However, I disagree on a few points.

Though I’ve only been blogging since 2003 (and had my blog and online presence go through several incarnations) this is a very old conversation. And one I’ve been following since I started reading and participating in discussions about blogging in early 2000.

There are some major distinctions between usability oriented bloggers and those seeking to create a spare design space. I have respect for both orientations but they aren’t always compatible.

One really good reason for multiple posts on a page is that it serves as a thin slice of the blogger’s content and sensibility. With the exception of high ranking bloggers, most blog traffic consists of random Google hits - largely unique visitors. If we consider the evidence of eye tracking studies (the 3 second rule) these visitors may only stick around for a few seconds. The most they’re likely to do is a quick scroll - not dedicated clicking through categories.

That one scroll down the page provides a sample of the kinds of material this blogger posts.

I think the real issue here is the ongoing difference between design driven blogs and usability driven blogs. What’s one person’s “clutter” is another person’s usability.

If I were to feature simply one post on my main page I’m really limiting that thin slice and making an assumption that readers are going to navigate through my content.

Also, I disagree about social media clutter. A lot of people are not sticking around at a blog but simply aggregating the content - bookmarking or subscribing for later use. If those features aren’t up front and available that reader will move on. These features should also have recogisable icons (this may be incompatible with the look and feel of your site but it’s very user friendly). When I visit a blog I’m not looking for a lovely aesthetic experience, I want to engage the content - quickly and specifically. I want to know where the RSS link is. I want to see their delicious links. I don’t have time to guess …

I want social media tools right up front where I can find them. Not buried in some tucked away place. I don’t want to be presumptuous about the investment of time any reader will spend at my blog. So I give them options upfront.

As we move into a more aggregated future our blogs will likely look more like DLAs (digital lifestyle aggregators) than the traditional reading format.

But if it is divided up into a ’series’ of posts (especially if the individual segments are actually posted on separate days) somehow it doesn’t offend me as much. *shrug*

On the other hand, we shouldn’t forsake fully telling a story in order to prevent some readers from abandoning the site; if the story is written in an engaging enough manner, readers will stick around — if they can’t sit still for more than 300 words, c’est la vie.

One tactic I’ve seen successfully employed with multi-page stories is to include up front a sort of index, breaking out hyperlinked sections so that readers can jump to the section they are most interested.