Infested with Blogs
By megan dealOctober 7th, 2007
By: Megan Deal
Blogs are everywhere. They’re inescapable communities that establish themselves anytime someone or a group of someones has something to show or say. They’ll grab ahold of their participants for hours, whether one is mindlessly scrolling, or thoughtfully engaging within the conversation. These portals of user-generated content are becoming an especially popular tool for designers and design students, as they’re employed for a myriad of different purposes. Whether establishing an arena for design discourse, or being used to simply document a personal or group process, blogs will continue to rise in popularity as a viable means of communication.
What interests me, however, is the role of blogs as a means of critically discussing design issues, and in what ways, if any, blogs may challenge the relevance of the printed page. Are critical design publications no longer necessary? Will blogs be the only source for critical dialogue to unfold in the future? What does this mean for design students?
First, we must look at what blogs allow us to do. The obvious advantage to blog communication rests in the equal accessibility of content to anyone, so long as the individual is well armed with a computer and a connection. For many well known blogs, (think Design Observer and Speak Up) this accessibility allows for a wide range of user responses to surface, providing readers with multiple viewpoints and insight towards a particular topic. In addition, blogs allow for ideas and responses to be published, quite literally, at the click of a button, drastically increasing the speed at which users receive information. Compared to traditional publications, which can take between four and six months before a story reaches the printed page, blogs become “instant transmitters of thought.” (1) This immediacy leads to a consistent evolution of content, with each new contribution leading to the blog’s reinvention. The reader is placed within an information race and it becomes their responsibility to keep up!
But with it’s accessibility, immediacy, and kinetic nature, blogs still have their downfalls. Everyone with a word processor these days can become publishers. With this craze in self-publishing and swarm of blogs in creation, the user faces the challenge of choosing which blogs obtain the most valid sources of information. It would seem that one is required to spend an abundance of time sifting through irrelevant content, rather then actually contemplating important issues. More time is spent in “search mode” rather the “process mode,” leading one to question how much knowledge is actually being scrutinized and retained. (2)
The immediacy of blogs means that writing is often less refined and/or historically situated then it may be if it were going to print. (*note, this is a broad generalization, as I would imagine that many seasoned writers do indeed take the time to properly edit their writing before publishing) For many, especially design students, this may seem like an irrelevant concern, especially if one uses blogs only as a venue for casual design dialogue. However, if blogs are to become a major source for critical writing, I see this rawness and “editorial oversight” devaluing the writer’s ideas. (3) If young designers are to learn to write critically, attention must be given to the contemplative nature of the traditional writing process, a quality lost within the immediate demands of blogs. Further, we must recognize that what we say on blogs often has been discussed before, and should be properly situated within the correct context. Without documentation or footnotes, blogs make no reference to the past, making it seem as if the current discourse on design has developed from a blank slate. (4) It’s as if no designer or design critic has said anything relevant to contemporary issues before the turn of the millennium. By not properly citing our sources of information, students or other “bloggers” are depreciating their own arguments. We must begin to adequately recognize the context from which our ideas stem, so as to provide grounds for a richer, more informed dialogue to develop.
So what does this mean for students? For most of us, blogs have become the most efficient way to expose our ideas and concerns, while generating valuable response and conversation. It is crucial that we continue this habit, engaging our peers with a critical dialogue. However, just as the advent of the Macintosh did not create designers, nor will blogs create writers. Like the personal computer allowed designers a greater control over their production processes, so to will blogs grant individuals the power to control their own content publishing. Yet we mustn’t let a “tool” inhibit our creativity. Design blogs should be used as a vehicle for instigating discussion and informally examining design issues, but we must take the responsibility ourselves to examine those issues deeper and more critically outside this mildly fatuous platform.
1. Heller, Steven. “Blogs vs. Mags.” Voice: AIGA Journal of Design.10 Dec. 2004.
2. Lupton, Ellen. Thinking wit Type: A Critical Guide for Designers, Writers, Editors, and Students.(Princeton Architectural Press, 2004)
3. Bierut, Michael, and William Drenttel, and Steven Heller. Foreword. Looking Closer Five: Critical Writings on Graphic Design.New York: Allworth Press, 2006. x.
