Just thought I'd add that I'm enjoying the new blog. I like the mix of the sublime with the silly.

I suggest emailing the main "broad" in charge:

Editor in Chief

Joan Walsh

jwalsh@salon.com

Since clearly nobody (except for Rebecca Traister, who has managed to momentarily pull herself away from her fluff stories to promise us more woman-centered fluff in the future) is reading the overwhelming response to their embarassingly poor execution of a "niche" publication, I strongly urge all Salon subscribers to reiterate their disappointment to the editor in chief. Let's see if they really will "take the ladies seriously" here...

Not sure if mailing Joan Walsh would be effective or not.

Her response about an hour ago to the firestorm of criticism on Table Talk was so utterly contemptuous and condescending I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. Basic message: readers who don't like Broadsheet are missing the point of it. She and the other editors like it, therefore it stays.

To Rebecca Traister:

I am not a women - I am a man. Neverless there are some articles in Broadsheet that I like - both the fluffy & the serious.

But I resent the *CRAP* out of it that they are considered womens interest first in a womens area, I thought Salon was for *EVERYONE*.

By creating broadsheet you've segrated salon into male & female areas and I despise that.

Shame on you.

What on earth were you thinking? It doesn't matter that you have a new Editor in Chief who wants to put her "stamp" on the 'zine. Have you done any surveys of your readership?

You say that the Broadsheet traffic is strong. Care to post your stats? (Before you do, check the user log to see how many of those hits immediately posted negative feedback.) If you're so enamored of the "Broadsheet" title that you feel compelled to use it somewhere on Salon, create a discussion group with that label.

The introduction to the section states that Broadsheet will be "taking the ladies seriously." Ms. Editor in Chief, listen seriously to your readers: We "ladies" already take ourselves, and each other, seriously. We don't need to read our news on the Pink Aisle next to the Barbie dolls.

Oh get over it, all you freakin' whiners out there. You don't get it at all. Broadsheet is not a pink ghetto or any such crap. It's a fancier version of the funny and interesting news snippets that my girlfriends and I send to one another. My smart girlfriends, that is. The not-so-smart ones just send chain letters. ;-)

I think that Broadsheet is a great idea, and very cleverly executed. I have enjoyed each and every one of the blog posts so far, from the political to the weird.

As for the accusations that Broadsheet is marginalizing women...ugh. Hasn't anyone noticed that Broadsheet is in *addition* to the regular Salon stories, and not replacing them? If you don't like it, don't read it. All the usual stuff is still on the Salon site, it hasn't gone away.

Ladies, I salute you. Keep up the good work, the world needs more smart articulate women telling it like it is!

You go girl ! girls can do anything !

In the Table Talk thread found at http://tabletalk.salon.com/webx?14@@.773ad94a/1274 , Joan says, "Why the sudden storm over Broadsheet?" This is after she claims to have read all the TT posts and all the letters here.

Just wanted to say a couple things before we presumably get back into this tomorrow: There's no ghetto here! No one's hiding anything. Broadsheet is big, it's bright (yes, bright pink) it's getting read. We are showing off these stories, giving them great space and great voices. As mslaura said, it is an addition to Salon.

And blackpaw, I'm glad to hear you like some of the stories on Broadsheet so far. Let me emphasize what was stated in the initial post: Salon is for everyone, and everyone is welcome at Broadsheet.

Stories by and about women will still stand alone, as they always have. We've just created even more room for them, and more room for a greater diversity of them, for everyone who wants to read them.

Good-night and all best.

Lightning Bug wrote:

Somebody has posted a survey...

...on the new design at

http://polls.heavystorm.com/poll.cgi?id=5355

Could someone maybe x-post this to tabletalk redesign thread? I decided not to renew my Premium subscription :( so I can read but not post.

I don't object to the existence of this blog any more than I object to the existence of feminist magazines or women-only gyms. The word "girl" should never be used to refer to an adult, I'd prefer you not use "lady" either, and stay away from "chicks". The blog isn't particularly cheeky either. But the nasty comments on TT and this forum do not reflect this feminist's opinion. I find the actual content of the blog worth reading.

I don't know what the reasons are, but I have perceived a significant decline in the general quality of Salon.com over the past year or so. I've been seeing considerably less of the terrific social/political commentary and investigative reporting that initially drew me to this site, and considerably more of the kind of vacuous, gossipy stories about celebrities, entertainment, the latest "trends," or whatever, that one would expect to see in a publication like People or Us. Your "cheeky new women's blog" is the straw that broke this camel's back. I will not be renewing my Premium subscription.

-Krotos-

I posted a raving review for Salon's new Broadsheet section on the first day it came out. Then, I read the comments made by other readers. What a reality check.......

It's become disturbing and disheartening to me to see how venomous people became over devoting an entire section to "women's news". It had the flavor of a gender lynching. And I can't help but wonder if people would've reacted the same if a section had been created to focus on Hispanic news (an often underreported and forgotten segment of America's population).

Reading the posts also confirmed what I've long suspected - feminism STILL scares men, and many women who call themselves feminists refuse to acknowledge that any inequity still exists. Since many men and women who read Salon don't seem to acknowledge this inequity, it's no wonder this bright new bridge in reporting is causing their world order to crumble.