Her opening salvo was, "Did someone get fired from USA News?" I believe she meant USA Today, the newspaper that pioneered the use of lots of color on section fronts.

But overall, she hated the paper's new look. And she wants it changed back to the old look. I hope she is not holding her breath.

Her ideas are in the minority of those expressed either on the phone or via e-mail since the newspaper's look changed last Tuesday. About 10 percent of the readers who expressed an opinion in the first two days were against the changes, but 90 percent of the readers were either thrilled or reasonably happy with the new look.

An example is this e-mail: "I love your new look especially the new photo of Gordon Monson - what a hunk! Is this going to increase my subscription rate?"

Your subscription rate probably will not go up, since you are the only person I have ever heard describe Monson as a "hunk."

A number of readers admitted after talking on the phone that they probably would "get used to the new look" after a few weeks.

In the shock of their first looks at the new design, these same readers forgot they have made the adjustment to new layouts a number of times since they became subscribers. Newspapers evolve the same way everything else in life evolves.

One reader sent this suggestion in an e-mail: "I think the paper has too much color to it. Remove the color at the top of each section. The black and white was easier to read." Again, please do not hold your breath.

For those of you who have not found them yet, the celebrity birthdays and other star news items can be found at the top of the page following the second comic page.

The folks who read The Tribune online made a faster adjustment to the paper's Web site redesign, as these e-mails indicate:

"Just wanted to compliment you on the new look for sltrib.com. It looks great!"

"Outstanding!!! Very attractive, practical Web design for paper."

"I am truly impressed. When I opened the online newspaper this morning: The Look. The Layout. It has excellent eye appeal. Good work Trib!"

"I want to compliment you on your new web presentation. It is attractive, clean, easy to read and very user friendly. The best of any of the papers in Utah."

Some online users were confused about finding stories from previous days, but readers can find staff-written stories from the previous 30 days by using key words in the search feature.

The total number of comments on the new online look - 932 positive and 737 negative - are probably closer in scope than the numbers positive and negative for the printed edition for several reasons: Online readers did not have to pick up the phone or create an e-mail to comment; some online readers have browser compatibility problems and some online readers may have had trouble getting used to new navigation bars. "We had significant changes in how people have to find their content," according to Manny Mellor, online editor.

Overall, Tribune Assistant Managing Editor for Presentation Josh Awtry is happy with the first few days of the redesigns. He acknowledges that the online redesign was the most drastic - and he is happy that the Web edition staff has been so responsive to readers.

But, in terms of difficulty for the staff overall, Awtry feels the tough part was the first few days of the print edition redesign. "We have had technical hurdles, but the production team stepped up and did a great job. We will only get better."

Number of people who like new Tribune design

122

Number of people who hate new Tribune design

14

Number of people who love new Web site design

932

Number of people who hate new Web site design

737

Number of people asking about circulation problems

46

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ä The Reader Advocate's phone number is 801-257-8782. Write to the Reader Advocate, The Salt Lake Tribune, 90 S. 400 West, Suite 700, Salt Lake City, Utah 84101. reader.advocate @sltrib.com

ä 122: Number of people who like new Tribune design

ä 14: Number of people who hate new Tribune design

ä 932: Number of people who like new Web site design

ä 737: Number of people who hate new Web site design

ä 46: Number of people asking about circulation problems