Dear readers: Let us know what you’d like to see more of on Ars

Take a few minutes to comment and help us guide future coverage.

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[Perardua]

I miss the articles that do deep dives into technology. From the past, I remember articles explaining qubits and the 7-part guide to quantum mechanics. I sorely miss Jim Salter's articles describing how arcane bits of computer software work and can be administered. I do feel like Ars has cut down a lot on sourcing external material that used to provide a lot of deep explorations of technical subjects.

I love reading about personal experiences with consumer items/technology: Andrew's recent articles on 3-D printing were great. I remember once Jonathan wrote an article about a lego space-shuttle which was a great off-beat article.

 

[UserIDAlreadyInUse]

I'm pretty happy with the mix on Ars these days. I have the Tuesday Telescope, Jen's articles on the weird and the wonderful, BenjAI writing about AI, and there's so much I've learned here.

I will say, though, that one thing that stands out for me is the author and staff interaction with the commenters here. That's so, so rare to see these days and really makes this site feel like a community rather than just an outlet, if that makes sense? Gives that 1960s SoHo coffee house vibe that makes me want to be here rather than just consuming content and moving on. And in the forums, Aurich (and the Mod Squad) are a big part of why I'm there....the forums feel comfortable participating in in a way that very few social media sites do these days.

 

[sls1j]

A few things that could be interesting: Technology in sports, dyi technology use, articles on more obscure open source projects, technology in music.

 

[ChesterCardigan]

I wouldn't mind if you brought back Dealmaster, as long as the deals were actual curated good deals (and not just dozens of random things "on sale" that aren't really on sale).

 

[InfiniteJester]

More applied science, please, including medical and genetic research. I couldn't care less about theoretical physics, the string theory and other BS that has no predictive power and can neither be tested, nor falsified.

I would also love for you to cover biology, psychology, and sociology, as egregious tribalism runs rampant in the comments section.

I would also like you to disable or hide downvotes. I've been asking for this for years because downvotes turn your comments section into a giant echo chamber on far too many issues including AI. Despite the fact that AI systems are smarter than ~98% of people on this planet, people here seem to be unfazed by it and actively ridicule it.

It's nice to see a hateful following to my reasonable and rational comments. Perfectly shows that what I'm saying is true.

Obligatory:

Principal skinner it’s not me that’s wrong it’s the children.gif

 

[Tea_and_Coffee]

I think you're doing a pretty bang-up job, as it is. Personally: I'd like to see a little more PC gaming coverage, especially upcoming indie developers, and perhaps a means to organize articles by content type (Gaming, Space, Politics, etc)

Overall: I am a very happy ARS subscriber - Keep it up!

-Marc

Going to echo the above which is a great suggestion and also add some more science-focused articles. There is often good coverage of biology but physics and, especially, chemistry feel really lacking. The latter is making some really interesting developments at the moment - be that in vaccine development, new battery technologies or advances in recycling.

Articles like this and this feel they would be a good subject matter fit for the readership of Ars Technica while covering more chemistry material.

I've also noticed that there is a tendency to discuss upcoming releases of sci-fi TV shows and films. It would be nice to have reviews on the most popular of these and, additionally, some book reviews and recommendations too, particularly for sci-fi, popular science and tech-based books.

 

[TheColinous]

I think that, in general, I am happy with the mix of topics on Ars. If I could include my own little tech niche, I’d love to see more coverage of camera technology. Cameras are this weird little walled garden of chips, storage, and performance, and the sites that cover it can get quite incestuous. Bringing a bit of Ars to it would be great.

I’m also happy with the politics and policy. In general, as a European, I try to avoid American stuff, but I make an exception for Ars. First because Condé Nast has this personal vendetta against Donald Trump, so I don’t think you’ll be forced to bend the knee by your owners. Second, because I like irreverent disloyalty to jumped up autocrats. I’d like to continue to support that.

