Month: January 1970

When I think back on the first impressions of Chandra’s Realm, all that springs readily to mind is splash page. I really hate them, they serve no purpose at all, and are a design relic best left to the 90s. I genuinely dislike starting a review off in so critical a fashion, but a page with little more than a picture of two cats (however cute they may be), a few webring links and clique graphics are not serving as a good first impression to this site. My hopes were not set too high for the design, or content, that I was to find within.

On the design front I was to be pleasantly surprised. Why on earth have a design relic sat there when you can produce a design that is so pleasing to the eye – now had I seen this page from the beginning I would have had a much more favourable first impression. This is what I believe is a good introduction to a site – easy on the eye design, clear links, a nicely written about me section, and some links to good causes. If I were the owner of this weblog the first thing I would do is drop the splash page because the home page is much more favourable, but that’s just a personal recommendation.

Now at this stage I am starting to warm to the weblog owner, she learned website design in a similar manner to myself and is an animal lover. Potentially we have some things in common, and so I head into the blog section in the hope of finding some interesting entries. Now I always approach the reading of review in the same manner, I go to the very beginning of the archives first. So when I enter the blog section I hit upon my first snag – where are the archive links? I look around the first page for a while, exploring the links in the left hand column – no archives there. So I go to the first available posts, and read through – and there right at the bottom of the individual archive page is archive links. Not in the most obvious place I have to say, but at least they are there. Normally I like to see archive links on the main blog page – a link to an archives page at the very least.

As I had expected the site mostly consists of personal entries – about her family, her job and random life events as and when they happen. Its sporadic, varying both in terms of posting consistency and quality/appeal of content. Not every post held my rapt attention, but all in all it was an enjoyable and worthwhile read. I couldn’t help but feel that this weblog was going to appeal to someone who shared her interests, was in the same age group – people who would connect with her beliefs and attitude expressly, and enjoy reading about the life of another individual.

I found the content well written I couldn’t with all honesty say that this was a blog I would visit on a regular basis. I do feel it has appeal, just to an audience who could connect with her entries. I’d like to read a little more about her beliefs, how restaurants and shops tailor to her needs as a vegan (I used to be vegetarian, and sometimes there wasn’t much available in restaurants etc). I think she could have a really good medium in this weblog for really letting people know her thoughts. It’s contribution to the weblog world however is an insight into the life of a vet technician, animal lover and vegan, and this, if expanded on a little more could really have potential. An interesting diversion, a potentially good 3.5 Chandra’s Realm

I’ll try to keep it really brief and see if still this review gets accepted by this entity that I now find myself calling by the epithet “The Editor”. As I read “Bent Back Tulips”, my first thought was: What?” That pretty much summarizes my first impression. I pray that’s enough for a paragraph on first thoughts on a blog title in the eyes of The Editor. If he approves it, then you’ll be reading it. If not, this review now rests in not that much peace in the limbo where rejected reviews go to. Wherever it is.

The design’s not really appealing but it’s for from revolting too. It’s simple. I can totally live with it. Colors don’t match to my taste. I’d never wear, let’s say, a skirt with the background color and a blouse with the pattern of the posts column, but that’s just me. I don’t know much about fashion and after all fashion here in Brazil might be totally be different from where 20-year-old Cathy lives. There are flowers everywhere, tulips, of course and it’s easy to read the posts, as it comes to simply black on white. Of course I haven’t tested all links, but I noticed at least the one referring to the first post doesn’t work.

Posts are long but she writes well enough to catch my attention and keep me going even when she talks about internet/technology, subjects on which I have virtually zero knowledge on. You can get to know Cathy a bit by reading the section “About” and then jumping to “100 things” section where she lists facts about herself. Other sections are “fun stuff”, where you find a few jokes, and “books” (pretty much just a list of everything she’s laying/has laid/wishes to lay eyes on.

Although it’s simply a journal kept by a student of technological stuff, I actually took pleasure in reading it.

bent back tulips

When I read the name of this blog was Constant Trek I thought please don’t let it be a Star Trek website. Thankfully it wasn’t. I was informed of this with a splash page which I am not a fan of, but this one caught my eye as it said “A walk from London to Cape Town” and while I don’t know where Cape Town is, I do know where London is so I could try to imagine.

After clicking the splash page I am greeted with what I think should be the splash page and that is the intro page. This page explains that the blog is about Gary and Paula Constant and their long walk – hence the name Constant Trek. Now when I think of a long walk, I think a mile, maybe two. Not for Paula and Gary. They are walking 10,500 miles. Take that in for a minute. 10,500 miles. That is insane.

So by now you can figure out that this blog is about their little walk and is updated at random points along the way. At first I couldn’t figure out how they were going to do it. For some reason I imagined using a solar powered, works everywhere, cell phone with them calling into some place and it recording their posts. Then I came across a post that said something about not sure how long until the next post as we are unsure of the internet cafes. Well that solved that problem.

The posts are about the differences in cultures that they face, the things they see, the things they do, the food they eat. It reads like a very good novel and I found myself caught up in the posts.

Now while there are flaws to this site (splash page) and some design problems I still must give this site a rating of a 5.0. This site is amazing. It reads like a great story and you know it can only get better. My only complaint is also a good thing – they are still on the first part of their trip. Which means little to read now – a lot to look forward to. Good luck.
Constant Trek

When I saw the name Politics In Alabama I really thought not another political blog, especially after this election year. Additionally this name while very descriptive did not impress me to want to read it since I do not live in Alabama.

The blog is a standard 3 column layout with one column for navigation, one for the blog and one for google ads. I found it odd to see google ads on a political blog, but to each their own. The blog has a red background with the three columns all having a grey or white background and black text. Very simple and clean.

While my frustration over what this blog could be about I was a little relieved to find out it is a new blog – just started in early February. This meant that I wouldn’t have to read all about the election yet again, so I was a little relieved. The blog is about things going on in, wait for it, Alabama. Wow. That was a stretch right? But seriously, the blog talks about all different topics of politics from education to sports.

I was pleasantly surprised at this blog. While I could not relate one bit to it since I do not live anywhere near the south, this blog does what it is supposed to do and does it well. Normally I would have a hard time justifying a 4 for a site that I wouldn’t visit, but this blog achieves its goal and if you live in Alabama, I suggest you check it out.
Politics In Alabama

My initial impression of the Wacky Southern Housewife’s blog was that some work was needed on the template. Although the color scheme and idea was good, it looked a bit under-done. I decided to move on to the writing before I paid too much attention to the template.

I started to read the stories written by our author who simply asks us to “call [her] Scarlett”, obviously making reference to Gone With The Wind. I dug back to the beginning posts which start roughly a year ago and saw a slow transformation into the “Southern Housewife” persona that writes today. Initially posts were simple and about technical issues but progressively got better and funnier. The usual self-deprecating posts about the lack of readers litters the initial months but eventually things of substance were written.

The writing style is more like conversation than essays or short stories like many blogs but still nothing extraordinarily different from a lot of personal blogs already out there. Some of her stories are worth reading and are quite funny but the majority of them are the usual daily antics with her kids.

Overall I enjoyed the stories but felt they weren’t especially eye catching. Probably most noticeable to me was the template and lack of real order on the sidebar. I’m a “less is more” type of person so the random smattering of icons and buttons on the side seemed to distract me more than necessary. The writing has a lot of potential and probably only needs some simple proof-reading to take care of the flow problems that bothered me.

Scarlett’s blog is definitely a personal blog with you’re normal “stay at home mom” ranting.wackysouthernhousewife