Time to reset your cache and refresh your browsers, today is a big day at MotoringFile. We’ve added a new way to read MINI related news from around the web and refined (yet again) our look and feel.
As some of you may know MotoringFile was the first MINI website with an
RSS feed and we continue to be big proponents of the technology. With
increased use of these feeds by MINI related websites, many people have
found a new and efficient way of reading their favorite websites with
RSS news reading software. However, the vast majority of users haven’t
adopted the standard. Whether it’s a case of not wanting to download
yet another program or simply not knowing about RSS, there remains a large group that haven’t taken advantage of the technology.
So in an effort to bring these news feeds out there to as many people as possible, we’re introducing the MotoringFile NewsRoom. The NewsRoom scans feeds from MINI related websites and grabs the last ten articles or posts every hour of the day. It’s an easy way to see what’s out there on some of your favorite MINI related websites and learn about others you may not be familiar with.
The idea of a page comprised of MINI related RSS feeds has been on the
drawing board for over a year and has actually been operational behind the scenes for awhile now. We could have even waited a few more weeks to get everything operating perfectly but then again, who needs perfection? So we’re going live with about 85% of our news feeds. We hope to have everything up in a week or two.
Beyond the NewsRoom we’ve also made some small changed to our look at feel. Among other things, in an effort to have more readable links (a necessity with the NewsRoom), we’ve gone from orange to blue. We’ve also touched up the right-hand navigation to make it a more straight forward. BTW It’s important that users (especially those using Safari) either reset their cache and/or refresh their browsers in order to see all the changes properly.
Finally it’s worth noting that MotoringFile is best viewed (like the rest of the web) browsing with Firefox (PC/Mac) or Safari (Mac).
As always if you have any comments or suggestions please contact us.
And for those scoring at home, this is MotoringFile v1.4. BTW a big thanks to Matt for putting in some extra time to make this all a reality.
<p>What software do you use to view RSS feeds? I’m familiar with the technology, but just haven’t gotten around to setting it up. Saw it at a friend’s house a few days ago and it looks pretty cool.</p>
<p>Gabe,
I’m speechless! I really don’t know what to say. I think what your doing is a complete rip-off of GoMotoring.com. I respected you as a journalist concerning MINI news and thought you were GREAT at what you do for the MINI community. Please tell me why you decided to compete with me. I would have done anything to help you promote your site!</p>
<p>Thanks alot!</p>
<p>Gabe, got an RSS feed of the NewsRoom? :-)</p>
<p>Mark,
Gabe said “this has been planned for a while” – I guess he was planning this newsroom before <a rel="nofollow" href="http://GoMotoring.com">GoMotoring</a> was released.
I prefer your site at the moment Mark – GBMINI is missing from Gabes!</p>
<p>Ian – GBmini is one of the feeds we’ve been having trouble with. It may have something to do with Powweb as we’re also (ironically) having trouble with our own. Hopefully it’ll be working soon.</p>
<p>Mark – as I mentioned to you a few minutes ago in an email, we had been planning this for sometime. Being the RSS freaks that we are, this has been on the drawing boards for quite awhile. It certainly wasn’t meant, in anyway, to slight you or your fine site.</p>
<p>Cool!
Thanks for the extra feature. I LOVE Live bookmarks…mmmmm</p>
<p>RIP OFF, HUH? Since when does anyone own any of these technologies?</p>
<p>Take a chill pill guy.</p>
<p>RB</p>
<p>Awesome Gabe! I love the look and feel of the newsroom. Perfect design!!! :)</p>
<p>For those of you with Firefox that want an easy way to keep on top of RSS feeds, check out the “Live Bookmark” feature. You can set a bookmark in the Bookmark bar to point to the RSS feed from a site. The browser will automatically refresh this and when you roll over it you’ll get a pull down of all the linked articles. I’ve been doing this for a while with Motoring File and NAM – </p>
<p>Like someone else said above, is it possible to send out a RSS feed of the Newsroom page, sort of a meta-RSS?</p>
<p>Mike – “What software do you use to view RSS feeds?”</p>
<p>We’ve got more info on RSS in the our RS section of the site. The link is at the top of the page.</p>
<p>I just checked out the gomotoring website and I dont see what the fuss is all about. Motoringfile continues to be a leader when it comes to reporting news for the MINI. I have never heard of gomotoring before today.</p>
<p>Great Job Gabe.</p>
<p>Bob</p>
<p>Regarding the Meta rss feed. I have a couple concerns about something like that. First off I’d be a bit reluctant to take a feed and then add the headlines to our own feed. I’d feel like we were using other sites content a little too much for our own benefit. If MINI2 posts a killer news story and it shows up in some type of MotoringFile meta news feed I’d worry that some end users would assume the story came from MotoringFile. In the end all the hard work that Paul may have put into it would be completely lost as a benefit to his readers and sponsors.</p>
<p>Just curious, cuz I’m not an RSS expert. I didn’t know if the concept of “meta-RSS” was something that was built into the protocol or not.</p>
<p>i don’t see where on gomotoring.com you can get the rss feed…</p>
<p>can you give me a link to an rss feed of gomotoring.com?</p>
<p>gabe, this is perfect for blackberry users like me…i can use hlhawk.com to get the rss feed automatically emailed to me every day/hour/whatever…</p>
<p>Cool upgrade, some might get jelous or think they are the sole self appointed guardians of technology (or content?), but such is life. Keep up with the excellent work that you do and hope to see (as always) new things in the future.
