Choose Your News
When it comes to news, it's clear that one size doesn't fit all, at least not perfectly. Many of you have asked to add specific national news sources to your start page, and just about everybody is eager to see what's going on in their own neighborhood. For a lot you, a big part of a start page being truly personalized is seeing content from the sources you like, about the subjects you're interested in.
If this sounds like you, I have some very good news. Today we launched a new version of the News area that lets you include just about any type of news you like.
[Note: We are rolling this feature out to users gradually over the course of the day. If you don't see the new version right now, please try again later. ]
When you first load up the start page, you'll still see AP news stories from the myEarthLink News Channel. But if you click the "Add/Edit Sources" link at the bottom left of the news area, you can fill up the 12 tabs with whatever you're interested in. Among other things, you can add:
- Headlines from a big national news provider, such as CNN on NPR
- New posts from leading blogs, such as Technorati or BoingBoing.
- Posts from a friend's personal blog
- Headlines about your hometown
- New posts from a variety of sources about a specific subject you're following
The only requirement is that the news provider has set up an RSS feed. RSS is a standard delivery system for Web content updates (such as news articles or blog posts), and most news providers, blogs and other major content Web sites have set up feeds. (If you want to learn more about how this works, check out Dave's introduction to RSS on Earthling or this handy video guide from CommonCraft.
Finding and adding feeds is pretty straight-forward. First, click "Add/Edit Sources" at the bottom of the News area.
You'll see three options for adding new sources:
1. Browse through a catalog of feeds:
We've put together a collection of popular feeds to get you started. To find new feeds, click on a category in the left-hand column (say, Internet & Technology), and you'll see a list of sub-categories in the middle column (in this case, Technology News, Tech Weblogs, and Popular on the Web).
Click on one of the sub-categories, and you'll see a list of feeds. Click the "Add" button next to the one you want, and you'll see it pop up as a new tab.
To find local news through the catalog, choose "Local - US" or "Local- International." We've collected individual feeds related to many cities. To see a collection of headlines from multiple local sources, choose the first feed on the list. This will be a feed from Topix that aggregates headlines from multiple local sources for individual cities and zip codes.
2. Search
If you're more of a searcher than a browser, go straight to the search field below the catalog. Type in something that interests you (for example, "clowns" or "the mafia"), and you'll see a list of feeds related to that subject. Click the "Add" button on any feed, and it will show up as a new tab.
For any keyword search, you'll see a few "aggregation" feeds. These feeds are automated collections of headlines or updates from multiple sources that relate to the keyword.
- Photos of 'keyword' provided by Flickr is a collection of links to photos related to your keyword.
- Blog posts about 'keyword' provided by Technorati is a collection of recent blog posts related to your keyword.
- News about 'keyword' provided by Topix is a collection of news headlines related to your keyword.
You can also find local news by searching. Just enter the name of your city and state or your zip code, and you'll see a list of local interest feeds, as well the Topix feed that aggregates local headlines.
3. Enter a URL
If you already know what feed you want to add, you can just drop a URL into the search field. This can be the RSS feed URL itself (for example, http://feeds.gawker.com/lifehacker/excerpts.xml) or the main URL (for example http://lifehacker.com) or the domain name for the site (for example, lifehacker.com).
Some of the feed names will bit a bit long for the source tabs. To change the name for a source, just click the "rename" link to the left of the tab, while you're still in edit mode. You can type in a new shorter name (for example, change "SI.com - NCAA Basketball" to "NCAA on SI").
Once you've added the source or sources you want, click "close" to leave the edit mode. When you want to add more feeds later, click "Add/Edit Sources" and start over. If you run out of tabs (you have 14 to work with), you can remove one of your existing sources by clicking the trash can to the left of that tab.
That's it, in a nutshell. You still can't control the news itself, we're sorry to say, but now you can at least control who tells you about it.
Comments
looks like new page will be very helpful.
Posted by: renee a. klein | May 8, 2007 6:40 PM
How 'bout the option of being able to check the default item that the 'NEWS' section will open with. No matter what I leave it sitting on when I close browser it will always revert to the AP site.
Also, no availability to raise or lower,to change an item's spot in the column in this section -- like you can in the Favorite Sites column.
Aaaaand,.....How about,under the 'REMINDERS' button,the ability to remove the holidays when you just want to control it to simply show one item,event or appt. a few weeks in advance without it being preempted for most of that time by holiday reminders.(Maybe even the ability of tooltip showing 2 items)I know it is supposed to be basic and not have all the options of a separate pc.of sftwr.but too often on pages like this with potentially useful features,they are more clutter than are useful. It'd be nice to actually get usage from these features as is meant.Which, I assume the meaning is for the user to be able to utilize some basic features w/out having to step too far from this page or bring up addtnl. software.(?) Yes?
I like the FAVORITES column showing the icon of the site.
sports button is cool too.
Thanx for reading.
Posted by: David Bosworth | May 10, 2007 3:28 PM
why do I still see preview at the address?
Posted by: Ccharles Adams | May 14, 2007 10:13 AM
Looks great
Posted by: Velia Gonzales | May 14, 2007 1:51 PM
Our country, (that's the USA)is hanging by a thin thread & you have the nerve to tell us that as an alternative to the anti-american & left wing biased AP news service you will offer us CNN & NPR? I guess we know where Earthlink stands.
