ideablog

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Tumblelogs

Anarchaia: A tumblelog by Christian Neukirchen

Tumblelogs are loosely structured blogs that don't date or title every post like many blogging tools require. It retrieves the old style of weblogs that, because of the difficulty of publishing, didn't always adhere to a structured format. These blogs are often just lists of links, or short paragraphs with embedded links.

This is a very appealing format for recording the things one comes across during their day with no real requirements for coherence or completeness. Removing the date and title allows content to build over time and de-emphasizes how "stale" the site may be. One can "refresh" the look of the page simply by updating the date, and adding a link or two. Archiving posts by month is a simple way to limit page size.

A tumblelog has a time element for sure, and the currency of links and commentary is important for the reader. By paying attention to new content (news, newly published links) the author connects to the audience through a common context. Otherwise, posts may often seem irrelevant to readers.

In addition to the temporal context, authors can use themes, categories, or their personal voice to connect to readers. These elements provide the context necessary for readers to know what to expect when opening the page. A good URL helps to provide context to new visitors, and encourages linking and bookmarking if the URL and blog title captures the essence of the blog. This point raises the question whether having a unique and esoteric name might create a barrier to new users. In the best cases (FlickR, del.icio.us, Google) the name becomes synonymous with the product and new users are highly motivated to learn what it means.

Whether the term "tumblelog" will catch on is unknown, but the format it defines is certainly important. It encourages blogs to have well-defined themes if published as more than just as a personal site.

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