4. Wild, Lorraine. “Castles Made of Sand.” Looking Closer Five: Critical Writings on Graphic Design.New York: Allworth Press, 2006. 154.
I guess it depends on what the intent of the blog is. I think blogs are a strange form of writing and communicating… a mixture of formal writing and casual dialog.
With that said, in a natural conversation with a group of people, I wouldn’t cite my sources, and I wouldn’t take too much time to edit my ideas as they came to me, so why should I on a blog?
Obviously, if somebody makes a factual claim, they should be able to back it up with a source, but I look at blogs as a place for sharing thoughts and ideas, not for regurgitating information and then citing it to make it legitimate.
As far as blogs are concerned (as I am noticing with this one) I see them usually as forms of evolving conversations, which I view as a downfall. I am noticing, whether intentional or not, that the entries being added are becoming additions of previous posts. Mainly by just referencing the topics past, but also through the overall aesthetic and purpose of the blog.
To clarify, it seems that the purpose for this blog is to evoke a design dialog (which this does) however each entry that I have read thus far is circling the topic of using blogs to replace other forms of design dialect, which raises the question in my mind how many times in how many ways do we have to pose the same question?
I cannot lie and say that I enjoy participating in blogs. Occasionally I will come across a post on some random blog found through newstoday or google, or comcast’s homepage, however which pixel gawker being the exception I do not belong to any blogging community. I feel that the majority of blogs do just what I stated earlier and restate the same information either in a different way or by a different person. Truth be told if it weren’t for the fact that my participation is mandatory for this blog I probably wouldn’t return and keep “updated” on this blog.
Not to say that these articles aren’t well written or provoke some thoughtful insight (obviously because I am thinking and writing now) but I do not see blogs as the best form of design communication. It is a way to communicate and it is fast, effective, and revolutionary in it’s own way, however I have never really enjoyed talking to people I have never known, met, and/or seen. Although not applying to this blog per se I believe that a conversation in a more “formal” setting such as a lecture, video blog, casual meeting, or business meeting tends to be much more of an effective way to make a point or to share a thought, I guess a situation where our natural senses have a role in the tone of the discussion are present.
My belief could be disagreed with (and im positive they are) however that is how I feel.
I agree with what was stated about blogs being a “strange form of writing and communicating.” They can be many things, each what the creator makes them. Yet, by nature, they still remain a quick and immediate way of instigating conversation. (Hence the often redundant writing that emerges) With that, I agree Daryl: we as students should use blogs for casual conversation and design discussion, not as a place for self-publishing essays. Point taken.
Personally, I get very overwhelmed with the number of blogs (design related or not) that are out there. I can see blogs having their place for reciprocal discussion on perhaps a specific design that someone may want feed back on (this would be more original discussion). However it seems that many (not all) of the points being discussed in the average blog are old thoughts being regurgitated to sound original. For example, go to Google and type in “comic sans bad” and there are about a half-dozen blog listings that will come up.
Blogging with those around the world- It may seem fun and exciting to get feedback from around the world but I also feel that there is a lack of respect when communicating with those that you do not know personally. It is easy to make personal attacks or outrageous comments when you know you will never have to see this person face to face. Again, this may not be the norm, but it is something that I have noticed in my experiences with online communities.
Language- Megan touched on this in her article as well, but I’d like to add to it. I feel that online communication; AIM, blogging, web forums and email has lead to the decline in knowledge of the English language. From acronyms such as LOL, WTF and IDK (Laughing Out Loud, What The F*ck, I Don’t Know) to words that were never meant to exist in the English language. Most recently I was sitting in a class critique and heard someone describe their project as “impactful”. I sat there for a second and thought ‘is impactful even a word?’ About 2/3 of the people around me thought that it was a word. I went back to my computer and looked it up to find that the answer is no. It is not generally considered a ‘real word’. It will appear in things like Urban Dictionary and Websters New Millennium Dictionary, but not in any standard or literary dictionaries. Influential or Effective are the recommended alternatives for “impactful”. Upon further research, there are already articles about this topic- the internet “creating” words that never existed before…here is a link to the best of them (IMO hahahaha!)
