Different styles of blog

Ed the Editor's personal blog corner

Communication has one purpose - to convey meaning to others - but when you blog, you need to remember a couple of points else your point is lost.

Writer guidelines say: Did you know that 79% of web users scan the page instead of reading word-for-word? That people read from computer screens 25% slower than from paper? Or that web content should have 50% of the word count of its paper equivalent?

Communication comes in many different forms in blogging

Ed the Editor's personal blog corner

Communication has one purpose - to convey meaning to others - but when you blog, you need to remember a couple of points else your point is lost.

Writer guidelines say: Did you know that 79% of web users scan the page instead of reading word-for-word? That people read from computer screens 25% slower than from paper? Or that web content should have 50% of the word count of its paper equivalent?

Communication comes in many different forms in blogging.

The generic blogger.

99% of the 71 million blogs on-line use text, an image or two and even a video clip for fun. The Pisstakers are guilty as charged.

In our defense, we are aware of the scanning syndrome and go for short paragraphs and big headings. I can scan any article in about 3 seconds, from heading to heading. And judging by how many people leave within 30 seconds, my headings are brilliant communicators!

Imagery in blogs

It gets more interesting, however, when you tackle a blog from an image-only point of view. You know, a picture communicates 1000 words and all that baloney.

Photo blog

Innings is 98% photographic image and about 2% text, by my unscientific calculations. Norman Roberts' website is one of the most powerful collections of emotions on the internet, IMHO. Happiness, sadness, disgust, anger... name your vice and you will find an example or 20 at Innings, with no need for a single word, most of the time.

Cartoon / comic blog

On a pixel count, cartoons are even more image intensive. I think MyExtra Life works out at 99% comic strip and 1% text. Rather than waste words on description, Scott Johnson depicts humorous expressions and feelings with a swish of his digital pen. To me, it is awesome how anyone can think of a topic that can be summarised in a minimal number of images AND produce those images out of your head, AND do that professionally AND in less than a month per episode.

Then there is the quick sketch approach. Zackie does a scintillating job with the swish of an ink pen and a scanner, en français.

Not a blogger, but a designer I knew used to draw and talk at the same time when communicating his design for the interior of a room. Within minutes, there were no doubts left in anyone's mind as to what he had had in his mind. Great talent.

Time line blog

Look at Where It Stands is an example of where the blogger uses the humble time line to express dozens of opinions with the minimum of text. You have to think about the imagery too, which adds to the power of this technique as a means of communicating lots with little effort. (I refer to the execution of the actual drawing not taking much, as opposed to the not inconsiderable time needed to dream up the original idea and schematic!)

The Venn diagram blog

And finally, the humble venn diagram has been taken to a new level by several brilliant minds. Here, a brain box explains the difference between the UK and Britain using a venn diagram! found at The Alex Barnett Blog.

Super intelligent venn diagramists can even venn away before writing the required thousands of words explaining the stupidity of politics and religion.

Pisstakers on communication

Personally, I have to stick with words to communicate. That doesn't stop me dreaming, though, about what it would be like to be as talented artistically as the best cartoonist graphic guys. There is one consolation! At least with the internet, I can link to, and show off the stuff I couldn't possibly dream up or create myself.

If you see any other novel blogging styles, let Ed know so he can write something about them.

If you ever miss a day without Pisstakers, you can find a daily snapshot of The Pisstakers Satire Blog Posts (ie the homepage) in the archives

Enjoy the content.