April 21, 2004 | View Comments (30) | Category: Our Thoughts
Summary: A light-hearted look at Gurus vs. Bloggers
Andrei wrote one of the most original design blog entries of the year with Gurus vs. Bloggers, Round 1. It is easy to enjoy if you took it at face value. Just a little joking around amongst friends that showed designers know how to design better looking websites than people who talk about everything, but aesthetic design. Well you got Tufte, but he is definitely not a web person.
In any case I noticed that none of the gurus (besides Andrei...*cough*self-proclaimed guru*cough* ;-) are active bloggers. Shouldn't gurus be the ones teaching us their ways. They should be making the world better by imparting their knowledge upon us.
Well I started to figure if they did that then maybe they could not charge as much for their seminars and lectures. They couldn't charge $35,000 minimum in consulting fees. These non-bloggers are the ones making money, not that the bloggers aren't, but I am sure if we did a little bankroll comparision the gurus would take it hands down.
In a somewhat direct correlation I find that the more I blog the poorer I am (I am going through job interviews right now). So are gurus smart enough to keep their knowledge mostly to themselves so that they can charge a fee to share it? That could be part of the reason, but I also think that the bloggers team could be considered gurus in their own right as well and actually enjoy showing us how things are done. Its just their area of gurutise (yeah I made it up) brings in less money than the gurus' area of gurutise.
So now I am going to proclaim myself as a guru so I can start making some nice change. I will become a guru of nothing. I will teach you how to do nothing on the web for a small fee, but I will not blog about it. When I do blog about it I will make sure to write something controversial so everyone will link to me. I will not congratulate anyone for their accomplishments and challenge every other guru's philosphy. Companies need to focus more on nothing. I will post odd pictures of myself all over my website and proclaim that through my methods the rate of blogging has increased 457% over the last 6 months yet there is still a problem of people posting excellent content. Nothing is the way to go.
I don't have to worry about changing the look of this site as it fits right in with the other gurus' site. Being 23 might prevent me from joining the guru ranks though so I will have to find a loophole.
In any case some bloggers go for traffic and popularity, while others use their blogs for business reasons. Maybe gurus just follow the money or are greedy bastards with their knowledge, but I am no guru so I don't know.
I couldn't let all of this go without running my own competition. So to steal Andrei's idea here are the gurus and bloggers again back for another round. This is the Gurus vs. Bloggers: The Money Match.
Too many grants to count. A lot of awards. Gets to travel for free everywhere it seems. "..continues to be a regular consultant ($$$$) to major corporations..." And lets not overlook the fact that his bandwidth bill must be $0 with the minimalist design he employs (that was all about Wurman by the way). I think he has Zeldman beat. Winner » Wurman.
Well the guy works for Adaptive Path who don't list the cost of their services, but with small clients like Sony, Intel, and PeopleSoft you have to figure they are not making that much. So maybe Peter isn't rich, but I think he might edge out Keith here. Winner » Merholz.
A couple of best-selling books, one-day courses that cost $320 per person, and he is a professor at Yale. Hmmmmm. Didier is a 23-year old kickass designer still in school who likes fast cars and stealing other people's blogs ;-). Winner » Tufte.
Let's look at the pricing of the services for the Norman/Nielsen Group:
...
Sorry, my head is still spinning from that 1 million dollar figure. Winner » NNG
McGovern travels around the world giving seminars. Storey is an Internet manager. Funny as hell though.
Have to go with McGovern.
This is probably the closest match by far. Josh is busy pimping his new house, but Andrei is winning cash playing poker. I have to give it to Andrei for two reasons:
Still seems like bloggers have all the fun so I really don't mind staying on this side for now. By the way, I have lots of respect for everyone listed above. Just decided us little people should have some fun.
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actually, gurus aren't supposed to teach you or imparting knowledge. That's what a teacher does. A guru enlightens. A guru doesn't teach you to think outside the box, they allow you to learn for yourself that there is no box. And they beat you with a large stick and shout "mu!"
And young Paul came to Master Isshi, who was reknowned for the depth of his wisdom and his mastery of the Web, and said unto him, O Master Isshi, I have studied for years, practiced hours each day, and still I have yet to reach enlightenment! Please impart to me your understanding of the truths and intricacies of the Web.
Master Isshi replied "There is a sale at Macy's today. I bought this robe with a 30% discount"
Young Paul begged again, and the Master replied anew "the grass that is beneath your feet is most green. This hilltop has received rain and sun and many bags of fertilizer. The lawn service does a good job."
Young Paul, dismayed that the master was ignoring his question, asked a third time.
