wish instead to deflate emotions, take the moral high ground and let things pass or if there are some obvious facts the reader is missing, write a new post to explain better why you think the public needs to know X, Y, Z.
[Daphne – I don’t think so. It’s actually one of the things people like: the knowledge that there’s somebody at the other end who’s actually listening to what they have to say even if that person does not agree. One of the strengths of this site is that people who comment are not only bickering with each other but also bickering with the blog-host.]
I do not consider myself competent enough to give advice on technical aspects, so I leave that to others. Whatever you do, see that you maintain the investigative lead that you have over other Maltese media.
First of all keep up the excellent work. For me whatever you do or change to keep us readers well informed is a God’s blessing.
Thank you Daphne.
Informative, credible, effective, reliable, entertaining and a platform for debate.
It is also addictive because of people’s constant thirst for news and commentary.
Evidently it requires an enormous amount of work and for that well done and thank you.
There is the need for constructive debate on many issues, not least because PL’s brainwashing machinations have been far too successful. I would recommend that you strengthen the blog’s role as a debating platform. This requires the enticing of sensible Labour-leaning persons to read your blog and also to comment.
Other suggestions: less vulgarity and less antagonising of individuals, except when absolutely necessary.
Your blog provides a much needed service to your readers and to society and for that a big thank you.
I consider this site as #1 blog rather than #4 news site. I wouldn’t try turn it into something which it currently isn’t, so if you do involve another writer please keep that in mind.
Even if it can get a bit lonely being the #1 blog for so long, keep at it, that’s why it’s so popular!
In order of importance:
1. Get a social media account [Twitter/Facebook]. I’m not sure why you still don’t have one, but you probably have your own reasons.
2. A regular long post with a break down of what you’ve posted, your thoughts on that day and what is to come. This would help maintain some regularity amongst the otherwise sporadic updates.
3. Use more links in your posts, both to your older posts which you refer to and other sites. Scrolling to a comment when you post a link is annoying sometimes, or even looking for an older post when you reference it.
4. Categories for posts.
Otherwise, no reason to change the site design or comments section (don’t fix what’s not broken). Perhaps the archive design can do with an improvement but that’s that.
With Times of Malta’s editorial standards hitting new lows is there any wonder that people turn to other sources for the news behind the news (sorry MaltaToday, yours is not about ‘the news behind the news’ but about the hand or editorial agenda driving your news).
Today that newspaper (letters to the editor) shows just how low its vetting standards have fallen – they published a letter reproducing an email scam:
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20140611/letters/Lemon-juice-will-help-you.522870
http://www.snopes.com/medical/disease/lemons.asp
At this rate we will soon see front page articles on Times of Malta about Nigerian princes looking for help to get their treasure chest back…and providing a contact number.
Other than (maybe) a mobile app and some technical fine tuning, your blog is just fine.
In fact, it is a constant embarrasment to local news rooms and a text book example of what a blog should be all about, that is, great content.
You may wish to consider lending areas of your platform to enterprising journalist who wish to lift themselves from conventional.
A ‘most viewed posts’ section would help to catch up when one misses a day. A link within a post to related topics in chronological order would also help. A search by topic could be handy for the archives.
If other journalists were to help with this site it would lose the personal touch, thus, in my opinion, it will lose its identity.
One can always send in his or her comments, and Daphne can, as she often does, highlight them as Comment of the Day.
Perhaps a “like” button for comments? It will be easier to show you agree with a comment someone has posted, which means you might be less likely to post “I agree” and then repeat what that person said. Maybe that might reduce some of the comments you have to approve too. Don’t know how to put that into practice though.
Someone mentioned having an account. This wouldn’t be a bad idea as it would allow for people to get emailed when you have posted a new article and also get an email alert if someone has replied to a comment one makes.
I know this might sound crazy, but how about a “Daphne” app for iPhones and androids and other smart phones.
Daphne, I don’t know how or from where you get your information, but it certainly makes for interesting and informative reading, despite the sometimes crude and bare truths you put out.
At least this way we get to read the truth without anybody trying to water down what should really be common knowledge.
It makes me chuckle to see how other reporters take off on leads you publish. All those in public office should be answerable. After all that is why they have been elected and that is why we are paying taxes.