 

[GreyAreaUK]

Obligatory:

Principal skinner it’s not me that’s wrong it’s the children.gif

Also, I love how anyone downvoting must automatically be 'hateful'.

But let's not derail the thread (telling myself that).

 

[Hagen Stein]

Less political bias in reporting. Statistically 50% of the US votes conservative, you are alienating half of your audience.

(I didn't downvote you)

Facts per their very nature don't have any political bias. I do not know why specifically conservatives seem to struggle so much with that concept.

 

[MrDweezil]

Not that Ars needs to be another tv/movie site, but I can't believe we got weekly posts on a not-great Last of Us season and nothing on an all-timer Andor season.

 

[MöbiusTrip1]

I became an Ars pro sub recently after years of being a lurker.
What I value about Ars is the writing. Your staff write interesting content that isn't afraid to address the how and why of things - and yes that includes policy and politics. I find myself reading articles about topics I'm not even "interested" in, just because I know the writing will most likely be good and factual.

Honestly I'd be sad if Ars became "only" about X or Y, or somehow free of political context. I think that would be vapid and superficial journalism... and there are actually plenty of tech-sites where you can get that - they're just not very good or interesting. The world is a divisive and complicated place. There's no hiding from that. I like that Ars helps me to understand it.

Happy to pay for your journalism.

 

[FairlyTony]

I think the current coverage is pretty great, and I hope that the focus remains on science and tech. If there is room for expansion, a bit more into entertainment (particularly books and games) would be of interest to me, but I think it's quite valid to not do so, too. I tend to think of Ars as a kind of Science and Tech themed news paper, and in that context having a prominent Entertainment section can make sense.

 

[Dave's not here]

More bike tech and reviews.

 

[Causification]

I would like "partner articles" to be held to the same standard as articles written by Ars staff. Too many times I've been reading an article and thought "wow this was written by a complete fucking moron" and when I scroll back up to see the author it's some partner website, every single time. Ars writers have created an impeccable writing standard and it stands out when you post things that don't meet it.

I'd like politics articles to be limited to those related to science and technology. RFK Jr screwing up vaccine policy? Related. Elon Musk not reporting his travel to the DoD? Not related.

Edit: Oh, and maybe cover a brand of smart speakers other than Sonos.

 

[Omega_Prime]

Less focus on politics/opinion, more focus on Tech in Science.

 

[d3Xt3r]

Some Linux coverage would be nice - newbie friendly guides, comparison of various distros along with their pros and cons, hardware/compatibility reviews etc.

It doesn't even have to be Linux-specific articles, just more Linux-inclusiveness in general would be welcome. Eg recently you guys reviewed the RX 9060 XT - but all the tests were done on Windows, with zero mentions of Linux. For a technical site like Ars, I find that to be a very glaring omission, especially considering how popular Linux is these days.

WIth the end of Windows 10 looming and an increasing number of folks loking to escape the AI-riddled Microsoft ecosystem, now is the perfect time for Ars to jump onto the Linux bandwagon.

 

[mikew03]

I think one place Ars can make a difference is in AI reporting. Right now there is a massive amount of hype (and also some real potential). Ars is perfectly situated to provide balance from the AI company hype with in depth reporting and reviews of significant products. I can see two tracks: one is consumer oriented, not just what AI can do, but dangers too like AI video and scams; the other track is professional, primarily focusing on risks to the workforce with a particular focus on all aspects of engineering.

Ars needs to help keep us in the loop to both the rewards and risks of AI as it exists now (and as it evolves).

 

[fitten]

Ars already has great coverage so I really wouldn't say anything needed to be changed, but if you want suggestions:

Retro community. This covers a lot of stuff... new old stuff, etc. but I love content like the Jeremy Reimer Amiga articles and such. Perhaps interviews with various groups like The 8-Bit Guy (Commander X16, retro arcade, etc.), AgonLight2 folks, MiSTer folks, etc. about various aspects of what they're doing, etc. Those may be more difficult to find something not already covered, though.

