Online peeve: failure to update

This is something that has really bugged me online... the failure of certain people to update in a timely manner.

One of the big things about doing my commentary site was that I wanted people to know that I was going to have fresh material up on a regular basis. And I do that with a firm deadline that I have set for myself. I set midnight on Sunday as the deadline for getting a new column up. Sure I have had to push the deadline by several hours (or even a whole day) on a few occasions, but the midnight deadline has remained firm. And aside from the month-long period of time before Christmas when I take the holidays off to retool the website, I strive to keep that deadline.

But it really bugs me when you have a few websites that don't keep up with things that go on. And I'm not just talking about your amateur website... It's understandable when you have a fan site that isn't up with all of the immediate nuances. Those people have jobs and bills to pay. I'm talking about websites set up by big companies. The websites where this stuff actually IS their job!

I have two examples that should show you what I mean...

Cartoon Network: Okay, I'm a big "Justice League" fan. I'll admit it. But their JLU website SUCKS! They've been running new episodes for weeks now and they haven't introduced them to their web page. In fact their web page looks pretty much like it did when they first put it up! The same limited number of character bios (from the first episode no less), the same episode guide, and the same links to online games based on the show. Come on guys! I know you guys don't really give a frell about the show... you're just keeping the whole series going because of the strong fan support. That's pretty much a given. But that's still no excuse for you to neglect the website! Get some new info up there!

NBC's The Apprentice 3: Yes they're quick on the episode updates, which is a plus, but there are a couple of parts that they are lagging in. Specifically the commentary section. It's one thing to have a former contestant give a weekly comment on the current show and be late by a day or two... it's another thing entirely to have two former contestants and have them BOTH be late for comments by as much as a week. That's just inexcusable, because either they're both late, or else the webmaster just doesn't give a damn, and that's just unprofessional. Also, why is it that only the video clips that get aired are of the firings? Show some other stuff about the episode... or at least something special about the episode. At least give us a VIDEO clip of what to expect next week!

Now compare that to CBS and their various reality TV sites and you'll see it done RIGHT. You have behind-the-scene segments, you have graphs and charts and a listing of challenges performed and who won those challenges. And they're pretty much up-to-date! They don't lollygag around for a week or two before deciding to put something up.

Like I said, I wouldn't mind too much if these were amateur websites done by avid fans. But clearly even the avid fans are doing a better job at these than the so-called "professional" webmasters! These guys need to get their acts together!