The Last Post : Sundown at CommonSense

Sunset - Photo: AlphaTangoBravo / Adam Baker

CommonSense With Markk -- my very first blog launched in early 2006 -- has gone past its sell-by date. The time has come to send it to pasture. This is it, folks! Finito.

I hate to do it but I'm not going to feel nostalgic or sentimental about it after almost two and a half years of blogging on this site which, at one time, was going places. But since the Google PageRank slapfest late last year, things have not been the same like the "good old days."

I felt great with CommonSense when the going was good. It rose to PR3 in about four months after its launch and at one stage it attained PR5 before Goog started the slapfest. As is commonly known, writing paid posts has its downside - and that had incurred the wrath of Big G.

I'm taking this action now because the Google jive has started again and I'm not expecting Big G to show a benign smile on this blog. I've seen the little green thingy fluctuating in the last couple of days. Don't know when it will settle down but now I'm packing up here, don't care much for PageRank now where this blog is concerned.

Although I tried to plod on I found the task too tiresome and it was like a millstone hung around my neck. I soon realized that you can't be running two personal blogs -- the other being The Next Post -- at the same time. As it is, it's already tough for some bloggers to churn out post after post and making sure the stuff you write are not crap or fluff.

There's a lot of disadvantages in having a name like CommonSense With Markk. It's too personal and there's not much you can do to broaden its scope. I don't know what you all think but that's what I have learned through three years of running a couple of websites and a number of other blogs. I supposed if you treat blogging as just a hobby then it's fine to stay with it and continue posting at your own pleasure.

If I had wanted CommonSense to continue, I could, but reality check tells me I have to devote more attention to those other sites of mine. They are going to take up a lot of my time in the days ahead.

From here on, you can read future postings of mine at The Next Post.

I have taken CommonSense With Markk off of the MyBlogLog site. I would like to thank all those kind bloggers whom I had crossed paths in our blogging journey for visiting this blog, especially those who had entered into some kind of communication with me and came back often to leave appreciated comments in my posts. If you happened to read this and has a blogroll link or any other in-post links to this site, please take the necessary action to avoid broken links.

Also, I have terminated my web hosting account for CommonSenseWithMarkk.com and have switched my URL back to Blogspot where this site will be left to dry under the blogging sun! I'll be doing some "house-cleaning" for a while (don't know how long it will take) and then if the weather is right, I just might press the self-destruct button for this site. Kaboom! Meanwhile, enjoy.

Adieu.

Making Sense of Typography On Your Blog

Photo: Elisabeth85

Are you fully aware that typography if used correctly can enhance the appearance of your blog and increase readability?

I've seen blogs that don't regard typography as an important visual element in their blog makeup. This is probably due to a lack of understanding in the use of typography.

A blogger is a publisher. And as in the traditional world of publishing, publishers are expected to acquire "typographic literacy."

I've seen a lot of blogs with good content. These blogs have good articles on them but they seldom break blocks of text into more palatable and readable paragraphs.

A huge chunk of paragraph is not easy on the eye and is more likely to discourage the reader. It's even worst when it's italicized. Ideally, each paragraph should comprise from one to three sentences only.

Just imagine if you have been starring at the screen for a long while, would you find it easy to read that huge chunk of text?

Take a look at most newspapers where readers today are not expected to linger over volumes of text. Paragraphs are neatly broken up into digestible portions enabling the reader to read or scan through the text easily. That's what we call legibility.

Just as today's newspaper readers are regarded as "scanners," according to studies, so are most blog readers. Based on that, it's obvious that design or "editorial presentation" must succeed in capturing the reader's attention. Make it "sticky," if you please.

As readers, we can recognize the different typographic styles like CAPITALS and lower case, roman and italic, regular and bold, a serif typeface and a sans serif style, and so on.

Now try reading the above eight paragraphs again below where they're lumped together and you'll see what I mean...

Are you fully aware that typography if used correctly can enhance the appearance of your blog and increase readability? I've seen blogs that don't regard typography as an important visual element in their blog makeup. This is probably due to a lack of understanding in the use of typography. A blogger is a publisher. And as in the traditional world of publishing, publishers are expected to acquire "typographic literacy." I've seen a lot of blogs with good content. These blogs have good articles on them but they seldom break blocks of text into more palatable and readable paragraphs. A huge chunk of paragraph is not easy on the eye and is more likely to discourage the reader. It's even worst when it's italicized. Ideally, each paragraph should comprise from one to three sentences only. Just imagine if you have been starring at the screen for a long while, would you find it easy to read that huge chunk of text? Take a look at most newspapers where readers today are not expected to linger over volumes of text. Paragraphs are neatly broken up into digestible portions enabling the reader to read or scan through the text easily. That's what we call legibility. Just as today's newspaper readers are regarded as "scanners," according to studies, so are most blog readers. Based on that, it's obvious that design or "editorial presentation" must succeed in capturing the reader's attention. Make it "sticky," if you please. As readers, we can recognize the different typographic styles like CAPITALS and lower case, roman and italic, regular and bold, a serif typeface and a sans serif style, and so on.

The importance of adding contrast

Another key ingredient in typography usage involves adding contrast between elements on a page. Changes in typography can be very effective in creating contrast.

In some cases, you can create a distinct identity when visuals are replaced by contrasting typefaces and type sizes to distinguish key phrases or words from less important elements.

Why? When every type on a page "shouts", it's hard to pay attention to what each one is trying to say. There'll be too much verbal noise. It's typographic cacophony!

Contrast also comes from the skilful use of white space to highlight headings and visuals. When it's done in the right manner, contrast adds tension and interest to a page.



Photo: 7-how-7

Here are some tips regarding typography:

> Type as a tone of voice

To make the most of its capabilities, it's necessary to use ingenuity, tempered with taste and restraint. Typography is an art capable of great expressiveness and variety, according to Jan White, author of Editing By Design and an award-winning designer in magazines, newsletters, books and tabloids.

> When to use Italics

Use Italics sparingly. They are harder to read than their Roman counterparts. Italics lend themselves best to informal use as constrast to the more formal Roman, i.e. as large, floating lines, as blurbs or quotes run ragged right (don't justify it!).

> When to use ALL CAPITALS

Use them only when lines are very short - as label headlines, sidebar titles, or single words popping up above normal lower case. Try reading long lines of capitals and your eyes will roll over!

Is it so hard to understand typography?

Studying the art of typography can be very deep and complex. But it can be learned just like any other art or craft.

Understanding typography is not that difficult to do, because it only takes some common sense to grasp that understanding. It's all about good judgment and taste.

The effective use of typography is all about communication. That's right, effective visual communication. Applying it correctly will help your blog to be more readily accepted by readers. Make it easy on the reader's eye when he or she reads your article - and if you write well enough, I'm sure the reader will appreciate it.

Of related interests:
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