I enjoy your blog because you tell it as it is. It bothers me when you attack someone on a personal level and how you sometimes defend the indefensible like for example Austin Gatt who ruined everything he laid his hands on. Otherwise proset!
[Daphne – Austin Gatt did not ruin everything he laid his hands on. The hysterical and disproportionate criticism against him is wrong and unfair, and that is why I will not accept it and say so. I don’t eat Labour Party propaganda for breakfast, as so many people seem to do. As for ‘attacking people on a personal level’, normal criticism does not constitute an attack. Attacks usually involve weapons and are physical. All else, unless it is an assault perpetrated specifically for harm and destruction, involving the entire machine of a political party (as the Labour Party did to me for years until it got into power and then felt it needn’t bother any more) is justified criticism which is ESSENTIAL in a democratic environment. The political is the personal, and the personal political.]
ID cards all expired, arriva, smart meters, oil scandal (under his watch) anything else?
Public transport reform. Under this watch. It was a triumph.
Look, I’m with Daphne on this one, in spirit too. I don’t think much of Lawrence Gonzi. But even a critic like me must acknowledge that Lawrence Gonzi managed, finally, after three decades, to close down the Drydocks and Malta Shipbuilding. That’s a triumph.
Same goes for public transport reform. And it was Austin Gatt who managed that.
What screwed it up was Malta’s vehicle density, geography and climate. Oh and the people’s absolute illiteracy and stupidity. Plus the stupidity of the average Maltese policy-maker and the congenital inability to use maps.
None of this was Austin Gatt’s fault.
He ‘managed’ to do it because he paid them what they asked for. That doesn’t require genius!
And the orchestrated opposition to all things Arriva, which miraculously ceased to be a problem on 9th March 2013.
Hi Daphne, appreciate the request for feedback, great ‘customer care’!
Your site is all about content; I wouldn’t change much. What I would like to see is less (political bias). I feel that you are constantly giving ‘free advice’ to one side.
Doing the same to all (both) sides will give the same opportunity to all, allowing all sides to take whatever action is necessary. In other words, the PL has gained too much through your criticism.
Keep up the good work and don’t go too commercial.
Dear Daphne,
I love your blog, it is honest, investigative, to the point and humorous too.
What I also like most is, that its easily understood, and has a following of young and not so young readers, who would unfortunately normally not care much about reading newspaper articles, but definitely don’t miss out on your blog. They talk about, and they refer to it frequently.
Keep up the great work, and please don’t change the simple and effective way of putting your messages and investigative news across to the public.
I love the blog, but it has unfortunately fallen victim to its own success – in the sense that the revelations are so big, that they end up being ignored by the government as invented and fantasy.
It’s like they are trying to pass you off as a conspiracy theorist. ‘If what she says is so outrageous, than it’s probably all invented and hdura’. And many people believe that.
But here are my suggestions.
1) You may want to tone down the thinly veiled anti-gay rhetoric. I’ve been following this blog for some time now, and I sense homophobia.
[Daphne – As all the gay people I know and work with will tell you, I am completely indifferent to their sexuality. However, unlike many other people I do not believe that one’s sexuality (or, for that matter, gender or skin colour) should be used as a shield to deflect criticism that has nothing to do with one’s sexuality (or gender or skin colour). If I criticise Cyrus Engerer, it is not because he is gay. Criticising bad behaviour is not homophobia. It is criticism of bad behaviour and the person’s sexuality is irrelevant except where it is, as in the recent incident.]
2) You may want to tone down the insults. They are fun but only appeal to the core Nationalists.
[Daphne – No insult or joke is ever going to appeal to everyone. The thing is to know your market, and I do. This misconception comes from the belief that I am here to promote the Nationalist cause among non-Nationalists. I am not. I am primarily an entertainer. I have always been clear in in my mind about this. And as an entertainer, I know my audience quite well.]
In general, the point I am trying to make is: make fun of things people CAN change, but not of things people CANNOT change. Fat people, gay people, they cannot change their make-up. Instead, making fun of poor taste is fair game because you can change that anytime: it is a choice.
[Daphne – I have answered this already elsewhere. Fat is a choice. That’s why fat politicians are joked about. Sexuality is not a choice, but then neither is gender, and when jokes are made about a woman because of her choices, nobody interprets it as misogyny. So jokes about a gay man that pertain to his choices and behaviour should not be interpreted as homophobia. I can think of many gay people about whom there is nothing remotely amusing, so no jokes there.]
