No, I will not make you my homepage.

There are still too many news sites out there with the exhortation to “Make Us Your Homepage.” No. My homepage is Google Reader. I aggregate hundreds of headlines from around the world, catered to my own interests. I get far more information about the world than I could from your site. I’m used to scanning headlines to pick out stories that interest me. It’s much easier than trying to wade through any news site. Instead of the “Make Us Your Homepage” strategy, you should offer to be a part of my homepage. Earn a few pixels of my attention. Earn the right to my subscription. You won’t do it with car accidents and house fires, so you better have some damn good custom options. You may win me over with a good RSS reader that is catered to my local tastes, too. I’d download it if it truly reflected my interests. Your site is on the right track if you can answer this question, truthfully, to yourself: Would I subscribe to my own RSS feed?