October 19th
Andy Rutledge, typography master and the web design’s drill sergeant, rips liberal leaning designer’s for passing “preaching to the choir” as “dissent” and being intolerable to actual dissent.
About time someone takes these posers to task. Rutledge, who takes web design professionalism to the same level as a Marine platoon, is the perfect person to do so.
I like to think as designers, we are enforcers of the rules and constraints of the client. Using our knowledge of web design, we execute the best we could regardless whether we believe the client is right or wrong.
The image of the web designer as a free-spirit is bunk. Do your damn job!
Nick McDowan
Once again I ask myself: IS THIS GUY SERIOUS?
Andy makes law & order fascists all over the world dream of drill sergeants and leather neck design.
Unfortunately, Andy is dead and out. Get over it.
October 22nd , 2008 at 4:21 am
Sai-Kit Hui
Yes, he is.
Designers are free to work with or for whomever they want.
They could either work in a bubble of like-minded individuals and be increasingly intolerant of other beliefs.
Or, they could be professionals, be exposed to different belief, be known more for one’s work and talent, and reinforce existing beliefs.
Some people like the former, but I choose the later. And I am libertarian with an overall aversion to authority.
October 22nd , 2008 at 6:35 pm
Stephen
To be honest, I don’t really think anyone has a problem with his political ideology. It’s true that very few informed people of any discipline use words like “Leftist”, and I generally just feel a bit sorry for people who get caught up in the FOX News talking points like he does.
But for him to wail about receiving criticism for being a minority, etc? Ridiculous. He came across as a cunt because he wrote ridiculous, uninformed propaganda; with a straight face. He avoided rational argument, and went for hyperbolic, stupid, boring satire–and I use the term very loosely. He wrote things that you, me, and he knows are patently and provably false.
October 25th , 2008 at 7:20 am
Sai-Kit Hui
If you are still caught up on how Rutledge made his or point or what buttons he pushed, here is his point.
Rutledge believes designers who work with like-minded individual are not the dissenters they claim to be since their ideas are not dissenting. These people tend to have left-leaning ideologies and they tend to be intolerant to actual dissent. Also, he claims critics have trouble refuting his ideas and prefer attacking him personally.
His post is inflammatory to some people. But people should be able to look beyond the language and refute each point. I have yet to see an actual counter-argument.
October 27th , 2008 at 8:41 am
Steve
This is late in the offing, but for sake of completeness there have been several nice ripostes to Andy’s essay. Two of the best:
http://v3.thewatchmakerproject.com/journal/477/dissentivisation
http://www.patrickstjohn.org/blog/andy-rutledge-doth-dissent-too-much
February 17th , 2009 at 3:50 pm
Sai-Kit Hui
Thanks for the links.
Though it appears Rutledge’s belief of Obama as a leftist is wrong.
I believe Obama has neither ideology nor principals. He is the Democrats in Congress on the stimulus. On the War on Terror, he is George W. Bush.
February 17th , 2009 at 7:30 pm