The important message can get lost because of the insults; you have many other ways to get people to laugh without insults.
[Daphne – I have heard that before, but in reality, the reverse is true. Plus, I don’t have a message – see above.]
3) Translate this blog to Maltese or have it translated to Maltese. Can you imagine what would happen?
[Daphne – I don’t do translation. I’m bilingual. That means if anything on this blog is in Maltese, it’s written in Maltese from the outset and not translated from English. And while I’m writing it, I’m thinking in Maltese and not thinking in English and mentally translating. And no, this blog is never going to be in Maltese because people prefer reading English. If your preoccupation is ‘messages’, that’s the major problem the Nationalist Party’s site, Malta Right Now, has. People really hate reading Maltese, even those whose only mother tongue it is.]
4) Have some eager techie develop an app for you and let people have push-notifications to their smartphone. That way you get people to visit your site whenever there is something really interesting.
[Daphne – Good idea, thanks.]
5) Go the whole way and re-start Ix-Xewka or some other newspaper.
[Daphne – Ix-Xewka was an extremely ghastly, badly written and vulgar paper edited by the late vulgarian Lino Cassar. It lacked wit completely, and its idea of satire was the sort of jokes you get on Maltese comedy shows. I am surprised you should admire anything like that given your stand on insults.]
You really surprised me mentioning ix-Xewka. Is that what you want to throw us back to?
Make the suggestion to Varist. He may help you.
I’ve never even seen Ix-Xewka but it lies dormant in the Maltese subconscious as something controversial, and hence reviving the newspaper – even if not in its former form – would result in readership.
It’s the title – Ix-Xewka – something ‘li tniggzek’ – but instead of just being vulgar, it would contain truth AND make fun of people’s choices, too.
Maybe I have not grasped the meaning of that publication and just see it as something historical, in the same way that Gensna is admired just because it is sort of cult, and not because the message was particularly important and relevant to 20 and 30-somethings.
I hope you can appreciate what some people (not the ilks of Privitera) regarding insults:
Insult a politician, dead or alive, as much as you like.
But I feel that other people – even though public servants – or simply people stupid enough to leave their Facebook profile “open”…., I don’t feel they should be exposed to public ridicule. Is it wrong? No. I just think it should be avoided.
Daphne, logical people know well enough that you have had no qualms in addressing negative comments to the PN when necessary (eg Libya crisis; divorce). Yet I hope that you do appreciate that for many people – even genuine ones – you do represent a sort of Nationalist voice. So, for the love of the PN, I really hope you appreciate what many of us are trying to say regarding the insults.
[Daphne – I cannot repeat this often enough. I am under no obligation to the Nationalist Party or to anyone else. What people believe is their problem and not mine. If it is also a problem to the Nationalist Party, that does not make it my problem. It was the Labour Party’s constant brainwashing propaganda that portrayed me as somehow associated with or paid by the Nationalist Party. They did that for a reason. Ask yourself what the reason might be. The reason is: to get people to think as you describe. And it worked. But it still doesn’t make it my problem. I do not work for the Nationalist Party and am not accountable to it. Nor do I exist to do it – or any other political party, for that matter – any favours.]
Thanks, and keep up the good work. Honestly, when a day goes by without your blog, it feels like something is missing from our day.
Michelle, if the PN thinks this is damaging, how about they invite Daphne, just the once, on Net TV and say it to her face?
I am sick and tired of this constant apologetic thinking which Muscat managed to induce in the general mindset.
What’s even worse is the PN remaining hypnotised by his newspeak, doublespeak and in his case quantumspeak.
Just look at Maltatoday, a mess, so’s The Times, one feels the ‘prudence’ in spirit and slant, lest conflicting interests are dabbled with.
They got their weekly shows on PBS, fancy that.
Truth is Muscat wants to maintain the illusion he’s just another PN. Only better, as his elves would have it.
So he can’t afford Busuttil beyond his influence, so he won’t let go of the PN. It’s that simple.
The moment the PN regains control of words and consequently the national agenda, he’s done for.
It’s why he insists on moulding Busuttil in his image or else. He just cannot afford anything different. Berlusconi kept reinventing himself into all shapes and sizes, that is until he was challenged to what he actually did.
