So Andrew Leonard has been working at Salon for 9 years and gets a little pissed off when the readers/subscribers don't like something. I have been reading Salon since the late 1990s, and have been a subscriber for at least 4 years. I can tell you, I am not happy. This condom article is a big reason why. Let me clearly spell out my particular gripes:

1. The LEAD story should ALWAYS be an important NEWS story - NOT an opinion piece, NOT a book review, NOT a piece on sex issues (I usually enjoy those pieces, but they shouldn't lead). It would help if there was some investigative reporting, as there used to be in the good old days. This is the number 1 reason I originally started reading Salon and the number 1 reason I decided to give you $$ - you were reporting NEWS that was hard to find elsewhere during the Clinton impeachment fiasco and the 2000 election. You were so good then. Lately you seem to be all about preaching to the choir.

2. A lead article on sex issues (I usually enjoy sex articles, sexuality fascinates me) causes a huge problem for those of us who visit Salon from work. In fact, Salon used to be my home page at work. But I cannot afford it anymore. I do not need coworkers / senior management asking why I am visiting sites with large pictures of condoms and sex dolls when I am, in fact, looking for NEWS. This really should be a no-brainer, and indicates how out of touch you are with those of us who work in offices outside of the Bay Area.

3. Could you update the wire service feeds a little more quickly, please? I hate it when CNN or the WSJ website have big news up before you do.

4. What is up with all of these touchy feely women's issues? Enough already. Good god, I mean, did you guys decide to hire all the unemployed chicks who wasted their college years majoring in "womyn's studies"?

I guess the point is that I originally came to Salon (my wife and I had two subscriptions - now down to 1 - perhaps soon down to none) because you were a great PRIMARY source of news. In fact, this was also my reason for making it my home page at work, as my job requires me to keep abreast of certain types of current events. However, you seem to have lost your way, and no longer view yourselves as a primary news source. Long opinion pieces preaching to the choir with no new info and lots of rehashing of what we already know have taken the place of real hard news. That and stroies about how hard it is to help a 7 year old with homework and the cheeky new women's blog and new high tech rubbers and how creepy it is that some guys like fucking expensive dolls and comments from readers on their favorite TV shows. Enough!

I posted this elsewhere, but feel it belongs here. I am yet another distressed premium subscriber and long time supporter.

Let me clearly spell out my particular gripes:

The LEAD story should ALWAYS be an important NEWS story - NOT an opinion piece, NOT a book review, NOT a piece on sex issues (I usually enjoy those pieces, but they shouldn't lead). It would help if there was some investigative reporting, as there used to be in the good old days. This is the number 1 reason I originally started reading Salon and the number 1 reason I decided to give you $$ - you were reporting NEWS that was hard to find elsewhere during the Clinton impeachment fiasco and the 2000 election. You were so good then. Lately you seem to be all about preaching to the choir.

A lead article on sex issues (I usually enjoy sex articles, sexuality fascinates me) causes a HUGE problem for those of us who visit Salon from work. In fact, Salon used to be my home page at work. But I cannot afford it anymore. I do not need coworkers / senior management asking why I am visiting sites with large pictures of condoms and sex dolls when I am, in fact, looking for NEWS. This really should be a no-brainer, and indicates how out of touch you are with those of us who work in offices outside of the Bay Area.

What is up with all of these touchy feely women's issues? Enough already. Good god, I mean, did you guys decide to hire all the unemployed chicks who wasted their college years majoring in "womyn's studies"?

I guess the point is that I originally came to Salon (my wife and I had two subscriptions - now down to 1 - perhaps soon down to none) because you were a great PRIMARY source of news. In fact, this was also my reason for making it my home page at work, as my job requires me to keep abreast of certain types of current events. However, you seem to have lost your way, and no longer view yourselves as a primary news source. Long opinion pieces preaching to the choir with no new info and lots of rehashing of what we already know have taken the place of real hard news. That and stroies about how hard it is to help a 7 year old with homework and the cheeky new women's blog and new high tech rubbers and how creepy it is that some guys like fucking expensive dolls and comments from readers on their favorite TV shows. Enough!

P.S. King, you rock. I am not even much of a sports fan, but read you religiously. And sometimes you even printed my letters to you.