Blogs vs. Websites

Blogs are dead common. Just about anybody can create a blog. I have 3 blogs myself.  That’s why I want to get above the fray and create a website.

Here’s what I mean about “fray.” Take http://cdixon.posterous.com/my-personal-bloggingtweeting-rules blog post as an example.

Apparently he doesn’t know how to utilize the shift key on the keyboard, or he failed all his English classes in high school. Well, that may be a bit harsh, but this is an example of the informal cacophony that can be found on blogs. Additionally, this blog assumes quite a bit of previous knowledge.  What is a “start up?” What has this author stated previously?  No examples are given, just stream of consciousness writing. No need to educate; this is a look inside C. Dixon’s mind. Take it or leave it.

I am looking to get out of the “fray” and create an authoritative, instructional website.  No one would take me seriously as an authority figure if I didn’t have careful proof-reading.  There are plenty of blogs you can go to if you want to be assaulted with bad spelling, awkward sentences and unsubstantiated opinions. True, you can find websites that also have grammar problems too.  However, I would contend that we don’t expect those types of errors from a website, but we tolerate them in blogs. Here’s an example of a fabulous website that communicates with authority: http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/.  It is not stream of consciousness, it contains many navigation points.  Smarthistory looks and feels educational.  While it might be very fun to explore this website; fun is not the major objective.

A blog suggest a personal journey. Websites suggest a more factual presentation.  For example:  One of my favorite blogs is “Oh How She Glows”  http://ohsheglows.com/

The author, Lauren, includes great navigation tools and has her own domain name.  Obviously this blog has some professional touches, but it still comes across as a blog.  It looks like a blog, it feels like a blog. And it is in fact a WordPress blog with a domain address. The voice and tone of her writing is deeply personal, although it is professional and informative. But because it is a blog, I only expect it to be one person’s perspective. Contrast that with http://www.katyperry.com.

You might think this is personal too. But I contend that it is not. This website is designed to promote Katy Perry – the product, not the person.  This is evidenced by the factual, objective tone.  You want to see what is on Katy’s mind – you look at her Twitter feed.  The videos shown are her professionally released videos.  The store is a real website commerce space. The images are stunning without a whiff of amateur quality. The news feed is in blog format, but it is so factual and objective that nobody is even commenting on the news stories. It is clear that this is not an open discussion or a personal platform.  This website is all about the commercial side of Katy Perry. She’s not going to respond to your comments.

I feel that if my web presence is going to grow, I need to have a bon a fide, objective, educational website.  Blogs are great, I might want to continue to explore their use, but I feel I need to make a change and go for a website.