Crikey’s new layout: the saga continues

Alex Joseph writes: Re. “Crikey’s new layout” (Tuesday). I agree with Edmund Maher. The old layout was better.  I suggest you do a survey of the readership, instead of using some focus group! But I would not go as far as Edmund and cancel my subscription. Come on Edmund, grow up!  Don’t cancel your sub to a fine publication like this just because you did not like the new layout!  This is like divorcing your wife because you didn’t like her new hairdo!

Crikey writes: A few subscribers have told us the font in the new insider design is hard to read in some email programs — we are working on a fix that will be deployed as soon as possible. In the meantime, please “view in browser” via the link at the top right of the newsletter. Thanks for your feedback and patience.

On data retention

Luke Miller writes: Re. “How the metadata war was won: the seven tactics of the security elite” (yesterday). How can Australians have any confidence in the impartiality of the Prime Minister and his government to fairly arbitrate the competing requirements for data security between the Australian Federal Police and Australia’s tech community when he’s so eager to please them he even sleeps at the AFP’s training college? Talk about co-opted! The negatives of this bill far outweigh the positives but sadly evidence and reason no longer trump flag and fraternity.

On Mia Freedman

Mia Freedman’s father Laurence Freedman writes: Re. “Rundle: the dark side to Mia Freedman’s life blather” (Monday). Guy, I regularly read your posts with interest — insightful and relevant. However, the post about Mia Freedman was both cynical and uninformed. You assumed that someone else wrote the piece. Not so. She did write it — her language and style is unmistakable. You trivialised  the problem of her anxiety, clearly having never experienced it. Regrettably your cynical comment about her mentioning the drug that has helped her and her search for therapeutic help lays you open to the same criticism of style over substance- something not often seen in your posts.

A little research, or direct communication may have resulted in a more understanding article and a more sympathetic take, not only on her particular plight, but that of the many sufferers of anxiety and depression. Knowing something of the media myself, I understand that, in the same way as Mia’s writing is in the language and style of her audience, so is yours. However, your target demographic is quite different from hers and in my opinion, by using the language that you did, you missed your target. A small, yet important, lost opportunity. Look forward to reading your next posts. By the way — liked your  in-depth post on Malcolm Fraser. He sat on our boards for about 15 years. Chaired a number of audit committees. Always difficult for him to open up, due to shyness which came across as aloofness. Had little small talk but loved to talk about cars and always chose expensive wines for meal times and armagnac after. Not so different from most men.