Slashdot FAQ - Editorial
How do I submit stories to Slashdot?
You can submit a story by using the Submissions Bin. When you submit a story, please remember to include appropriate links. Also, you'll have a better chance of getting our attention if you use a clear and specific subject line.
Before you submit a story, please take a minute to make sure it's not a duplicate of a story we've posted already. Check the main Slashdot page and make sure it hasn't already been posted. If it's not breaking news, you might also run a search to see if it's something that might have been posted on a previous day. Roughly ten percent of all our story submissions are duplicates of stories we've already posted.
Answered by: CmdrTaco
Last Modified: 6/19/00
How do I add a badge or "Slashdot It" link to my own page?
You can add a small badge like this to your site to allow readers to automatically submit your page as a story to Slashdot for story consideration.
We've added a complete Badges How-To to the FAQ.
Answered by: scc
Last Modified: 10/3/07
Where do I submit corrections or update s to previous stories?
The best way to submit followups is just as if you were submitting any other news item to Slashdot: please use the web submission form (rather than email). However, if your story ties closely to a specific story that's already run (for instance, if you have an update about a situation which has changed since the last time it was mentioned on Slashdot), please include a link to the previous story to which you're referring, rather than merely alluding to it.
Answered by: Timothy
Last Modified 4/28/05
Where do I submit Press Releases?
Slashdot will certainly review press releases from anyone who chooses to submit them through our standard submission form. However, please be aware that your product/service/tradeshow might not be as interesting to us as it is to you, and we are relatively unlikely to select press releases to be posted to the Slashdot main page. You're welcome to try, but please use the form as our email boxes are already bursting at the seams with unwanted press releases that if printed, could easily wallpaper a large portion of the Pyramids at Giza.
Answered by: CmdrTaco
Last Modified: 7/10/03
Can I email a Story Submission?
In short, no. Any story submission emailed directly to any Slashdot author will almost certainly be deleted and immediately forgotten. You will get no feedback whatsoever.
Please understand that there are a half a dozen people who deal with Slashdot story submissions during any given week. If you email one of us directly, the others won't see your great submission. You might email someone who is on vacation, sleeping, or has a downed network connection. And even if they are around, you're just going to irritate them for not using the correct channels for your submission. Yeah, maybe we should be more patient, but after reading tens of thousands of submissions, you just want them to be in the right place.
It's also worth noting that when you submit a story using the form, you have the option to be alerted when your story is accepted or rejected. You also can be certain that the correct name and URL will be included with your submission. Nobody who emails a story directly to us remembers to tell us what URL they want their name linked to!
So to wrap up, if you submit your story to The Submissions Bin then the appropriate person will certainly evaluate your story, and accept or reject it in a timely manner. If you email it, it will be ignored.
Answered by: CmdrTaco
Last Modified: 12/29/03
Can I submit a story anonymously?
Yes. And furthermore, anonymous submission will not increase or decrease the chances that we'll select it. (We do, however, reserve the right to refer to you as an Anonymous Coward, and mock you mercilessly.)
Answered by: CmdrTaco
Last Modified: 6/19/00
How do I Ask Slashdot?
Ask Slashdot is maintained by the editorial staff. We prefer that you submit questions through the submissions form, selecting the section "Ask Slashdot" so we know to route the question appropriately.
Answered by: CmdrTaco
Last Modified: 10/29/00
Why didn't you post my story?
This is a tough one.
Slashdot gets hundreds of submissions every day. Every day our authors go through these submissions, and try to select the most interesting, timely, and relevant ones to post to the homepage. There are probably as many reasons for stories to get rejected as there are stories, but here are some of the more common ones:
- Badly worded subjects
- Broken or missing URLs
- Confusing or hysterical sounding writeup
- It might be an old story
- It might just be a busy day and we've already posted enough stories
- Someone already submitted your story
- Your story just might not be interesting!
This last one requires a little explanation: if you submit a story, and we don't select it because we think it's not particularly interesting, we're not making a judgment about you as a human being. Deciding the interest level of a story is a very subjective thing, and we have to take into account not only the intrinsic interest of the story itself, but what else is happening that day. On a day when lots of things are happening, we reject some very good stories. But on a day when nothing interesting is happening, we may post something not really as cool.
The bottom line is that we have to select stories with an eye towards whatever is going to make Slashdot be what it is for that particular day. (If you want a slightly fuller explanation of this idea, read about The Omelette.)
Answered by: CmdrTaco
Last Modified: 6/19/00
Why hasn't my story been accepted or rejected yet?
Usually stories are examined within a few hours of their submission. Sometimes, however (and usually with stories that are submitted as Ask Slashdot or chosen as potential quickies), it might be weeks before it closes. Usually these things aren't time dependent... the answer won't change if the question is posed tomorrow or in a week, and since Ask Slashdot gets 5x more submissions then we use, there's some delay there. So be patient.
Answered by: CmdrTaco
Last Modified: 10/29/00
Why do some stories show up in the index, but not on the homepage?
