a housekeeping note … and the “surprise me” button

by Alison Green on October 9, 2023

A few people have asked about the “you may also like” related links that appear at the bottom of posts, because they’re no longer appearing on the home page.

The links are still there if you click through to the individual post. But they’re not currently displaying on the home page, so the only way to see them is to click on the post itself. (The plugin that provides those got updated, and the update broke the home page part. I’m hiring someone to fix it.)

Meanwhile, though, you might also like the Surprise Me button in the top menu, which will take you to a random post!

You may also like:
{ 28 comments }

{ 28 comments… read them below }

  1. Jamboree*

    I love the surprise button! It’s my favorite time waster (I can say that bc I’m retired. Reading AaM is never time wasted.)

      1. AG*

        The best part is that for a good number of posts, there are updates! That makes it much more satisfying to read to me.

    2. Awkwardness*

      Mine too!
      (And at least some time waster that offers knowledge and education, so I feel less bad about it)

    3. AstridInfinitum*

      Not retired, but also love the Surprise Me! button. When my brain gets itchy at work, it gives me something interesting to read. I especially like the really old questions and how things have evolved.

  2. Myrin*

    I’ve been wondering about the kinda-vanished “You may also like” links so thanks for this explanation!

  4. Sharpie*

    I like the Surprise me! button, though I’ve noticed that I have more than once been taken to a story I’ve read before – though that does make sense on a site of this size. It’s a good way of reading posts over the weekend when there aren’t any new posts to read and you don’t feel like scrolling through comments in the open threads.

  5. JustKnope*

    I noticed something different on the home page but couldn’t quite put my finger on it! Now I feel silly. For what it’s worth, I actually like the homepage as it is now without the related links. It’s faster to scroll through when I’m looking for a specific recent post and makes the homepage just that much more streamlined.

    1. Bit o' Brit*

      I agree. I love that they exist in the posts, but much prefer the homepage feed without them.

  7. Yay! I’m a llama again!*

    I like Surprise Me, but I’m always so curious as to the old posts with no update. Things that happened 10 years ago, I’d love to know Where Are You Now?! Especially the pre pandemic ones, the world was such a different place.

  9. Kiwi Leslie Knope*

    another +1 for the surprise button. I’ve read so much of the site now but I can usually find something new by hitting the surprise button, it’s definitely helped fill some down time for me ☺️

  10. Pam Adams*

    Plus, I find that once I’ve hit Surprise Me!, I then start exploring the posts immediately before and after.

  12. It's Suzy Now*

    May I blow my own horn and mention that I am the person who suggested a the Surprise Me button to Alison, many years ago? It tickles me so when people mention enjoying it.

    (Full disclosure, my suggestion was a “random” button like I had seen and used on some other favorite sites; AAM improved the name!)

    1. Tinamedte*

      T h a n k y o u!
      No, really. Your idea was brilliant. And Alison is brilliant for taking you up on it. (We all know Alison is brilliant, so this is just naothe example of it.)

  13. niknik*

    While we’re at it, can i express my appreciation for your clean, accessible and tidy site design.
    It’s just a pleasure to read, when the current trend is to go for full screen moving background images, pop-in menus and other headache inducing nonsense.

    Keep it old school ! ;)

    2. LawBee*

      Agreed! I used to love a certain celeb fashion site that was perfect on Blogger. Then it got huge, and got a truly terrible redesign that was clearly valuing page views and clicks over actual readability and reader enjoyment, and I had to dip.

      Old school design works!

  15. I went to school with only 1 Jennifer*

    FWIW, I read this column thru my RSS feed (I’m using Feedly), so I rarely actually see the home page.

  16. Middle Generation Millennial*

    I just got one of those spam “networking” emails from a “recruiter” in my work mailbox, and the first item mentioned was “Allison Green, from Inc.com says [generic corporate clickbait].” I found it funny and just had to share.

  17. Lurking Monkey*

    This might not be feasible but could you have a note somehow to standardize a “Name” when the letter writer comments in their own post, to make it easier to parse through for the writer’s responses to the advice and or other commenters? Maybe in your response, assuming you respond to their original write, or as a bullet point in the Ask a question tab when someone clicks it. Something like “Letter Writer”, “Original Poster” or something. Thanks!

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