I'm going to write a little article about "bad blog trends" I've noticed. I'm specifically interested in design issues that are cliched or just useless.
One thing that has been bothering me lately is using "strikeout" for visited links. Why do people do this? So what if I've been there before...I still want to easily read what the link says!
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http://www.spacerook.com
Bad Blog Trends (81 posts)
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SpaceRook
Posted 5 years ago # -
Personally I cannot stand the plethora of little buttons that people use on their sites. You know the ones - about 10 pixels by 35 pixels.
Having *far* too many links.
And bad designs ? Just keep dropping into mine - I hop from one bad design to another quite regularly :) -
Um, podz, just to set the record straight... I never called myself a designer. I'm a developer! :)
As far as bad weblog trends (calling them blogs is a bad weblog trend in my book), I usually attribute them to social-mechanics over bad taste. They are doing those little buttons because they are free, easy, and all their friends are doing them. The strike-out thing is annoying though. I'll completely agree to that. -
KAShirow
Posted 5 years ago #I'd be more interested to read about bad content trends rather than bad presentation trends. :)
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@stevarino - I didn't mean you :) I have friends blogs which are liberally decorated with said buttons and I happen to prefer words as links.
Design ... a weblog is our chance to express ourselves to others that we didn't have even say 3 years ago. We can play with the code, add numerous snippets here and there which we may think is cool, our friends may like, but others loathe. Bit like fashion really.
As someone who has been posting junk to the net for a few years now, I've gone through using wierd fonts / big images / garish colours / complex layouts and now just settle for a plain page because when it comes down it to, that's what I want to see, and I want my page to load fast.
As for bad content ? Depends on what you mean by 'bad'. I couldn't define it. If I like it, I read, if I don't, I click another link. Doesn't make it bad, just makes it not for me, and maybe just not for me at that time. -
NuclearMoose
Posted 5 years ago #mpt,
That's the beauty of self-publishing. You can any of those things that you mention, and if it means something to you as the person who wrote and designed it, that's all that matters. You, as a consumer of blogs and sites in general, get to "vote" on what you like based on the choice of whether or not to return to that site.
Some of the things you mention you might not care about, and that's fine, but I see them as windows of opportunity -- a way to learn a little bit about the person I like to visit and read. A good icebreaker for conversation, if you will. -
OrbitJuice
Posted 5 years ago #I think it's funny how website trends have changed over the past decade or so.
The mid and late 90's was the center justified text, over-use of animated gifs and the over use of java (shimmering reflections, bouncing text attached to the mouse cursor, etc)
The early 2000 - 2002 brought the abundant overuse of flash (Flashturbation), then and simple/clean websites - with little to no java. Almost back to straight text. -
WillM
Posted 5 years ago #Here's my list:
- Links that change size on hover.
- 'Weather pixies.' Do I need to say anything more?
- Squidfingers backgrounds. Cool the first time you see them, getting monotonous now.
- Blue, white and gray. There are other colors in the spectrum you know!
As for content, most blog content is boring unless you know the person or they're an expert in whatever they're writing about.
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Anonymous
Posted 5 years ago #Hmm...after reading through things so far I wonder if the original question/post's "bad blog trends" is referring only to a focus or interest in a very broad, wide-range, steps-back from the close-up and personal, look at design, objectively? Which I don't think I've managed yet to express accurately. This is what's so maddening about forum interaction to me -- how difficult it is to pinpoint exactly what you mean in all ways, including the tone of how a post sounds -- it always requires much more time and trouble, digging around for just the "right" words, not to mention so many, many more words! Anyhow, there are so many ways to look at blogging and blogs, of course; we all know that, and that includes blogs of business, corporate, news et al worlds (I often find some of this repugnant in nature -- like of course blogging, too, would have to be snatched up and exploited as just one more easy tool for the greedy's gain! but let me quickly backtrack out into the more politically safe realm...) So maybe SR is in this particular instance interested in looking at that whole wide world of blogging in terms of design only, superficial survey, like when people are interested in how cars in the 20s looked, for example, or jeans for whatever decade. Jeans in the 60s, say, observably different in appearance than trends of 1999... if you think about it like that, it's easy to recall the familiar objection most of us have made or at least heard, that the clothes don't make the person or that we like the person inside the jeans, and there's the parallel with design and content. Of course, follow that thread of thinking out and you come up with all those grey areas such as the impression a certain appearance lends and so on... the early grunge look, e.g. did that trend begin with a certain reality (homelessness=clothing available to the unknowing "trendsetter")?? What would certain trends in how blogs look mean, or maybe better said, from where/what do they arise, if they do, or if there can be seen that certain trends do exist... are they a result of function? perhaps limits of some sort or another, like the appearance of this "dinosaur" microwave my grandmother had... I don't know about any of this stuff, not making assertions, just saying that this might be the orientation of SR's here with this particular