So what do you think of Fault Lines? In the perennial quest for improvement, please let us know how it’s doing, how it can be improved, what should be changed.* Please try not to get personal, aside from calling me mean names (which is always fine). It would be most useful if you not only say what you like or dislike, but why. Thanks for your feedback.
*If you don’t know because you haven’t been to Fault Lines, then what the hell are you doing here? Read Fault Lines.
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That Gamso guy needs to lighten up or shut up.
Did I not say don’t get personal?
I greatly enjoy the content, but I’m not such a huge fan of the site’s navigation and setup in some aspects. (Yes, I realize that may be something you have no say in whatsoever.) When on a post, the box near the top right that cycles through images linking to other posts can be visually distracting. I’d rather have something in the sidebar listing the most recent posts (much like the “related by” section just underneath that).
No, everything is on the table for discussion, including the mechanics of the site. Thanks.
I agree; the content is excellent but the navigation is confusing. Also links randomly don’t work on iOS.
You may want a drop-down to see “types” of stories. I read a good variety, but sometimes the juxtaposition of IP to death penalty to police corruption makes it seem like a mishmash.
I love how you get additional voices instead of just CDL’s because they add a back and forth that helps to flesh out some issues (like the trial tax vs plea bargain). A section that lets you see perspectives of a ____ (Judge, prosecutor, CDL, etc…) would be nice to cross link certain issues. So if I’m looking for a story on plea bargain, I can get a choice of reading the CDL or the Prosecutor first (with links to the other).
You have a lot of content, but for people unfamiliar with the authors, it can give them a little bit to go on in terms of background.
Any chance you can persuade some State Judges to enter the fray?
Keep up the good work.
I think everyone is doing a great job and Greenfield should fly us all up to NYC for an all expenses paid trip as a small token of his appreciation.
He should, that cheap bastard.
I thought you said no getting personal…
Good: Hearing from the judge and the prosecutor, for while I never agree with them, it’s nice to hear from the other side. Also the interviews have been interesting. As a young lawyer, it’s helpful to hear about the paths taken by others, and what influential types are working on. Might be nice to have more of those with non defense attorneys, though.
Could use work: Needs more arguing back and forth. Could also use more voices, particularly non defense attorney voices. Also, Gamso’s awkward writing style has somehow become more obtuse and yet formulaic. I would suggest someone else write a Gamso style post (“and thereby hangs a tail…”) because that would crack me up. (Yes I said tail, I demand low-brow humor.)
Bad: No one has started a fight with the Volokh conspiracy guys. I hate those guys. Why is Eugene writing on criminal law now? When the hell did he decide he has any expertise on the subject?
Not to be defensive about Gamso, but when you’ve done as many death cases as he has, you get to write any damn way you please.
Obscurity, c’est moi.
I left a couple of comments on Ken’s jury nullification article and tried to emulate your style, just for kicks.
*shrug* I like it
I have enjoyed the cross-exam posts. Usually I find that format dry and boring. You pick the most interesting people to interview. Try to get some of them to write guest posts.
I keep having to remember that “Lee Pacchia” is the guy sending the Fault Lines newsletter, and not the latest random name from a political party or charity group trying to schnorr from me. Makes it harder for me to remember to check the site when it’s not linked from someone’s Twitter.
Otherwise, enjoyable reads.
There could be some issues arising from his first job, selling penis enlargement devices over the internet. Oh wait, that wasn’t Lee. Never mind.
I think you should pay the writers. $10/word seems like a reasonable rate.
Seems legit.
Totally legit…and I would never take advantage of the situation by replacing words like “intolerable” with “very very very very very very bad.”
We may have to enact the 3 “verys” rule. It’s like the 3 pony rule.
This isn’t going to impact too many visitors, but I’d love it if the author’s name was stated in the actual body of the post. I spend quite a bit of time driving, so I frequently “read” FL from a text-to-speech RSS reader app on my phone. Such an approach results in no credit (or debit) being given to the author, but instead a wall of unattributable British-voiced words.
Also, last I knew, mobile comment replies weren’t nesting appropriately. They’d appear, but wouldn’t be inset as any other replies were. Almost like they were root-level comments, instead of replies.
Thirdly, that Gamso character needs to chill out.
Lastly, and most importantly, a simple thanks for providing the all-encompassing us with insight into so many aspects of the (il)legal system that we would never glean otherwise. It is greatly appreciated.
Everyone at FL sounds British? Kinda classy, right?
It’s quite colourful, to say the least.
Not all British is classy.
