The Weblog Review

I feel somewhat qualified to write this review having been a Runescape player myself at one stage. To give you some background, Runescape (Run, escape?) is a browser based multiplayer game based in a medieval type setting. Its written in Javascript and runs in full 3D without any extra software which is impressive in itself and the gameplay is kid-friendly and involving.

The Runescape Newbie Guide is a blog devoted to helping players negotiate the gameplay and Valdesta, the 32 year old female player and author, happily answers player questions with helpful and detailed answers. I have to admit, even though I like playing MMPORPGs myself, I always found the dedication of players and webmasters like Valdesta really quite exceptional, if not a little intimidating. I for one, would not have the patience to pen user guides and regularly update a blog such as this but as a player, have always been grateful for those that do.

That said, this blog is not good bedtime reading for anyone except Runescape players and while thorough, is extremely topic-specific. The site is well designed with a customized blogger template and regular updates. Valdesta’s in-game avatar is a nice touch and to alleviate the bother of searching the menu navigation includes a “Noteworthy Posts” section for articles that deserve to be easily found. The link section is also a good resource for players.

Not a bad read at all and Valdesta writes well and informatively, offering the right advice to guide players onto personal Runescape success. Not a site for the all the rest of us non-runescape nerds obviously but a good resource for the uninitiated. NULL

Wow Gardens Blog is an informational site with regular updates an a wide range of gardening topics. If you’ve ever tended a garden then you are probably aware of just how fulfilling and satisfying it is to grow and maintain your own flowers, fruit or vegetables.

The author anonymous author provides tips and suggestions for seasonal gardening and includes an easily to navigate variety of categories including tips, products, seasonal gardening, seeds, flowers, vegetables, perennials and is referenced throughout by acknowledging sources. This is a good thing, in that citing your sources is generally good writing practice however every single article starts with the unchanging phrase “In a recent article…” which may be a comforting routine, but seems a little dry after a while and the links to sources are not clickable.

The Wow Gardens Blog seems like an excellent new resource for American gardeners and collates news articles in a straightforward summary meaning keen gardeners can simply log in to the blog for a good round up of recent news. There is little color either in the language or the design of the site which is a shame considering the topic.

The site design is actually quite nice in its simplicity, like a minimalist Japanese garden but did not awe me for a few reasons. Firstly, there are posts but nothing else. No profile, no links, faq or linkback to the parent site which actually has a little more color. Secondly, the CSS was completely broken in my Safari browser and works only in Internet Explorer (I’m no expert but spaces in URLs, particularly the CSS URL is not good code practice). Being a gardening site I would like to have also seen at least a little color or imagery instead of the safe but dull black-on-white text.

This blog is a good news source for American gardeners and has the potential to be a better resource for readers but could do with a touch up to the template design. Updates are regular an informative but lack the inspiration a gardener finds in their garden. NULL

Black marks on wood pulp… I was thrown for a loop when I read the name of this site. I was not sure what to expect. When I finally got the site to load, it had a deep red background with a very classy look. And I still didn’t have a clue what the site would be in regards too. I started taking my general glance down the site and noticed a few things: at the top there is a picture of books and on the side bar the author has posted the book he is currently reading.

I began reading through the posts. The author posts regularly and enjoys blogging. The site is a personal site that talks about many things with the majority of posts being about different books he is reading or books he would like to own/read. He spent numerous posts talking about the Penguin collection that he really hopes to purchase in the near future. The archives take a while to get to because you have to move through them by the month using his calendar option on the side bar.

The site is laid out in a 2 column style and has a classy burgundy color background, with white and yellow text. The font is easy to read and there is not a huge contrast of colors on the site. My only concern with the design of the site was the time it took to load. I am on a cable modem connection and the site took well over 20 seconds to load. I can only imagine what it would have been like on my 14k dial up connection.

Overall the site was nice. It was not offensive just provided the reader with thoughts or the author. I feel the site is a personal site and would appeal to the author’s friends or family. I did enjoy reviewing the site, I felt connected to the author due to the detail in the writings. I rate this site as a 3.75.
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My initial thought into this blog was simple; this blog is going to be about helping others. The blog has an initial thought at the very top and its theme is highlighted throughout the blog. “A public service weblog promoting ethics in action.” As I finished reading through the blog I found my initial thoughts to be correct.

The blog’s purpose is to give information to its readers about ways to help out in their community. It provides links and suggestions on many topics. Some of them include: What to do with that left over food after a group gathering or part, Consider class, Consider privacy… The list of helpful information goes on and on. Karama, the blog’s author, is very active in community service and her blog is just another part of her service. Karama informs the reader about things that she has been involved in to help others around the world and provides hyperlinks to those organizations.

The blog’s design is very simple. It has the main area of the site on the left column of the two column site. On the right is information typical to blogs: archives, links, about me… I would make a recommendation in this are. I would reorganize/clean up the right column. It appears to be unorganized and is distracting to the eyes of the reader.

I would recommend anyone to read this site. I am heavily involved in community service and understand the necessity of it. I feel the blog needs a little design work, but the content is sufficient and heavily informational to anyone interested in civil service. I rate this blog as a 3 due to some of the design concerns with the site. Overall it is a good read and it instigates its readers to help others.
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Eric loves his video games, but hates the giant corporations that make these video games. Since this is his blog, this is what he writes. He started this weblog in response to the Madden 2006 football game that was released earlier this fall. He was disappointed with the game, and decide to develop this weblog in order to give gamers an actual voice in the situation. All of this information was in the very first post of the site, and I felt good knowing exactly what I would be reading for the next month’s worth of posts.

This site is still new. Eric made his inaugural post on November 1, but has steadily continued to post since then. It’s all put together on what looks like a standard Blogger template. It’s a two-column layout, done in black, white, and grays. There’s the typical Blogger profile in the side-column area, which also contains “essential” video game links, a few ads, and all the standard weblog additions – a blogroll, archives, etc.

Thankfully, his posts vary from his dislike of the latest football game release and stray to other types of big corporations that he can’t stand – Wal-Mart and Microsoft, for example. He has his reasons for his dislike of these company, especially the monopolies the companies have – hence the name of the site. From time to time, Eric also throws in a link he’s found on the internet that might make you laugh.

While this isn’t going to be a site that everyone will follow or appreciate, it’s a perfect fit for those diehard Madden 06 fans that are just as frustrated as Eric about the quality of the latest release of this game. It’s still a new weblog and has a lot of room to grow.NULL