Back to the Future... again!

OK. I’ll ’fess up now and admit I watched Back to the Future – again – this weekend.

What a nostalgia trip back to the ’80s! Seeing Michael J Fox and Christopher Lloyd as in character as Marty McFly and Dr. Emmett ‘Doc’ Brown. And then there was the car! Doc’s “if you’re gonna build a time machine into a car, why not do it with some style?” DeLorean DMC-12 managed to be both awesome and kitsch at the same time. The time-travelling DeLorean is, putting it simply, incredible. Flashing LEDs, digital readouts and lots and lots of buttons – real 1980s technology hardware at work! Sure, there are the reliability problems that I believe were part and parcel of 1980s DeLorean ownership (in fact one or two cars that I have owned that were definitely not DeLoreans suffered from similar problems)! But then the car hits 88mph, the Flux Capacitor kicks in and all that remains are burning tyre tracks scorched across the asphalt! After the movie, still feeling nostalgic, I looked up ‘DeLorean’ and guess what I found?

This press ad for carsguide.com.au is one of a series of three (the other two being the original Knight Rider and The A-Team). The set is totally in keeping with Doc Brown’s workshop from Back to the Future. And what I like best of all is that the image tells the whole story. The only words on the ad are in the tagline ‘Choice is Everything’ and the address for the carsguide website. How often can a designer persuade the client to forgo the headline in an advertisement completely?

Brilliant!

Blogging – the voice of someone shouting in the desert?

Why do people start blogs? Why do they spend time updating them? Does anybody even read them?

It really depends on the purpose of the Blog. Sometimes this is obvious – the blog is a commentary on the interests, or even, shall we say, professional interests of the writer. These blogs can include comments on politics, sports or media. ‘Professional’ blogs can also include examples of work, or tutorials on specialised subjects. The value of these blogs, of course, is directly proportional to the experience and skill of the writer.

Does a Blog need to be on a single subject? Not necessarily. Blogs are often written spontaneously and often include subject matter that, in the opinion of the author, is topical or simply seems to be a ‘good idea at the time’. However it’s important to remember that whatever is posted on the internet has the potential to be around for a very long time. Once your thoughts are out there in the public domain there’s no taking them back. It’s also a good idea to label your posts so that readers can follow your material by topic. Relevance is also important!

Does presentation, grammar and spelling matter? Well, as an aspiring Blog author, do you wish to be taken seriously? Why do you think so many online Blogging applications include a spell-checker? Enough said.

What happens once your post is ‘out there’? People should normally have the opportunity to comment with their views on your post. Should you moderate comments before they appear? Absolutely. Should you remove comments that contradict your view? Never. Moderation is about separating the spam from comments but one of the key ideas behind blogging is open lines of communication between writer and audience. Remember you always have the right of reply. But before you flambé some ignorant imbecile take a deep breath, try to stay on topic and be objective. Blogs are not the place for ‘flame wars’. Once again remember, once it’s published you can’t take it back!

Will a Blog help my business? Hard to say. What a Blog will do is give a human face to the person (or people) behind the business. Blogging can present a person as an expert in their field. It also gives business owners another opportunity to interact with customers or potential customers.

Will a Blog replace a business website? Unlikely. A professionally-designed website is still the best way to present a business, together with it’s products and services. While a well-designed Blog should complement a business website it should not attempt to replace it.