smackfoo.com | I find your lack of faith disturbing.

There’s one thing that, possibly, peeves me off more than, well, anything else. That moment where you read a staggeringly assumptive article that simultaneously states the obvious, yet misses the point entirely.

“I have a penchant for knowing - just, well, knowing - when a blog or website is powered by Wordpress. You know? Way too many links in the sidebar or header, usually styled the same way? Info all over the place? A candidly modified Kubrick theme? Referring to static pages as, omigod, Pages?” #

Just like somefool, I read John Gruber’s response that really does point out the obvious.

“But it’s just HTML and CSS; the software that generates it should be no more noticeable or relevant to you, the reader, as is whether a magazine was laid out using QuarkXPress or InDesign.”

I have a lot of time for John (and not because he’s a moveable type junkie) - he has a way of slicing right to the point in many of his observations. That and I covet the simple elegance that is daring fireball.

Joel “I hate wordpress” Trotter has obviously come across one too many default wordpress installs, in his time. That, quite probably, comes down to the platforms somewhat meteoric rise to becoming one of the more popular bloogging platforms available.

Granted, I’m no fan of where WP is going, or the recent spate of silly changes — however, design doesn’t automatically define what’s under the hood. There is a reason a number of the ’stock’ designs are popular — they’re easy to deploy and manage. Popularity and demand often shape what a market can get or will use.. Design is no different.

The design is but one element, and an element that can be tweaked, prodded and gently massaged into something that is very much engine neutral. Indeed, how many times have you stumbled upon a design that just takes your breath away and you’ve snuck a guilty peek at the source, to see what’s under the hood? Yet, just as I am no plumber, or wall-street stock jockey, many new (or not so new) to blogging aren’t pixel perfect in design aspects.

And really, how can you accurately judge the store by the shop window alone - because if one does, then there are just as many garishly hideous typo and moveable type blogs. The design alone is not specifically indicative of how ‘good’ the underlying engine is, or the author. Nor does it dictate what the engine will always be. An example? The default wordpress Kubrick template, has been ported to several platforms — so before lamenting it as another wp blog, it pays to check what is actually in use. ;)

PHP and CSS provide a framework that is almost limitless in scope, with the right mix of engine and pixel shifting, truly amazing results can be achieved - entirely irrespective of how it is actually powered.

Really, Joe is simply sounding off in frustration at those who chose to run a default blogging template - and really, who is he to dictate how everyone should display their wares? I have read some of the most amazing articles, boggled at the elegance of an author’s code, or mesmerised by another experience — all from ’stock’ wordpress installs.

Do I wish for a bit more than just a “different graphic” on such sites? Sure? Does it irritate me that people who can write content far far better than I, put more effort into content than design? Hell no. Give me content over design, any day. Eye candy is great — but a graphically amazing, yet entirely ‘empty headed’ approach, does little to stimulate my synapses. Yes, it can be decidedly tiresome to view yet another Kubrickised blog - however the humble RSS reader is the great playing field leveller and gives the content a chance to stand on it’s own.

Whilst Matt is at his usual fence-sitting best he does make a salient point, that echo Gruber’s thoughts — design isn’t everything, but it is worth some investment. Which translates out to any blogging platform - wordpress, typo, habari or whatever.

.. at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter to me, what your “shop front” looks like. It never has. That an engine is frequently ‘obvious’ just because the shell is popular, or easy to work with and that is worthy of ‘hate’ I just don’t get. Everyone has to start at the beginning at some point.. but if your content captivates me and I can still make sense of your site, it makes my reading list. And really, isn’t that the whole point?