I also like hardware and software development so stuff about programming languages developments (new standards, etc.) maybe.

 

[MMarsh]

I agree with the above. I've broadly enjoyed what gets covered here and my main request is to keep strong on the policy beat.

People have been bleating for years about how Ars is a "tech" site and you all have done a fantastic job holding the line on staying true to the actual mission statement. Now more than ever it's important to have a trusted voice making the point that there is no "science and tech" world that is totally unmoored from the political and policy spheres.

Keep it up!

I'll second that, and I'd like to see a stronger rest-of-world-that-isn't-America angle to policy topics.

Ars is US-based but the readership is global. And the issues are often global in both scope and impact. When the EU or Canada or Australia or the UK or India want to try some policy idea that's already been tested and failed elsewhere, and will have global impact, all of us - investors, employees, consumers - benefit from nipping that in the bud.

 

[WereCatf]

I would like "partner articles" to be held to the same standard as articles written by Ars staff. Too many times I've been reading an article and thought "wow this was written by a complete fucking moron" and when I scroll back up to see the author it's some partner website, every single time.

I'm rather quite annoyed by the (f)articles that read like ads: companies' claims being taken at face value, absolutely no skepticism, no attempt to try and dig into any details or anything. Especially some of the more recent AI (f)articles, for example.

 

[Dumb Svengali]

Couple of Thoughts
* Book reviews I'd love some tech-adjacent book reviews. Fiction, non-fiction, what are you reading and is it good?

• Link Roundups Your expertise and taste-making in what makes great tech writing (or non-tech writing) would be a huge asset to the rest of us. Maybe subscribers get an email or something with roundup of "Best stories across the web from the last week according to our staff".
• Gaming Content With the loss of Polygon, a little bit more serious gaming content wouldn't hurt.

Ars is easily my most cherish subscription. I don't work in tech, and really only buy some camera gear now and then from a tech front, but its such a perfect space you've kept alive with great reporting and great moderation.

 

[gijames1225]

I miss the deep dives around hardware, CPUs, and GPUs, that we would get in the 2000s from Stokes and others. With AnandTech out of the race, I would appreciate Ars getting back to that sort of thing even more.

To be honest, I stick around largely because of the comments section (and as others have noted, that is increasingly becoming an upvote farming echochamber). The actual articles at Ars aren't head and shoulders better than what many others provide (they are certainly on the better end of the spectrum though most of the time), and I think the site has moved toward 'easier' coverage like culture, politics, and entertainment pieces that are no doubt easier, quicker to write and generate plenty of engagement, but I find those sort of articles a lot less special than the hard science and technology writeups that were more common in yesteryear.

I mean, more than anything I want Ars to survive, and I know that if someone followed the above advice dogmatically the shareholders wouldn't like it, but if we could trade just a little of the culture, entertainment, and politics stuff (which are all fine!) for some more deep dives into tech and science that would be cool.

 

[mikew03]

Less focus on politics/opinion, more focus on Tech in Science.

I would like to say that politics is an unavoidable part of tech. You have to read the news for like 30 seconds to see how politics is affecting NASA science for instance, or public health. Those topics are absolutely fair game. Ars needs to stay in its lanes, but don't be afraid to deal with politics as it applies to those lanes. You have been doing great on that.

I also appreciate you taking a stand. I became a subscriptor++ after your recent essay standing up for truth and science, but those kinds of articles are hopefully rare, and only needed in, well, frankly emergency circumstances. An example from yesterday: The senate is going to gut NASA science to save Artemis? That needs to be talked about here.

 

[Witepa]

You're doing great, I have loved ars consistently since 2009! One thing that I recall enjoying that I haven't seen as much of lately is technical deep dives or guides on a certain topic. E.g. one that I would read today is a deep survey of the current generation of programming languages - why they started, how it's going, and how will it impact the industry, rife with historical parallels and the big picture.

