At first glance, ‘you must be very bored’ looks like many other weblogs — the author, Linda, appears to be using a standard, commonly used template with minimal, if any, modifications. While the site’s look and feel isn’t particularly unique, however, it’s not cluttered, either. There’s a reason this particular template is so popular — it offers a clean, easily readable two-column format, without a lot of fuss or distractions.
To learn more about Linda and the site, I dug into the archives, which — impressively — go as far back as August, 2001. From the very beginning, Linda lays down the law — her entries are going to be frank, personal, and ‘if you’re going to get offended, get out!’ And time after time, she delivers honest, often raw, slices of her life, filled with passion and energy. Many of the entries are either centered around, or directed to, Linda’s friends and loved ones, but most are still accessible by those of us who don’t know her personally. It’s not always easy to relate to her experiences, emotions, and fears, but I believe that’s true of just about anyone who’s really being honest and trying to write about the things closest to his or her heart. If nothing else, it’s a wild, wild ride.
As mentioned earlier, there’s little here to distract the reader from Linda’s entries. There are a couple of ‘extras’ — links to other weblogs, to Linda’s photo site, and to the archives — but overall, the site is free of many of the features you might find on other blogs, including comments and trackbacks. Perhaps the author is limiting feedback only to those who know her, to match the subjects of many of the posts.
At a high level, I have to admit that I had a bit of a hard time getting a handle on ‘you must be very bored’. It’s listed as a ‘Humor’ site in the review request, but that doesn’t seem to be the main focus. Also, while it appears that Linda has historically posted on a regular basis, there have been only three entries since the end of March, including a three-and-a-half week stretch in April with no posts at all. It’s not necessarily a sign that the site is losing momentum, but it does make it tough to say what direction it may go in next.
In the end, ‘you must be very bored’ generally delivers what it promises. The specific contents of the entries are probably most relevant for close friends of the author Linda, but others may find the stories from her life interesting, thought-provoking, or entertaining. I’m a bit concerned about the recent drop-off in posts, but Linda has been pouring her soul into the site for nearly three years, and somehow, I think she’ll pick up the pace again soon. If you’re up for an emotional, personal, voyeuristic read, then you’ll probably enjoy ‘you must be very bored’. I give the site 3.5 our of 5. Go give it a shot and get, as Linda would say, ‘on with it’.…you must be very bored…