QOTD: What Do You Think of Our Weekend Comedy?
Over the past few weeks (this one included) you might have noticed that we’ve been posting comedy news as weekend content.
This is on a trial basis only and we’ve had mixed reactions in the comments. Some of you think it’s awesome and can't get enough of it, others can’t stand the idea of “every weekend being April Fools.”
First off, the most important thing to point out is that it is definitely not our intention to trick you guys into thinking x company bought y company for $17 billion, or something similar. The titles are clearly marked with a bullet point, and a footnote in the article itself explains that none of the information printed should be considered factual and that it’s intended for weekend entertainment only.
As always, without you guys we’re nothing, so we’d appreciate some well thought out feedback on this. We think it’s a great idea and would love to keep coming up with funny stories to brighten up your weekend. That said, if you have suggestions on how we could improve on the current idea, like putting the comedy elsewhere on the site in a special “funnies” section, removing it from the site once the first news article on Monday is posted or sticking to factual but entertaining pieces (like this week's list of five horrendous Sci-Fi remakes), we would love to hear them.
We’re community based and this site is as much yours as it is ours, so today’s QOTD is: What do you think of our weekend comedy?
- QOTD ,
- community ,
- tomshardware ,
- comdey
- • Steve Jobs to Attend WWDC 2009
- • 5 Ridiculous Foreign Sci-Fi Remakes
- • IBM to Compete in World Curling Competition
- The Ladies of Computex, Part Four
- Unlocking AMD CPU Cores Safe Say Mobo Makers
- Sony Says Make Restore Discs Yourself
- ECS Shows Atom Mobo With PCI-e x16 Slot
- Windows 7 Build 7201 Leaks Onto P2P Networks
- OCZ Endeavors to Bring Affordable SSDs
- Modular Power Supplies Less Efficient Say Makers
- What Your RAM Goes Through: the Die-hard Tester
- More Pics of SilverStone's Kickass Raven Case
- Intel's 'Larrabee' to Be "Huge"
- Intel Atom-powered Cell Phones by 2011?
- Pirate Party Bags Seats on European Parliament
- Microsoft Shows Official Windows 7 Box Art
- New MacBook Pros are Cheaper, Faster, Pro-er
- Best Buy to Offer Free Windows 7 Upgrades
Its entertaining to have them, but not why I come to Toms, I want factual, technical and up to date news as soon as it happens, there are other sites that deal with comedy, but a few laughs are good as long as its relevant to why Toms exist in the first place.
Besides, weekends are always so slow with news, if there is time to put spoof on is there not time to add relevant news
As long as you leave out the disclaimers i couldn't care less, it's bad enough you see the key words at the top, it is bloody insulting.
I like them. 'Sly fi' was genius. I too look for factual information etc but why not a bit of a laugh too? They are clearly marked that they are for amusement, I think it would be better if they removed that identifier and see who fell for the gag.
I think Tom's would do well to include the UK in the competitions it runs and would rather see that than anything else...I'm thinking of the system builder marathon competition...Come on Tom's, let us in too!
I like them, but do not remove the disclaimer. They're meant to be funny, not to trick people. The idea that making people stupider is funny is insulting to rational thought everywhere.
The current format is good, now just increase the amount of subtle humour and innuendo and you have yourself a winner.
Definitely not for me, the most irritating thing is that they displace relevant news items further down the most recent list and make them less accessible.
If you're going to keep them (and I hope you don't) please put them somewhere out of the way.
Just another reason to read Anandtech
It was OK to have one on 1st April, but not regulary. I would not mind some hardware/PC related jokes though. Not theese made up stories that You don't really understand if it is true or joke until You see disclaimer. Simple jokes like theese:
"Do you turn on your computer with your left hand or your right hand?"
" My right hand."
" Amazing!Most people have to use the on/off switch."
Not a fan - I agree with will_chellam, if your going to keep doing it - Put them somewhere else - They don't belong with the relevant / factual (aka useful) information you provide
Ah who are these gizzards? I read Toms Hardware when Im bored, if you want super-factual shit without an ounce of humor go read a bloody motherboard manual or something. If it bothers you that much its not to hard to skip over articles with a dot beside them ffs, don't try and ruin it for the people who enjoy them please. Goddamit you guys are cranky.
i wasn't aware this was a comedy site..
Not a fan.
Its not what the site is for.
And some of your humour (eg using Steve Jobs' current medical condition) shows that you don't have the editorial staff to assess what is and isn't funny (and this coming from an apple anti-fanboy).
SHEESH! There's no pleasing some folk. Bah! Humbug!
Actually the Steve Jobs article isn't that funny, I have to agree, but the other stories have been good.
Definitely not for me, the most irritating thing is that they displace relevant news items further down the most recent list and make them less accessible.If you're going to keep them (and I hope you don't) please put them somewhere out of the way.
WHAT HE SAID
Every one I've read so far was painfully unfunny. By all means incorporate humour into the site, but look at how the Register accomplishes that, for instance, rather than these rather unfunny and tiresome articles.
It's a good idea to have some made up articles. Some aricles you've published have been good on that but other were really boring. I'd like read some funny computer stuff but keeping humor on it.
Sometimes things just take some time to improve, hope that's what's going on.
They are as funny as herpes.
Trying to be funny on a non-funny site (why?) and then failing, is just pitiful.
I heard MacDonalds are opening libraries in each store... WallMart are holding therapy evenings...
Just why?
I don't think a lot of the posters have read the site for very long. Toms hardware has long been known for a few witty comments, and jabs for comedic antics within their "serious" articles.
At the end of the day, Tom's hardware is both run, and owned by however makes tom's hardware. There is a good community are viewers, and forum posters.
I like the idea of humour, from what i see, is a way to make this site something extra on weekends, maybe for hits, laughs, or something else. Perhaps giving the unable to laugh readers, an option to disable "funnies," or grouping these articles off, into the already, at times, difficult to navigate tom's hardware pages.
Its funny as ! The first one i read had me fooled briefly, and then i realised ! Injects some much needed humour into the geeky tech world. Love the idea someone will go away not realising and thinking its genuine. Don't identify it, don't be afraid to be proud of it, if you have any reader who can't figure out its a gag (i mean with the disclaimer at the bottom too ! come on ?!!?) its one of the thing's thats baught me back to the 'new' toms, and if u ditch it, i'll probably ditch the site (again)
I'd prefer real tech news...
It is only one the weekends, i don't mind them, just the disclaimer which takes the fun out of them.
So long as they move to their own subsection, i don't mind either way, just so long as they aren't listed with the regular news.