Blog Review: Fantasy & Sci-Fi Lovin' Blog

Fantasy and Sci-Fi Lovin' Blog
http://sqt-fantasy-sci-fi-girl.blogspot.com

Description of site:
The author gives comment, opinion and review on a wide range of contemporary literature, movies and TV programs, mainly of a fantasy genre.

Appearance:
Custom Blogger template with three columns. The site has a brand new animated banner – very flashy.

Organisation:
This is a very busy blog. There are a lot of elements crowded on to the page and I find the amount of sidebar clutter disconcerting. Maybe it’s the fact that sidebar content is raining in from both directions – it is overwhelming relative to the average post length.

Navigation and Functionality:
Sidebar links and blog archive. Three columns means lots of links and the tabbed browsing is very functional and Firefoxesque.

Advertising:
Amazon associates book ads located on each sidebar. Google AdSense link unit, ad unit and Picasa referral button located on the left sidebar. I'd be interested to know if the author is making much money from AdSense – I suspect not. Referral buttons don't attract too much revenue because most people can't be bothered to install the program. Link units don't attract any payment for clicks – you only get paid if someone clicks on a link from the list that appears (eg. people need to click at least twice for the publisher to get any payment). Much better to focus on ad units – one click equals one payment. There are also a few stand alone advertising banners dotted about the page.

Comments:
This is a requested review.

The author is what I would describe as a prolific poster. Despite this being less than three months old there is a lot of material to get your teeth around. It's going to be difficult to write a comprehensive review because I’m at odds with some of the subject – literature is not really my thing. Luckily there is some talk of Sci-Fi TV programs and movies and it isn't long before Star Wars features – now you're on my wavelength! The author provides a short breakdown of the first three movies which, naturally, aren't as well filmed or story lined as episodes IV – VI. You'll also find lots of comment on the big novels that made it to the big screen – the Harry Potter stories, Lord of the Rings trilogy and Chronicles of Narnia to name but a few. Comic book super heroes are also the order of the day, with appearances by Spiderman and Superman. For TV fans there are also lots of interesting musings about Battlestar Galactica, Lost and Buffy.

The high number of comments is reassuring to see. The author has obviously been working overtime to promote the Fantasy & Sci-Fi Lovin' Blog and has attracted a loyal following of regular comment leavers.

An interesting site if you’re in to literature, movies, fantasy and science fiction. Sadly it drops a mark because of the towering sidebar situation.

Rating:
7/10

Reviewer:
Tom

Blog Review: Payne by Name

Payne by Name
http://www.paynebyname.com

Description of site:
A bit of a hybrid really. Payne by Name has a diverse range of content - on the one hand we have a rolling journal of the author's comments and opinions, on the other reviews of niche subject areas such as 'women' and 'relationships'. Perhaps not a blog for women's libbers!

Appearance:
Custom design. Cork-like background with a white page overlaid. Topped by a navy blue header bar with a pale yellow sidebar to the left of the page.

Organisation:
Neatly organised and comprehensive entries.

Navigation and Functionality:
Sidebar links and journal archive.

Advertising:
None.

Comments:
This is a requested review.

Wow, where do I start? This blog is rich in detail so apologies once again for my brevity of review. It has taken me an absolute age to read and my stamina was flagging by the end. It appears to be a consolidation of the author's previous work online.

I’ll only concentrate on the journal section of the site in my comments – you can have fun exploring the rest of the site yourself, but beware the tongue-in-cheek style of writing. The author is a humorous guy, but I think the dry wit and spontaneity of some of his remarks could be misinterpreted by members of the fairer sex. The author makes entries maybe 3 or 4 times every month, chronicling his life since the previous situation report.

The first few months describe the author's battle to get back into shape following an over indulgent Christmas. He takes regular trips to the swimming baths, gym and dances the night away in clubs, but I fear this aerobic exercise is cancelled out by his apparent shareholder status at McDonalds and affinity for cheeseburgers. He also likes lazy mornings, reminiscing about the past and scoping for attractive young ladies with ample bosoms.

We learn about his minor altercation with the law, the cute WPC who gives him a producer and chavish, popcorn slinging disorder in the local cinema. The entry of 27 March 2006 leaves me with a wry smile on my face, because I completely empathise with pee shyness – the overwhelming urge to take a leak, but not being able to when people are queued behind to use the facilities.

The next few months are a fairly routine mix of gym visits, swimming, clubbing and Italian dining. Nothing particularly noteworthy, although I am draw to the rant about firemen misusing public resources. The entry about Filmharmonic, billed as a musical extravaganza, which actually transpired to be a medley of obscure movie and television soundtracks, was also an educational read.

As summer approaches it’s the ideal opportunity for outdoor pursuits, sporting events and barbecuing. Paintball is also the order of the day and the author, obviously keen on the sport, recounts his skirmishes in rural Kent. We also get regular bloke's talk on football (the World Cup) and F1 motor racing. All these lazy afternoons, barbecues and beers in front of the TV is probably not the best time to be watching you diet, but the author is desperately trying to reduce his calorific intake to compliment his aerobic exercise.

The autumn nights are drawing in and the author settles down to cosy nights in front of the TV, wining and dining at Italian eateries (I see a pattern) and eyeing up a mystery girl on the way to work in the mornings. It's also a good opportunity to dig out the DVD collection and play on the games console. Next on the agenda for Payne by Name is a trip to Barcelona to check out the sights, restaurants and girls. Stay tuned for the next instalment.

