Site Reviews

Review - Thou Shall Blog

With the tagline "Blogging tips for beginners", Thou Shall Blog doesn't sound particularly unique. But the design is so striking, it's hard not to stop and have a look around.

The owner of this site did not request a review. I actually had some free time to go and check out a few sites who had dropped a card on my site through Entrecard. The moment I saw the site, I knew it wasn't your average site. So I decided to review it.

Here's what the owner, Yan Susanto, has to say about his site:

Blogging is all about sharing and learning. This blog serves as a personal journal documenting my journey into blogosphere to discover the unknown and sharing what I learn along the way in the hope that somehow someone will benefit from it.

If you aren’t in the know, thoushallblog.com is not a blog that teaches you how to make money online. This is a blog you could refer to if you are new to blogging concept.

So how does it measure up?

Content

Generally speaking the content is very solid and highly useful. There are loads of genuinely useful tips for readers to digest.

However, some of the tips seem rather out of place. I'll get onto this more when I look at the site focus, but one of the problems is summarised well in 15 SEO Tips for Beginners. A true beginner won't have a clue what most of the tips are all about, and several of them are worded in a far more technical way than they should be. For instance, why refer to <h1> when "Heading 1" would be much clearer? Especially as most blogging systems refer to headings in this way. My beginner's guide to search engine optimisation (SEO) contains fewer tips, but I've made a point to bring the most valuable ones (in my view) to the top.

Finally, while I appreciate that English may not be the author's first language, and the posts are generally well-written, there is a feeling of awkardness in the way that some posts are worded.

That said, I'm very picky and I do believe this site has a lot of extremely valuable content.

Community

At the time of writing, the site boasts 170 subscribers - and the posts get a high volume of comments. Take a look at this as an example.

57 comments - pretty good! I'm lucky to get 10 comments on most of my posts, although I've got myself to blame for that, due to lacking inspiration for quite some time now.

The lifesigns are definitely there at Thou Shall Blog. But I can't help wondering why there's a strange balance between subscribers and comments. Maybe I'm just used to not getting loads of comments, and it's quite possible that this blogger does a lot of networking and commenting on other sites.

The blogger does reply to comments, which is good to see, but he's certainly not talking to himself. How does he get so many comments? Why aren't more people subscribing? Thoughts welcome!

Focus

I am sure some of the posts are useful to beginners, but as I browse the site, I find myself asking "is this really for beginners?" The SEO tips post I mentioned above is not completely newbie-friendly, for instance.

Another example is this WordPress plugin post. It sounds like a really handy plugin... but the instructions leave a lot to be desired. Instead of "download, unzip, upload and activate" - where's a link to a comprehensive plugin installation guide with screenshots? Isn't that what beginners need? The author says the installation guide for the plugin could be better - so why not do a proper guide for your readers?

As for the "here's what you could possibly do..." that just mentions function calls with some PHP code - if I was a beginner, I'm sorry, but you would have lost me there.

I do think the author is very generous for offering a free WordPress installation service, but that doesn't mean that readers should rely on him to explain his posts in the comments. Furthermore, a real beginner's blog should accept the fact that WordPress just wasn't designed for newbies. I know, I know, lots of people use WordPress and get on with it just fine - but I've seen far too many blogs that just assume everyone already uses WordPress and get along with it just fine. This is exactly what a beginner's blog should not do.

Basically, I don't think the blog is true to its focus. It either needs to start catering for beginners or change its tagline to match the content the author publishes. Being a blog about blogging tips, WordPress or otherwise, really isn't a bad tagline to have - and if it didn't mention beginners, this blog would definitely be one that I'd recommend.

Design

The site is one of the best looking blogs I've ever seen. It's fantastic! The layout is great, it's easy to navigate, the design is very consistently applied throughout the site, and it's refreshingly uncluttered.

I don't need to say anything else about the design. I have no criticisms whatsoever.