interest. In that way, then, a lot of info has come up already -- for example how possible is it to separate design from content -- a big thing with poetry in the classic sense before even the oral traditions, way way back, Asian areas, the Chinese - for them it was all about how the thing appeared on the page, its arrangement, 'pen/brush' strokes of the characters, et al. Maybe in a way we are returning to that kind of concern or esthetic with design/content as interdependent? albeit electronically? Anyhow there's a smattering of my thoughts ... maybe something useful, hopefully, can be plucked from it. Specifically, SR, you asked about that cross-through thing. Strike-out, I think. Interesting because I like it and have been trying to figure out why. Maybe it's because it's familiar to me, that sort of crossing things off my lists, which is a kind of comfort to me because I feel like I always have so much going on and that I'm interested in so many things and always, especially internet-web-link-link-link-wise, so much is constantly spontaneously there grabbing my attention... it's like I need to see what I've already at least visited. Especially if I'm having to move very fast, you know? Like in the instance of researching for a story -- I go to a particular blog and as part of gathering the info, background, need to check out the links, and this is just one blog of say several others (plus other sources, reference material, right) I'd be stuck forever I guess and in fact do have a hard time pulling myself away from amazing wild new or fascinating stuff...maybe the strikeout is so good because it is psychologically satisfying -- because, of course, changed colors indicate links visited, too, e.g. -- but maybe the strikethrough as something that familiar has the weight of symbology going for it ?
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Posted 5 years ago #Sorry guys I can't contribute. I obviously need to get "into context " first. And work out how to run my spell checker. Just in case I get (sic) ed again.
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Posted 5 years ago #excellent list -- esp. the pundit, rant, musing(s) contribution. those new to it all really have their work cut out for them in trying to come up with substitutes for "musings" -- the word's apt for those who want to say this is a spot for me to just jot down my thoughts and ideas, often fragmentary -- put in words the stuff that comes into my awareness, things working over in my head... you know? people who know it's going to be just exactly that, + don't want to make any big claim about it otherwise. it's kind of interesting in the way that some people in fact don't really care to get a big following or what have you -- or maybe don't start out that way and or don't expect anyone to take notice but then it happens that others get interested or involved or whatever and then the blogger gets more into it... musings isn't musings anymore... but anyhow, what in the hell word - one word or two even - might take the place of musings but mean precisely musings? and yeah you put your finger right on it -- who can stand to even see anymore musings, rant, pundit b/c these have been spoiled, taken on as they have --- trend(ily) --- kind of amusing too to think about "rant" as originating (I think) from Dennis Miller way back when. [and look at him now. ugh. hmm, politics-undertone just leaking out all over the place -- time to get to work I think ...put words there into what i am supposed to be writing ]
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Posted 5 years ago #hmm
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Posted 5 years ago #g
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Posted 5 years ago #There is a slow but growing convention that certain visual symbols or images be used to indicate certain other things on the net. By the same token when someone puts "rants" or "links" at least you know what you are going to get. Heck is n't that the fun of it? And a rant is always a rant. Even when it is dressed up with literary illusions.
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Posted 5 years ago #_mpt_
:D
BTW - I guess you find my site boring, seeing as it is called nuclear moose musings, but that is your choice, and that's okay by me. That being said, I spent a lot of time trying to come up with a suitable name for the blog, and "settled" on this one because I needed to move on to content and design. I think pineapple is a stupid, boring, name for a fruit, but it sure tastes good. What about Passion Fruit? Damn, I've not had an inkling of passion as a result of eating them. What about Star Fruit? There aren't any stars in it, and, as far as the shape goes, I've yet to see a Hubble telescope photo which shows a star of the shape of the fruit.
Why do you park in a driveway, and drive on a parkway? I guess by now you see my point. If you judge the quality of a website solely on its colour scheme and title, you may well be missing out on some interesting things. -
Posted 5 years ago #PegIDT, I appreciate your deep insights :)
I was probably too vague in my original post. I was mostly talking about design/usability issues. (Having comments appear in popups is a great one that I forgot about).
In terms of content, I think there are some cliches that can be boring. I've only been weblogging for a month, so I'm sure I don't have the most riveting content yet. But I'm learning what works and what doesn't. I definitely try to avoid just posting links to a news story, or single sentence posts (although some creep in).
When writing, my motto is: Am I adding a unique perspective or insight? Is this something no one else could write? Alas, the answer isn't always "yes", but that is what I strive for.
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SpaceRook.com -
Posted 5 years ago #"... a slow but growing convention that certain visual symbols or images be used to indicate certain other things on the net." That's intriguing, Anon. Have anything -- sites, etc -- off the top of your head you'd be willing to share? that discuss this, that is? or anyone else? this is the kind of stuff that fascinates me.