The master responded without words. Bending down, he removed the sandal from his right foot and balanced it on his head upon standing. He walked down the hillside and into an adult entertainment establishment.
And young Paul found Satori.
Of course, we're not sure if he was enlightened or if that was just a dancer's name. :-)
JC (http://thelionsweb.com/weblog)
The moment after the moment I become a guru of anything I will stop doing it (whatever it is) and move on to something new. To me guru = stalled in time. Well, based on the current set of gurus anyway.
I'd much rather be a design bohdisattva, or usability sherpa. ;)
Matthew Oliphant (http://usabilityworks.typepad.com)
Haha, the only thing I got from that story JC was that there is a sale at Macy's...and we don't have those in Tampa.
Matt, whenever you become a guru of anything and stop, let me know so I can take your spot.
I want to charge rates like Nielsen, but keep my good looks :-P
Scrivs (http://www.9rules.com/whitespace/)
Worthington's Law: More Money = Better Than.
So at least the bloggers can take comfort in the fact that they're better than, for example, Jesus. Or me.
nick (http://www.thinkless.org/)
Wow... usability sherpas are so cool... I shall aspire to become one!
Sergio (http://overcaffeinated.net)
It's yours Paul. BUt only because you called it first.
I would like to make money, but more I would like to be invited to speak at a conference. That would be fun.
Matthew Oliphant (http://usabilityworks.typepad.com)
Yeah, speaking at a conference and getting paid to do so would be awesome. And having travel expenses paid for. That would be nice as well.
And sherpas are cool.
I wonder if gurus get together on special retreats that no one else knows about and laugh at bloggers. I think I would.
Cue Jay-Z: See the money ain't a thang...
Scrivs (http://www.9rules.com/whitespace/)
While I think this is very funny, I can't help but think that you bing up a good, and very real point. I've often wondered why some of us blog. I've got personal reasons, but here I am, every week, just giving away lots of (good?) content for free. There are quite a few of us doing this -- Scrivs being one of those.
You have to ask yourself at what point is it no longer worth it? I mean there is a mindset out there that expects quality content and expects it often and expects to get it for free. This permeates the Web beyond blog-dom.
I didn't start a blog to make money, but heck, it'd be nice considering the amount of work that is involved. I wonder if at somepoint some of us are going to have to choose between money and our blogs.
Anyway, I'm not really all that worried about it -- my site and it's content has opened a few doors for me and, like I said, my personal reasons outweigh anything else right now. But who knows what the future will bring. I'd hate to see someone like Scrivs, become a "guru" and stop posting, but hey, who am I to expect him to keep slavering away for free?
Keith (http://www.7nights.com/asterisk/)
"Haha, the only thing I got from that story JC was that there is a sale at Macy's...and we don't have those in Tampa."
Heh. You have Burdines. Same company, same thing I think. And I take it you never studied eastern philosophy then. You should. Most coders seem to find Zen or Taoism appealing.
Basically it comes down to this: "A guru doesn't teach you to think outside the box, they allow you to learn for yourself that there is no box."
JC (http://thelionsweb.com/weblog)
The trouble with usability sherpas is that they always end up getting eaten by the abominamarketing snowman.
JC (http://thelionsweb.com/weblog)
I have a sign in my cube that says, "There is no box."
Even that blatant, most people around here don't get it.
Matthew Oliphant (http://usabilityworks.typepad.com)
Maybe if you do "there is no spoonbox"?
and if that didn't work, there are supposed to be strikethrough tags around spoon.
JC (http://thelionsweb.com/weblog)
I think for many of us it will eventually come down to money vs. blogging or essentially become a blogger like Kottke and just post thoughts on different things, instead of focusing on a particular area of expertise.
As a blogger you want traffic (whether you say so or not), but you come to learn that traffic doesn't necessarily equate to money. But blogging well does open up opportunities so there is a positive to it.
It's just that eventually you being to wonder how much is your knowledge really worth to you. Is it worth it to give it away? I think it is if you have other sources of income, but if you are going to rely on your words getting you the money then you begin to watch what you say more closely.
Scrivs (http://www.9rules.com/whitespace/)
Yes advice is one thing, but imparting your knowledge is something else. Conducting a whole usability test on a website for example, would be much more than just giving advice.
Scrivs (http://www.9rules.com/whitespace/)
"...It's just that eventually you being to wonder how much is your knowledge really worth to you. Is it worth it to give it away?..."
Perhaps you're not making money directly off a blog, but think of what you've (and others) have gained indirectly.
- Name (brand) recognition
- Knowledge
- Constructive critisism
- Community
- Feedback on your "product"
All these things made the self-proclaimed "gurus" what they are today, and it is what every worldwide corporation seeks in their marketing campaigns.
