art blog reader survey and a heads-up on artblog.net 2.0, as it were
Post #373 • September 27, 2004, 9:55 AM • 5 Comments
Todd Gibson of From the Floor has set up a readers survey. You can burn through it in about five minutes and it doesn't ask for any personal information. Todd's post about it on FtF is here.
Personally, I have no intentions whatsoever to tailor my content according to your interests except as you have expressed to me already via comments and e-mail. I have a different angle on asking you to participate: one day, mainstream paper-based art journalism will break down and admit that art blogging exists. When they do, they will want to know how widely the phenomenon has spread and why. They will cite Todd's survey, and then qualify it as probably inaccurate, but that won't stop them from using it. Shortly thereafter, Artforum will start a blog. It will provide an even more horrible reading experience than their message boards. The Whitney will follow suit. The Whitney blog will go a little better, but after a while it will become no more interesting to read than any other of their press materials.
Bottom line: if these new big players want to get in on the culture, they will have to link to us. That will enlarge our gates, as the Chinese used to say. And even if they don't link to us, blogging will move to a more central position in the world of art criticism. That will happen anyway, but Todd's survey will grease the skids a bit.
Speaking of tailoring content according to your interests, I'd like to give you a heads up on a new development in the works here at Artblog.net. On Friday, in addition to the regular offerings, I will begin delivering content for which I have seen no equivalent examples on any other site. I feel pretty juiced up about it, but I won't spoil the surprise. I will reveal all on Friday.
2.
September 27, 2004, 8:44 PM
OK, I filled it out. I hope this kind of thing has the long-term effect you predict.
3.
September 27, 2004, 9:27 PM
well I didn't fill it out - lots of it doesn't really apply to me, and I don't care to pin down my thoughts and feelings into those sorts of categories. I don't really read any of those other blogs (though I might try a couple of them at some point), and I'm not sure if i want my desires to influence the content of this site.
Though, apropos of nothing in particular, some of my favorite writing on this site has been the actual art reviews . . . in particular i remember an analysis you posted of a (balthus?) painting. The painting may not have been my cup of tea, but the article made me appreciate it more.
4.
September 27, 2004, 11:23 PM
Lots of it didn't apply to me, either, Alesh, but I made it out because Franklin thinks it may have a good effect for this blog and for blogging as a source of alternate art opinion in general.
5.
September 28, 2004, 7:07 AM
Alesh, this Friday's thing is totally about the art reviews.
1.
denise
September 27, 2004, 8:16 PM
oh, you tease. what kind of content could possibly not have already been covered in some other blog out there? i'm a little skeptical, but curious. :)