WPCentral spending too much ink on 8.1

[BLKahuna]

I'm not a mobile developer and don't have the the Developer's preview of WP8.1. I suspect that is true for most people. I'm interested in the new features of 8.1 and WPCentral has done a thorough job of investigating those even prior to the Developer's release.

However, with each passing day, more and more of the articles on WPC are about tips and tricks for 8.1. I probably won't have 8.1 for at least another month and so those articles mean nothing to me. I'm interested in reading about the OS I currently have and use. All those little tips about 8.1 would be very interesting in a month or so when I have a phone that I can use them on. Sadly, by the time I have 8.1 I will long have forgotten all these little tips. Maybe when 8.1 is made available to the masses, WPC can put together an article that references all the tips and tricks currently being reported.

Am I the only one who would like WPC to get back to reporting on WP8 - the OS we currently use?

 

[jmshub]

With 8.1 out in the world, there really isn't much left to be written for 8.0. Anybody who is developing an app should now have the 8.1 SDK, so even a new app (while perhaps compatible with 8.0) will be written explicitly for Windows 8.1. While we are justifiably excited about the big 8.1 update, the update pending and its implications pretty much fills the Windows Phone news cycle.

 

[ShaneRay]

While I completely understand where you're coming from, I have to believe that this is to be expected. In my experience, the majority of people who visit sites like these are enthusiasts and probably have already gone on to the next "greatest" thing...alpha, beta, preview, whatever...so, the sites are just givin' 'em what they want.

And, as the poster above said, everything that needed to be said about 8.0 has been written.

Have you given any thought to trying the preview? I'm not a developer either (and I'd bet that most who are installing it are not), but it's dead simple to get the preview loaded on a phone. Or, have a look through their back-posts as I always can find something relevant that I've missed.

 

[Guytronic]

Don't know what else to tell ya.

WPCentral is just giving it's members what they're clamoring for.
Right now that would be 8.1 and any new rumored almost confirmed phones.

 

[k0de]

While I completely understand where you're coming from, I have to believe that this is to be expected. In my experience, the majority of people who visit sites like these are enthusiasts and probably have already gone on to the next "greatest" thing...alpha, beta, preview, whatever...so, the sites are just givin' 'em what they want.

Have you given any thought to trying the preview? I'm not a developer either (and I'd bet that most who are installing it are not), but it's dead simple to get the preview loaded on a phone. Or, have a look through their back-posts as I always can find something relevant that I've missed.

I understand were the OP is coming from. The dev preview is not for everybody and not because the complexity of the process. In fact it is fairly easy to install. But most users simply just don't want it.

Us enthusiasts are a small breed. Perhaps the OP has a valid point.

 

[Nogitsune Micah]

Why would they continue writing about windows phone 8...an os that has been out for two years that we know inside out?

They may as well continue discussing windows phone 7, while they are at it using that logic. Plenty of ppl still use that os.

I am sure most of wpcentral is using the preview and those who are awaiting the official release are still wanting to hear details of the new update to see what's new.

 

[k0de]

Why would they continue writing about windows phone 8...an os that has been out for two years that we know inside out?

They may as well continue discussing windows phone 7, while they are at it using that logic. Plenty of ppl still use that os.

I am sure most of wpcentral is using the preview and those who are awaiting the official release are still wanting to hear details of the new update to see what's new.

True indeed and I agree. But ask the question to WPcentral though.

Is WPcentral an enthusiast site?

If so the OP point is not valid. But if it is for all WP users the OP probably has a valid point.

WP has over 50 millions users a few thousand enthusiast doesn't make up the entire user base.

 

[sd173]

All those little tips about 8.1 would be very interesting in a month or so when I have a phone that I can use them on. Sadly, by the time I have 8.1 I will long have forgotten all these little tips. Maybe when 8.1 is made available to the masses, WPC can put together an article that references all the tips and tricks currently being reported.

Am I the only one who would like WPC to get back to reporting on WP8 - the OS we currently use?

