This is a JSON-like data structure containing configuration facts for the 20 Minuten (20min.ch) website and it’s various regional versions (German and French). It includes links to various sections of the site, social media profiles, games, apps, advertising information, and more. It also contains API endpoints for various services like comments, content rating, user profiles, and SEO.
Here’s a breakdown of the key sections:
de and fr: These sections contain language-specific configurations for the German and French versions of the site, respectively. They include things like:
application: The name of the application (20min).
domainName: The domain name (20min.ch).
incentives: A link to a user account/incentive program.
dateFormat: Date and time formatting.
ogSiteName: the Open Graph site name for social sharing.
localeCode: The locale code (e.g., “de-CH” for German Switzerland).
language: The language code (e.g., “de”).
languages: An array of supported languages.
languagePaths: An array of URLs for each language version.
languageTenants: Tenant IDs for each language.
tenantId: The tenant ID for the current language. totmPageName: Page name for “Top of the Morning” (likely a daily newsletter).
embedUrls: URLs for embedding content, like the video player.
socialMedia: Links to social media profiles.
audio: Links to audio content.
slideshow: Configuration for slideshows.
gdpr: Link to GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) information.
agb: link to terms and conditions.
jobs: Link to job postings.
imprint: Link to the legal imprint/impressum.
sitemap: Link to the sitemap. report: Email address for reporting issues.
authorPage: Path to the author page.
kostenloseSpiele: Links to free games.
gadget: Links to various gadgets/tools on the site.
social: Links to social media profiles. region: Links to regional versions of the site.
mainLogoPath: Path to the main logo image.
mainLogoHeight: Height of the main logo.
mainLogoWidth: Width of the main logo. email: Contact email address.
channelUrl: URLs for specific content channels (video, lifestyle).
telephone: Phone number.
ownershipFundingInfo: Link to information about ownership and funding.
twitterLink: Link to the Twitter profile.
instagramLink: Link to the Instagram profile.
wikipediaLink: link to the Wikipedia page. nativeApps: Information about native mobile apps.
deeplinks: Configuration for deep linking into the app.
canonicalBaseUrl: The base URL for canonical URLs. tenantName: The name of the tenant (20 Minuten).
showTioLink: Boolean indicating whether to show a link to Tio.ch (another news site).
reCaptchaSiteKey: The reCAPTCHA site key.
accounts: URLs for user account management (login, registration, logout).
comment: Configuration for the commenting system.
analytics: API endpoint for analytics data. contentRating: API endpoint for content rating.
popularity: API endpoint for popular content.
user: API endpoints for user profile management.
seo: API endpoints for SEO-related tasks.
editor: API endpoints for editor-related tasks.
newsletter: Configuration for newsletter subscriptions.
frontPagePath: The path to the front page.
frontCategory: The category of the front page.
frontCategoryAdContext: Ad context for the front page category.
games: An array of available games.
gameCarousel: Links to various games in a carousel.
advertiseSheetLink: Link to the advertising rate sheet. advertisementLegalDocLink: Link to the legal document for advertising.
radioWidgetLink: Link to the radio widget.
topicCategoryHref: Link to the topic category overview.
* dailyNewsletter: Configuration for the daily newsletter.
In essence, this data provides a comprehensive configuration for the 20 Minuten website, allowing it to be customized for different languages and regions, and providing access to various services and features. It’s the kind of data that would be used by the website’s front-end and back-end systems to render the site and provide its functionality.
Decoding 20 Minuten: An Inside Look at How News Websites Operate
Time.news Editor: Welcome, everyone, to Time.news. Today, we’re diving deep into the technical underpinnings of modern news websites. to help us understand what goes on behind the scenes, we have Anya Sharma, a leading expert in web architecture and digital media strategy. Anya, welcome!
Anya Sharma: Thank you for having me!
