Aren’t you like, totally tired from all those web design resources and web design resources repositories and web design resources repositories lists you see every day floating around the interwebs?
I get stressed! No joking.
I referred to that in Twitter the other day. I’m really tired of all these sites sporting the latest JQuery plugin or the coolest Photoshop technique, while usually all of them are sporting the same thing at any day, just aggregating themselves and doing link favours.
So tiring. So uncreative. So uninspiring. Few are different – I admire the quality content of Smashing Magazine, of Nettuts and recently, the Usability Post. But most of them are same ole same.
It seems that Jeffrey Zeldman and the rest of the ALA crew, the absolute resource for everything web design during the last few years, have felt that way too. He (and with him, all of us) observe the web design blogging field change from a tight, committed community to an information-hungry chaotic crowd, that always searches for the latest tutorial to dabble upon. So he announced change.
And we surely need change, my friends. In this information overloaded era, change is the key to progress.
jeffrey zeldman, a list apart, smashing magazine, nettuts, usability post, jquery, photoshop
8 comments on this post
stelabouras #1
19.Sep.08
Heh, your last paragraph reminded me of this:
“Change, we can believe in”
But, sure, the whole information overload from web design resource/dev/tip sites is unbearable. We need to focus in more interesting matters.
Gerasimos #2
19.Sep.08
Being part of this “overload” i really enjoy it. I do, really.
It’s up to me to evaluate these resources, keep, read use the worthy ones and heck yeah share with other people once more.
I just prefer this era from the one 5 years ago where someone needed a whole day to spot -or- create something valuable.
Now about Zeldman and his friends,i believe they should stick with what they do best. Web Standards.
And after all those years following those guys and reading every bit that comes out, i’m sure it’s not them who decided to change stuff. Maybe it’s just me but i think, The Deck and The Event Apart (it’s all about making money at the end of the day, isn’t?) have a word on that “change”.
Sugar #3
19.Sep.08
@Gerasimos
You can’t even compare now to 5 years ago, let’s get realistic here.
Creativity or value have nothing to do with the abundance of methods. There’s inspiration and solution to be found everywhere.
Yeah, it’s all about making money. That’s why so many resource site clones (and I mean it, clones, just dry aggregation and nothing else) have spawned during the last year. Advertisements and link love.
stelabouras #4
19.Sep.08
@Gerasimos
It’s all about making money? I don’t think so mate.
I really don’t think that ‘A list Apart’ has money in mind when delivering such high quality content.
We are talking about A list Apart here…
Gerasimos #5
19.Sep.08
@Sugar: Fair enough. What about A list Apart? Do you think this ,as described by Zeldman, is the turn they should take?
@Stellabouras: I do disagree man. Once upon a time it could be pure info and nothing else. Hardcore devotion to give something back to the community. Now, ah.. ‘m not sure. I just have this feeling.
Sugar #6
19.Sep.08
@Gerasimos
We’re standing on the shoulders of giants here.
Zeldman (his book Designing with Web Standards) and ALA are one of the catalysts that helped you and me having a decent job nowadays in designing websites.
I hate so-called experts and deities as much as the next girl, but hey, it’s ALA we’re talking here. Ten years of solid content and dozens of methods I (and you) use daily.
I’d follow them even if they turned to gaming reviews.
What I criticize here is the ephemeral of the whole resources thing.
Dmitry #7
19.Sep.08
Hey, Dmitry here from Usability Post. Thanks for the mention
I absolutely agree with you. Not so long ago it was actually very difficult to find good tutorials, Photoshop brushes, fonts, inspirations etc… but now… oh dear. New design blogs and galleries springing up every day — aggregating each other, sharing content, re-sharing content and then compiling it all into yet another list.
I actually don’t think it’s so much about money — more a desire to own your own blog and share something valuable. Of course, not everyone makes their own content; it’s very easy — and effective — to put together lists of other resources. People see this, and jump on the bandwagon.
Sugar #8
19.Sep.08
@Dmitry
Hey there! Welcome. Your opinion matches my own – it’s all an information cycle that gets sour after a whole.
Your blog is quite remarkable – useful and paying too much attention to detail (a trait that I love). Thanks for stopping by!