Slashdot has too many submissions to post them all, but many submissions are worth posting for folks specifically interested in them. We post many stories in the sub sections that don't appear on the homepage. Examples are Ask Slashdot, Your Rights Online, and Apache. Each of these sections has a smaller, more devoted group of readers with a more specific interest in these subjects.
These sections are listed on the left hand side of Slashdot, along with the date they were last updated, and the number of stories that appeared within that section on that day.
Answered by: CmdrTaco
Last Modified: 10/29/00
My story submission was "accepted"; how come I never saw it?
Usually it's because of this, but sometimes you just need to be patient. Many stories are accepted, but not posted for a few hours (for a variety of reasons: to give existing stories some time to be read and commented on, or to have a second author give a second opinion on some detail).
Answered by: CmdrTaco
Last Modified: 10/29/00
Sometimes I see duplicate stories on Slashdot. What's up with that?
These are just mistakes on the part of the staff. They happen. We have posted over ten thousand stories in our history. The occasional duplicate is inevitable.
If you see a duplicate, you can mail the story's author. If the story is still quiet, we may pull it down. However, once the comments are rolling in, we often leave the story up so that the discussion can continue.
Some people have suggested that there might be a software solution to this problem. If you think you've got one, visit the Slashcode site and submit a diff. As long as it isn't a performance hit, I'd consider using it. (Be aware however that the trick of searching for duplicate URLs isn't as helpful as you might think, since the same story can appear in multiple locations.)
Answered by: CmdrTaco
Last Modified: 10/28/00
I submitted that a month ago!
A lot of times, we don't use a particular story on a particular day, but at some later point, someone else submits it, and it ends up getting used. We have 4 to 6 guys working together to post things on Slashdot. What one of us finds stupid, the others might find interesting. Or it just might be the rest of the stuff that's going on that day. There are a variety of factors: the personality of the post, the quality of the submission, or even the quantity of stories already posted when your submission entered the queue.
Answered by: CmdrTaco
Last Modified: 6/8/00
Someone else got credit for a story I submitted!
As a whole we think we do a good job, but sometimes we make mistakes. We're always sorry when we do, but considering the thousands of weekly submissions, we think we're definitely coming out ahead.
Answered by: CmdrTaco
Last Modified: 6/8/00
I want to write an editorial. What should I do?
Before you get carried away, mail me a synopsis of your idea (put the text 'Proposed Feature' in the subject). That way I can tell you if it is something we would consider posting before you bother to write the whole thing.
And, hey - even if we're not interested in it, there's always a chance someone else will be. If we say "no thanks," you might want to query some of the other websites before you drop the idea.
Answered by: CmdrTaco
Last Modified: 6/8/00
I want to write a book review. What should I do?
Make sure the book hasn't been reviewed before, or at least anytime lately. Also, be sure to read our book review guidelines so you know what we're looking for. When you're ready to submit it, you can do so on our submissions page. When submitting your book review, you can help us out by marking it for the "Book Reviews" section, so that it gets sorted into the proper channels. (and increases the chances of it getting posted) Any questions about the process? You can email timothy with them, and he'll help you out.
Answered by: CowboyNeal
Last Modified: 2/22/01
Why is your grammar/spelling so bad?
We're more interested in getting the stories out quickly than we are in making sure every post passes the white glove test. These days we have a copy editor who catches most of the spelling and grammar mistakes, but things do sometimes slip through.
If you see a mistake in a story, email the author. We'll get it fixed pronto.
Answered by: CmdrTaco
Last Modified: 6/8/00
Why did you post story X?
Slashdot is many things to many people. Some people think it's a Linux site. To others, it's a geek hangout. I've always worked very hard to make sure that Slashdot matches up with my interests and the interests of my authors. We think we're pretty typical Slashdot readers... but that does mean that occasionally one of us might post something that you think is inappropriate. You might be interested in my Omelette rant.
Personally, I have a pet peeve when people post comments saying things like "That's not News For Nerds!" and "That's not Stuff that Matters!" Slashdot has been running for almost 5 years, and over that time, I have always been the final decision maker on what ends up on the homepage. It turns out that a lot of people agree with me: Linux, Legos, Penguins, Sci (both real and fiction). If you've been reading Slashdot, you know what the subjects commonly are, but we might deviate occasionally. It's just more fun that way. Variety Is The Spice Of Life and all that, right? We've been running Slashdot for a long time, and if we occasionally want to post something that someone doesn't think is right for Slashdot, well, we're the ones who get to make the call. It's the mix of stories that makes Slashdot the fun place that it is.
Answered by: CmdrTaco
Last Modified: 6/26/00
How do you verify the accuracy of Slashdot stories?
We don't. You do. :) If something seems outrageous, we might look for some corroboration, but as a rule, we regard this as the responsibility of the submitter and the audience. This is why it's important to read comments. You might find something that refutes, or supports, the story in the main.