 

[Hoptimist]

What some call political is often just appropriate context and framing - necessary for understanding the topic. Stay the course as they say. I'd like to see more on the impact of tech on society - even speculative takes with in house and guest writers. Get a broader audience thinking about where the guardrails should be for applications of new tech, which is just nascent tech policy.

 

[Rambie]

I like ARS as it is now so if nothing changed I'd be fine. That said some tweaks I would like:

-More indie game reviews and interviews with their designers
-3D printing tech - not just consumer but a look at where the cutting edge is too
-I agree with others some more international coverage would be great too. Especially with the gutting of science in the US
-I love the EV articles and automotive articles from Dr Gitlin, Space coverage by Eric and Stephen, Beth's articles, Kyle and Andrews articles, and Benj's LLM articles.

 

[Vere Senex]

Far more coverage of:
-- Space in general
-- SpaceX in particular
-- But NASA, ESA, INSA, ArianeSpace, and others

Less content from other Conde Nast web sites with, at best, tangential relationship to the "ars technica," correctly defined.
-- Inside Climate News? Please, no.
If you are required by Conde Nast to include the CN dreck, provide a new filter to just exclude it. It reduces the SN ratio.

Do more:
Scientific, technical analysis of specific news issues. There is a ship burning off the coast of Alaska today--likely due to burning Lithium Ion batteries. The mouth-breathing media (MBM) is writing for clicks and outrage--write about the how and why and detail the what happens, and what could happen.

Sure, we've all see the videos of volunteer fire companies trying to hose down a burning Tesla. A lot of us have either been bumped off airline flights, or had IT staff accost us on our way to the airport to replace our laptop. We understand that LI batteries can, um, 'splode.

But when those batteries burn, all that chemistry is off-gassed. What happens then? Does the fire onboard get even more messy? If the ship sinks, are there impacts to Alaskan fisheries (or British Columbia fisheries for that matter)?

That's going deep into the chemistry--but how about showing the use of "ars technica" as well? The crew has evacuated--how? How is the ship being tracked/monitored? How is satellite tech being used in ocean shipping (and ocean sailboat racing) today? How can a solo round-the-world sailor (Cole Brauer) become a YouTube sensation with daily posts?

And tech fun! Who is doing the weirdest, wildest, coolest mod of a robot vacuum? How 'about a cost of AT readers to see which of us is doing weird mods to Colonel Dustard?

Bottom line: if the Conde Nast people you meet at "all hands" meetings give the impression that you're becoming socially acceptable, you're losing your audience. Go geek, stay geek, geek harder. D00d.

 

[eaving]

I appreciate that at the moment you cover a wide range of Science and Tech topics. Love the regular rocket reports, essentially anything ever written by Jennifer Ouellette in specific, and then just the range of tech, health, science, and politics in as much as it relates to any of the above issues. (And I do find politics damned depressing at the moment, but that doesn't mean its any less important that you keep throwing it at us).
I'd probably like a little more consumer audio and perhaps some topics a little outside the dead center of computer gaming and computer hardware. Any 3A title is going to buy enough press on its own, but if your crew comes across odd little gems they love, let us know about them.

 

[snowcone]

You could clone Beth Mole.

 

[Thrasius]

More weather, not climate, science. I think Eric Berger used to do seasonal updates on weather patterns and other significant weather events, both from a short-term weather and longer-term climate perspective. I miss those.

 

[gijames1225]

I would prefer seeing less politics here. I come here for news on technology and gaming.

I doubt that's ever happening. Look at the comment counts on political articles. For better or for worse, politics is big business, now more than ever.

They should take some of the ad money that gets made off the political coverage though and do more gaming coverage though.

 

[GreyAreaUK]

You could clone Beth Mole.

