Today just about anyone can write for an online community. But as we have discussed in class, not all writing posted on the Internet is good writing. Additionally, there are a number of important elements beyond just writing that distinguishes bad blogs from excellent ones.
In my opinion, one of the most important of these elements is design. Visual presentation is one of the first things I notice when I visit a blog. Also, as we learned from “Writing for Digital Media” design elements can greatly impact a blog or website’s credibility (25). For example, if the first thing I see on a blog is a thought provoking image or an interesting, visually appealing title it is very likely that I’ll spend some time exploring the site. However, if the blog is written in an unclear font, or it has too many advertisements distracting me from the blogs content then I am likely going to discredit the website and look for a different one. A great example of a visually appealing blog is a blog we viewed in class called: “Humans of New York”. When you visit this website there is a clear title across the top, large images, and clean lines. It is apparent right away that images are the focus of this blog. There is a menu bar across the top of the page, which makes the site easy to navigate and there is a Facebook link in the top right corner that makes the page easy to share.
Another important element (which relates to design) is what Carroll refers to as “scan-ability”. Carroll writes that one study showed that about 79% of Web users merely scan a new page they download (31). A blog can achieve this “scan-ability” through: highlighted key words, hypertext links, typeface variation, use of color, subheadings, bulleted lists, paragraphs with one idea each, and by having information displayed in an inverted pyramid style (31). I think that these features are key to an excellent blog because great blogs are ones that are easily viewed, and read. An excellent blog should be able to catch the attention of readers. I think creating lists, using bold colors, highlighting keywords, and writing interesting, short captions forces readers, or in this case “scanners” to stop and view what a blog is offering. I think lengthy paragraphs, unclear titles, small fonts, etc. prevent readers from being able to easily understand what a blog’s purpose is, and I think this makes it less likely to be read and enjoyed. As Carroll writes, blogs should be able to download properly, present itself, and engage the viewer in approximately three seconds (31).
Furthermore, I think that an excellent blog is one that has a unique voice. I often seek out blogs because I want to read something more informal, fun, and unique than for example, something I would read in a textbook for class. Carroll writes about this point and states that: “Blogs represent an important step for journalism outlets in generating more audience by offering more expression by individual voices. The ‘everyday person’ voice of many blogs encourages identification versus the dispassionate, clinical voice of traditional media” (27). A good example of this is a blog we discussed in class, “The Bloggess”. I think that this blog’s appeal comes largely from the creative voice of the blogs author. When you read things such as “I apologize for the lack of python fights. I just wanted to see if you were paying attention” you as a reader know you are getting a unique perspective. It almost feels like you are engaging in a casual conversation with the author. To use Rosenwasser and Stephen’s words in “Writing Analytically” the writing in “The Bloggess” is very exploratory (17). Her writing is funny, and clever, it keeps you guessing, and it is far from your typical five-paragraph essay.
Liz Bruno
I like your point about the importance of a blog having a unique voice. Not only does it make a blog more interesting and different, but it can sometimes determine its audience. What comes to mind is when we discussed the blog “Betches Love This” in class the other week. There is certainly a distinct style to the voice of this blog – so much so that there are multiple writers, but the blog posts flow seamlessly together. In this sense, a distinct voice can cater to its audience, and create a theme.