You could just read the articles anyway and bookmark/reading list app them in case you might need to see it later. I have 7.8 and I still like to read about all the news here on 8 & 8.1.

 

[sd173]

It's like that quote from an old James Bond movie, "the first rule of mass media is 'give the people what they want!'"

 

[ShaneRay]

True indeed and I agree. But ask the question to WPcentral though.

Is WPcentral an enthusiast site?

If so the OP point is not valid. But if it is for all WP users the OP probably has a valid point.

WP has over 50 millions users a few thousand enthusiast doesn't make up the entire user base.

Well, you'd need to ask the owners of this site to get their response, but...

In all my years as a tech enthusiast, I've never known the average user to visit a dedicated site like this on a regular basis. Sure, some will post a thread or two if they need help, but usually leave it at that. So, that's why I believe this is largely an enthusiast site, although the content is easily readable and useful for everyone.

But, that's just my two cents, and probably not worth much in this discussion.

 

[WavingReds]

No one is stopping the OP from opting in for the developer's preview to by pass the carrier to try 8.1

Microsoft is giving you a choice. Up to you =)

 

[SpaceyO]

Maybe when 8.1 is made available to the masses, WPC can put together an article that references all the tips and tricks currently being reported.

Windows Phone 8.1 Tips, Tricks and How to

There ya go.

 

[BLKahuna]

OP here -

Yes, I know I can get the preview installed on my phone with little trouble. Also, don't get me wrong - I'm a web developer by profession and no techno-phobe. I've just seen too many times when you start working with pre-release versions of something and when the real release comes along, you have to wipe clean and start over again. I just don't feel like investing time into a preview and then having to do it all again.

Not to say that most of us who aren't using the preview aren't very interested in it - we are. It's the future of our preferred mobile OS and very exciting. For months, I've hungrily consumed any article about the features and release date.

I, of course, don't have the actual metrics but I would wager that the vast minority of WPC members are currently using the preview. I would further say that probably 4 our of 5 postings on WPC recently are 8.1 tips and tricks. Most people don't have much use for tips and tricks related to something they don't currently use. Ipso-facto, most people probably don't care about the content of most of the new articles on WPC. That doesn't seem like it's serving their fan base.

Please don't get me wrong - I love WPC and look forward to catching up with it each day. Until recently, it has always been content that engages and interests me. But I think all of this 8.1 coverage is useful to only a very small minority of the subscribers to this site and that can't be what their mission statement aspires to.

 

[Nogitsune Micah]

And I wager that most of the community IS using the preview or at the very least contemplating it, considering how I rarely see much threads about anything WP8 related these days on the forum.

It's usually Cortana, Bugs about the software, new features people are discovering, complaining about wp8.1 xbox music, etc etc

OP here -

Yes, I know I can get the preview installed on my phone with little trouble. Also, don't get me wrong - I'm a web developer by profession and no techno-phobe. I've just seen too many times when you start working with pre-release versions of something and when the real release comes along, you have to wipe clean and start over again. I just don't feel like investing time into a preview and then having to do it all again.

Not to say that most of us who aren't using the preview aren't very interested in it - we are. It's the future of our preferred mobile OS and very exciting. For months, I've hungrily consumed any article about the features and release date.

I, of course, don't have the actual metrics but I would wager that the vast minority of WPC members are currently using the preview. I would further say that probably 4 our of 5 postings on WPC recently are 8.1 tips and tricks. Most people don't have much use for tips and tricks related to something they don't currently use. Ipso-facto, most people probably don't care about the content of most of the new articles on WPC. That doesn't seem like it's serving their fan base.

Please don't get me wrong - I love WPC and look forward to catching up with it each day. Until recently, it has always been content that engages and interests me. But I think all of this 8.1 coverage is useful to only a very small minority of the subscribers to this site and that can't be what their mission statement aspires to.

 

[Daniel Rubino]

I'm not a mobile developer and don't have the the Developer's preview of WP8.1. I suspect that is true for most people. I'm interested in the new features of 8.1 and WPCentral has done a thorough job of investigating those even prior to the Developer's release.

