This is a really great top ten list, I love top ten lists so much I created a website all about it. People just somehow like things grouped in 10 and they like ranking things. It's makes you able to kind of say what is better worse than others. Great analysis though, it was really in depth and I enjoyed reading it. Anyone can post their own list to our site http://www.toptentopten.com/. The coolest feature is you can let other people vote on the rankings of your list.
199: The Top Ten Reasons Top Ten Lists Reign
- Thread starter Sam Machkovech
- Start date
You're not paying attention cball. He didn't offer ten reasons why they suck. That lists basically suck was part of his premise. There's a lot of hatred for the format, and it's useful to consider why they continue to be written, read, and linked despite that hatred.
When you're done knocking off people's monocles (An act I'm sure requires strength, intelligence, and moral superiority) maybe you could offer a counterpoint about how the list format inspires creativity, or is used in especially well-researched or written pieces, instead of just complaining about how someone thinks you have poor taste in written material.
When you're done knocking off people's monocles (An act I'm sure requires strength, intelligence, and moral superiority) maybe you could offer a counterpoint about how the list format inspires creativity, or is used in especially well-researched or written pieces, instead of just complaining about how someone thinks you have poor taste in written material.
That bit about the monocle sounded a bit smug to me. I was implying that you seemed to be proud of a mean feat.
There's a difference between being smug and not having a point. There are a couple of places where he defends instances of list-based articles as having merit.
"Take this Game Boy Advance top ten as an example. The reviews are short, even flippant, and each item alone can be shrugged off. But as a collection, the author has picked a revealing series of games...an authentic depiction of the author's gaming preferences, and chances are you can relate. It's the perfect "recommended if you like" scenario..."
He even does a piss-take on the responses said lists often inspired:
"WTF, dude?! Why didn't you mention Final Fantasy Tactics, Advance Wars or any of the Namco Museum games? How about you grow a pair and import some real GBA games like Kuru Kuru Kururin, Rhythm Tengoku or a bunch of other titles people can't even buy?"
I mean, I guess that was kind of smug, but it was pro-list, or at least anti-anti-list, and hardly qualifies as "just bashing" list articles.
The thing about list articles is that they are more often than not structure for it's own sake, in order to hide a lack of substance in what's being written. It gives the impression of authority or exhaustiveness through the use of hard numbers instead of the reality of those things, which would require work. That's the sort of trick that a good writer won't have to resort to.
There's a difference between being smug and not having a point. There are a couple of places where he defends instances of list-based articles as having merit.
"Take this Game Boy Advance top ten as an example. The reviews are short, even flippant, and each item alone can be shrugged off. But as a collection, the author has picked a revealing series of games...an authentic depiction of the author's gaming preferences, and chances are you can relate. It's the perfect "recommended if you like" scenario..."
He even does a piss-take on the responses said lists often inspired:
"WTF, dude?! Why didn't you mention Final Fantasy Tactics, Advance Wars or any of the Namco Museum games? How about you grow a pair and import some real GBA games like Kuru Kuru Kururin, Rhythm Tengoku or a bunch of other titles people can't even buy?"
I mean, I guess that was kind of smug, but it was pro-list, or at least anti-anti-list, and hardly qualifies as "just bashing" list articles.
The thing about list articles is that they are more often than not structure for it's own sake, in order to hide a lack of substance in what's being written. It gives the impression of authority or exhaustiveness through the use of hard numbers instead of the reality of those things, which would require work. That's the sort of trick that a good writer won't have to resort to.
