Category: Uncategorized

Veracity or Mendacity is a nicely designed, well structured web diary which started in March 2002. There is a comprehensive ‘about me’ page under the title “The Essentials”, which in addition to the “100 things about me” provides the reader with a thorough understanding of the author, so essential if you are to sell your blog as an online diary.

The design is classy and understated, with only small elements of colour surrounding the neatly constructed boxes, which help to separate the content and links. It’s easy to navigate and kind on the eye. The design of the website is very much a reflection of the author’s writing – very neat, easy to read and concise.

The content of her posts are very much of the personal kind, about her life and her feelings. But everyone once in a while there was a real gem of a post that really caught my eye. At the end of April 2002 for example, she discusses an article in National Geographic

A photograph is an image, albeit one that reflects the photographer as much as the subject herself. The photographer in this instance is not concerned with ‘The Afghan Girl’ as a woman or as a human being. She is an object, the end goal of a quest, and hence his interest in her is only concerned with greater glory for himself and The Story.

In fact the more I read the more interested I became in this author’s writing and opinions. It was like getting to know someone really slowly, at each stage of the blog they reveal that little bit more about themselves in a quiet and refined way. I liked it. Readers should expect a well written, grammatically flawless blog with no sugar-coating. Count on getting to know the real person behind this blog should you visit.

This is very much a personal contribution to the weblogging world, containing glimpses into the life and experiences of the individual. If you enjoy reading personal journals, with well written and well thought out posts you may well enjoy this weblog. Each post allows you a little bit more knowledge of the individual and that is always interesting
Veracity or Mendacity?

Stinky Shorts – an interesting, but appropriate name, for this site which ridicules the absurdity of the things people do and say everyday. The site is accompanied by the byline “Not smartie, not pants. Just doing the best we can”, a cute play on words which ties in well with the title of the site. I wasn’t particularly impressed with the rather common design of Stinky Shorts, although it would get high marks for simplicity. I’m a fan of simple and easily navigable blogs, and Stinky Shorts certainly meets this criteria. Nevertheless, I would have liked to have seen something beyond a standard template.

Rob, the “proprietor/perpetrator” of Stinky Shorts, is a welcome change to the previous news/links sites which I have reviewed, many filled with links but lacking in commentary. The majority of his entries do have a comment or casual remark, something I find key in these types of blogs. One thing I liked about Stinky Shorts is how the author blends his commentary with his links. When you read his blog, it’s almost as if you are speaking to Rob himself, and the occasional link is a way of saying “Wait a second, let me learn a little more about what you just said”.

Rob’s links cover a wide range of topics, from links to considerably strange news stories to pointers to widely known events, such as the current Iraq situation. I learned several new, atlhough probably completely useless, things after reading Stinky Shorts. Did you know that there is an invisible condom in development?

I have one bone to pick with Stinky Shorts, although it is a minor one. I believe that external links should almost always open in a new window, as this is beneficial for both the blogger and the reader. Having external links open in the same window draws readers away from the blog. It’s easier to take a break from Rob’s commentary to visit one of his links and then switch windows to explore some more of his site.

Should you visit Stinky Shorts? If you’re looking for a good laugh, then yes. As is common with these types of blogs, you will have to search through the entries to find a story that tickles your funny bone. Nevertheless, I am sure that Stinky Shorts will offer you something to talk about over the water cooler.

Stinky Shorts

The Princess’s Diaries is, essentially, a diary, nothing more, nothing less. Author Ayaba is a woman who is sure of herself and is determined to give herself the best she can offer. Reading posts from such a self-inspiring woman who values herself is indeed uplifting.

Posts from The Princess’s Diaries are mainly records of Ayaba’s daily life and how she goes about improving herself. Other than the usual this-happened-today entries, Ayaba also frequently posts meaningful lists and thoughts, presumably taken from other sources. For example, a list of why women over forty are better than younger women, a list of tips on staying young, etc. All these fit well into Ayaba’s blog, as the main theme throughout seems to be self-improvement and faith, both in the self and in God. An example:

To A Beautiful Person

If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it.

If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it.

He sends you flowers every spring.

He sends you a sunrise every morning.

Whenever you want to talk, He listens.

He can live anywhere in the universe, but He chose… your heart.

Face it friend, He is crazy about you! God didn’t promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way.

However, there are a few weaker points as well. For one, The Princess’s Diaries’ layout is dry and, well, typical blogspot-ty. Also, there is no information on the author whatsoever, which makes reading about her life somewhat less satisfactory. Lastly, there are no links. Although a personal diary need not have links, it is, in a way, another method of letting readers know a blogger better by finding out what she enjoys reading.

The worth of The Princess’s Diaries lies in the words and personality of the author, where a reader may find an encouraging gem or two while reading about Ayaba’s life. Head over for a look if you are looking for some good thoughts and tranquility.

The Princess’s Diaries

I was put off by the fact the author used a standard Blogger template, but the name of the site, Spilled Guts made up for it. I figured that I would be in for an entertaining read, just by the name. I noticed there weren’t many archives and assumed the author was pretty new at this.

The author talks about everything from movies to politics. I’ve also learned that the author is interested in quiz shows because he talks about them from time to time. He also apparently appeared on one. However, something about the writing style just doesn’t click with me. It seems juvenile. There is also a lot of offensive language in this blog, so readers beware. I was however, impressed by the picture of the evil eggs in one of the archive files.

As said before, the design is just one of the standard Blogger template files. Because the design is basic, it works with what the author posts about it. There aren’t any distractions on the site, which is nice, and there is a bit of color, even if it is rather dreary looking. The recent archive links are broken and led me to a default Blog*Spot page.

This site is simply a personal weblog, although it feels less personal than most I have read recently. Lacking from the site are links and other features, such as an about page. I don’t feel a connection with the author, because I really don’t know much about him based on the postings.

Spilled Guts is a creative name, but it is one of the only creative things about the blog. I wouldn’t suggest reading this if you are offended by harsh language. Spilled Guts tells a story about the author’s life, but so do many others… s p i l l e d g u t s

Spriteboy is a 20-something actor living in a New York apartment with “Gorgeous Roommate” Jen. He says “yay” and talks about “boobs.” Often. Remind you of anyone? Unfortunately, this NY actor [and star of “Mission: Idiot”] doesn’t have the censorship of a large US TV company, and I did find a few comments that I, personally, found offensive. Overall, though, he seems a pretty amiable bloke.

He mostly writes about daily life, such as an upcoming audition or the actresses staying in the hotel he works in [porn and regular]. Unlike most personal blogs, I never got any sense of his personality through the writing, which seemed contradictory in places. In one post we are told that the author disagrees with the war his country is fighting, and the next we are told how proud he is to be American followed by a picture of the American flag and a few quite ignorant comments about the Iraqi people.

I have to admit that from the pictures at the top of the screen Spriteboy does look quite elfin, but then they have all been heavily altered with a run-of-the-mill image-editing tool. I like to see sites where people make the effort despite not having a degree in graphic design and £900 of image editing software [I, myself, am included in this ‘work on a budget category’], but it does mean you don’t get the crisp , professional look. Still, this is a weblog and by its nature is not professional.

The layout of the journal doesn’t run like other journals. Instead you are faced with the archive page, with descending dates and titles, and you read through a page at a time. This makes it hard work and would only take a minor adjustment to improve the readability a whole lot.

Spriteboy World is your average weblog. If you have something in common with the author, or are really desperate to get with an aspiring actor in the hope that someday he’ll make it and not dump you for a size 2 blonde, then this could well be the weblog for you.Spriteboy World