While I applaud Topix.net’s efforts, I hope they understand that going to a Web 2.0 type of model is not the end all to be all…

Topix.net hinted at the forthcoming changes during an interview WebProNews conducted with Chris Tolles, Topix.net VP for Sales and Marketing (read it here and here). Now those changes have arrived with a relaunch of the news portal.

Users who have grown accustomed to the subdued blues and greys of Topix.net will see that has been replaced with a bright orange box atop the page, more whitespace throughout the site, and larger fonts for stories. Topix still mixes stories from blogs and news sources in its categories, but the shaded background used to identify blog posts has been eliminated in favor of a small white ‘B’ on an orange dot. [Read the rest]