Impactful Ignorals- http://www.worldwidewords.org/articles/exceedance.htm
Also, here is a link to a fellow blog publisher using the word dreaded word “impactful”- http://prblog.typepad.com/strategic_public_relation/2007/09/nikes-impactful.html
That being said, I do not regularly participate in any blogs. On occasion someone has sent me a link to a blog that I found interesting, or I stumbled onto a blog while generally ‘surfing’ the web, so I book mark it and check back every so often, but I have never posted on a blog that was not for a school/class related purpose.
blogs
I think that blogs can be a useful tool for discussion on certain things. I do agree with Daryl though, “students should use blogs for casual conversation and design discussion, not as a place for self-publishing essays,” that is if they aren’t trying to get known for there writings on blog sites, which would be kinda of strange in my opinion. The thing about blogs though is that you are placing these discussions about digital things that you are not seeing in person. It kind of reminds me the semiotics
of taking things out of its intended environment and almost devaluing the piece of art or whatever you are looking at. Changing the environment can change the purpose of the art as well. I think that for designers it is a good way to spark conversations about things but they wouldn’t be as useful as a face to face conversation, in some cases anyways. But as far as being practical I think they are a really good idea because people don’t always have time to meet face to face.
In regards to your comment Megan, I think it’s appropriate for you to use this as a formal critical writing blog, since that’s the purpose it seems that you intend to use it as. I think that is a great way to get the conversation going, as well as providing you a relevant format to say what you want to say, how you want to say it.
I’m just saying that once the conversation is inspired by your posts, I don’t feel like it has to be as formal.
Although I do agree with Daryl on the fact that dialogue in blogs is going to be casual, depending on the blog. I also think there is a sense of legitimacy that comes from a citation of facts when trying to make a point. It separates a blog from millions of blogs that are just people talking without backing and just opinion. What are you more likely to trust, News week magazine or a diary page? It helps the mass public grasp with the topic and analyze how knowledgeable the points are.
Something about the immediacy of communication coupled with the ease of authorship and the ease of being able to put oneself out there completely for the world to see and respond to is irresistible. As with You Tube, and My Space and other similar platforms, blogging gives the individual a way to share their ideas, their high endeavors, and their creative nothings with a planet full of interested or not so interested people.
As for lending credibility to what is posted on a blog, I agree that it depends on the subject of the blog. Certainly there are blogs that are informal forums meant only to stimulate conversation between individuals who have like interests—just a means of interest and entertainment. And I do agree that the informality and immediate nature of blogging does not lend itself to formal documentation of every word posted. Yes you should give a brief, quick citation to sources if that is absolutely necessary, but blogging is meant to quick and spontaneous.
I agree with kdvig that the human aspect of dialogue and discussion is mostly lost through the formalities (and informalities) of blogging. To be able to gauge someones response via their body language and tone of voice is worth a thousand opinionated blog responses, whether they are premeditated or not.
Yet, the other side of that argument is that through the magic of the internet the social masks we wear on a daily basis can be put aside in lieu of a voice that is unfettered by the pressures of public speaking and peer interaction. Although I personally view this as a setback in the evolution of human communications I’m quite sure there are those out there who would disagree.
And lastly, I thought this was a blog about design, not a blog about blogging. *
*not to be taken seriously. ;D
I love reading blogs but I hate writing them. Design blogs are one of my primary sources of information and inspiration, and I can spend hours just surfing from one to the next. I think thats mainly the reason I enjoy them so much, it opens a door of endless content. The problem of course is repetition, but I feel I have a pretty good sense of where to look.
On the topic of formality, I’m still kind of in between. It is nice to have that human dialogue and not feel pressured to impress others with facts. However, I also find formal blogs very useful. There are times when I come across discussions that effect my research and it is important for me to know the facts which have influenced the opinions.
My biggest issue with blogs is that many of them are just a bunch of pointless psycho babel mixed in with interesting discussions and I feel forced to read through things that don’t matter just so I can retrieve little that does. It seems that a lot of very intense bloggers just have that “I’m a blogger” attitude and I find it really annoying, just say what you have to say without the “bla bla bla”