So, just about every weblog in the universe seems to have the same sort of buttons on it somewhere. In fact, the pull was so great that I just had to put some up on this site. They're in the left column, down below the link. It all started on Antipixel, with buttons that I find handsome, but not overwhelming in their beauty. There is something about them that screams, "I am a geek!" in a way that appeals to me.
It obviously appealed to others, too, because now there are over 1,700 of the damn things available for downloading, including the ones that I just put up. You can even make your own online.
There's something a little sad about the visual state of the web -- especially when it comes to weblogs. There are some beautiful sites out there, but overall, it looks like most of them are one of the same ten templates (present company included).
I'd be inclined to think of the proliferation of these buttons as another symptom of that stunted state of design, but maybe there's something else. It's a way to visually proclaim that you get it. That you're part of the mass of bloggers who understand what it means to be blogging.
Or, maybe you're just to lazy to design your own buttons.