Alex, good points, and I concede my tone was more assertive than I intended. This is especially true of the current nature of a lot in our world, and as such, I would like to apologize. It was not meant that what you are doing is bad, nor worse than before. What I would propose is that it is not nearly what I think it could be. I think with the talent and experience I have seen grace the books and online content of Sitepoint, I challenge that this site has not just an incredible opportunity, but also a responsibility to drive the discussion and direction, not just offer the teaching tools to learn it.
Just because site traffic is up and people are not taking it to task does not mean it is where it could or should be. It just means that it is acceptable to the masses. What I liked about Sitepoint since the day I first started reading the books is that you challenged us to push limits. You went beyond that and empowered us with the knowledge to apply what our imagination could dream up and then realize it. So, in that, you set a high bar that most publishers will spend years trying to catch up to. This is a heck of an achievement considering the heavyweights in the publishing world. You showed us what we could be, and taught us how to not just use the tools, but create our own to make the internet world a little better place. Those are wonderful achievements anyone should be proud to hold, and I hold Sitepoint in high regard for this. What I want to see is you now apply that knowledge, experience and drive to create something that goes beyond what is expected to raise the bar again.
Yes, you move a lot of data. You move a lot of diverse information. That is not in question. What I question is the relevance and organization. Why can’t a site like this learn your interests? Does a site like this have to be only a stream of push information, rather than interactive engagements that spur new ideas and build communities? I am not talking about forums like this, because they are merely content management systems that have hooks into forum software. I am talking about a truly immersive environment that has the power to move mountains and set higher standards.
What I wrote in the first comment was not to criticize, but rather to say I know you are capable of so much more. Yes, what you have works. It satisfies the need, but can you honestly say that you pushed yourselves to create you best work? I think that you held back. I think you have more inside than you realize. Let’s see what you can really do.