Obliquely unsatisfying.

Some of the better written and more thoughtful blogs I read -- are also unnecessarily oblique.

I think they're trying to be sophisticated and subtle. Rife with inside knowledge and wink, winks.

I just want to shout, "Say what you mean!"

Very passive aggressive writing. Snarky, nudging, and "don't we insiders all know better...."

I see this mostly in the comics blogs -- I don't know, maybe they're overcompensating. I think they're also trying to become moving targets, because the comic blogosphere can be brutal.


One of the best blogs I read is Big Picture, an economics blog by Barry Ritholtz, which is straightforward, clearly written, personal and humorous, insightful and informative -- all at the same time.

Most of the other economic blogs I read are useful, but after reading them for awhile, you start to realize they have quirks. Mish's is weirdly anti-union; Naked Capitalism has a kind of inferiority complex; Calculated Risk has become less personal and more analytical over time.

Of course, I don't want anyone criticizing MY blog, but I'm just a little feller; these are the big boys and girls, and I figure they can handle it....