All he could muster was his indispensability and how he wasn’t allowed to work.
What I don’t see is a post-Muscat Labour party. That concept alone will be his undoing, stimulate to a degree the voter base. In the end he will be consumed like the fad he is.
There’s literally nothing holding them together if not the vote.
As for my suggestions to this blog, they’re coming, but definitely, If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Daphne, Jozef,
Maybe I have not been clear enough. Most of the regular readers are well aware that Daphne has no relationship at all with the Nationalist Party, and has had no issues expressing criticism towards the PN and its representatives when she feels the need to do so.
I personally have been annoyed and felt the need to reply to people who say that “Daphne is harming the PN….”.
[Daphne – You just need to accept as I do, Michelle, that in their large majority Maltese people (and possibly everywhere else, but I’ll have to speak about Malta only) tend to be mindless and to repeat things mindlessly. That assertion does not stand the test of logic. 1. People are responsible for their own voting choices and anybody who goes into a polling-station, votes Labour and says ‘Daphne made me do it’ needs a psychological evaluation. 2. If I, who am not owned or employed by the Nationalist Party, am harming that Nationalist Party, then why is the vicious Labour media machine, which is actually owned by the Labour Party, not harming that party? ‘Daphne is harming the Nationalist Party’ is a message fed into the system for repetition by that same Labour media machine. It’s also the reason they put me on one of their billboards alongside the least favourite PN politicians, with no message. It was for ‘power of visual association’. And as I said, unfortunately people are incredibly stupid and do not examine evidence or deploy logic, but just feel comfortable repeating the fashionable received wisdom, even if it makes them look idiotic.]
I am just saying: if you really believe, that this country does not deserve years of successive Labour governments, keep in mind that, unfortunately, probably because the PN media being so weak, that many people – and I don’t think its fully “tort tal-media tal-Labour”, are ‘relating’ this site to “what the moderate Nationalist is thinking”.
While you are obviously happy with this site’s success – probably you aren’t always fully appreciative of the extent of this blog. This blog is discussed in bars, workplaces, you name it. And, due to the lacuna in the PN media, it is starting to represent “in-Nazzjonalisti”. Like it or not.
Its not your problem, and you are right about that.
I am just – genuinely, saying, to at least keep that in mind, if you really hope that this country gets rid of Labour some day.
[Daphne – This website is not here to rid the country of Labour or to put the Nationalist Party in power. This website is here to inform, entertain and serve the democratic purpose, enshrined in human rights law, of freedom of expression. The fact that people confuse issues and roles is not my problem. It is theirs.]
Michelle, my question then remains.
When the PN refuses to engage that which is discussed in bars etc, how exactly is it expected to be taken seriously?
I repeat, why are politics treated as something belonging to the party?
Muscat had to create the movement to rid the electorate of voting Labour, why, there’s loads of people coming here who try to distinguish between their vote and being ‘nationalist’.
Fact is, The PN can go through a catharsis in public, 25 years of rule mean five consecutive majorities by an electorate which could only be prised off their vote for Pieta’ when its alternative was nothing other than itself.
Bondi’, Micallef Leyson, Bundy etc did what they had to do to pronounce Labour electable. Muscat even promised that those voters who’ll consent the movement to power need not fear discrimination by the old guyard as he’d intercede personally for them.
Such was the degeneration in logic, discourse and clarity of politics.
A travesty of the PN claiming the ‘true’ PN, when all it is is a bunch of nostalgics, neo-fascists, misguided opinion hoggers, self-appointed environmentalists, piccoli borghesi et al.
A motley crew of disaffected individuals whose commercial, social and conflicting agenda created Muscat’s amorphous entity.
Gays for hunting, developers with a suspended sentence, their counterparts taken over by the least committed except for the cheques she recieves, everything is pop with Muscat.
Surely the Opposition will one day realise this blog is an ally, not a taboo. It’s proof not everything is medium, proof there’s still a propensity to grow, challenge and look at caprice for its own sake as something to include.
Which brings me to another suggestion for this blog, do not ever divide posts between ‘fun’ and ‘serious’ or whatever;
The spirit here is that everything matters, clothes and style make and describe people as much as what they are perceived to ‘say’. What with a press hellbent on appeasing and portraying as somewhat presentable the barbaric, the vulgar and ultimately every undercurrent of racist, bigot, undemocratic, marxist, anti-western, hand-out mental architecture.
