From the URL alone, I wondered why this site was up for review. It doesn’t sound like a blog but a blog it most certainly is, with the name, bmg://its.bloggingly.delicious, hinting at a quirky site with some tasty content that will make you come back for more. The ‘about me’ page shows that the author is as interesting as the name suggests because it is set out like the transcript of a press conference, with Mike answering questions from his public. This page provides a little bit of background without being too in depth and the style certainly held my interest.
The blog itself has been in existence since January 2003. A mix of diary style ponderings and Friday link-fests, the posts themselves can be quite engaging when they appear but the last couple of months have been a bit lighter than previously. I liked the habit of posting amusing emails (e.g. real car insurance claims and what I’ve learned) on the blog as, although many people will have seen them already, it is a much tidier way to pass on these funnies to others than simply clogging up inboxes with it. I was interested to read about the author’s attempts at giving up smoking also, but the most recent post on a health drink that he is now on did make me think this was a commercial site at first!
The blog is powered by Moveable Type and, like so many others using the same, the design is both clean and simple making it very easy to read and navigate. The colours are well chosen and lend a professional air to the site, but it does look like it could do with an accent colour as well as the shades of blue/grey. Although bmg does not fall into the trap of using an unaltered template like so many blogs, there is still much that could be done with the design. This in no way detracts from the writing though, as the uncluttered design lets the reader focus on the content.
The webcam image on the front page is a nice touch as many readers will like to see the person behind the posts, and I also liked the addition of a guest map rather than the traditional guestbook. In addition, although there is obviously more content on bmg than the blog alone, at the time of reviewing I could not open the pics, movies and old stuff pages. I assume this is just a temporary glitch.
All in all, this is a nice well written site with interesting links that has broad appeal. If the author can keep up with his previous posting frequency, he will entice many readers back for another look.bmg://It’s Bloggingly Delicious