Hey, spacerook, you're welcome. let me know how things go with this, would you? or feel free if you want to discuss more off board to contact me. -
Posted 5 years ago #Off board ? Heck !
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mage111
Posted 5 years ago #as the old saying goes, a person is there own worst critic... i hope with all this research and writing that you stumble apoun, the bad designs your site has are fixed.
[quote] I'm specifically interested in design issues that are cliched or just useless.[/quote]
i'd like to use your index page as the basis, ive gone no deeper, and i do not feel inclined to either. i wont bash your content as thats yours to write and for me to ignore if i want.
1) the background. people will be reading heavy amounts of content, think about that O_o.
2) the use of text colors on the calander. its 'useless' having a calander when people cant even read the current date.
3) redundent links. the site has archives down the left, which look to work, but then at the top you have 'archives' as well. but not only is there a second link, the link doesnt work, it has a javascript popup to telling us, we cant go anywhere.
4) removing the redundent link in your 3 part main navigation makes the top nav almost useless.
5) serious revision of navgation layout and categorization & placement should be looked at and tried.
6) praticality of semi-hidden login & registeration links.
i really did cut down wut i put wrote, so i dont run myself off on tangents. you obviously have something to say and thats great, its always great to read something other than your typical immature emo kid complaining about how 'their' bad life is.
However, i dont think a person should be writing an article, about bad designs when they themselves have a hard time ahereing to design principles taught or even written about dozens of times already.
Then again, this may be the exact look your going for. but i really do not find that too believable.
I compliment you on your display of text, it works. I find many blogs hard to read with not only clashing colors, but size, it seems minimal is kool to some people there for font-size: 1px; is acceptable by todays bloggers. i dont appreciate the fact people take small to another level.
GL with your blog, your article & the future. but i do emphasis that a revision of your website should be done to at least hold some of the mentions in the article you are writing or have written already. otherwise it may not be taken seriously, coming from a person who cant adhere to the standars they researched, and im assuming, agree with. -
Posted 5 years ago #btw having looked at your site again without really having anything else to write. i noticed another piece to your design that made me want to write another post.
your table/css layout.
-header image(s) have a thick grey background.
-3 nav links have a 1px border, which looks similar to the color of the header border color.
-border color & width of the left/mid/right colums
-footer background, border color/width
-too many font-sizes in use for my taste.
anyways, im off this time, gl with your writing :-) -
Bad Weblog names:
* Anything ending in "Pundit" (a good indicator that they'll be polemic and unenlightening, no matter what political viewpoint they have)
* Anything containing "Rant", e.g. "Julie's Rants" (a good sign they'll be boring)
* Anything containing the word "musings" (yep, they'll be boring too)How about anything attempting to be a clever, but cliche, play on words...like "doubting thomas"?
;-) -
what abt blogs ending in blog/journal...
as simple as 'my journal' :O) -
MPT:
Bad design details amongst Mac-using Weblog authors:
* CSS shadows on text.
* Photoshopped shadows on graphics.
* What the author is playing on iTunes right now. (As if we care.)
Bad design details generally:
* Dashed borders.
* “Comments (0) Trackbacks (0)� under every post.
* Mouseover effects.
* People thinking they know better than the browser designer what cursor a particular HTML element should have. (I have yet to see someone doing this justifiably.)Why no CSS shadows? That's like saying "I don't want to see the color red! That's so lame!".
As for what's playing on iTunes, I carry it on my site and I think it's a rather significant way of getting to know me. I've had many people mail me to talk about what I lisen to.
I have seen Dashed borders used excellently many places.
Mouseover effects for links is essential in helping ease the reading of text that includes links, by not underlining them until they're moused over.
And I have changed the mouse cursor on many elements where it made sense.
Rather it seems that you're angry at anyone not doing things _exactly_ like you. -
this thread could have so much avoided...
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Posted 5 years ago #And I have changed the mouse cursor on many elements where it made sense.
Where would that be? Because I have never ever seen a context where it would make sense to change my cursor from the browser default.
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the windows help icon on the help icon. make sense :O)
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Posted 5 years ago #Only for people who have difficulty reading the word 'help' or figuring out what a question mark might mean. Those people need more help than any cursor change - or indeed help page - can give them.
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Posted 5 years ago #Mage111, thanks for your comments. I 100% agree that I have some house cleaning of my own to do. Some of this is laziness on my part, in addition to trying to learn the best way to use Wordpress.
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Posted 5 years ago #mage111. I loved your post. There is nothing worse than design poseurs whose own sites are all over the place. I am sorry to say though that the proper ettiquette here when seeing a blog coded so badly is to say: Loved your blog dude Really cool. Anything remotely constructive like your post is rarely appreciated.
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Posted 5 years ago #I am not a poseur, Anonymous (if that is your real name).
Oh, and I implemented most of the fixes that's Mage111 talked about.
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