May 07, 2004 | View Comments (7) | Category: Our Thoughts
Summary: What I have learned from blogging.
Okay not really, but I thought I would write about what I have learned by blogging and by reading blogs over the last couple of months. This could get interesting...
I thought I could find some sites that would teach me how to become a better designer. During my search I learned how to write better CSS and XHTML, IA, usability and other hot topics, but nothing helped me to become a better aesthetic designer. Over time I just learned that I need to design websites. Practice and play. That is what I learned. Of course I read the books on design that teach you the terms such as whitespace and how to use colors (haha, like I do that), but to learn it you have to work with it and see what works for you.
Andrei has a thing for gurus and I learned that all the design gurus that people refer to did their best work before the web. Sure some of the same principles apply as they do with other forms of design, but web design is something different. There are no gurus who guide you, but there are plenty of examples to help you learn. You really must become your own teacher, although having a web design apprentice program would be cool.
Everyone starts a blog with principles that they like to follow. Once you get popular those principles either get forgotten or change. Popularity changes the way people think. I don't know why, but it does. You can see it with some of the big name bloggers out there. When they write something and you challenge them, check to see how they respond. Some stick to their principles, while others are stuck on a “I am better than you” trip.
I could give at least two examples of people that I have no respect for simply because I have read some of their comments in other places and noticed how they respond to someone who goes against their way of thinking. I think there are too many people out there who worship every word that comes out of the elite's mouth. We need more free thinkers. I don't think we question enough and if we do we keep it silent out of fear.
The Zeldman critique showed how uneasy our community gets when something out of the norm pops up. Some people enjoy a little controversy, while others like to keep the world in our little utopia. I learned that you should think about what you are saying before you write it, but don't be scared to say something because you fear the backlash.
Too many people want to hear the praise of others and so they say the right things. They link to the right people. They do the right amount of sucking up. Its almost like a corporation with its politics. You don't think they are not there in this blogosphere?...............sorry I couldn't stop laughing. It all goes back to linking. If you are going to link to this site I rather you do so because you have a reason, not because you see it on a couple of other sites or someone mentions how great Scrivs is (okay I pushed it there, but you get the idea).
Blogging helps you learn because you can post what you don't understand and there is someone out there who is willing to help. However, don't go running around looking for free help everytime you encounter a problem. I get too many emails from people saying they are having an issue with with some CSS and I can tell they haven't tried their best to solve it. I learned my CSS by breaking everything and having to fix it all over again.
Free handouts are good, but you get nothing out of them but a quick fix. Like they say, its better to teach a man to fish then to simply hand him the fish, or some crazy good philosophical talk like that.
When you enter this community somtimes you get so sucked in that you forget that there really are other people out there who have no idea what we talk about. I can go on and on about web standards, but there are designers who have no idea what they are. There are corporations who could care less about them.
It would be cool if everyone knew about the CSS Vault. It would be cool if everyone bought Zeldman's book (ha, especially for Z). But we are only a small percentage. That's what I seem to forget.
Blogging introduces you to new people. That should be good enough reason as any. I also learned that everyone at the cocktail party has an opinion that you should be open to, but not always willing to accept. There is a motto for you, "Be open, but not easy." In any case, mingle and enjoy the crowd.
If you want to measure your popularity and success do so by seeing what you have gained from blogging. Not how many people visit your site.
Still learning. Still moving. Still thinking that I am changing the world.
What I would like to see is more active bloggers like myself. Obviously not many people can write at the frequency I do, but I would like to see more frequent writings (*cough*Zeldman and Bowman*cough*). I would like to hear from more women. I would like to see young designers stop worrying about if there site will get a lot of visitors or that they have nothing interesting to say.
That is a small sample of what I learned.
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Paul's definitely hit the head on the nail, he's cookin' with fire, and insert other cliches here.
I think the mentality of the up-and-coming blogger is a lot like anyone else — the goal is to change the world (or the blogosphere) in a meaningful way, and to do that you have to be focused and driven.
In the past 7 months I've worked my ass off to get my name out there, and it's not even about the pageviews or the hits. It's about people respecting the qualities that you respect in yourself. Think you're the best IA out there? Well you're not if nobody else thinks that. Think you're a genius? Well if others don't say "hey man, you're really a genius" then you're NOT. If you can't communicate your passions and skills in a meaningful way, then you really don't have those skills.
