TypePad - What’s a weblog? - Merlin Mann’s 43 Folders

The nice kids over at Six Apart have—in conjunction with the wildly talented MULE Design Studio—just launched a beautiful redesign of their site that consolidates their Movable Type, TypePad, and LiveJournal brands nicely.

They asked happy TypePad users like Julie Moos, mathowie, and me to each respond to the question, “What’s a Weblog?.” Here’s a bit from my screed.

The trick, if there is one, is to zero in on the thing that really makes you want to share your stuff with the world, and then go with it. Photos of fire hydrants? Video clips of on-air profanity? Haiku about Regis Philbin? Awesome, awesome, awesome. Just, please don’t make macramé.

Remember that the “kit” is just there to get you started—that the ease of posting does not in any way parallel the sometimes painful act of creating. Your visitors crave a fresh voice that surprises them and makes them feel grand about the wonderful things people are making from that same basic set of tools. Give us a little of yourself, and leave that macramé in the basement.