RFC-0002: Multi-dimensional blogging
Abstract
This RFC proposes multi-dimensional blogging: a format that goes beyond linear, static posts to embrace the presence of the reader, interactive structures, and exploratory pathways. The intended outcome is a shift from consumption-only blogs toward living documents that adapt, invite dialogue, and reveal deeper layers of content depending on user interaction.
Motivation
Traditional blogs are written, published, and archived in a mostly one-dimensional way. Readers scroll, skim, and leave. This format underserves both authors and audiences:
Authors want to experiment with richer structures, embed multi-modal artifacts, and present ideas dynamically.
Readers seek immersion, exploration, and agency in navigating complex ideas.
Multi-dimensional blogging acknowledges that digital publishing can—and should—be more than a static page.
Proposal
We introduce a blogging format that:
Accepts presence: Pages recognize the user’s entry point, device, and context (e.g., time, prior engagement) and adapt accordingly.
Supports interactivity: Includes branching narratives, collapsible detail layers, embedded simulations, comment-in-the-margins, and lightweight APIs.
Encourages exploration: Posts become maps of content, with optional digressions, related dimensions, and non-linear progression.
Technical model:
Core content remains Markdown + front matter.
Authors can define “dimensions” (metadata-based sections or states).
Rendering layer (e.g., Eleventy plugins) detects dimension metadata and presents different navigation affordances (tabs, timelines, quadrant maps, etc.).
Example front matter snippet:
dimensions:
- overview
- deep_dive
- references
Readers can toggle between these layers depending on interest.
Rationale
This approach balances authorial intent (structured pathways) with reader freedom (non-linear exploration).
Alternatives considered:
Static enhancements (e.g., long posts with jump-links): limited in flexibility and presence-awareness.
Full web apps: powerful but high barrier to entry and often detached from blogging ecosystems.
Multi-dimensional blogging aims for a middle ground: Markdown-first, but extensible.
Implementation
Extend Markdown front matter to accept dimensions and interactive keys.
Create Eleventy shortcodes/layouts that render multi-dimensional structures (tabs, side-panels, maps).
Allow progressive enhancement: fallback to static HTML if interactivity not supported.
Provide templates/examples for common patterns (e.g., layered essays, branching RFCs, exploratory guides).
Backwards Compatibility
Default rendering ignores unknown keys; old posts remain valid.
Multi-dimensional posts degrade gracefully into linear text when interactivity isn’t available.
References
[Ted Nelson, “Xanadu” project]
Digital gardens / wiki-style note-taking blogs
Choose Your Own Adventure narrative structures
Interactive essay platforms (e.g., Explorable Explanations, Distill.pub)
Stakeholders
Authors: gain richer expressive tools.
Readers: gain agency and deeper engagement.
Blogging platforms: new plugin opportunities, differentiation.
Prior Art
Digital gardens and Zettelkasten-inspired blogs (non-linear linking).
Platforms like Medium/Notion that allow embeds but not structured dimensionality.
Interactive explainers (Nicky Case, Distill.pub).
Drawbacks
Higher complexity for authors.
Requires JavaScript for richer dimensions.
Risk of overwhelming readers if overused.
Unresolved Questions
How to standardize metadata for dimensions?
Should user presence be detected via cookies, URL params, or session state?
How to balance privacy with personalization?
Future Work
Develop a shared schema for multi-dimensional front matter.
Build a library of interactive blogging patterns.
Explore adaptive systems (posts that evolve as readers revisit).
Appendix
Prototype examples could include:
A post that shows different perspectives (technical, narrative, visual) side-by-side.
A learning path where users choose beginner/intermediate/expert tracks.
Interactive visualizations bound to blog text.
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