Backlash from regulars at TheSixtyOne |
A couple months ago I wrote positively about an indie music exploration site called TheSixtyOne over at VTOR which had an MMO-like leveling structure and used the freshly titled Massive Multiplayer Music Discovery as its motto. Considered writing here about it originally but the MMO elements made it more appropriate for the group gaming / virtual worlds / MMO blog. My interest in T61 was maintained for about a month or so and included inviting several friends online into the site too. They seemed to like the site as well. All seemed good. Here’s what it looked like back in September 2008.
Now here it is a few months later:
T61 did something that never ceases making me go hmm on the web: started changing what passionate users of the site liked. Too many websites have chosen this silly path. They have momentum, buzz, and then decide to change things for the worse. Why? It’s one thing to make updates and add features but sites that have unique features should build upon these unique strengths and tear away non-unique weaknesses.
In a word: listen.
And boy has T61 stopped listening. They started removing features that were useful like an artist being able to provide news updates: gone. They also started clamping down on areas to allow and discuss criticism of the site on the site openly. Bizarre.
T61 member arcadia, who has been with the site much longer than myself or any friends invited, summarizes the issues in a post titled "The Death of TheSixtyOne":
A complete site redesign without forums to even report glitches, let alone to express members’ concerns. I have to laugh at the fact that the designers had the nerve to include a section called “zeitgeist” after going to such lengths to ignore the people who tried to make this once magical place their home on this crazy world wide web. Sorry, you can’t post anything but bugs in these forums. Sorry, you can’t post on that person’s wall anymore. Sorry, you can’t post anything on this site but blips… on the walls of the people you already know. Sorry, no more tuneboxes. Sorry.
Word to those building websites for the rest of us out here to like and recommend to our friends: don’t change what we like. We can spend time at any website out there for as little or as long as we like. If we tell you we like feature ABC, then keep them, enhance them if you must, don’t distort and destroy.
Why does this happen on the web? Wish I had the answer, but don’t. It’s frustrating seeing ruined potential.
Did this post make you go hmm?
(22 votes, average: 4.77 out of 5)
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You right about not only the sixty one site, but any site getting it together, and then leaving well enough alone!
Comment by tom — December 17, 2008 @ 4:10 pm PST
Whoa. I’m famous.
I’m here to promote cherrypeel.com as a viable alternative to t61 for any other jaded users. It’s brand new, and still has a long way to go, but I have faith that the admins are on the right track with this one.
Comment by arcadia — December 18, 2008 @ 1:04 pm PST
Any time a site stops supporting ways to offer feedback, you know it’s time to move on. Know what I’m sayin’?
Comment by jennifer — December 21, 2008 @ 6:36 pm PST
It’s critical to any user-based site that user feedback counts for something.
I think it’s natural for a site to want to improve, change, evolve, etc. but when there is backlash from core users, it’s time to realize that this evolution is not successful and reverting might be in the best interest of everyone.
Otherwise, you’re left with a crappy site and no userbase.
Comment by Dara — December 22, 2008 @ 1:13 pm PST
Great commentary! A lot of sites seem to reformat their look and feel at the worst times. I always thought layout overhauls were meant to perk up interest, not throw users off.
Comment by Lullaway — December 23, 2008 @ 8:30 am PST
The T61 is now like Euro-Disney. Pretty from a distance, but empty and kind of creepy when you go inside.
Comment by Terry P. — December 31, 2008 @ 5:06 am PST
I’m not a big fan of many of the changes, but like some of them as well. Some features may be gone permanently, but others, like a feedback route to the site creators, were gone only temporarily and are now back. The site will live or die by the excitement and interest of its user base. Most of the people I know who’ve been on for several months are discontent to one level or another, but I really don’t know if that’s the way the majority feel. Even with the drawbacks, I still find the61 the best new music site on the web.
Comment by Z — January 1, 2009 @ 9:20 am PST
This site was actually built by someone who is also a member of the SomethingAwful forums, and I remember seeing their thread on the forums introducing it. I thought it was cool when it first started out, but it got old pretty quick. I didn’t really like the selection (I liked maybe 2 songs), but it was a cool concept. Oh well, welcome to the ever-evolving Web 2.0 world.
Comment by Matt — March 6, 2009 @ 4:08 pm PST
@Matt - might be worth another listen after 14+ months. The site has on the order of 40,000 songs on-board, with more (of widely varying type, talent, and quality) coming every day. The site has also had another fairly major overhaul since this article was written, with a new voting & rewards system now in beta test.
Comment by Z — March 9, 2009 @ 10:59 am PST