When they say that first impressions count, they really mean it. Take a classy looking blog like Fembat.Net and slap it on a screen in front of most people and you are likely to get a favourable response as it is easy on the eye but offers no clue to the content, so you just have to get on in there and start reading. It’s not often that a site is striking simply because it doesn’t actually slap you in the face.
The blog itself has been in existence since March 2001 and the ‘about’ page gives even the most curious of readers plenty of detail about how it came into being and why it exists, so I won’t bore you with that here. Suffice to say that the pages about both the site and the author, Eliza, give just enough information to answer questions without becoming at all tedious. The Fembat.Net blog archives are extensive and prove that Eliza was not always the prolific poster that she is now, but her writing has always been of the same quality. There are plenty of stories from her day-to-day life but they are delivered in such a way as to never fall into the trap that grabs so many who begin posting the minute dull details of their lives. There are also plenty of musings on wider subjects and all is both carefully written and engaging.
The design of the site is fantastically minimalist with no banner, a static background image and a soft colour scheme. However, if you prefer something a bit brighter, there are a few ‘skins’ to choose from that offer alternative layouts with more colour and even celebrity photos, should you desire. This is a great idea that I have seen on very few other sites, and is used to great effect on Fembat.Net.
In addition to the weblog, there is also a photoblog on this site. The photos are very interesting in themselves, but adding them to the site in this format, rather than by using a straightforward gallery, is a neat touch and rewards regular readers with a new photo as well as a new post whenever they visit. Aside from that and an awful lot of links to other blogs and webrings, that’s pretty much all there is. Mind you, with the amount of writing there is here, you wouldn’t have time for anything else!
I was very impressed with this site. It’s personal but doesn’t only hold the interest of those who know the author personally and there are a lot of nice geeky touches. Definitely one for the blogroll.Fembat.Net