And then she could write an article on it

 

[Joebot0101]

I really enjoy the tech / space policy articles, the medical policy articles, practical tech application articles. More international coverage would be welcome and interesting, esp given that our immediate (American) future is going to be a lot of “here’s the next idiotic science hating thing the administration’s done”.

Seconding the downvote to affiliated articles, the quality shift is stark and annoying.

 

[TSmithwick]

I'd like to see an AI at Home series. I've seen prices like $50,000 or so for the hardware required to run a LLM like DeepSeek R1v2 full size—not in most home budgets. But there to exist quantized models, and ways to run then on standard gaming PCs and Macs.
And the price on these is going down; two years ago it might have cost $200,000 for that much compute.
LMStudio is a way to run lots of Hugging Face models, and there are many more. It's kind of confusing...

 

[Mentil]

Oftentimes there'll be a preview of a game/movie/TV show here, and then I'll hear nothing further and forget about it. A year later I'll think "what ever happened with $thing?" and check Metacritic and see it got middling reviews. Some kind of regular 'review roundup' with a few paragraphs per thing, rather than a 5k word essay for one thing that spoils it entirely (and hides the one piece of info I wanted at the very end), might be nice.

 

[wozniakp]

I could use more of the automotive reviews, specifically the deeper dives that get into some of the tech (both mechanics and infotainment tech) which differentiate vehicles in the same general class or adjacent classes.

I dont know if this is something in the skillset of the automotive authors, but maybe periodic feature of good used car deals (with a focus on models that have been reviewed over the years?) with analysis of why they are recommending them.

Also, as an aside, I think I have pinpointed the street EricB lives on based on all the pics of the dash/infotainment system in stories over the years.

Finally, I think the main automotive guy is a phenomenal writer, love reading his stuff, but he is clearly also kind of a douchebag . So when he wrote that mea culpa to Volvo ~month ago, that was one of the best things I have read on Ars in awhile. Would love to see more self reflection and analysis of why opinion on a given topic has changed over time (not just in the automotive section, probably across the site).

I would also like more of the "Dan Goodin" beat, basically more "hacker" news (defined as broadly as possible).

I dont know if anyone follows @AndrewLambrecht on Twitter or have read his stuff, but he always seemed like an Ars author to me.

 

[l8gravely]

I would like to see changes made to the comments section to promote more nuanced discussions. Over the years Ars has devolved from one of the best places on the internet to read the comments to quite an intense echo chamber with comments seeming to focus most on whatever will get the most up votes rather than what will foster the best exchange of ideas. I would like to see this community be less like reddit and more like a place that welcomes heterodox opinions and debates things in a dignified way rather than dogpiling heritics.

What to change to promote that sort of culture is a hard question. Changes to moderation policy could be helpful. Perhaps an even more helpful change would be removing the comment voting system, or at least removing the down vote feature. There are many possible ways to pursue it, but I strongly suggest you look into it. The internet has way too many echo chambers. Ars should back away from its contributions to that problem somehow.

For me it's been the loss of the emojis in the article ranking that annoys me as a long (16+ year) subscriber. Bring back the funny, wrong, sad, or other rankings again!

As for coverage, I'd like a small shift back to more desktop equipment reviews, particularly monitors. But I don't know how you can review them without major effort for minimal gain. EVeryone has different desires in what they want. I'm just a non-gamer who wants a big screen for working on as I sit at my desk for 8 hours as day. A pair of old NEC Multisync monitors do fine... but what will I replace them with?

I also agree a little less on the ICE, especially with the demise of manual transmissions. Sniff sniff.

Maybe some more history of technology? But those can be long long long articles and hard to justify. At least you're not doing too many "oh new shiny battery tech that 10 years out!" as the hot new thing. So do keep up the core science coverage, I always appreciate it!

Heck, I happily pay for ARS to get rid of the ads, so you've avoided most enshitification issues with a product that really works well. Bravo!

 

[snowcone]

And then she could write an article on it

genius!
Now we just need to invent a method of cloning that involves flesh eating bacteria!