Mike (http://phark.typepad.com)
If you're a genius, then you're a genius and whether or not other people think you are or aren't is honestly a moot point. Depending on your principles. Just because someone cant communicate a skill doesn't mean they lack that skill. They simply lack the ability to communicate it. Or maybe they communicate in a way that isn't "standard". Some people communicate their skills by just putting their work out there for everyone to see. The proof of their abilities lies in the work they produce, not how well they can sell themselves or which blogs they're being linked from. Its the same thing when it comes to accepting criticism and suggestions. If one is honestly interested in improving their abilities, they'll relish the knowledge of what such comments can teach them. I know that I'm still learning, always learning, and I'd be a fool to ever think otherwise.
I think it also depends on the audience you want to attract. When I was listed on the Vault, I asked Paul to remove my site. It felt like I had sold-out and I wasn't comfortable with it. My compromise was accepting that the more noticed I get, the more likely potential clients are going to email me not because of my principles, but because of where they saw my site listed. That isn't the audience I want and in the three years that I've had my site, it isn't the audience I've catered to.
Can one become well-noticed and still retain the bulk of their integrity? I think they can, but I think it depends on what they do and don't do in order to get noticed. Its where we draw the line.
eris (http://www.erisfree.com)
I have learned a tremendous amount from blogs. Instead of listening to self-proclaimed guru's, I find my answers in blogs owned by up and coming designers/developers - or those already established in their field.
I love the blog community as much as I love the open-scource community - both are willing to help and share, providing you have a desire to learn and teach yourself as well.
Mike: I just checked your web site out and read through your bio. You're quite a talented person, and I wish you all the best.
Anyways, another good thing about blogs is that it links everyone together. I practically live in this standards loving blog community, forgetting that out there somewhere is a blog community of designers who believe fixed micro-fonts and tables for layout are the most amazing things in the world.
Once again, nice article/post Scrivs.
Robert Lofthouse
I'm in this for the money.
And the chicks.
The fast cars are awesome too, though.
Ok. Money, chicks, cars. Yup. And I have no integrity or principles to speak of, whatsoever. Unless you're talking about designing without tables. I can grok that.
Sergio (http://overcaffeinated.net)
Yes, yes, yes! I've been telling people this for years. Nothing substitutes the doing.
And you do meet some great people through the process. Great post, Paul.
Angie (http://www.angiemckaig.com)
"I would like to hear from more women"
We're here! from the other side of the world, and we care about web standards, too.
Well, about young designers.. I don't fit in that category, but my spirit do.
I learned a lot from bloggers, inspite of I don't blog. Thanks for share your thoughts. And of course, I'll keep learning and studing to improve myself.
Carina (http://www.zonadeincio.com.ar)
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#1
Another topic with many valid points that I am agreeing with you on. The best way to learn to become a better blogger is to teach yourself. Do not disallow yourself to take criticism and suggestions, but for the most part take it upon yourself to see what works for you.
It's very similar to teaching a child to tie their shoes. You can teach them a bunch of methods, little tricks to help them remember, but in the end it is all based on what works best for them. And I see blogging to be no different in that perspective.
And you mentioned that as a blog grows in popularity the owner of that blog often loses touch with what was once set to be their principles. This does happen all to often. I feel a lot of this has to do with they feel now that they have a following they can try new things and get away with it.
Sometimes it is a positive change and it ends up creating a better blog and blogging environment. But more often than not they get power hungry (a very bad term to associate with a blog) and feel that now that they do have this fan base, they can stir up controversy among their visitors without no repercussion.
It's happened to me in the past, I am a very big fan of a persons blog, and their writings, post comments regularly, and then they lose my respect. They post a reply to me, or someone else with totally ignorant remarks because they are the creator of that blog. Because they have this sense of superiority what ever they say must remain, and all other input is irrelevant to them.
You're right it is a popularity contest, and you indicate to someone they're popular it changes their convictions. These are the people who aren't "still learning." They think they have discovered what works for them, and they stick with it. They are the ones who refuse the criticism, suggestions, and get left in the past because they refuse to learn.
Ryan (http://www.destroyhope.org)