Summary

Thou Shall Blog has a lot going for it. Great content and an absolutely outstanding design. However, it isn't always true to its focus. My suggestion is to decide whether to be a blog for beginners and do it properly, with blow-by-blow tutorials and plenty of screenshots - or just become a blogging tips site. Either would be fine.

Posted by Ben on September 08, 2008 22:10 | 10 comments | Permalink |

Review - Caledonian Comment

Oh well, I've started so I might as well finish... or at least continue with the reviews I haven't done yet. So without further ado, here's the next review: Caledonian Comment.

The screenshot is a bit misleading as I saved it a couple of weeks ago. The latest post is dated August 11th.

The background of the site is a bit longer than usual but it's interesting to read the site's history;

Caledonian Comment first appeared as a live daily slot on the award winning Les Ross Breakfast Show on BRMB Radio, Birmingham, UK. During the 1980’s and 1990’s, the feature grew in terms of both its popularity and its notoriety, with cutting satire and withering abuse aimed at as many deserving victims as possible. Now, after years of self-imposed exile and quiet retreat while he waited for a male menopause that never happened, Caledonian Jim has now returned, refreshed and as acid as ever, to enrich your internet experience with cynical world-weary observations designed to prick the baloons of the pompous, the politicians, the jobsworths, the incompetent and the politically correct idiots who seem to inhabit positions of authority with ever-increasing depressing regularity and cause us all grief.

Sounds like quite a site, doesn't it? And it is. Read on to find out why.

Content

There's no doubt about it, Caledonian Comment is authored by an excellent writer. The posts are engrossing and entertaining with plenty of satire.

A quick look around the site shows that it's filled with moderately lengthy posts broken up with relevant photos. It's a cross between a newspaper (due to the writing style) and a magazine (from the photos and the layout). It's an interesting mix and works well on a blog.

As far as I can see, a new post is added every day. This is a good thing, although it may prove too much for someone who wants to trawl the archives. Then again, as the content focuses on recent news, you probably wouldn't scroll back too far.

The only criticism here is that the posts may be a bit too long if you don't keep up with them. But this is a minor point really.

Community

I don't see many comments on the posts. However, they are not really the kind of posts I'd expect loads of comments on. You can read and enjoy them without feeling the need to comment.

For me this raises the question of whether some blogs can do well without comments, or whether an occasional open question should be used. Perhaps a forum. I'm not sure, but I think it would be good if more readers added their comments.

I guess this is a good question for Caledonian Jim. Are you looking for comments? Is this likely to change in the future?

Focus

The focus on current affairs is very strong indeed, but it's the style of writing that gives Caledonian Comment an edge. News websites are informative (sometimes), but if we only ever heard the cold, hard facts, the information sharing process would be a bit lifeless.

This is a blog that kicks life into the age-old concept of reporting the news. Sure, news sites have their place. But once you've heard the news, don't you want to know what other people think of it and what it means for them?

That's where Caledonian Comment stands out. Having a voice is very important if you want to be recognised for doing something a bit different.

Design

The design of Caledonian Comment is quite simple but it does the job well. I like it. The banner at the top seems to change from time to time - I haven't figured out how often it changes or how many different banners there are. I particularly like the one in the screenshot I used for this review.

The sidebar has a different colour to the main content section, which is subtle, but it works. I'd like to see more blogs doing this - in my view, the sidebar should not have the same background colour as the content.

Perhaps there are a few too many bits and pieces in the sidebar that don't really add much value for the reader - but on the other hand, the content is quite long, so it would look odd if the sidebar was very short. Maybe the sidebar could be put to better use. A minor quibble though.

Summary

Caledonian Comment is a top notch blog that is well worth a read if you like a bit of satire. Even my critical (though constructive) reviews can't find anything wrong with the site, nothing major anyway. Check it out.

• Want a review? Contact me.

Posted by Ben on August 11, 2008 21:28 | 9 comments | Permalink |

Review - Turnip of Power

Reviews are running a bit late at the moment. I'll get them all done shortly. Sorry for the delay. If you want a review, contact me.