Given the potential gains, I'd ask with a different spin - really, how much is your knowledge worth to you?
While not directly related to the blogger / guru topic, a still interesting article which better speaks to my point.
Mark Fusco (http://www.lightpierce.com/ltshdw)
MIA? MIA??? OK, so I fell off the face of the earth for a few months, big deal... ;)
Actually, this whole Gurus vs. Bloggers thing has been interesting, especially your take on it Paul -- my absence on SB of late has been due mostly to a seriously increased attempt at making money. I had a realization that I was having a lot of fun as a designer (both on- and off-line), but not generating enough income for the business to truly support itself (it supports two full-time employees at the moment, my brother and I, and a few more on a part-time basis including Didier, and my dad for the occasional accounting expertise), so I decided it was time to hunker down and work my ass off. In fact, I'll still be doing that for a long time to come, but we're beginning to settle into a good daily routine now, which means I can allocate time for blogging and such :)
And hey, you know that eBook Didier and I wrote a few months ago but haven't published yet? Now that I have my time back, it is actually coming soon...I promise :)
Dan Rubin (http://superfluousbanter.org/)
This is funny because I was just having a conversation with an engineering friend of mine over the pros and cons of withholding knowledge for personal gain. She believed that it would be wise to keep advanced knowledge to yourself.
It started when I mentioned our intern at work telling me how back in school, there was this super-talented guy in their 3D animation class who refused to give any advice--after one particular project, someone innocently asked how he accomplished his animation, to which he sniped, "I spent hours working on this at home, figuring it out. Why the hell should I tell you? Maybe you should spend hours working at home and figure it out yourself."
And in some ways, ignoring the tone of his remarks, the actual message sort of rings true: why should we, in such a competitive marketplace, share information that may put us a step further than others?
My stance is less extreme...
Now, personally, I'm in the place where I feel it's productive and beneficial for everyone concerned, including yourself, to share your knowledge. Of course, I don't agree with say, casually giving out the 5 Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique to just anyone... but there's nothing wrong with teaching advanced martial arts. If that makes any sense???
OK, to make it clearer: I believe someone who imparts their knowledge only makes it known how wise they are, as well as increase networking capabilities, as well as add excellent fodder to their resume. And if you are confident in your skills, you should be able to still compete fairly in the marketplace.
Pai Mai taught Bill and all of his proteges. But he still can kick ALL of their asses there and back. Including Bill. Get what I'm saying? :-) If you're good, you're good, no matter what, and you'll get the job done.
I don't think it's fair to directly correlate blogging with the struggle of getting a job. Many factors feature into it, and frankly, I think the biggest reason why designers--graphic, web, whatever--struggle, is because there aren't enough RESOURCES or support regarding the BUSINESS side of our industry.
We have to remember that we're all business (wo)men here.
Lea (http://xox.lealea.net/01/)
This is an excellent dialog, and Scrivs brought up something I've been thinking for a long while... only I didn't have the mind to say something about it.
Blogging well takes time. Time = money (it's true, really).
I found it much easier to participate in projects for the general good of society (i.e., free icons, blogging, etc.) before I started Firewheel and then got married. At this point, creating free icons is a nice thing, but you gotta think about paying the bills.
As Firewheel has grown, we've hired additional full-time talent, and again, this is another reality check. Not only are you responsible for yourself and your wife, but now you've got employees and their families as well... You can't just fart around all day long.
Yellowlane is held together with whatever spare time I can scrounge, but sadly you'll still find standard MT templates littered here and there. Wish I could fix this right now, but I don't have the time this week... and probably not next week either.
And beyond work, family and friends take some high priority too.
But there's a balance in there. Sharing your knowledge in a manner that builds interest is a good thing. People want to know more. SVN is a good example. Jason shares a lot of his thoughts, and it builds community interest while raising awareness of 37signals services. And if what you have to say is truly worth something, people will want more... some will even pay for it. Hence, 37signals charges a decent rate for their seminars. Great example of working both sides.
I love icon design. I love sharing about how I create some of my work. It builds interest.
I'm not going to share it all though, because that's what keeps it unique. It's what pays the bills and puts color on my kitchen walls. And if some day Yellowlane disappears, it's because I've sold out to the Gurus, moved to Maui, and found personal enlightenment and peace.
Until then, I'm still pushing the pixels.
Josh Williams (http://www.yellowlane.com)
Oh I never equated blogging to not having a job (at least not intentionally) I just find that this is the best forum for me to learn. Of course a lot of doors have been open for me because of it and more people know about me (be it good or bad) than did before.