Posted by: Brewster | May 14, 2007 8:06 PM
I like to see in my e-mail, Yahoo.com as well.
Posted by: John Pecore | May 15, 2007 7:29 AM
Thank you for the comments, all. David, we'll be adding the "persistent tabs" (the last source you viewed staying open) soon. Good thoughts on moving source tabs and adjusting reminders. Charles, we'll be adding a new permanent URL (without the word "preview") in the next couple of months. Brewster, I mentioned NPR and CNN just to give familiar examples of major news sources. You can add news from any source that has an RSS feed, and you can remove all the AP feeds if you like. Click the add/edit link to launch the edit mode. Thanks again, everybody.
Posted by: Tom Harris | May 15, 2007 2:55 PM
I like this new look that earthlink has. I want it......
Posted by: Terri | May 17, 2007 8:20 AM
I really like it.
Posted by: Peggy Gribbins | May 17, 2007 3:20 PM
I like having the ability to customize the home page. What was missing in the old format and seems to be lacking in the new one is being able to delete things or at least reducing them to a 1-word listing that can be expanded, as well as adding and moving them.
Posted by: D.Tamplin | May 21, 2007 5:06 AM
I like this page set up, lots of news and info sources. Is this permanent? I hope so !
Posted by: John B. | May 22, 2007 12:50 AM
there has to be an easy way to have the news go accross the black strip at the top of the page.
is there.
Posted by: JAMES MILLER | May 24, 2007 9:17 PM
Where's the News Ticker??????????????
Posted by: Bob | May 25, 2007 7:29 AM
thank you
Posted by: j candelario | June 2, 2007 8:00 PM
Can I add color to start page?? Start page is plain!!
Posted by: Rich | June 11, 2007 6:42 PM
a good idea
Posted by: Anonymous | June 12, 2007 10:40 PM
How do you get rid of the JUNK in the dock like Stocks, Internet Security, and Sports?
None of these hold enough interest for me to have them anywhere on my Start Page,
much less the very top. How do I edit them away?
Also, how do you re-order the News Headlines? I was able to choose most of the
sources, but I could not find a way to put them in order of preference.
Overall, I think I'll probably like the new Start Page once you've managed
to work out the bugs. Right now it seems like the concept is there and the layout
is OK, but there are too many limits.
Posted by: L. | June 13, 2007 9:34 PM
seems to waste a lot of space on the sides of my wide screen monitor and i hate the big square ads.
Posted by: David Schirle | June 15, 2007 2:22 PM
Cannot stand the powder blue washed out look. Give us control over the color schemes and let us stretch the screen to my 17'' monitor. Sorry but this is not better than the old version.
Posted by: Jay | June 15, 2007 11:25 PM
the old home page was MUCH easier to read- & more attractive with high coloring
Posted by: marilyn hagger | June 16, 2007 5:48 AM
I hate the advertisement box be it red or blue. The constant movement is distracting. Thanks for the ability to customize the news! The page itself is very easy to use and a nice change.
Posted by: Barbara Witt | June 16, 2007 1:24 PM
I hate the new format and would prefer to go back to the old one
Posted by: ann weikel | June 21, 2007 8:39 AM
I would like to get the news like the newest places in chicago to train in dancing of all styles. Also to go out and have agood time.
Posted by: Melonie Payton | June 21, 2007 6:44 PM
Lousy page. Liked the old one where all info I wanted was displayed and ONLY that info and was easy to move around and tailor to my liking. Instead of your messing around like this would rather you fix it so I can get on dialing up faster or DSL. Am rapidly loosing patience with you!
Posted by: Benny Miller | June 21, 2007 9:14 PM
I really don't like it. Problems customizing it. Lots of wasted space. Not user friendly. The old one had so much more life. It's flat and ugly. Is this for you or us?
Posted by: June E. Holland | June 21, 2007 10:19 PM
I like your new page very much. I will review it and see what to choose. Thank you and thanks for the anniversary card. God bless you and your fine organization. Henry Kane
Posted by: henry kane | June 22, 2007 4:36 AM
I like your new page very much. I will review it and see what to choose. Thank you and thanks for the anniversary card. God bless you and your fine organization. Henry Kane
Posted by: henry kane | June 22, 2007 4:36 AM
I do not like the new start page. Too difficult to find what I need.
I want to change back to the original Start Page.
Posted by: Julie Painter | June 24, 2007 1:23 PM
i really like the new page. i just haven't figured out how to use it yet. but i'm having fun playing. i'd like to remove the stock stuff, though. is there anyway to do that?
Posted by: roseann evans | June 28, 2007 10:44 AM
You have an outstanding good and well structured site.
Posted by: Mary | June 28, 2007 5:06 PM
I DO NOT LIKE the new start page! Washed out, no flexibilty and obviously designed to promote your products rather than accommodate the convenience and preferences of the users. Not everyone needs those buttons at the top of the page. They should be movable and editable. Users should be able to choose colors for the page. What's all the wasted space on the right and left columns.
Ya'll must have had your heads stuck in the sand when you did this snow job.
I'm going to find a new start page somewhere else until I hear you have come to your senses.
Posted by: Jim B | July 1, 2007 10:36 AM
Go back to the orginal. I can not update this page.
Posted by: Henry Tipton | July 3, 2007 10:42 AM
Very cool design! Useful information. Go on!
Posted by: Lily | July 6, 2007 9:29 PM