Time.news Editor: We’ve been analyzing some fascinating configuration data from 20min.ch, a popular Swiss news platform. It’s like a blueprint revealing how the website is organized for different languages and regions. Can you break down what this kind of data structure represents in layman’s terms?
Anya Sharma: Absolutely. Think of it as a master control panel. This JSON-like configuration file houses all the critical settings and connections for 20 Minuten. It dictates everything from the website’s look and feel in German versus French to where the site fetches user data or advertisements.It’s essentially the central nervous system of their digital presence. The key aspect of this is how languages are separated (“de” vs “fr”). This allows for tailored experiences, reflecting nuances beyond just simple translation.
Time.news Editor: So,it’s more then just a language switch. We noticed elements like localeCode (e.g., “de-CH”) and different languagePaths. What’s the significance of this localized approach? Why not just one website with multilingual options?
Anya Sharma: That’s a great question! The localeCode is critical for things like date and time formatting – Switzerland has specific conventions that differ from Germany, even within the same language.The separate languagePaths allows them to optimize each version of the site for its specific audience. It can influence SEO rankings, ad targeting, and even the type of content promoted. Think about it: a story resonating in Zurich might not be as relevant in Geneva. The fact that they even include the languageTenants ID just goes to show you the granular level of configuration they are working from.
Time.news Editor: Speaking of SEO, the data mentions seo API endpoints. How does this kind of configuration influence a website’s search engine visibility?
Anya Sharma: That’s a core function. this is why these configuration files are integral to ranking in search engines like Google. The seo API likely handles tasks like generating sitemaps, managing canonical URLs (as reflected in the canonicalBaseUrl entry), and structuring data for rich snippets, which are those enhanced search results you frequently enough see. By controlling these elements programmatically, the site can adapt quickly to changes in SEO best practices and maintain high visibility.
Time.news Editor: We also saw references to things like comment, contentRating, and user APIs. What security or privacy considerations arise from having these services so tightly integrated into the site’s core configuration?
Anya Sharma: Security and privacy are paramount. Exposing these API endpoints requires robust security measures. They likely use authentication and authorization protocols to ensure only authorized users and systems can access sensitive data. GDPR compliance is a huge factor, as evidenced by the gdpr link. They need to be obvious about how user data is collected, stored, and used. This type of configuration data usually won’t contain the sensitive data themselves, but it’s the critical information that reveals where the user data can be acquired.
Time.news Editor: The 20 Minuten configuration includes links to various social media profiles and even ad specifications (advertiseSheetLink). How does this integration benefit the news organization?
Anya sharma: Social media integration is about amplifying their reach and driving traffic back to the website. Consistent branding and direct links from the site to their social media platforms help build their community. Providing advertisers with specifications and legal documents directly within the configuration streamlines the advertising process. This is vital for revenue generation. social media share buttons are also typically defined somewhere in these configuration files so that the audience can cross-post their content.
Time.news Editor: Are there any potential drawbacks to having so much crucial information centralized in a single configuration file?
Anya Sharma: Absolutely. A single point of failure is a huge risk. If this file is corrupted or compromised, the entire website could malfunction. Developers need to have robust backups, version control, and security protocols in place. Properly managing changes to this file becomes essential to ensure that unintended changes aren’t pushed live.
Time.news Editor: For our readers running smaller websites or blogs,what key takeaways can they apply from this example of a large news organization’s configuration setup?
Anya Sharma: Even on a smaller scale,structure is crucial. Use configuration files to manage your website’s settings, especially if you have multiple environments (progress, staging, production). Think about how you can use APIs to integrate services securely. Prioritize security and privacy when handling user data. And most importantly, have a solid backup and disaster recovery plan.Having consistent usage of features such as canonicalBaseUrl across the site will ensure proper SEO when working lean.
Time.news Editor: Anya Sharma, this has been incredibly insightful. Thank you for shedding light on the inner workings of modern news websites.
Anya sharma: My pleasure! Thanks for having me.
