Blog Design
Published June 12, 2003
Very interesting thoughts on blog design from web designer Eric Siegmund:
- This "personal publishing revolution" that many of us are participating in has created new opportunities for expression, but it's also created new problems that authors and journalists never before had to deal with.
How many mainstream journalists, for example, ever question what typeface and size will be used when the newspaper publishes their reports? How many novelists get to weigh in on details such as page color and width, or line-height? These things are generally beyond their control, and thus beyond their caring. And, in any event, every copy of the newspaper or book is going to look like every other copy, so why sweat it?
That's no longer the case with blogging. Bloggers are writers and technicians, whether they like it or not. They are responsible for both the creation and the delivery of content. Trouble is, every visitor sees a potentially different version of that content, depending on their choices of operating system, platform, browser, monitor settings, etc.
Oh, sure, it's possible to blog without knowing a whit about web design principles; that's the beauty of the beast. But it's irresponsible to be unaware of the consequences of bad design...if you care about your readers, anyway.
Interestingly, web design standards and web browser technology have progressed to the point where you can shift much of the burden of meeting reader expectations back to the reader. You no longer have to tell her what font to use, at what size, for example. You can leave those choices up to her. But this means that you relinquish control. It might mean that you provide suggestions for how your blog will be presented, instead of requirements.....
- Blog Design
- Published: June 12, 2003
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- Section: Sci/Tech
- Filed Under: Sci/Tech: Internet
- Writer: Eric Olsen
- Eric Olsen's BC Writer page
- Eric Olsen's personal site
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I don't know what the deal is, just switched it to generic site link rather than the post. Thanks.
He has fixed his blog now, so this direct link now works.
Great post!
I think Eric Siegmund is on point with his suggestions for a better blog. I'm going to change a few things on my blog to make it more readable. But I'm on EasyJournal, so I'm limited as to how I can redesign my weblog or journal or typepad or whatever.
But Eric Olsen,
I don't know if you knew this or not . . . but the Blogcritics website looks like hell in Netscape. (or when I'm looking at it in my Netscape browser). Maybe I need to upgrade . . . I don't know.
Thanks Trent, I think it's a 5.5 issue - Phillip LOVES 5.5
Trent - IM me at pwinn089 to talk about this, please.
Well, it's a moot point now, but the prior problem with my permalink courtesy of Blogger's software SNAFU. (What really grates is that I actually paid to upgrade to Blogger Pro!) I'll be moving to Movable Type as soon as my current webhost completes some server upgrades, and in the meantime I'll be maintaining my blog by hand. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to hitch up the mule team and go plow the north 40.
BTW, I'm using NS 7 for Mac and BlogCritics looks fine to me. The font could be larger, but the contrast makes it pretty readable as is.
I talked with Trent, and he was using a circa-2000 version of Netscape (4.77, I think). Browsers that don't support CSS get a decidedly different view of the page, a look I'm able to mostly replicate with Opera/Win.
I can't be expected to support browsers that old, sorry. Not and put out a web page that looks worth reading for newer browsers. The budget, at $0, is just not big enough. It's not really big enough for me to tolerate the fact that some people still run MSIE 5.5, quite possibly the most annoying browser in the short history of web browsers, either, but I'm a sucker. :)
Eric S - I think you'll really like Movable Type. Most Blogger users that switch like it a lot.
Yeah, don't mind me Eric Olsen . . . Blogcritics looks fantastic! Phillip Winn is the man.
I'm using a very, very, very old Netscape browser because (1) I don't use Netscape that much and (2) I'm too lazy to upgrade and I don't care. But for those of you who are using the up-to-date Netscape -- rock on! As for me, eh, the Netscape I got is fine with me.
I also agree with Phillip . . . switch to Moveable Type. Even though I'm on EasyJournal -- all my friends -- both online diarists and journalist alike -- swear by Moveable Type.
Why I haven't made the switch?
I'm waiting to do the Typepad thing. It seems like it's going to be a nice publishing platform for bloggers that want to write and post -- without all the fuss. I'm a two-step kind of a guy: "write-and-post, write-and-post, write-and-post."
And again, Eric S, your post is right on point. I'm going to start implementing some changes to my journal as soon as I actually write something. Hopefully, I'll pen something in my journal this weekend. **grimace** **crossing fingers**
Add your comment, speak your mind
(Or ping: http://blogcritics.org/mt/tb/6118)
Eric, is the link broken or is this a bandwidth issue? I wouldn;t think it was a bandwith issue, being it's a web design site, but I do get a 404 from the link above.