This time I'll be reviewing Turnip of Power.

Hey, what's that? A Ben Barden interview? Gee, I wonder if that will score some bonus points...

Turnip keeps it simple: his tagline is The Social Networking Side Dish, and his About page refers to the site as The Premier Site On Social Networking. But is it any good?

Content

Turnip is not selling anyone short by referring to Turnip of Power as a premier site. His content is absolutely top notch. He is honest and sometimes quite critical, but he's always fair, often including plenty of constructive comments.

Typical posts include reviews of social networks, advertising networks, and plenty of commentary relating to Entrecard. Although it's not all about Entrecard, you can usually rely on Turnip to say what's on everyone else's lips, which makes it easy to jump in and leave a comment.

I hope he's reading this review because I do have one gripe. He doesn't offer full feeds, so when I view his site in Google Reader, I only get the start of the post. I understand there are pros and cons here, but I think it's a shame he uses partial feeds. Turnip of Power is almost the only site I am still subscribed to that does not provide a full feed. A site has to be very good indeed to make up for the lack of a full feed, so I guess that speaks for itself. But hey, how about giving me a full post to read in Google Reader?

Community

This section is a new addition to my blog reviews. Turnip's site has a great sense of community. 20 or 30 comments is not unheard of. Turnip engages his readers with sharp writing, and gives them a reason to comment. This is one blogger who knows what he's doing and just keeps on doing it.

Turnip also does a fine job of interacting with other members on other sites, such as the Entrecard Forums, a place where he is usually just around the corner with some advice or an amusing anecdote. His image is one of the most recognised on the whole of Entrecard. I'm sure this is why a lot of people go to his site and comment on it.

Focus

Although I liked it before the social networking focus came into play, I think Turnip of Power is a lot better than it used to be. The focus has a wider reach than "All things to almonds" (what was that about anyway?), and although social networking sites are really popular, it's a niche I haven't seen a lot of blogs covering. It's a surprisingly untapped niche considering its popularity.

Then again, I guess people who use social networking sites probably spend more time using them than reading about them. Still, Turnip's posts are good for the newcomer and the seasoned pros alike. Hang on, that sounds like another site I know...

Design

Unfortunately, Turnip's design leaves a lot to be desired. Although I've recently decided that two sidebars are better than one, I prefer them both on the same side. Turnip's content column is quite narrow and it feels a bit "boxed in". Furthermore, while the overall number of ads is not huge, it does feel like there is a lot at the top of the page.

The "Turnipofpower" text, the Turnip image in the corner, the "Add me!" buttons, the navigation links along the top, the search button, the header text... it all seems a bit haphazard and lacks a unified look and feel.

I think Turnip should consider revamping his design, perhaps adding one extra colour, but mostly getting some consistency with his fonts and logos.

Summary

I'm very impressed with the content. I would love to see Turnip of Power with a new look. The feed issue would be a nice to have, too. Overall, this site is well worth a read if you haven't seen it already.

Posted by Ben on August 07, 2008 17:55 | 10 comments | Permalink |

Review - That Grrl

Time for another blog review. This time, the site I'll be reviewing is That Grrl.



Here's what Laura says about her site:

My scrapbook/ junk drawer online with drawing, writing, rural exploration photos and things that interest me. Canadian grrl. Quietly an Earth Witch. One of those great women in the over 40, divorced, BBW style. We really are taking over the world.

So, what's it like?

Content

Doodles are very common on Laura's blog, and from her header image (which I'll look at later), I'd say it's a bit of a running theme. This is certainly original. There's plenty of humour in the doodles and Laura has even branched this into a separate blog, Doodle Week.

There are quite a few posts about blogging, and these are well-written. Sometimes there's a post about blogging with a doodle thrown in for good measure. I think this is the best kind of post on the blog, as it adds a personal touch to the subject matter. Also, Laura's writing style is very sharp, she holds no prisoners, and certainly doesn't hold back in sharing her views. This is good - dry content with no opinion whatsoever can get really boring.

