« links for 2009-04-27 | Main | links for 2009-04-29 »

The Awl

A week on, I'm really enjoying The Awl, Choire Sicha and Alex Balk's new project. (And I'm not just saying that because Choire is a friend. Hell, I don't even know what Balk looks like.)

There's something starkly refreshing and pleasant about the site, greater than the sum of its parts: forced lack of design, missing headlines, unironic self-consciousness. With a crack staff of professional writers but no publisher overhead, the site is as snarky as it damn well pleases, but not in an off-putting way. It's more of, "This is how we feel, read it if you like, wander over to one of Nick Denton's sites if you must, we'll still be here. Fucker." Well, okay then. And so I'm reading it all day.

I'm also a fan of the subject matter, which, thanks to its writers' sensibilities, hews toward the Spy/Radar/Gawker-circa-2003 detached observer's angle. The Daily Show-style news dissection is a nice addition to the daily RSS routine, and it's varied enough to keep me paying attention.

The juxtaposition of top-quality, to-the-moment critique and messy, low-budget blog hasn't been executed quite like this, at least not in some time, and not by a staff. Choire and Alex ostensibly have a business model up their sleeve, but as of now, the site is creeping along, filled by a roster of un- and underemployed bloggers. It's a fascinating experiment, and one that, even if it cleans up before it turns platinum, will no doubt make for great reading. I wish them much success.

TrackBack

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.netwert.com/mt/mt-tb.cgi/748

RSS Feed (yay!)

ABOUT THE 'PAD

The concoction
3 parts observation
2 parts introspection
1 part links
1 part creativity
1 part stinging wit
dash of sarcasm

The history
The Ideapad debuted on November 1, 1998 and has been through numerous incarnations through the years. It is now a weblog and personal journal.
Once upon a time I wrote Usability: The Site Speaks for Itself (Publisher's page / Amazon.com)
Once in a whenever I consult as User Savvy (dormant)
Powered (at long last) by
Movable Type 4.21-en