And now for something completely different.
https://youtu.be/kQFKtI6gn9Y
FL is terrific and thought provoking. While the Beatles may have rested (ok, perhaps ventured) “All you need is love”…… there is no substitute for logical and rational thought. Most of us, I suspect, have great issues with abuses, most especially those from organizations/people whose mission is to protect and serve, but that alone does not substitute for real thought. FL is a must read daily of logical rational thought.
The power of critical thinking is essential. FL has a trove of excellent thought provoking articles. I even agree with Andrew King from time to time!
Thank you all for your continued contributions to thought.
I think the addition of Andrew King has greatly improved FL, but I would still like to see more of the same. While I dont often agree with Andrew’s point of view, I have learned the hard way that reading what I dont agree with has a better chance of educating me, then something that I totally agree with (confirmation bias is a b***h).
The one thing I would love to see more often would be posts similar to Ken Womble’s series on Nassau County Legal Aid. As a well-educated reader who is not a lawyer, yet has more then a simple passing interest in the law, it is nice to see some posts that talk about the making of the sausage, rather then just complaints at the outcome.
There was a discussion a while back on SJ about posting grand jury notes, and one of my concerns back then was that context is key. It can be hard to judge a current situation when we lack the foundation to know if it is normal, should be normal, or is completely out of whack. Greg Prickett’s posts bring some of that context, as well as posts like Ken’s mentioned above.
At the risk of being told to STFU, can we get more Judge Kopf? While some of his posts have had the initial sting of outrageousness, I have come to love how he sets a discussion topic up by (sometimes) taking a ridiculous position and then forcing others to either defend or defeat it. It reminds me of what my mother said her law school days were like.
I dunno, can we get more Judge Kopf? Judge? Oh, Judge.
SHG,
I’m drunk (not really*). It is Friday. When I sober up, I will think some more about the suggestion.
Good night.
All the best.
RGK
You are appreciated.
1) I enjoy Fault Lines for the same reason I enjoy SJ. New material arrives daily. Also,as another commenter noted, with the Judge and the prosecutor on board, the output is diverse and challenging. They are my favorite people to disagree with.
2) I appreciate the engagement in the comments at FL. A great example is Ken Womble’s piece on repealing the Second Amendment.
http://mimesislaw.com/fault-lines/an-argument-for-repealing-the-second-amendment/6631
Greg Prickett took a tough position and held it admirably.
http://mimesislaw.com/fault-lines/if-we-dont-get-the-results-we-want/3754
3) I like the cross-pollination when one post leads to multiple other responses. For example, Ken’s piece linked above led to this piece from Josh Kendrick. http://mimesislaw.com/fault-lines/why-we-shouldnt-repeal-the-second-amendment/6668 Also, Judge Kopf challenged one of the bloggers in a comment response which led to an innovative new post on charging law enforcement with perjury. Sadly, I could find neither the Judge’s comment nor the response, but I remember being impressed.
4) SHG’s Crosses are my favorite, mainly because the personalities are so wild and they get to be the rock stars they are. I am waiting for Texas Tornado Mark Bennett’s cross at this point., and hoping for a question in the ballpark of sense of humor/totalitarianism.
5) In response to a previous commenter, YES, please pick a fight with Volokh Conspiracy, and I nominate Orin Kerr, that slayer of blogs.
6) Gamso’s style is awesome, to me. My first thought every time is “Where the hell is this going?” and I find myself impatient to reach the end of the trail of breadcrumbs.
FL is top notch and original. The different perspectives coming from people who are very good at what they do, and who are excellent writers, make it mandatory reading. Unlike those hacks all over the internets, the contributors can take a punch, and their rejoinders make us all smarter. As SHG says, damn fine stuff.
And Chris Ryan beat me to the punch. More Judge Kopf, please!
The Cross-Examination interviews are well worth the price of admission!
I get my Fault Lines from RSS, but when I go to the Fault Lines tab today’s stories are not there, they are on the main home page, and then apparently move to the Fault Lines page the next day. This caused me some confusion, which one should I make a shortcut to? Which one should I send to my friends?
Otherwise, I enjoy the site, even if I do not agree with every point of view. The discourse keeps me thinking.
The thing I dislike most is the lack of an “older posts” button at the bottom of the main page.
FL has been great. I dont know if you have the staff but I would love to see the admission of a “submissions” section so more attorneys, perhaps screened by FL editorial members (again depending on staffing or time) can share courtroom experiences.
What would also add to the mix is more current or former state or federal judges; their input is invaluable.
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