Change in news functionality

End of March or beginning of April chess.com made a change in the news feature. News used to be sent in PM (entire content) with hyperlink back to news posting (if you wished to comment). After the change, news are now been submitted as alerts. 

It is my hope that chess.com would consider bringing back this feature. I submitted a help ticket April 13 for this (assigned to Jonathan) but to no result so far.

The result has been a drastic decrease of how many read the news. It is no longer useful as a way to recruit players for a match or distribute a newsletter for a group.

Most members are member of multiple groups and get many alerts. “Ignore all” is often used. Further, even when clicked on, many stop at the news summary and never get to read the entire news posting.

PMs have always been the best way to communicate with members.

Statistics of impact of change:

Below statistics does not include the many who read news as a PM as it only compares the ones who clicked on link in PM to the ones who click on news link using alert. Thus, the situation is really much worse after change.

Below is from the group MONIKA with 1400 members. Currently only 0.4% read a news message. Before change, that was how many you could expect join a match after a “call to arms” news where sent to join a match. After change, news is longer effective as a way to remind members to join important matches.

Below numbers does not take into account that before every, 1400 members, would receive entire news in a PM and the vast majority would open it.

Average before change: 
42

Average after change:
17

Before change:

VirtualKnightJoakim  | Feb 9, 2016  | 47 reads  | "MONIKA" News
VirtualKnightJoakim  | Feb 11, 2016  | 52 reads  | "MONIKA" News
VirtualKnightJoakim  | Feb 13, 2016  | 39 reads  | "MONIKA" News
VirtualKnightJoakim  | Feb 13, 2016  | 32 reads  | "MONIKA" News
VirtualKnightJoakim  | Feb 14, 2016  | 39 reads  | "MONIKA" News
VirtualKnightJoakim  | Feb 21, 2016  | 42 reads  | "MONIKA" News
VirtualKnightJoakim  | Mar 10, 2016  | 47 reads  | "MONIKA" News
WFM monika84  | Mar 11, 2016  | 40 reads  | "MONIKA" News

After change: 

VirtualKnightJoakim  | Apr 7, 2016  | 4 reads  | "MONIKA" News
WFM monika84  | Apr 11, 2016  | 24 reads  | "MONIKA" News
VirtualKnightJoakim  | Apr 12, 2016  | 21 reads  | "MONIKA" News
VirtualKnightJoakim  | Apr 13, 2016  | 22 reads  | "MONIKA" News
VirtualKnightJoakim  | Apr 13, 2016  | 21 reads  | "MONIKA" News
VirtualKnightJoakim  | Apr 16, 2016  | 21 reads  | "MONIKA" News
VirtualKnightJoakim  | Apr 18, 2016  | 16 reads  | "MONIKA" News
VirtualKnightJoakim  | May 7, 2016  | 14 reads  | "MONIKA" News
VirtualKnightJoakim  | May 16, 2016  | 12 reads  | "MONIKA" News

Before change:
News, entire content, used to be sent in PM  with hyperlink back to news posting (if you wished to comment).

[Entire news content would appear in PM]

After change:
Step 1: see alert

Step 2: Click group name

(Yes, you can avoid this step if you click "view", but since "view" for all the other alerts take you to the same place as description, many click on group name)

Step 3: Realize that you have to click "view" 

Step 4: Realize that you have to  "read more" to finally see the full news item and the hyperlinks and/or images it may contain

This forum was posted in  the "Admins Corner & Training Center" group where it got the following posts:

• 24 minutes ago · Quote · Delete · #2

  DEATHW1SH  

  VK please put out a news on this , so I can see it in action...this is 'news' to me...but i have noticed differences

• 20 minutes ago · Quote · Delete · #3

  eg5309  

  Yes VK, you are right.The result has been a drastic decrease of how many read the news. It is no longer useful as a way to recruit players for a match or distribute a newsletter for a group.

• 18 minutes ago · Quote · Delete · #4

  DEATHW1SH  

  Yup many will click the group name....see the homepage and just treat it as a spurious alert....consequently miss important news......if the group name as well as the view were to link to the actual news, that might work....but I certainly prefer the PM way as it was before!

• 16 minutes ago · Quote · Delete · #5

  DEATHW1SH  

  I think this needs a chess.com forum.....could you do that Joakim please on behalf of the admins here?

• 7 minutes ago · Quote · Delete · #6

  njacobson  

  Could we have the old way back please?

Good Forum VK...this needs reverting,!

I agree with all the above and support this request for a move back to PM's

I must say I had not really noticed any change, but I shall take special notice, I di not get mant alerts myself, but I do know whatever the old way was, it worked fine, why change?

The old way was that you got the entire news as a PM (with a hyperlink back to online version if you wished to comment).

The new way is just an alert, with group name. view/delete.....if the group name is clicked , you get group home, many will treat this as spurious, or think it might be an amendment to previous news...or just delete...precious news is proving to be less widely read

A "News" broadcast is my preferred way to apprise my team members of matches and vote chess opportunities.  Also, I use it to congratulate and recognize team members for outstanding achievements, on and off the site.

The News utility is an important part of promoting chess on the site, keeping members active and engaged, and even promoting the purchase of premium memberships.

Giving my support to this. 

We definitely want the system reverted. Thanks!

i would like the old system back

Interesting article JK

This is something I would expect man of such character and intellegense to post. I totally agree and hope that if not, chess.com can provide a better reson than this. Good job JK. 

VJK had a valid point that is supported by the numbers. It would be wise for chess.com management to take note of the needs of the players and maintain the parts that are working.

I would certainly like to see the old news feature reintroduced. It reached far more members than the present system and was ideal for recruiting players for important matches. Now I am having to spend much more time  sending p/ms to my players.

I totally agree with VKJ ! These changes made significant decrease in news read and people no longer join actively matches as before ! I hope chess.com will do something about it and put back the old ( good !) system - news to PMs !!!

I agree with VKJ entirely as well as other who have posted above.  The older News Articles provided great way for admins and Super Admins to announce new matches, new vote chess games.  If chess.com is going to provide a better way of communicating to group/club members we haven't seen it yet!  Please bring back our communication tool!

This new system is bulls****. I want the old system back!!

I support the old way News too, no sense to change what is right. 

Although it hasn't changed my news reading patterns personally. I agree with everyone that it is in the best interest of the clubs to have the old system restored. Thanks for bringing this to my attention!