The Weblog Review

This guy has some major talent and hopefully knows it. The design of the site is one of the best I have seen. I really like the good use of the colors. He has a lot of computer stuff which he subtly boasts about.



In his weblog he says

This is just a personal site. Yeah, sure, it’s a good way to practice and express myself, but it’s just a personal site.

Most people don’t admit, or even know that is really what their site is. Just a way to express oneself. The ones who do know it, show it.



Its got a really good read and a very cool design. So go check it out.Matt’s Site

As evidenced by his list of current projects, the author of the Hectical Bloggerie is a busy guy. He readily admits that his site design is not original; it has the same layout as many a blog I have seen in the past.



However, what makes this site different from the rest, and why it’s worth checking out, is the lack of other sections. Extraneous details like a guestbook or a forum are gone, leaving the author clear to simply write his blog. There are no “Today I updated the XYZ section” posts.



By now you’ve probably realised what I was thinking: this is a good thing. This is what makes the site worth reading. He has cleared his site of the details most of us skim over, and instead has taken the time to present a well thought out and interested blog about his life – his hobbies, his past, his aspirations.



The addition of an archive and maybe, just maybe, an “about the author” section would be useful, but other than that, it’s the focus on the blog that makes this site what it is. A good blog.Hectical Bloggerie

In a lot of my reviews I talk about sites that look simple. They carry a simple colour scheme, the navigation is simple, and the layout is simple. That’s because, generally, it works.



However, to make something look simple and yet still work takes a lot of effort and skill, and time. I don’t think that enough of these have been invested in this site yet to warrant a daily visit.



The blog itself, though indepth and mildly interesting, is not entertaining. The author has put a lot of effort into these posts, but usually comes across as a little aggressive and unhappy, which is not what we came online for.



Design wise, this site isn’t minimalist or anything smart like that. The colour scheme needs work, and the navigation simply doesn’t make sense. Despite only having a couple of sections, it is rarely obvious how it is you get back to the blog.



Maybe one day this site will be worth a visit, but for now it reads like too much work. There are better sites out there deserving of your attention.Bittersweet Retreat

The first thing that strikes you on entry into milov.nl is simply how unique it is. Everything on display screams “different”, from the colours to the content to the layout.



At first it seems as if there are actually three columns on the front page. That in itself would be unusual, but on closer inspection there is a fourth as well, with graphical links to some clever dhtml experiments.



The first column contains the blog. The posts are frequent and unrestricted to any particular topic. One typically original comment simply stated that, “Using a green pen makes writing so much more fun…”



Next to the blog sits a collection of original content. Aside from links to the other sections in the site, there are, amongst other features, a search entry form, and a list of referrers, so you can see who has been visiting the site.



Finally, there are links to other sites of interest. As if you would actually want to leave this site…

milov.nl

mrpaTTo obeys all the rules of a good weblog:

–write a mix of personal stories and opinions about what’s going on in the word

–keep it interesting

–keep the design simple

–make it easy to navigate.



It’s easy to mechanically complete each one of these criteria, which is what a good deal of sites do. However, to do it with style is a little harder, and is what separates one site from another. That is precisely what happens with mrpaTTo.



At first, the site looks too simple. A white background. Georgia for headings, grey, red and blue for the colours. But it works so well, and there is a hidden depth to the site. One glance at the source code reveals the proper use of css; the source code is not much more than the content itself.



Aside from the blog, the highlight of the site has to be the pictures section, with some well composed shots of Australia that demonstrate the awesome beauty of the country.mrpaTTo