Found on the Time's website in their travel section, this article caught my eye. It's another top 10 type article but slightly different. It lists the Top 10 trends in travel, each as separate 'mini' articles, which you can choose to only read one, or click through the whole lot. Some of them are interesting and new, such as the opener which is the trend towards cruising solo, and the increase in Cruiser lines to cater to the single traveller. But others such as Electronic boarding passes, and hotels that are nonrefundable or changeable. Typically it's standard to have a no refund/no change policy on very low price deals. The airlines have been doing it for years, and so have hotels, I suppose it's just not as publicized.
Also, each 'mini' article page, has it's own image. But I have to say the images are pretty weak, and do no add much to the article. I also found this technique or forcing the reader to click through each time they wanted to read the next tip was really tedious. As most know the online audience is an extremely fickle and impatient one. If someone has to click too many times to get to the information they are looking for, they will simple move on. This article is an example of that. Had the Top Ten been something I could scroll down through, I would be more apt to read it in its entirety. But as it's not user friendly in the slightest, were I not commenting on behalf of an assignment I would have simply moved on to read something else.
I think sometimes online journalists get caught up trying to follow the 'formula' and lose sight of what the online reader is looking for and his/hers reading behaviours.
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1986719_1986718,00.html
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