Off the Record
Stumbling around the Architectural Record mega-site earlier today, I came across Off the Record, "the brand-new blog written by the staff of Architectural Record...where the magazine’s team of experienced, award-winning editors offer their insightful, informal, opinionated takes on architecture-related trends, conferences, exhibitions, projects and personalities."
Record is not the first architectural print magazine to venture into the realm of blogs. Architect Magazine has a few; Building Design has a bunch; Dwell has its daily. Regardless, there's something about Record's venture that seems to legitimize the efforts of other architectural blogs, or at least it further breaks down the boundary between the content of print magazines versus online blogs and vice versa. But with the ever expanding print and online content of magazines like Record, it's becoming a bit overwhelming; so many words, so little time.
Record is not the first architectural print magazine to venture into the realm of blogs. Architect Magazine has a few; Building Design has a bunch; Dwell has its daily. Regardless, there's something about Record's venture that seems to legitimize the efforts of other architectural blogs, or at least it further breaks down the boundary between the content of print magazines versus online blogs and vice versa. But with the ever expanding print and online content of magazines like Record, it's becoming a bit overwhelming; so many words, so little time.
"it's becoming a bit overwhelming; so many words, so little time."
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting point, John.
To veer off topic a moment, you bring some thought provoking questions. Will the blogosphere become more like a stock ticker tape of information or will there be a sustained archive & memory of these sites? I've noticed that it is difficult to find archive posts on some blogs.
Also, the lifespan of a blog is very fickle. If bloggers don't keep up w/ frequent posts, it is unlikely that they will get noticed or matter to the outside world (however therapeutic it may be).
Blogs seem to seep into that gray area of subjectivity vs. objectivity. Giving room for venting and personal discovery, but also persuading and informing. It is autobiography, editorial, and objective journalism in one.
Also, will we see the institutionalization of blogs? Multitudes of nomadic idealogues, factionary and fractionary. Will it break the two party system?
The future and power of the blog is one that is interesting to ponder...
Blogging is the Long Tail of the press (see Chris Anderson's book). What's needed now is a tool to curate it all so you can easily find what you want through the dross.
ReplyDeleteanon - I'm struggling to find a way to make archive posts easier to find, or to cycle through. Partly my problem is having a template that doesn't accept Blogger's new features, and partly I'm not really into tagging the hell out of things, the most popular way of archiving these days. I guess tagging is Web 2.0 in action.
ReplyDeleteNevertheless, while writing the post I started to think along the lines of Mr. Blogster's comment, that a tool to filter the good from the bad might be necessary as so much data is produced continuously, even including this comment, for example. Who's to say that words are only of value when they're printed or edited? It's not something I'm prepared to deal with now, but it is also definitely something to ponder...