Mukiwa.org, tales of a white boy from Africa is a prime example of why we should never judge a book by its cover, or why we should never rely so much on first impressions – in fact pick various similar analogies and apply them here. The reader is greeted with a standard two column movabletype template, with very few alterations – in fact the only real alteration is an image in the left hand column. For those who really do rely strongly on first impressions it would probably be far too easy to pass over and move on, but on this rare occasion I would definitely advise them to persist – it’s well worth it.
Mukiwa combines beautifully well written entries with exceptional photography, and I mean exceptional. There is no about me page, no self obsessed first posting here, it’s straight in and blogging. Maybe the first post didn’t grab me, but as I began to read the more engrossed I became. Each entry is usually supplemented by photography, and so what the template lacks in visual appeal is more than compensated for with stunning photographic imagery. I was, and remain in awe of this individual’s skill with a camera.
Despite fluctuations in posting consistency the author touches on a great many subjects here, sometimes personal, sometimes about issues close to his heart. I particularly liked how he utilized photographs to highlight a point – a real favourite being his images from Zimbabwe. This is someone who really can speak a thousand words with a simple picture.
There isn’t much I can say about the design; it’s a generic movabletype template with very few alterations. But I firmly believe that visitors should put this aside, because the content is more than worth it. There was the occasional error, a broken image here for example, but nothing overwhelmingly annoying.
I enjoyed my visit to Mukiwa.org; it was one of those rare gems to prove we should never judge a weblog by first impressions alone. Yes the template is generic, and as such its a little lack luster visually – but this site really does make up for in other ways – beautifully written entries and stunning photography. Give this site a chance, I guarantee you won’t regret it. If broken images were remedied, and a new template this would be a 5 for me without a doubt, as it stands I’m going to give it a grade of 4.5 – room for improvement.However, it remains a definite addition to my favorites list.
Mukiwa: Tales of a White Boy from Africa