Salon.com: Culture with a personal touch
By Jeff Mellen
In 18th-century France, the salon was the focal point of an
academic and philosophical enlightenment. It was an informal
gathering of intelligentsia, who discussed the issues of the day,
trends at large, new philosophies and the best way to live.
In such a salon, you might be able to discuss literature and
humanism with Voltaire, natural law with Rousseau, or capitalism and
laissez-faire with Adam Smith. Of course, you would need to be a Parisian
aristocrat.
Not so with Salon.com (http://www.salon.com).
The online magazine evokes the name of its 18th-century predecessor
with intelligent, precise articles and spirited commentary.
Making this possible is a unique structure that promotes great writing.
Salon is divided into ten main content nodes: Arts & Entertainment,
Books, Comics, Life, News, People, Politics, Sex, Tech & Business,
and Audio. The content of each section is uniquely its own, but has
a common hierarchy: a main feature, combined with recent features,
links to columnists and frequent contributors' submissions, and "Hot
Topics," links to the most-discussed stories of the day.
Each of these sections also has its own editor which exudes some personality
and uniqueness into their realm. For example, in the second
column of every section are the Editor's Picks: a collection of articles
from the past that either have present relevance or are just plain
good.
However, Salon's greatest strength is that is writers and contributors
have free reign. There are no content guidelines, no overarching
narrative style, no monolithic tone. The quality of the articles
shine through, and each have a personal feel and style unique to its
author-- making it seem as if these contributors are actually talking
to the reader and trying to engage you in an intellectual conversation.
Whether analyzing what twisted mind could come up with digital house
of horrors Rotten.com, taking in the massive "The Vagina Monologues"
reading at Madison Square Garden, or conversing with author Isabel
Allende, Salon's writers don't insult your intelligence, offer their
own opinions, and hold your interest regardless of topic. Reinforcing
this intellectually stimulating ambience is Salon's roster of
regularly contributing "high popular culture" icons, including
Garrison Keillor and Camille Paglia. Featured Letters to the
Editor complement regular articles and columns, and are often as insightful,
personal, and high up the page as Salon's original content.
Rounding out Salon's magazine presence is a popular message board,
Table Talk, in which everyday Jacques such as you and I can participate
in our own high-level discussions. The action at The Table is
not as lively as that on Slashdot, but it is more well-rounded. Sample
topics include "Why Bother Living in Indianapolis?", "The
Art of Man Hating," "Online Gambling," and "Pop
Stars-- Is Anyone Watching This Show?" Particularly
important is the "Mothers Who Think" message board and associated
pages on the Life porition of Salon. This section, which contains
articles about motherhood, family, and women's lives, in addition
to the online discussion, contributed to Salon's victory as Forbes'
"Best Parenting Site" last year. An interesting award
indeed for a more general e-zine.
Salon's only drawback are initially intimidating aesthetics.
Its narrow, four-column layout and unconventional content structure
is a little confusing for a first-time user, and articles and topics
are occasionally difficult to locate. However, Salon's articles
make up for any design quirks, by far. Thought-provoking, comprehensive,
and dynamic, it's no surprise that Yahoo! Internet Life has declared
Salon "Best Online Magazine" of 2001. Its articles,
letters to the editor, and message boards interact to create one of
the smartest sites on the 'Net. Voltaire would be proud.