I guess there are lots of reasons to create mixes, but for me, what distinguishes a mix from a collection of songs is whether there is a message crafted with an audience in mind. There are lots of mixes that sound like a top-twenty “Now That’s What I Call Music” collection. But when you get a great mix, it is so much more than that. It has old favorites, obscure but memorable songs, and new tracks that you’ll never forget. They have a feel, a mood, a story, a dramatic arc to them, and listening to them is an experience. It’s a walk through the mind of a music-lover.

The same can be said about academic works, and about blogs.