Answered by: CmdrTaco
Last Modified: 10/28/00
Slashdot seems to be very U.S.-centric. Do you have any plans to be more international in your scope?
Slashdot is U.S.-centric. We readily admit this, and really don't see it as a problem. Slashdot is run by Americans, after all, and the vast majority of our readership is in the U.S. We're certainly not opposed to doing more international stories, but we don't have any formal plans for making that happen. All we can really tell you is that if you're outside the U.S. and you have news, submit it, and if it looks interesting, we'll post it.
It is worth noting that there is a Japanese Slashdot run by VA Japan. While we helped them a little in their early days, they essentially run their own content without any real involvement from us... none of us can read Kanji! There are currently no plans to do other language or nation specific Slashdot sites.
Answered by: CmdrTaco
Last Modified: 10/3/04
Would you be interested in creating mirror sites in other languages and have people translate articles? Different articles for different sites?
There are some sites like this already. For example, there's a Spanish site, and a Portuguese one. These sites aren't run by us, however. We have discussed the possibility of international mirrors, but we haven't made any decisions yet.
Answered by: CmdrTaco
Last Modified: 10/28/00
"The Omelette"
Let me try to give you an analogy for Slashdot's homepage. It's like an omelette: it's a combination of sausage and ham and tomatoes and eggs and more. Over the years, we've figured out what ingredients are best on Slashdot. The ultimate goal is, of course, to create an omelette that I enjoy eating: by 8pm, I want to see a dozen interesting stories on Slashdot. I hope you enjoy them too. I believe that we've grown in size because we share a lot of common interests with our readers. But that doesn't mean that I'm gonna mix an omelette with all sausages, or someday throw away the tomatoes because the green peppers are really fresh.
There are many components to the Slashdot Omelette. Stories about Linux. Tech stories. Science. Legos. Book Reviews. Yes, even Jon Katz. By mixing and matching these things each and every day, we bring you what I call Slashdot. On some days it definitely is better than others, but overall we think it's a tasty little treat and we hope you enjoy eating as much as we enjoy cooking it.
Answered by: CmdrTaco
Last Modified: 6/14/00
What are the Slashdot Sections for?
Stories on Slashdot can appear on the main page (the one you see when you go to slashdot.org, or in the site's various subsections such as Science and Ask Slashdot. If you're wondering what each of those section names really means, we hope this page will clear things up. Some sections have specific editors associated with them. Feel free to directly contact those editors with specific questions about the section.
Index
This is Slashdot's catch-all category. If your submission doesn't fit better into one of the sections described below, you can always choose "Index." Most submissions should go in this section, but if there is a more appropriate section, choosing it will get it into the hands of the right person more quickly.
Apache
The Apache section is for anything about the Apache web server.
Apple
For all things Mac, or otherwise related to Apple computers and OS X.
Ask Slashdot
If you're seeking advice from the Slashdot readership about jobs, computer hardware, software glitches, philosophical problems, etc, select the Ask Slashdot section. Regarding Legal Advice: When seeking advice on topics that touch on legal aspects, please remember that you should always be prepared to consult professional legal representation. It doesn't hurt to Ask Slashdot for pointers, and suggestions to save you some time, but Ask Slashdot should not be used in place of professional legal representation.
Book Reviews
This section is for your original book reviews on (not necessarily) tech books, the more recent the better. If you're interested in submitting book reviews to slashdot, make sure you've read through the book review guidelines, too.
Editor samzenpus
BSD
The BSD section hosts news about the various modern UNIXes derived from Berkeley's distribution (like Free, Open and NetBSD).
Developers
News about the software, or anything that directly affects the practice of programming. A new programming language? A useful technique? Licensing snafus? Use "Developers."
Features
For your original feature-length articles.
Games
If it beeps, scores points, and robs you from time at work, odds are good you should be choosing Games.
Editors [email protected]
Geeks in Space
We've disabled this section for submissions (Geeks in Space is a web audio broadcast featuring several of the editors of Slashdot, which you may have forgotten since it hasn't had fresh episodes recently).
Interviews
This is a good place to suggest possible Slashdot interviewees (with contact information, if possible, and background material for un-informed editors).
IT
Anything that people with "Information Technology" in their job description might be interested to know.
Linux
The Linux section is for news specific to every penguin's favorite OS.
Politics
This section is for news relevant to United States government politics. It was created primarily to cover the 2004 US Presidential Election, but today exists for occasional stories that fit the bill.
Polls
Submit your most thought-provoking poll questions here. Suggestion: provide 4-6 potential answers of no more than 12 words each, and phrase your poll answers in the form of a list.
Science
This is the place for science articles. Cool technology, space telescope observations, interesting medical research ... all perfect for the Science section.
Your Rights Online
News affecting your ability to live as a free, responsible person online belongs in the Your Rights Online (YRO) section. Spam, invasions of privacy, onerous licenses -- they all go here.
Answered by: CmdrTaco
Last Modified: 12/1/04