PS. this is called integration and it is what makes the web a little more easy :)</p>
<p>Two suggestions:
1) Link the headers to their respective websites (i.e., clicking ‘ dbmini.us ‘ would actually link to dbmini.us)</p>
<p>2) Use the same outlined module style as you have in the right column with the 1px rule colored to match the header. Or maybe do a subtle background tint. Feels like it wants to be contained a bit more..</p>
<p>Other than that, looks great.
-peter</p>
<p>Peter – actually we had a grey background on the feeds for awhile but I was concerned about readability on older monitors with our chosen font style. Color coded outlines sounds interesting though…</p>
<p>Update: the return of the grey background in upon us 🙂 The more I thought about it… the more realized that something like it was really is needed.</p>
<p>Also the links are a good idea and were in the original plans. I may add them yet.</p>
<p>Thanks Gabe. As if I don’t spend enough time checking my RSS feeds as it is!</p>
<p>One suggestion — it would be nice for users to have the ability to customize the newsfeeds displayed and the order in which they’re displayed. Check out <a rel="nofollow" HREF="http://www.gametab.com">gametab.com</A> as an example. They do the newsfeed aggregator thing really well. They even let you easily see which headlines are new per each visit.</p>
<p>Hey Gabe… While I respect the fact that what gomotoring has done isn’t “patented” or anything, you have to understand how Mark might feel since gomotoring.com has been around for a while and what you’ve added is an exact copy of what he’s done…</p>
<p>Just my .02</p>
<p>With all respect; I guess I’m kinda confused as to what you mean by copy? Did every MINI weblog copy bridger.us/mini (now known as MotoringFile) just because we were the first online? </p>
<p>This is not just some obscure little feature that Mark has some type of patent on. These are RSS feeds. The technology that more than a few tech experts believe represents the future of information dissemination. They are free and open for any one of us to use how we wish (provided we don’t take credit for the content). Saying that anything on this page is a copy of any other site would be a very misguided. I can promise you that this won’t be the last MINI-related RSS feeds page you see launched this year… </p>
<p>Again, not trying to sound disrespectful in any way.</p>
<p>Gabe…</p>
<p>You are perfectly in the right with this new addition to Motoringfile. I saw this post early this morning (with the early reader concerns) and gave it some thought. The bloggin web is a collection of minds across the world. In all honesty, this site has become the premier source for New Mini Cooper news. By adding the newsroom, you only enhance an already great product. To say that you copied GoMotoring is ludicrous. Perhaps in the long run this decision may cause Mark’s unique visitor numbers to decrease, but I doubt it. People who visit his site will continue. If they don’t then that’s evolution.</p>
<p>Mark, posting that comment on this board rather than writing Gabe personally was extremely unprofessional and seriously challenges your reputation. </p>
<p>Hey, guys for my money, this is a giant step forward for me and the kind of (MINI) knowledge I want to acquire.</p>
<p>I am way behind the curve on RSS and anyway I can play catch up is fine with me.</p>
<p>Great job, Gabe.</p>
<p>Bruce</p>
<p>Gee, I guess I had better stop using Photoshop, Illustrator and the other programs….someone might claim they and they only had the rights to use that technology.</p>
<p>I’m burning all my files, did ya hear that Charles Spencer Anderson and you Joe Duffy, now you both can rest easy.</p>
<p>BTW, I just dropped GoMotoring from my list of places to visit.</p>
<p>+++RB</p>
<p>Gabe-</p>
<p>I think the RSS feeds you have added to the new Newsroom is a great addition. The more time on spend on blogs, the more I realize how technical I am NOT. I can barely spell RSS. :o) That said, the more you can simplify my life and prevent me from having to feel stupid, the happier I am.</p>
<p>As far as the accusation of copying or theft. That is unfair. It is a natural progression. Like you and others have said, the technology is not patented. It’s not like you have a link to gomotoring that is bringing in the feeds and calling it your own. It is your own design and your own code.</p>
<p>In the same stream… All bank web sites have on-line banking. Did one steal or copy from the other? No. They are simply providing the service that users want, in their own format. That is all you are doing. Granted, it’s a general comparison.</p>
<p>Thanks for the site, thanks for constantly striving to improve on the information, technology, design and community.</p>
<p>Best-
G.</p>
<p>Up till now I didn’t even know gomotoring existed.. Now I have another site to look at about my favorite car.. After all that is all I care about.. If there is something new about my MINI on any website I want to know it, and I’ll go whereever to read more about it. Don’t know what RSS is (newbie in that area) but it sounds like those scrolling banners I see when I wait in the DMV to register my car. Guys help me out, whats the big hub bub about?</p>
<p>I won’t say that what Gabe has done here is a copy. I love this site and it will continue to be the first tab in my Mini group of tabs in Firefox.</p>
