( * Note, this is to meet requirements of post #5  )

The folks at Slate clearly understand social media better than just about anyone. While other major media publications have added links and apps to their homepages, for example; Facebook and Twitter, I think Slate has been way out front on this.

On Slate’s homepage I counted at least four perhaps five areas devoted to social media.

And Slate goes beyond just doing the standard social network sites like Twitter and Facebook. There are links to apps for both iPhone and Android. Other links are setup for Podcasts or for the Kindle. The site is also coordinating with parent company WashPo on something called the Washington Post Social Reader. I think a lot of this has to do with the fact the Slate from the very beginning has viewed itself as a multimedia site and not just a news portal.

However, as I noted in my very first post in this series (Slate#1-An Introduction) it has not all been all smooth sailing for the site.“The WSJ reports the larger company (The Washington Post Co.) reported a 50 percent decline in second quarter profits, with online operations showing a 13 percent drop in ad revenue. That led to the lay-offs of four of Slate’s approximately 50 staffers, including long-time media critic Jack Shafer.”

Slate has also been seeing some mixed traffic number in terms of visits to the website. While overall traffic is up from last year, there have been some months, (July), in which it was actually below 2010 levels (WSJ). Still, for the moment WashPo seems committed to Slate. The problem is there may simply not be enough demand, or enough eyeballs, for all the similar sites out there.

Salon is one example of a competitor site. Huffington Post also has a similar look and feel, though I think Slate is better than either of them. While there is some aggregation, its nowhere near the level that we see at HuffPo. I really enjoy the original content that is on the site and hope that the broader media company doesn’t cut and run if things get really rough.

So, social media use is definitely a strongpoint for Slate and I think it is here where the publication really has a solid lead and only needs to build on what it has already done to maintain it.

This blog post may be one of the easiest or the hardest to write in this series yet. Slate is kind of like a bad girlfriend (or boyfriend). You like to spend time with them, but the fact they leave their socks on the floor, laugh at inappropriate times and read trashy gossip magazines can drive you nuts!

I have expressed my frustration in the past with the fact I find Slate to be a bit too “busy,” which I think can sometimes distract from the really good things the site has to offer. I love the navigation buttons which clearly point you to Top Stories in each category. So why then do we need that separate grey box Special Features on the left side of the homepage? I would argue that we don’t, or that it should be someplace else. And what’s with all the white space on the right and later on the left side as you continue to scroll down?

OK, so now on to what I really like about Slate , namely the quirky stories and the sites stunning photography. For example, you probably won’t see this story on another website “Is the Print Dictionary Doomed?” As for the photography, with the exception of the New York Times, and sometimes NPR,  I think Slate continues to set a very high bar. Having looked a bit more deeply at this I realize there is a partnership with the group Magnum Photos, but the stuff is just stunning! As I have mentioned ad-nauseum, it’s my favorite feature of the site.

So, is Slate forever destined to be that bad boyfriend, or girlfriend whose idiosyncrasies continue to distract from their better selves? I think that is exactly where Slate is right now. It knows its a media site and not a news site, but it can’t help trying to be both. That’s fine, but Slate editors realize you can still be quirky and fun without looking like such a mess. And oh yeah, pick up your socks!