I'm also really intrigued by the idea of sharing comments that she posted on other blogs by re-posting them on her own blog. This is a great way to get your own readers to comment on something that might not have even thought about. It's also a good way to give link love to other blogs without doing one long link love post.

Scrolling back through the first few pages of the blog, I see a lot of memes (online surveys), which I'm personally not a fan of. Other than those, I like the content on this blog.

Focus

I can't help wondering if That Grrl is missing an opportunity by publishing lots of different content on the same blog. The spin-off blog, "Doodle Week", is a great way to take the doodles further. But when I first visited That Grrl, I thought the doodles were one of the main focal points. On further investigation, "Doodle Week" appears to be a group blog. It's very focused.

As I said, I'm not a huge fan of the memes. That's just me though. Others may enjoy them. I'm just not entirely sure what the focus is on this blog. It seems to have a few different things to offer - but who is the target audience?

Design

The design of That Grrl is simple and actually rather plain. This gives it a "hand-drawn" feel, it's a bit like a sketch. So at first glance, I'd say it feels right.

But when I look at Doodle Week and Word Grrls, the latter of which has a design I absolutely love, it makes me think perhaps That Grrl needs one or two light colours to differentiate between the sections of the page.

Perhaps if the sidebars each used a different pastel colour, maybe a light yellow, red or pink, it would be easier to see where the content ends and the sidebars begin. Also, the footer area could use some separation, similar to the way that ProBlogger sections off his footer.

Summary

The content at That Grrl is definitely the strongest point. The blogging related posts and the doodles are well worth checking out. Perhaps with a couple of extra colours and a clearer focus (if that's what the author wants to do, of course) it could be even better.

Posted by Ben on July 28, 2008 19:00 | 5 comments | Permalink |

Review - Lightening's Blogworld

What better than to focus my first review on a site that often does blog reviews of its own? It's Lightening's Blogworld!



Here's what Lightening says about her site:

This blog is a blog about my blogging journey. I am by no means an expert when it comes to the topics covered in this blog. I am however, a real person, learning real things and wanting to share what I'm learning with anyone who'd like to listen. I am also extremely passionate about all things blogging.

She covers similar topics to the kind of posts you'll find on my blog, but we actually don't cross over all that much.

Content

The first thing I noticed with this site was the warm and friendly nature of the posts and the comments alike. Sometimes it's all too easy to get caught up in a subject and write about it in a sort of "mechanical" way, churning out information without putting a lot of personality in your posts.

Personality is far from lacking here. Lightening writes in an open and honest way, in fact it sometimes feels more like a personal blog than a blog about blogging.

Focus

The personal feel is not a criticism, it's simply an observation of Lightening's style. Her personal blog allows her to write about things besides blogging, and this means she is not trying to cram every one of her interests into the one blog. This is a definite plus as it means her site is very focused - what you see is definitely what you get.

Lightening doesn't just produce plenty of interesting content about blogging, she also manages to maintain a steady flow of posts that fall into a number of categories. Her reviews are particularly good, and were the inspiration for my own series of reviews.

I don't recall seeing a series of posts linked into a common theme, so perhaps this is something to consider for the future.

Design

Overall, I like the balance of colours and especially the rounded edges on Lightening's site. The light-up links aid navigation, the header / content fonts are well matched, and the links stand out particularly well.

The ads on the right-hand side look a bit disorganised. I think they could be arranged better. Also, the red link colour doesn't work quite so well in the comment count beside each post - I find this colour contrast very difficult to read.

I can't help wondering if the title of the site would benefit from being in a banner with a nice background. I think the title looks fine, but it doesn't stand out enough.

However, these are minor criticisms as the site is easy to navigate, easy on the eyes, and it lacks clutter (a good thing!).

Summary

Lightening's Blogworld is updated regularly with content that's consistently enjoyable to read. A few minor design tweaks could really help the site to stand out, but great content is the most important thing here.

Posted by Ben on June 27, 2008 19:00 | 10 comments | Permalink |