Radio Free Silver Lake

Radio Free Silver Lake is yet another blog that changed it's interface with its rise in popularity. Originally, it was based on a small scale server, and was in line with ideas on amateurism and discussion.

original layout:


New layout:


The original layout was built in blogspot, and was simplified verison of its newer self. If we position Radio Free Silver Lake (RFSL) within the framework we have created for Electronic Literaure in class, we can see the progression of media and the blog. Initially RFSL followed the format of a traditional blog - a linear stream of information, provided by well informed, but amateur authors. RFSL has moved into the realm of professionalism, like many of their fellow bloggers. Their new host, typepad, describes itself as:

1. We make blogging simple. TypePad’s intuitive interface allows you to add content, pictures and links quickly and easily. Whether you know a little bit about technology or a lot, you can go from blank screen to live blog in minutes.

2. You maintain complete control over your blog. TypePad offers the ultimate in blog management tools, allowing you to customize your design, moderate comments, decide whether or not to display ads, and much more. We think that’s the way it should be; after all, it is your blog.

3. We make it easy for people to find your blog. All TypePad blogs are search-engine optimized. In addition, we provide valuable services such as Google Site Maps, a PubSubhubbub hub, search-engine friendly URLs and site structure, and the exclusive Six Apart Atom stream used by Google and other search engines that make your content easier to find.

4. You (not advertisers) are our customer. Since TypePad is a paid service, advertising spam will never appear on your blog. You may decide to display advertising, but that’s up to you; you’re in control. We spend our time, effort, and energy to stay on the edge of innovation, and you are the beneficiary.

5. Your TypePad blog looks good. Really good. We’ve commissioned talented graphic designers to create design templates that make your blog look sharp, professional, and creative. You can customize the templates an infinite number of ways; or, if you’re so inclined, you can code your own.

6. You get more bling for your buck. TypePad is continually adding new features and functionality to help our customers stay a step ahead. Recent innovations include industry leading mobile support (most recently with the iPhone and iPod Touch) and social networking integration with Facebook.

7. We’ve got your back. From spam prevention to comment control to powerful back-end data protection, TypePad is committed to keeping your blog content safe. All of the content you upload to TypePad is hosted in a world-class data center, giving you exceptional reliability, uptime and system performance.

8. Grow as much as you want; we’ve got the technology to handle it. Whether you have a readership of one or one million, we’ve got the backend technology to accommodate your needs. TypePad is the only service that balances ease of use with sophisticated functionality and high-traffic capacity.

9. We’re here to help. Here at TypePad, we’re passionate about customer service. We provide customer support 7 days a week, 365 days a year. We want you to get the answers you need, and we’ve developed a huge Knowledge Base and a responsive online help system to make sure that happens.

10. You deserve the best. TypePad’s parent company is Six Apart, the worldwide leader in blogging software and services that changed the way millions of individuals, organizations, and corporations connect and communicate. We take an active role in blogging education, attending 50+ conferences and seminars around the world every year.
    (http://www.typepad.com/about/)

What else separates typad from hosts such as blogger and wordpress? Well, it costs money. Fiscally, blogging is moved into the realm of professionalism by this switch in hosts. Typad is geared to business, which represents a shift in the community of blogging. Capitalist institutions have been taking complete advantage of the world of blogging as a free marketing tool, and now blogs have shifted from "weblogs" to businesses. Even an example like Perez Hilton, which began as someone just posting things he found interesting, has turned into an extremely lucrative career. Blogspot even has a tap called "monetize," were bloggers can have adds posted on their site, in order to make a profit.

Here's a video on "How to Blog"

It deals with the same issues. This video is based on efficiency and gaining traffic to your blog. Nothing about content, community, or dialogue. Have blogs simply turned into a capitalist venture, or are these the blogs that are more accessible because of the tools they have purchased to help them move up on the google search engine.