<p>BUT, I will say that BEFORE I read the comments here, just reading what was on the front page, the thought that went through my head was “Oh, like gomotoring.com”, then I clicked on the newroom button, and thought “Oh, JUST like gomotoring.com”. Then I read the comments and thought. Yup, guess I’m not the only one. </p>
<p>Motoringfile is where I go to get the real scoop on things. I know that Gabe doesn’t put stuff on his site that isn’t checked out and I know that it will be pretty accurate to the best of everyone’s knowledge, especially Gabe’s extensive knowledge. Mark’s site is where I go next, to see what everyone is just talking/gossiping about. I was really glad when I found Mark’s site, because it saved me from rumaging around all the other sites (save for my own local club, where I go next).</p>
<p>I can see where Gabe is coming from….no one owns this technology, and indeed he had planned it long ago. I can also see Mark’s perspective… the two sites look a great deal alike, and Mark sells things on his site, which I am assuming generates revenue for him. Gabe’s site may cut into that revenue.</p>
<p>In the end to me it’s a “need” issue. Was the newsroom “needed” since the need was already being filled by gomotoring? I hope everyone can get along and no one ‘s feelings get hurt too much. I have gotten a lot of information from both sites, and in the end saved me money/time in the ordering process, and ultimately let me enjoy my MINI more.</p>
<p>Hey Gabe, I totally understand your viewpoint, and mean no disrespect, because I’ve been a big supporter of bridger.us/mini and motoringfile. The only point I was trying to make is that I understand how Mark feels now that nobody really has to visit his site with your new addition.</p>
<p>Bitter sweet I suppose.</p>
<p>Good luck to both you and Mark!</p>
<p>Miles</p>
<p>Thanks everyone… I really appreciate the open discussion…</p>
<p>That said I’d like to clear up a few things.</p>
<p>When Matt and I started this site it wasn’t my intent to “take on” other MINI sites out there. I simply wanted to create something I enjoyed working on and, at the end of the day, was proud of. It was only through a <b><em>ton of hard work</em></b> over the last few years that MotoringFile has succeeded. Over 8000 unique visitors a day does not happen overnight in a niche category like this – especially without forums. So the idea that we somehow ripped off another site is incredibly insulting to me personally. </p>
<p>We’ve openly offered RSS from MotoringFile for years now and quite a few other sites have been using it for some time (the first one being from Japan). Needless to say the idea of RSS feeds on a website is anything but a new idea. And it’s my guess that we’ll it have some substantial growth in the coming years. In fact, I’d be willing to bet that there will be several other news feed websites launched later this year specifically about MINIs. </p>
<p>All that said I still support Mark and wish him all the best with his site. Gomotoring.com offers detailed news feeds that we do not make available in the MF NewsRoom. They are ideal for those with a bit more time on their hands who want to go into more detail with each feed. So in an effort to give everyone a group hug and offer a good will gesture to Mark, we will be including a link to his detailed feeds page on the MF NewsRoom for a few weeks.</p>
<p>At this point I think I’ve said everything that needs to be said and will be moving on from this topic. I leave it up to you guys to discuss from here on out :)</p>
<p>“1) Link the headers to their respective websites”</p>
<p>Yes. This will mean an exponential improvement in stickiness. You become the default jumping off point for Mini-related browsing sessions. This simple change will generate many more views for this page – and that’s what you’re looking for, right?</p>
<p>Could be wrong, but it sounds like Mark of GoMotoring did not even get a heads up that you were launching this RSS aggregation page. That is cold, man. Very cold. </p>
<p>Gabe & Matt –</p>
<p>Excellent addition! As usual, a first class effort, and easy to read as well. More MINI stuff! Kudos!</p>
<pre><code> BCNU,
Rob in Dago
</code></pre>
<p>seriously–
Gabe is one of the nicest and hardest-working people on the internet. period. end of conversation. everyone else just get over it. (ps- it’s called “free market” and “competition”)
go to college or something and you might learn it.</p>
<p>Nicely said. Very Fox News.</p>
<p>Gabe,</p>
<p>Thank you (and everyone else at motoringfile) for this new way to efficiently see what’s going on in the world of Mini. You guys are class acts.</p>
<p>“However, the vast majority of users haven’t adopted the standard. Whether it’s a case of not wanting to download yet another program or simply not knowing about RSS, there remains a large group that haven’t taken advantage of the technology.”</p>
<p>Gabe,</p>
<p>Yes, on both counts. Here’s your opportunity to convince and educate us software skeptics on RSS…
-Barry</p>
<p>So is this coming back, or what? :-)</p>
<p>Sorry… Matt and I have been trying to get the new WordPress version of the site up and running for like a month now. However our schedules have been conflicting for quite a while now. Once we get it up (next week or so?) the “new” Newsroom will be next up!</p>