I don't think any of the so called "knowledge" that I pass on here would be worth selling. Hell, I just speak about common sense things. Keith's blog is more focused towards the consulting type aspects.
Scrivs (http://www.9rules.com/whitespace/)
And yet, common sense isn't as common as we'd like it to be. ;-)
Lea (http://xox.lealea.net/01/)
There's no such thing as common sense.
There's collective sense, small group sense, and manifestoes written in shacks located in forgotten woods. Mmmmm, manifestoes...
Sorry, lame day at work.
Matthew Oliphant (http://usabilityworks.typepad.com)
Well then I speak about things which I assume everyone already knows about. Nothing I speak of here is new or fancy so I can continue to do it without worrying about giving away my knowledge for free. So at the moment my knowledge is worth 0 to give it to you guys but about $XX,XXX to anyone looking to hire me :)
I can see where a lot of people begin their blogs because 1) almost every designer has one and 2) its nice to have your voice heard. However, at times you catch yourself spending more time on the blog then you should other activities such as work or school. Some people even start resenting their blogs thinking that they are tired of doing a "service" to others for free. Of course then they have lost sight as to why they started the blog in the first place.
Blogging and getting paid would be like designing freely without the client getting in the way.
I do think for the next-generation of gurus though that keeping a blog will be important. It has become such a powerful tool for social and professional reasons that I find it hard to neglect.
Scrivs (http://www.9rules.com/whitespace/)
Lea -- You forget about Ellie and the fish heads? Watch out Gurus...
Scrivs -- Just wanted to comment about your claim that "almost every designer has a blog." I don't think that's the case AT ALL. I know many, many professional designers, developers and the like to whom this "blog" thing is nothing at all. They don't know you, or me, or even Zeldman for that matter. There are many folks out there to whom the online Web design community is a mystery.
Keith (http://www.7nights.com/asterisk/)
Keith you are right and I guess it was silly of me to say "almost" when I should have said a lot. Sometimes I forget that there are more people outside of our community, which happens and gets me in trouble.
Scrivs (http://www.9rules.com/whitespace/)
Keith--hehhehe... I was wondering when someone would mention Elle's deviousness. My analogy works if you plan on playing fair (or as fair as you can in this business, heh) In the end, that's what works. Let's remember: The Bride, Pai Mai's arguably best student, is alive and well all the way to the end. The student becomes the master (or Guru, if you will)... ;-) That's what we ALL want, right? :-)
Lea (http://xox.lealea.net/01/)
Given the fact that I haven't read through all of the comments, let me provide my take on this commentary:
The problem I have with this article is this: It assumes that by having websites that are poorly designed or difficult to use, they are taking the "high road"? of not imparting their design knowledge to others, at least not for free. To me, this seems like a flawed analogy. How can you equate having a well-designed website to giving away free knowledge? What use is being an expert on matters of design and usability, if you are not using that expertise to improve the functionality of your own web site?
Just to be pedantic, let me provide an analogy: If you were looking for financial advice, would you go to Joe Sixpack, or Warren Buffett? Warren Buffett, of course. And why would you go to him? Is it because he charges $35,000 for a consultation? It is because he is a published financial advisor? No, it's because he is FILTHY RICH! The fact that he is a good financial advisor is evidenced by the fact that he has applied those principles to his own life, and reaped the benefits. Now granted, in doing so, he may be imparting "free advice"? to the rest of the world, but that has not stopped him from being fiscally successful.
In short: I see no reason why a successful usability expert and interface designer should have a poorly-designed website. It's as if Warren Buffett went broke, simply because he was afraid that other people would find out what stocks he is investing in. These "gurus"? should spend more time improving the usability of their own web sites, because it would lend more weight to their expertise. There is not a good reason for having a website that lacks good usability if you are a usability expert. And honestly, I don't know why you can't see that.
Andy Bates (http://www.babybates.com/andy)
Andy, I think you are making the mistake of equating aesthetics with knowledge. I never touch on the fact (I think) that their sites look horrendous, but the fact that they don't really "blog" too much or generally give out their knowledge.
Sure we get an occasional article here and there. Actually, let me correct that. I am sure McGovern comes out with stuff on a pretty regular basis which in turn has helped his reputation. It is the other guys that don't really speak without getting paid that much.
I think we all agree with you in the fact that its not cool for these guys to preach usability (or whatever) and not follow through on it. McGovern talks about the importance of content and actually backs it up on his site with great content. That is how it should be done.
Scrivs (http://www.9rules.com/whitespace/)
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#1
"I will become a guru of nothing."
Scrivs, I think you've found your new tagline. You'll be the Seinfeld of blogging.
Todd (http://www.monkeyhouselounge.com/loungeact/)