Topix.net on the Tennessean (and a nitpik): Here’s an obscure note for a few of you. In the last few days, I’ve begun to see a feature on the Tennessean‘s website that integrates a search feature provided by Topix.net, a company that Tennessean parent-company Gannett is part-owner. The service is likely a part of the deal announced today between AP and Topix.net. In short, the feature (as shown on left) suggests you click for related stories from the web. That leads you to search results from the topix.net database, which as I said many times, is a great alternative to Google news. Topix.net is a service owned and operated by a company that has several newspaper companies (in addition to Gannett) as investors.
The screen grab above compares the Tennessean version vs. the generic Topix.net version of current “small business” stories. If you scroll to the bottom of both pages, you will note a subtle (but significant to a few folks like me) difference: On the Tennessean page, you cannot subscribe to an RSS feed of future stories in the way you can using the Topix.net version. Same results — one without the RSS feature. For those who don’t know what this means, set up an RSS newsreader. That nitpik aside. I think adding the topix.net feature to the Tennessean is a smart move for all involved.
Technorati Tags: nashville, tennessean, topix.net
