My first impression–I have no idea what this blog is. Are they selling something? Is one person writing it? Why do I have to register? Ah, I see, the blog is part of a larger web community called “Seacoast Online” in New Hampshire (?).
The weblog is written by Kelly Halldorson and is a collection of pieces on (mostly) politics and social issues. I do not agree with Ms. Halldorson’s views, but I feel like I’ve heard it all before–the thinking here is not particularly original. The arguments are simplistic. While I don’t agree with her perspective, stronger arguments can be made than simply accusing all the world’s evils on the “government.” We, the people, are the government, after all. The author is a libertarian, as well as a wife, mother and student. There is no particular attempt at humor. The quality of the writing is good, but the author occasionally uses shortcuts like “:)” instead of expressing herself through her words. “Smileys” are an acceptable shorthand in email, but I find them off-putting in a blog; especially one that wants to be taken seriously.
The design is acceptable, but I’m not crazy about it. The banner is very busy–it’s full of links to other parts of “BlogTheCoast.Com.” There was a calendar for easy navigation on Kelly Halldorson’s blog, recent entries, archives and categories. There is no blogroll.
The audience for this blog is probably other libertarians in the New Hampshire area. Or for people who would like to fight with a libertarian. Not me, that’s for sure.NULL