However, with each passing day, more and more of the articles on WPC are about tips and tricks for 8.1. I probably won't have 8.1 for at least another month and so those articles mean nothing to me. I'm interested in reading about the OS I currently have and use. All those little tips about 8.1 would be very interesting in a month or so when I have a phone that I can use them on. Sadly, by the time I have 8.1 I will long have forgotten all these little tips. Maybe when 8.1 is made available to the masses, WPC can put together an article that references all the tips and tricks currently being reported.

Am I the only one who would like WPC to get back to reporting on WP8 - the OS we currently use?

I certainly understand how one feels with the 8.1 coverage. It's tough for us to try and balance and as the weeks go on, some of this will trickle down. But hey, how do you think Windows Phone 7.x users feel? :winktongue: We often get complaints about that platform too and not having enough coverage.

The complaint that we're doing too much 8.1 content is certainly a personal opinion matter, but here's what I can share:

1. Site traffic has never been higher, with lots of people spending time reading those tips, how-tos, etc. I assume that some of those aren't even Windows Phone users, but people who are interested in learning what 8.1 can do, including other tech media sites. We do have 'lurkers' who are thinking about switching, so we want to give them info too. We don't just publish things for site traffic, but if our audience finds what we are posting interesting, and they comment, well, we'd be silly to not do that coverage
2. We're not sacrificing 8.0 coverage. To put it another way, it's not like 8.0 news is coming in and we're like 'screw it, on with the 8.1 news!'. That simply does not happen. Basically, if we backed down on 8.1 coverage, you would just see less articles on the site. It wouldn't be supplanted with 8.0 news, because we report whatever is worth reporting.
3. Get in early with quality content. While it's true only a minority of users are on 8.1 (1.5 million, by estimates, so not trivial), it's important for us to get this 'how to and tips' stuff done now and early. That way, when 8.1 *does* land, our work will already finished. What's more, if you're unfamiliar with our site and do a Google or Bing search, you'll find your answer. (As a test: Bing or Google 'Windows Phone 8.1' and see what the top non-news result is. That's not by accident, but because we were there first and posted quality content. We're ranked higher than Microsoft.).

So, we do try to balance things around here, but it's not always easy. The fact is, we have a very wide audience, which is why we'll write an article on muting your phone (which seems dumb to the power user) and we'll post a way to hack something e.g. 1520 and Qi last night (which seems dumb to the casual reader).

For now, I'll just have to ask you to bear and grin it and know that we're not skimping, to my knowledge, on 8.0 news. If something happens that's relevant for 8.0 users, we'll certainly cover it. But i can say if it wasn't for 8.1, it'd be pretty slow right now.

 

[k0de]

I love these Forums thanks Daniel that is an awesome response. Hopefully the OP is still around to see it. It is like family around here. I love it ❤.

 

[BLKahuna]

OP here -

Daniel - I very much appreciate the response. It's always good to know that even trivial rants such as mine are taken to heart by those responsible for site content.

It is my custom to check WPC each day and to whip out my phone to try all the new stuff and a bit painful that all these great articles are coming through before I can really make use of them. Your point about wanting to establish WPC as the preeminent 8.1 site is a good one and a benefit to WPC and it's members.

I will tap my foot and wait for Microsoft/Nokia/AT&T to pass this update through and will anxiously look up these tips and tricks articles when I can actually put them into practice. I would ask/suggest that when 8.1 does drop, you create a page that references all these tips and tricks postings from one place so we can all benefit from the work you're doing now.


Thanks,

Bruce

 

[Nogitsune Micah]

Could be worse...it could be Nokia X news

 

[iosub]

I'm sure that Daniel will make a great article ones WhatsApp release the long waited release for wp8.0 ... Btw Daniel when are we going to have it ?? (just a joke)

 

[SpaceyO]

I would ask/suggest that when 8.1 does drop, you create a page that references all these tips and tricks postings from one place so we can all benefit from the work you're doing now.

Windows Phone 8.1 Tips, Tricks and How to

There ya go.