#1. On Blogs

 

To pass time in class I often find myself opening Microsoft Edge, browsing the discover page, and mindlessly clicking on articles to read based on bold titles and images on the screen. Only recently in researching blogs in hopes to find inspiration for my own, have I realized that all of those articles I've spent the past couple of years reading in class are blogs, or really blog posts. 

It's interesting to see how much diverse information is being put out on the internet using blogs. Whether on sports, tech, cooking, politics, or even bad celerity hair days, I've found that I am able to enjoy all types of blogs. I'd never really thought about it before, but blogs are great. They are not only outlets for people to provide their perspective and insight on topics of their choice, but also hotspots for people to read more on niche topics they enjoy. That said I'd like to leave my opinion on three blogs I've come across.

The first is Benedict Evans. This blog, written by Tech Analyst Benedict Evans, discusses many concerns about recent advances in technology like AI. The blog interface is very clean, with only muted red and black texts upon a white background. The design is very pleasing to look at and the essays are organized in neat chunks of texts. Additionally, the format of the blog gives it an academic feel to it. However, one thing I did not like is that the chunks almost feel too long but I guess that is part of Evan's style. Another thing is that the newsletters are only accessible through paid subscription which is unfortunate. Further the last critique I have is that there is no search menu. This leaves readers scrolling through the blog titles to find what they want to read. Nevertheless, this is a pretty solid and well put together blog.

The second blog I want to discuss is Business Insider. Business Insider is, as the name suggests, a blog with a multitude of business oriented articles. I really enjoyed this blog and while the interface is crowded with articles, infographics, and videos, it doesn't feel overwhelming and the page is really easy to navigate and browse. Because there is a plethora of authors writing for this blog, there is so much diversity in the type of information provided in the articles. The articles themselves are, for the most part, relatively short with to the point information. While you have to pay a subscription to access some articles, most are free and there is something to read for everyone. The bold images and striking titles are placed perfectly to attract attention from all types of people for a quick read. Overall, this is the most popular, and my personal favorite, blog on this list.

The last article is Bad Hair Day This blog had its last update in 2007 and its posts make quick comments on the hair of famous celebrities' both good and bad. The design is really outdated and the formatting is not great, the sidebars covered with distracting ads and pictures. I'm sure the blog served it's purpose, with it's humorous titles, and delivered entertainment to numerous people while it lasted, but currently, at its state, I would say it's the least of my favorites on this list.

In going through these blogs, I've learned a lot of what to do and what not to do with my blog to suit my personal style. Like Business Insider, I want to provide a multitude of related images within my posts to make my page less boring. Also, it is worth noting that Benedict Evans and Bad Hair Day really contrast each other in designs, one being really clean and the other messy. In my blog, I would like to provide a clean layout without completely simplifying everything in design.

 Those are just some examples of how I would apply some of the things I learned in this journey to my blog in the future. I've also learned a lot from viewing other blogs outside this list as well. I hope to continue my writing process in this blog keeping all this information in mind and with that I'll end it here. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed this process.