The Weblog Review

With nothing to greet me other than the Blogspot banner ad and a lot of black, I wasn’t sure what was going on at Lost in the South of N. America. Catchy title, though. I was hoping for some graphics of rednecks and deer antlers.

The writer, Kevin, lives in Florida and works in a natural foods market. One of the first things I read was that Kevin hates Americans because the ones at his market quibble over three cents. I was prepared to hate Lost in the South of N. America after that because that’s a huge generalization and a silly one, at that. Plus Kevin is an American. But Kevin has a really comfortable writing style that sort of sucked me in. For lack of a better way to explain it, there’s a certain intensity of Kevin’s writing that made me want to stick around. In one entry he quotes his father as saying he has a tendency to make things “melodramatic.” Maybe that’s what it is that draws me to Kevin’s writing.

There’s not much of a design going on here – just some tables. It’s not particularly interesting, but it’s functional.

Kevin doesn’t use capitalization, which wouldn’t bother me if the rest of it was full of grammar and punctuation goodness. It isn’t. There isn’t much immediate information on Kevin. He’s got an entry that is sort of an About Me type of thing, but doesn’t link to it from his index page. On his index page he lists a few things about himself. A real About Me page would be a tremendous asset to Lost in the South of N. America. The entries are all collected by month on one page, which makes the page long and linking to an individual entry is impossible.

I will definitely be back for another read of Lost in the South of N. America. The writing has such a great flow to it, and Kevin has some interesting ideas.

lost in the south of n. ameica

I’m normally not a fan of blogs with anime designs because the blog usually belongs to a 13 year old full of teen angst, but the design at Libran Ramblings does have a nice effect. It’s a good visual – it sort of pulls you in and makes you want to read the blog.

Libran Ramblings is about the writer’s daily life. She’s really into Final Fantasy, so much so that her left eyelid has developed a twitch from eye strain. The blog has only been around since August, and there really aren’t that many entries to read. The writing is not bad, although a lot of it has to do with the writer’s game playing – and since I don’t know anything about game playing, I really didn’t understand what she was talking about. The writer has some interesting opinions on paganism and betrayal, but the really interesting entries were regarding her former job as a caretaker to a terminally ill man.

The blog is well-designed [it’s a template], but the blog is set up so a month’s worth of entries are on each page. This makes the page really long by the end of the month and kind of lessens the visual punch of the design. I couldn’t get much info on the writer, other than the fact that it’s a woman [I think] who likes Final Fantasy and is a Libra. A good About Me type of page would be a useful addition to Libran Ramblings.

I will probably not become a regular reader of Libran Ramblings, mostly because I really don’t know anything about gaming. But if you’re into the whole scene, Libran Ramblings may appeal to you.
Libran Ramblings

It’s quite possible that I just do not identify with libras or that I’m unaffected by this author’s writing — in any case, Libran Ramblings seems dull and otherwise boring to me.

The design, childish and without substance, features an anime character flying from the top of the entries. That was immediately the first thing that turned me off about this blog. And then I started reading.

Honestly, the author is not a bad writer, I would never testify this — however, I imagine if you didn’t know ’em, and I don’t, you’d be numb to the ‘ramblings’ here.

The site in general attracts a regular crowd, I imagine the writer here would have it no other way; ads and links and ‘cliques’ and such.

I gave this web log a 3.0 because I didn’t think it deserved anything more. I’ve certainly seen worse, but I’ve also reviewed better.

Constructively, I think the author of Libran Ramblings should go for a little more depth and I believe that over time, she and this weblog will ultimately mature.Libran Ramblings

The Cotton Tree, a timeless web log, written by Sahr Sankoh on a nearly daily basis, is a rare gem in the web log world.

You’re met with an extremely subtle and simplistic design. Primarily green, the design sets an exquisite mood for the writing you’ll find here. Not overbearing or attention-grabbing, it leaves you to focus on the true star of this web log, its writing.

Each entry is written as a poem, describing everyday events but in a warm fashion that ultimately leaves you inspired to read more. I am in awe at this style of writing; there is subtlety found throughout, with both humor and sarcasm as well as a true taste for expression. The charisma and boldness of the writer are characteristics that will continuously bring people back to this site. Fascinated by the brilliance of the words, I’m left waiting for the next entry.

For originality and signature style, this web-log deserves nothing less than a 5. One should not try to model his or her web log after this one, however, as it is a product of true talent and skill. There is no template existing that would create a clone to this unparalleled find. I encourage everyone who is a web-log fan to read The Cotton Tree as it truly is an experience worth having.The Cotton Tree

Let me begin in saying that I honestly think the title “Keyboard Confessional” is a spectacular title for a web log; I just wish I’d have thought of it first.

The web log itself is an exceptional one because it showcases an author who can write, which is always a rare and huge plus in the web log world.

The design of the site is very simplistic and I find that refreshing. Anything overbearing would take away from the personality of the writer and would be detrimental to the overall feel at Keyboard Confessional.

The entries here range from everyday rants and revelations to a more in-depth conversation about life and the things it encourages and/or discourages.

Keyboard Confessional is worth your time, if you’re one who comes to a blog for it’s writing. It received a 4.0 from me because I found that although well written, it lacked that ever important charisma that keeps myself and others returning for more. I also didn’t find it very confessing as the title implies. And to not meet the complete expectations of that title is simply a crime. Overall, however, I found Keyboard Confessional to be a 5.0 hopeful and truly a good find.Keyboard Confessional