Month: September 2001

I was really turned off when I went to this site because the site did not fit my window. Meaning I wasn’t able to get the whole site to be viewed on my screen. I couldn’t even alter the size of the window to get see the whole sidebar menu which had the links to take you around the site. On top of that, the window for the blog was really small making you have to scroll every few sentences which I didn’t like to do. I lost the arrow to click to scroll down because I practically disappeared. I don’t know if the site’s layout is new and being altered or what, but I found the layout a bit irritating.



Anyway, the blog. Blog was okay, nothing too exciting to rave about. I was only able to read about 4-5 posts from what was in the window. Sounded like the writer was going through some life changes dealing with school and college. She brought up one thing about the Internet about people, especially young girls who are giving out very personal information and made some good points about it. “Stalkers are fanatical about those they follow, and what better way to gain a stalker than to share your intimate details daily with them.”



Despite the site layout which I think would need some work, I think over all the site’s okay.

f.a.d.e.d.s.p.a.r.k.l.e.s

Qwertyuiop is not the average weblog. It is striking in appearance, stunning in content, and pointedly mixes together a welcomed blend of author commentary and well-chosen links. However, one must have a predilection for British politics and a further interest in world-wide current events in order to truly savor qwertyuiop; for it is not the typical personal weblog in that it does not strive to entertain, but to inform.



The author, Martin Griffiths, is both intelligent and concise in his observations. He does not pander to his audience and he seems to assume that qwertyuiop’s average reader is, at the very least, on par with his own base of knowledge. This assumption may prove too much for the casual reader, as the author offers no tantalizing hooks to draw one into his posts. Either the reader finds the content of interest, or he doesn’t. One does not necessarily feel invited to further explore the author’s posts, despite the fact that he often provides external links. And, though qwertyuiop may be categorized as a personal weblog, it tends to read as a public news source issued with a bit of personal perspective.



The layout of qwertyuiop is quite pleasing, melding a frame-like effect with an easy-to-read content area. Navigation has been carefully constructed and mostly condensed to menus for ease of use; however, many links to other parts of the author’s site are not yet active. The addition of more personal information in regard to the author would be a welcome addition, as it would help define the author’s point of view.



Qwertyuiop, while an excellent weblog with strong overall design, is not a mainstream blog and it does not appear as though the author has any intention of moving it in that direction. This weblog will appeal to readers who enjoy serious, yet dynamic, political content. Readers seeking a light and amusing read will not find it here.qwertyuiop

Is it a group blog or isn’t it? Is it really a blog at all? These two questions immediately spring to mind when first delving into Harlan’s Rant Page, and further inspection yields no hard answers. In fact, the more one reads, the more one may become convinced that this is no weblog at all, but a bulletin board. Bulletin boards, themselves, can make for interesting reading; but Harlan’s Rant Page is not only somewhat disorganized, it also leaves the reader feeling as if he or she has stumbled in upon a long-standing private joke after the punchline has already been issued.



From a technical perspective, there is merit in the author’s ability to configure and run this type of site. The author states that he has made a conscious decision to keep the format simple and free of graphics, and he has no qualms with admitting that his Rant Page is a “testbed” for his acquired technical skills. Unfortunately, this “testbed” is not a weblog in the sense that most readers expect; and, as it is updated infrequently, there is little here to read or enjoy. What may have started off as a personal site for rants and ramblings has seemingly declined to a fairly neglected bulletin board with a handful of regular readers whose comments add little, if anything, to the author’s original posts.Harlan’s Rant Page

From what I could divine, Fried Kitten is a blog written by a Belgian, currently touring the UK. I can’t really tell you more than that because such information is buried deep within the multitude of posts.



The only thing I can honestly credit the writer with is an enthusiasm for blogging. All other issues aside, the content isn’t too bad, and might be worth a quick browse.



The issues then: firstly, this is another blogger that has no idea about web design. There is no archive, no real site structure, and the design and layout are the most obvious blogger template ever.



Still, if you want a Belgian’s opinions of England, I can’t think of anywhere better to visit. Read into that what you will.friedkitten.com

Yellow Brick Road does not carry a yellow colour scheme. It does not mention Dorothy (though the writers are called ‘The Wizard’ and ‘Tin Man’), and there is certainly no mention of any Elton John music.



The design of the site is, frankly, poor. A lot of the download time is taken up a a pretty rubbish graphic on the side of the page, and instead of any internal navigation to speak of (archives, about, contact) there are only links off-site and a long, long series of posts dating back to the year 2000.



But the site redeems itself. It’s strange, and unexpected; it I wasn’t reviewing this site then I would leave it immediately without reading anything simply because the design is so uninspiring.



It redeems itself by being different. There are two writers, and for every post they carry a conversation, each taking a different viewpoint, carrying a different opinion.



It works very well (not always, but more often than not).



The site would score higher if it was more a site and less a page; the design needs work but thankfully the content is just right.yellowbrickroad