When the national style is averse to less is more, when consumption itself becomes political, just look at the dilemma between measurable growth and accelerated cost relevance, what an individual needs to display themselves is purely political.
It’s the style that matters, apologising for one’s existence or falling into the PC trap, leftist pontificating if I may, is what killed politics everywhere.
We face big business, big corporations, faceless multinationalism, state handouts and uniform single thought.
But do you see any trace of xenophobia, homophobia or any other deligitimisation of anyone other than a gun toting lobby arguing itself desperately addicted?
Meantime Muscat puts both arms forward, immigration is directly related to immigration so there and childcare implies any job so lump it.
Time to tackle the issues why Muscat was elected, Michelle, you’d be surprised what perspective does in resolution of the conundrum we’ve been left with.
Other suggestion, I absolutely don’t fancy the idea of a like button, it makes everything banal. This portal defines interface and interface here is strictly ideas. People get to write something, commit and observe personal interaction with she who cannot be named. It verges on the illegal, what fun.
What exactly is the meaning of ‘like’? Nothing.
If anything a function to upload images from one’s PC. Graphs, info, cartoons, anything people may like to express beyond a comment.
correction, immigration is linked to unemployment.
Thanks for taking the time to answer my concerns.
Just: one one small footnote. I never said ‘this website is here to get a rid of Labour’. I was just hoping/thinking that, deep down, that is what you wish and hoped for, because you believe that Labour is a risk to our country’s (and our children’s) present and future.
One last thing regarding the suggestions: Perhaps there could be a form of user registration, that allows the same user to be notified by email when his/her comment has been replied to, either by you or by other users.
Jozef,
I am not discussing whether this blog has a positive or negative impact. The foundation of my argument is that this blog has grown to be considered as a sort of PN-voice. Not the Nationalist Party’s voice: but rather, the voice of people who tend to vote Nationalist, which is a different thing.
Don’t get me started on the PN media – you’re absolutely right – at this stage, they might as well close down everything if they’re not prepared to have these so called discussions.
Now this is where the PN is following Labour’s hype: I gave some ideas to a party official a few days ago, on some “fronts of attack” – his reply? ” Hmm..we have to be careful not to be negative though”. You just give up.
Wow. 232 comments on this post. And still counting.
Daphne, my rebuttal comes in less than 100 characters: Q.E.D.
Daphne, is it possible to have a translation in Maltese of your blogs? This could be placed below the original English version of your blog.
It would help to attract many more readers to your blog especially those with a poor education and who barely understand English. These are those who really need to be targeted… pl supporters who only watch and listen to One tv and radio. I know these people crticise and mock you without having read a single word from your blogs.
I know this would entail much more work. Maybe you can find somone competent to make the translations on a voluntary basis or even on a salary. I am sure many of your readers would contribute willingly to help you pay this individual.
[Daphne – If I wanted this website to have posts in Maltese, I would write them myself directly in Maltese and not have them translated from English by others. Maltese and English are two completely different languages that evolved in two vastly different cultures and authentic translations between the two are not possible of pieces in which much is embedded in the nuances of language. Also, the underclass which criticises and mocks me without having read a word I’ve written will do so in any case. They have no interest in basing their opinion on fact; they just enjoy having a figure of fun to mock or an evil witch to hate, because their cultural development has not evolved beyond where it was arrested in the pre-Enlightenment era. They are no more willing or able to read anything in Maltese than they are willing or able to read anything in English. The reason they do not read is not language, but resistance to reading and information. There’s another thing: if I were to write posts in Maltese I would still not ‘reach’ those people. My Maltese voice is not theirs, in the same way that my English voice is not that of the Greater Manchester slums. Most of them don’t speak Maltese at all, but a barely intelligible patois.]
I love this site as it is.
Helpful additions would be a more powerful search (By date, nickname, blog and comments.)
And Navigation could be improved drastically:
Mobile Devices: Swipe left or Right for previous newer posts.
For non touch screens: Older/Newer buttons, either always centred side of the page; or more buttons at the end of the post and at the end of the comments.
If I do not have these changes I will still be glued to this site, wherever I am in the world.
I think there should be a button on the front page which opens a form to submit an email directly to you with links, pictures, etc which do not really belong as a comment under any particular post.