Wednesday, January 6th, 2010...1:00 am
Hot Site Feature Makeover
Ok – so it’s a new year and a new year calls for attention to new things. After taking a look at my content, I have discovered that although people like the Hot Site feature, it’s just not pulling it’s weight. However, when I did post the “Hot Site Hodgepodge” it seemed to get a better response. So, after talking it out with the staff here at DBF…. oh wait, that’s just me. I have no staff. Duh. Silly me. Anyway…
The Hot Site Feature is getting a makeover! No longer will I be picking just one website a week to highlight. You see, I have discovered something. Every week on Twitter, I am “re-tweeting” loads of really cool links to articles or pictures or videos or just websites in general that I think are awesome. However, if you’re not reading the stream at the time – you miss it. I started thinking, that if I felt that something was good enough for me to put my own endorsement on – why have it be something that could easily be missed? It seemed to me that these articles, and videos, and sites deserve more attention than some fleeting moment in Internet space. And honestly, although it’s time efficient, that new RT button is lacking in personal view points. Enter the makeover!
The Hot Site Feature will now contain what I feel to be the top ten links that I have re-tweeted within the week and why I felt the need to “RT” them. I’m thinking it will look something like this:
This video tutorial by TipSquirrel covers points about the eyedropper tool that are pretty cool and generally over-looked. Tip does a great job explaining the tool and it’s a well produced video.
As you can see from above, there are two links available. One to the actual tweet (aka- the picture) and one to the actual original link. I do this because Tweets and Tiny URLs have a tendency to expire over time. But, this way you will have access not only to the link but also to some potentially new Twitter accounts to follow and add to your own stream.
I hope everyone will enjoy the new makeover once it begins next week with it’s first official top ten list.
Until then – Tweet away! Because you just might find yourself here. 
AWESOME!!! There are so many times when I say I will come back and check out a site, but by the time I get off work and settle in at home, the link has passed through the twitter stream and into the big ocean of “I-can’t-find-the-link-anywhere-dom” and it gets the obligatory “oh well, I hope it comes around again soon”… although it seldom does
This will be a great weekly round up! Looking forward to it 
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Janine Smith, Peter Witham. Peter Witham said: RT @Firgs: Yey! The Hot Site feature is getting a makeover! http://designbyfirgs.com/blog/2010/01/hot-site-feature-makeover/ Long overdue [...]
Great idea, Firgs! Thank you! That will really be helpful!
[...] As promised last week, the Hot Site feature has been revamped! The title is a work in progress, however. I still haven’t figured out a way to title each week so that it can be unique and easily searchable. So, just stick with me until I figure that out – I’m working on it. [...]