Everything now is a list. It's one of the strategies for social media marketers and you see it everywhere. The top 5 this, the top 10 that, and every so often a top 8. It doesn't matter how many you have in your list just as long as you have one.
There is even a TV show called The List, a show about all the other lists out there. Not quite, but that would save a lot of people a lot of time. One of the best Twitter accounts you can follow is @SavedYouAClick. They read the stories with click bait titles, the ones that usually headline with a leading question, and tell you the answer without having to risk downloading a virus to your computer. Thank you @SavedYouAClick.
The television show The List makes their own lists and produce short segments about the things on their lists. Usually about tech, health fitness or upcoming events. Stuff that is popular on the web and things that are trending. It wasn't such a bad show. The information was useful, but (and there's always a but) the fast paced story cuts and motion graphics with the continuous high energy enthusiasm of the hosts got a little tiresome. It's a show for people with ADD. Despite that, I would watch it again if it was on.
The real trouble with lists facing us today is not that there are lists, but how the lists are presented. A typical list used to be a simple one page countdown or count up of the top something within its focus area. Movie lists come to mind, the top 100 AFI movies list has been a standard in lists for a long time. A one page list of what they deem to be the best movies of all time. It's simple, easy to read, no fuss, no muss, no gimmicks, no pop ups, nothing. The best lists are that simple. Although, I'm not sure why Amazon hasn't paid them to add links to their site to buy the movies.
All webpages aren't so simple. A list embedded in a web page and for whatever reason each time you click on the next button the whole page reloads all the static graphics and ads, sometimes the same sometimes new, again. Now with high speed internet maybe it's not much of a problem, but it's annoying. At one time it might of been the only way, but more and more sites now are getting away from this with the help of HTML5.
Most good sites build a container where they put the photograph and text into it, they then embed that container in a webpage. Each time you click the next button the container changes, but the rest of the site doesn't. Genius. One site that does this really well is the purpleclover.com. Their site is a pop culture site for Gen X'ers. Kind of a niche I guess. What they do is make a story gallery, one in particular is a Marylin Monroe through the years (something Gen X'ers are into) and each time you click the next button the image and text changes, but the site remans the same. Little things in this world can make a person so happy.
I like lists. I have been known to make lists myself. I try to use lists more as a sequence; three things Dan Harmon said about telling better stories, number 1, number 2, etc., things like that.
Most lists are subjective and shouldn't be taken so seriously. Top 10 love songs or top 8 muscle building exercises. My favorite love songs aren't necessarily anyone else's and all exercises utilizing body weight or barbells are going to help lose weight and build muscles. I did watch a youtube video about the top 5 foods to help build muscle, that's why I eat more avocado.
Lists that are educational or fun are my favorite kinds of lists. Lists that promote low culture or propaganda are my least favorite lists. Lists that exploit celebrity gossip, lies and just plain dangerous ideas. And most times lists are dangerous and may be just click bait so spyware and spammers can get your information. These are the types of lists that prey on the low culture. Top 10 ways to enhance the size of your wiener. If there was a way, we would know.
So be careful out there when looking at lists. Go out and create your own lists of things you're interested in and if you make a list of articles about lists then put this one on your list. That would be nice.
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