Month: February 2003

“what might be read”, or wmbr from this point on, definitely goes for the less is more appeal with the layout and design aspect of the site. When the site loads, readers are greeted with a Photoshopped image of a man; one can assume it’s the author and may or may not be correct. There’s a white background, with black test in the weblog portion of the site. The internal links around the site are to the right side of the mystery man image, along with the archives, a “search the site” area, and a way for readers to instant message the author’s cell phone. Hyperlinks are in a dark gray color that can be distinguished from the text in the weblog entries, but can sometimes be confused with the titles for each post. However, his justification of using blacks, whites, and grays, according to this particular entry, is actually quite fitting.

As always when reviewing a site, I opted to read the “about” page first, do find out what the author was all about. This is where I found out that wmbr is a third go at the weblog from this author, who in time, has had to increase his level of anonymity when writing in his weblog. A somewhat obscure description of the author is also included on this page. The bio-type portion gives readers information about the author in a sentence by sentence manner. The author remains in his state of being anonymous, but yet manages to give us information that is quite specific to him.

Aside from the weblog, the author also willingly shares different songs, verses, and muses with the readers. Also handy for first time readers is a glossary section that, like with any glossary, gives definitions to words that may just be ones that only be found at wmbr. The author has these sections linked to the side for easy access.

The archives of wmbr begin in November 2001 and run somewhat regularly up until March 1, 2003, with the entries coming fewer and farther between nearing that date. The latest entry, made at the end of August, was the first for five months. Throughout these archives, readers get a chance to learn some personal information about the author. Every once in a great while, the author will participate in the classic weblogger memes like the Friday Five, which again, gives readers more insight into the casual persona of the author.

The poetic fashion that the author writes in primarily, however, is what causes this weblog to stand out from others. Words flow together in an almost effortless manner in so many of the entries. Descriptions of every day things bring out a different feeling in this weblog because the author’s descriptions are so precise. They’re based more on feelings and memories, than of sights and sounds. Visiting an unknown city isn’t like reading about all the kitschy tourist stories that most people right about. Instead, it’s like reading some type of free verse poetry full of original metaphors and similes and the rest of the terms you learn in high school English Literature classes.

wmbr is not a typical weblog that will strike the fancy of the average random reader. But from what I can tell, it’s not exactly meant to. The word choice by the author gives the entries a very strong feel. Perhaps as the author gets back into the routine of posting more often, things will begin to flow more consistently and wmbr might eventually become a site more people are familiar with. Until then, though, the archives are worth a one time perusal. This site will hit a chord with some people, but more than likely not the biggest portion of every day readers.

What Might Be Read

It’s really difficult to place Andrew’s Blog in just one category. I think the News/Links category is the one that comes closer to being correct, though it must be pointed out that most of the blog is about computers, software and technology.

What really surprised me is how interesting Andrew’s Blog actually is. I got stuck reading the entries and ended up finding lots of useful information. Andrew also posts about the software he is working on and that makes some good reading.

The archives are really good in this blog. Posts are stored chronologically and by category. This makes searching for content much easier and faster and it’s always appreciated by a reader.

The design is a simple template, which is almost always a good thing, but it could use some work especially in the way the posts look. Sometimes it looks a bit unorganized.

Andrew’s Blog is a good, interesting site. The only warning that must be made to potential readers is that the contents are really specific and computer oriented. So if you are interested in these topics, you should definitely go check out this site.Andrew’s Blog at AndrewSW.com

Every once in a while I run across a site with a name that makes me go “Why didn’t I think of this”. “Same shit, different day” is such a blog. In it, Brianne, an Aerospace student at Boulder, takes us into her life, and the world of prose and lyrics that surround her.

Yet another ego-blog? Jupp, but a good one. First there’s Brianne’s collection of drinking games. Should this review read a little sluggish, it’s because I had to try some of them. They work. Next there’s the day-to-day part of this eight month old blog. During my voyage, I came across a venerable collection of ego-posts, “What kind of … are you” test results, and the eventual rants and raves of a student. That’s how I’d like an ego blog to be.

Unfortunately, as readable and fun as the blog itself prove to be, the clumsiness of its navigational features, the lack of RSS feeds, and its choice of colors and fonts poked visible dents into my overall impression. Brianne uses shorturl for her blog, making it impossible to bookmark individual pages easily or to get URLs for your linking pleasure. The light-blue on light-gray blogskin impairs readability as much as the lack of back- and forward navigation eats away on reading fun.

Faced with a difficult decision as to how to rate this blog, I sought help in the author’s voice itself, and found Brianne on AIM. A few pleasant lines of communication later, I now am convinced that my rating is correct – and will even be slightly too low after she finds time and muse to address the issues outlined above. Nice doing, Brianne, keep up the blogging, kill the bugs, and you’ll have one more reader in me.Same Shit, Different Day

He comes to us every few years, creates lots of stir in the media, and disappears back into oblivion after a while. Opinions are widely different, ask three average people on the street, and each one has a different outlook on him. No, I am not talking about El Ninio, I’m speaking about Michael Jackson.

Current controversies, falsified reports, babies dangling over German balconies, and all the other things aside, Jacko has never really left us. If not in chipped juke-boxes all over the land playing “Thriller”, we find his spirit on this weblog, called MJ News.

It’s all about Michael Jackson, and the layout proves it. Lots of graphics made download times a major issue for yours truly’s review, and had it not been for the mostly exceptional content I’d have left the site alone, never to return again.

Luckily I did not, and discovered a wealth of information, news-bits, and opinion, able to make even my hardened, Iron-Maiden-loving, Metal-album-touting, heart feel for Jacko. Speaking about news-bits – those, together with other clippings, make for a large amount of content on MJNews. Some may prefer to use news search engines, but for Jackson fans out there, this blog is a great resource.

Speaking about Blog. Purists may already gather outside my house waving “ye mighty pitchfork” at me for calling this website a blog. It’s not. Well, not fully, at least. Besides the blog content, we also find discussion forums, a mailing list, and polls at MJNews. Microcontent publishing goes digital community, and pretty well executed at that.

Michael Jackson fans of the world unite – and MJNews might just be the place to do so.MJ News

As I first entered the realm of Stacey George, I took a deep breath. At first glance, StaceyGeorge.com looked like everything that a good blog should not. The layout was boring, almost corporate. The first post was taken directly from The Friday Five. You catch my drift.

Yet I am glad I stuck around to read the rest of the site. Stacey George’s posts are personal, tracking the daily events that go on in her life. We read about how her son is sick, what she thought of the Grammys, and how there is no runnning water. These posts only seem to skim the surface of her life. To make up for it, however, Stacey George has a subtle sense of humor that will make you laugh out loud when you least expect it. She also is a wonderful photographer, often including shots of her day in her posts.

The overall design is composed of a simple forest green/black/white montage, easily readable and as mentioned before, easily boring. Perhaps the reason for this is that she includes her resume on the same site, and so wants to maintain a professional aura. My suggestion would be to seperate the two. You cannot have true freedom expressing yourself when you are tied down by corporate expectations.

The blog, however, is also home to some great artwork, all courtesy of Stacey George. There are illustrations, pages from her sketchbook, and photographs she has taken. If nothing else, visit these sections of the site. They’re well worth it.

To sum this up, I believe StaceyGeorge.com has the potential to become a great blog. The style of the writing and of the site itself needs some work, but as Stacey says herself:

Wake up, eat, do your job, come home, eat, be with people you love, get enough sleep, do it again. That’s all there is to it. The rest is drama we create.

I’ll be looking forward to some repeat visits.Stacey George