The Good Blog (late post I'm sorry D:)

So I missed the other part of the first assignment. Hear Here it is. (No one saw that typo)

For decades humanity has asked a simple question: what attracts an audience? Be it for a book, a television show, or, most importantly a blog? *wink wink nudge nudge* So I intend do give my 25 cents on this matter. Why 25 cents? Because 2 cents is worthless.

Now, a good blog should, first and foremost, try to understand the audience it is attempting to reach. The audience takes into consideration the type of blog and the content one aims to post, as well as the "personality" one wishes to impose upon the blog. The audience of a blog for puppies, as a simple example, would be mostly dog-lovers. A comedy blog would obtain an audience of people who enjoy your brand of humor, and so on. The personality of a blog comes from the visual presentation and the blogger's voice. Unless one intends on making a completely objective and bland blog (which has an audience, don't get me wrong. Just a really small audience), your writing style and how you represent yourself reflects the personality of the blog. 

If you're a writer and understand the mechanics of the english language, you're almost set. But the big thing will still need to be solved else you fail to garner much of an audience to begin with; and that big thing is blog layout. When a newcomer first visits your blog, what they see on your homepage will determine whether or not they decide to stay and investigate your site. If your blog assaults the reader with a wall of text and bland visuals, you have doomed your blog. Make sure that your choice of color is easy on the eyes (don't put yellow text on neon green pleeeaaase). A lot of things need to be considered for the whole of a website's layout.

There are plenty of things I probably am not even thinking about at the moment. The eternal struggle to understand the nature of the consumer audience is a confusing one. Take my advice though, I promise what I've said is good.

Reading "My Sister's Keeper" Start - Pg 130

Allow me to preface: I'm not the most avid reader, as much as I hate to admit it. In a way, it's a blessing; every new book I pick up becomes an amazing experience in some way; an emotional trip, a thriller, a grand adventure. Let it be known that while this does color my ability to critique a story or understand what makes a "good" story, it gives me a greater appreciation for the story itself, being unfamiliar with the kinds tropes and turns a story like My Sister's Keeper would normally undertake.

My Sister's Keeper follows the Fitzgeralds, a family unfortunate enough to have its elder daughter, Kate, diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia. The younger daughter, Anna, is the primary focus of the story, being born specifically for the purpose of giving her sister appropriately matched blood and bone marrow to keep her alive. Anna has had this decision made for her for years, and this becomes critical as it is revealed that her sister's kidney is failing, and kidney transplant is the next thing she will be forced to endure.

Already I am having a hard time going through it. The subject hits close to home, and brings questions to my mind I wouldn't want to answer. Given the choice, would I be willing to go through painful transplants, and perhaps even life-threatening surgery to save a loved one? Having lost a loved one to cancer in recent years, the question remains. I wasn't given the choice, but a nagging voice returns now and then to dwell on "what ifs". In Anna's case, she believes her life shouldn't be jeopardized even for her dying sister.

We find out through flashbacks small parts of the Fitzgeralds' past. Among them, the memories of the mother (Sara) and father (Brian) when they first learned of Kate's disease. Initially I had mislabeled Sara as an uncaring and poor parent, seemingly ignoring Anna and her delinquent son Jesse, but after these scenes, I couldn't help but find a very deep empathy for her. Anna puts it well herself:

"My mother could be beautiful, if she were parachuted into someone else's life." Pg 10

To find fault in her would be to find fault in the actions of one given impossibility and told to make the possibility. While she appears not to care for any of her children aside from Kate, there are small hints in her dialogue and body language that suggest not apathy, but inability. She is not the parent to be dealing with her situation. She is not the person to be dealing with her situation. She is an emotionally weak and confused person who wants only to save her dying child. She is not a terrible parent. That is something I cannot accuse her of, lest I face the same fate and need to make her decisions.

Could you make those decisions?

Ultimately...

Choosing to die is one thing. Choosing not to give a person a chance for one's own safety is another. Choosing not to save one's sister for one's own safety is different altogether. Anna is well aware of that, and her mother sees as well. Upon discovering that Anna wishes to sue for her body, a single slap is all her mother gave:

"Just so you know: shame is five-fingered." Pg 54

Further progression through this book will take some amount of effort, especially now that I have a grasp of what lies ahead.

Les Blogs Interestants

I took a look at several blogs in an attempt at finding good examples for this first assignment. It took me several just to find two. When understanding web design and the basics that allow for the ease of user browsing are critical for a blog competing on the internet for an audience, it's a shame as many of the blogs I examined actually contained good content. That's slightly disheartening, but I digress.

The first interesting blog I observed was the famous and eccentric Hyperbole and a Half. At first glance, the blog gives the viewer a strong first impression, colored by how one would take in a barrage of vibrant colors and artistry born from the best that Microsoft Paint can offer. The blog's homepage sports a heading which displays several creations of the author's many years of writings, some of which, like the "Alot," that have become popular icons outside of the blog. The author's personality is fully present in every page, including the "About" pages, which are humorously enough, highly uninformative and primarily filled with random content. Considering the aim of the blog being to provide entertainment, it does its job. Though it is very much niche humor, it fills the niche well.

Structure-wise, the page is well organized. A set of tabs below the heading and several thumbnails for posts along the right side of the screen allow for the ease of browsing. The lack of information about what the blog actually is can be neglected as the blog's style serves to get that across on its own; no need for words. It is aesthetically... pleasing, while still remaining functional. All-in-all, the blog stands out and is pretty pretty darn sweet.

The second blog I took interest in was The Last Psychiatrist, a blog made by a practicing psychiatrist. Much like Hyperbole and a Half, the layout is easy to understand and use. Unlike Hyperbole and a Half, it takes a more minimalist approach, while still maintaining a level of humor. From the homepage, all recent articles are listed with only a single title, thumbnail, and joking comment. To even begin reading a portion of an article, one must first click on the title. This significantly reduces the clutter on the page so present in many another blog. I don't know about anyone else, but going to a webpage only to be assaulted by a wall of text is one of the biggest ways to put me off exploring said webpage further.

One of the blog's greatest strengths lies in the writing itself. The author of the blog provides an interesting, witty commentary that I personally find appealing. He has a very quirky sense of humor, but can get serious points across even while making tiny jabs at his subject. In short, the blogger has a strong writing style and has designed his blog in such a way that is friendly to the average new visitor.

My Sister's Keeper

Book #24-08