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Finally Getting the Right Keys, Weeks 4-6 - 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Long-Term Road Test
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Finally Getting the Right Keys, Weeks 4-6 - 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Long-Term Road Test
This post covers weeks four through six of our saga to get the right keys for our 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. At the end of it all, we finally have working keys!
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Not a hard thing to do.
it's the ones that get angry and/or want to ramble on that makes doing follow up calls such a chore...
Salesmanship 101, maintain the illusion that the customer's business is important.
Thank you for sticking with us and really being the backbone of the Long-Term Road Test community through the years. The Long-Term program is undergoing some revisions, but it's certainly not going away. In fact, before long the content will actually be highlighted (when applicable) in the Edmunds year-specific model reviews -- our core editorial product -- so it's going to be an even more central part of what we do here in the future.
I can also tell you that we are moving away from the traditional "blog" approach in terms of daily posts, which is the transition you've picked up on lately. We've been doing some experiments with Instagram and will continue to explore that platform as a means of publishing Long-Term content every day, but when the dust settles, our primary content types will be (1) Monthly Updates on each vehicle, including fuel-economy reports and aggregated "logbook" comments based on our experiences, and (2) periodic long-form articles like what we've published in the past, e.g. if an editor takes a road trip or has an unusual experience and wants to discuss at length.
The upshot is that we're as committed as ever to the program and look forward to rolling out these new kinds of content soon. In the meantime, it's going to be quieter than usual around here, but we'll announce the changes when they're ready and hope to have your continued support.
Thanks,
Josh
So this is a considered course of action? Spare me.
Um...no, thanks - I'll show myself out.
@longtimelurker -- I appreciate you. The content really will be strong when all's said and done, but we had to act quickly in the short run due to a number of site improvements that are underway. No slight intended to you guys and I apologize for the belated communication. I hope you'll stick around for what's next.
-JS
This doesn't pass the smell test.
Edit: After checking out the Instagram posts, I have to say I'm not a fan. They are blurbs, not the analysis or reasoned takes we've come to expect. Also, and this goes back to when Edmunds first got away from InsideLine, I don't want to have to find updates by vehicle, I'd rather find updates by date.
If their long term updates disappear to a model/year drill down, then I'm done here. Take away my easy access and I won't bother. Likewise with ANY of the social media platforms. They are all blocked where I work and I don't play on them outside either. If Edmunds go to social media then they have gone where I have no wish to follow, nor the time. The current format has been moderately fun and informative, I don't see any of the suggested changes as improvements, just obstacles. See ya!
PS We shall see how long this post survives. ;-)
From a fan's perspective, though, we're looking for more. We're not just casual readers researching our next car, so maybe we're not the target audience, but we are car enthusiasts and part of the community who use this information not just for our own entertainment but also in making recommendations to others on which cars to purchase. We're "influencers." The content and ads on this website are very relevant to us. We're expecting more frequency, similar to what we see on the previously mentioned Jalopnik, Autotrader Oversteer, and Autoblog. For comparison, Cars.com also has an LT blog but I can't imagine it gets much attention because they have only three cars and generate a total of maybe 3-4 posts per month. Don't become Cars.com -- give us more regular updates on the web. Show us how the trunk button works, show us the quirks about a volume knob, tell us how to DIY a repair, and don't let the haters deter you. This is the minutia that keeps enthusiasts engaged and drives clicks over the long run. Autotrader Oversteer is a great example of this.
That's just my two cents as an auto enthusiast and a professional web guy. Hit me up on Twitter @johnkendig if you want to talk further.
The whole reason why this blog was so good in the past was the spontaneity-the feeling the writer just got out of the car and made the post, which we were able to see.
I've been on this blog for many many years. More and more lately have been transitioning to other car blogs as this one felt like the energy was being sapped from it.
Maybe it is time to let go.
As a professional investor with experience in digital media properties, I get it. Monetization is becoming very difficult and many are feeling the squeeze. Enthusiasts are also not really the audience of the traditional Edmunds visitor - a consumer actively in-market for a vehicle. Combined with increased competition in the category, it's a difficult proposition to actively support this blog. Sad to see it transition even further away from the original concept...
I will miss the old format, but I'm willing to give the new content a shot. My main concern is that we will lose out on some of the minutia that has made these blogs so informative/entertaining. I love reading extended rants on the poor design of a knob/button, and I feel that will be lost with monthly updates. I guess we'll find out!
As an IT person, this is NOT how you typically do things in a planned roll-out. This screams "un-planned incident" to me, as in re-structuring or layoffs.