I apologise that I have barely scratched the surface of Payne by Name. There is plenty of good reading, but it's not for the feint-hearted or those lacking in stamina. It's not the sort of blog you can skim over drinking a coffee – it requires attention to detail to follow all the unfurling intricacies. I personally would try and cut down the entry length, make them more focussed and post more regularly, but the author has had this advice from other reviewers already. One thing's for sure – Payne by Name is very distinctive and gives a genuine insight into the author's inner-workings and lifestyle. A solid performer, which you need to check out yourself.

Rating:
7/10

Reviewer:
Tom

Blog Review: Random Encounters of We

Random Encounters of We
http://randomencountersofwe.blogspot.com

Description of site:
Short posts mainly of a technology nature. Some personal opinion and humorous photos are also included.

Appearance:
Blogger in beta rounders template with blue/green hybrid colour scheme. Customised to have an extra sidebar on the left hand side. The colours just don't work for me. The layout also seems a bit lop-sided – it would look better if the header and footer bars stretched the whole width of the page. The page has a falling snow effect at the moment – might just be a seasonal thing.

Organisation:
N/A

Navigation and Functionality:
Sidebar links and blog archive.

Advertising:
Google AdSense: skyscraper in the left hand sidebar, link unit at the top of the central column and half banner at the foot of the page. The ads aren’t blended very well - maybe the complimentary ad colours are intended, but I would go the blended route every time. There are also a lot of blog directory mini banners on the right sidebar – they look rather like and American General’s medal ribbons, but this blog is no veteran. This blog is also monetised by Creamaid.

Comments:
This is a requested review.

The author provides open access to her Site Meter stats. From the stats I can tell that a lot of visitors come from traffic exchange programs like BlogMad and Traffic Echoes. I recommend avoiding these programs – AdSense don't like them – they class them as giving an incentive to visit your site and consider the impressions invalid. Traffic exchanges are also time-consuming and counterproductive – people spend all day surfing from site to site trying to accrue credits, paying little attention to the content of the sites they actually visit.

Since Random Encounters of We is less than 2 months old there isn't much content to review. The posts are mainly technology related. There are opinions on web resources, animations and computer games. There are a couple of classic flash games embedded in the posts, to take you back to your childhood and keep you occupied as you browse from one post to the next. Something distracting from my point of view is the flamboyant spelling, punctuation and grammar throughout. Fundamental principles like sentences and names begin with a capital letter seem to have been overlooked. Too many sentence start with the word 'and' which is a serious grammatical faux pas.

The regular use of polls encourages the site visitors to give feedback on the issue of the day, which is a nice touch. On the downside I think that people, being naturally lazy and following the path of least resistance, will vote instead of commenting meaning the value of their feedback is limited.

I am sorry that this review has been negative but with an improved layout, increased content and a loyal readership I’m sure it'll make good progress in the months ahead.

Rating:
5/10

Reviewer:
Tom

Blog Review: That Amazing Person (TAP)

That Amazing Person (TAP)
http://www.go2tap.com

Description of site:
A collection of short, informative reviews mainly technology related. Links to useful online resources and some free downloads.

Appearance:
Wordpress custom template with pale blue and white colour scheme. The header logo is a blue feed symbol, indicative of the technology and web related content.

Organisation:
N/A

Navigation and Functionality:
Sidebar links and blog archive. Check out the site features in the sidebar.

Advertising:
Some RSS subscribe buttons located on the sidebar. There are no other obvious signs of advertising. I suspect that some of the articles are sponsored, but this in no way detracts from the quality and usefulness of the blog.

Comments:
This is a very nifty little blog. There isn't much content – the posts are irregular, short and to the point – but they are detailed enough to be informative, not overwhelming. Many of the posts take the form of mini-reviews about an item of technology, website or piece of software. As an added bonus there are free downloads of e-books and graphics – that little bit extra that makes TAP stand out from the crowd. There is a very handy post that links to blogging tools – essential reading for anyone new to the blogosphere looking for a few tips. The Swiss Army knife of blogs and well worth a look. It's a shame I have to mark it down due to the irregular posting.

Rating:
7/10

Reviewer:
Tom

Blog Review: It's My Life

It's My Life
http://itsmylifeasuninterestingasitmaybe.blogspot.com

Description of site:

The frank, expressive story of the life of Erin - a soon to be single mom, from Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. It’s happy, it's sad, it's ME (well not me, but Erin).

Appearance:
At one with nature. I seem to say that a lot about blogs because I have a natural attraction to greens and blues myself. The customised Blogger template looks very elegant. It has an image of autumn (fall) leaves fluttering in the breeze as a man walks his dog. I’ve seen this template somewhere before – can't quite put my finger on where, but it is distinctive and jogs my memory. Pleasant, but not a one-off original – or maybe it was the original and others have jumped on the bandwagon!

Organisation:
N/A

Navigation and Functionality:
Sidebar recent posts list and drop down blog archive. Scrolling BlogRoll.

Advertising:
No monetisation at all. There is a BlogExplosion ad button but that's all. Nice to see another blogger more interested in blogging than advertising.

Comments:
This is a requested review.

The first thing I notice is that It's My Life is a continuation from elsewhere – the first post in the archive says "it's been a while since I posted". It’s a pity there isn’t a quick recap on the story so far – or maybe it just got lost from the archive and is drifting about in cyberspace. Another piece of evidence that lends itself to the drifting about in cyberspace theory is the fact that the archive list goes back to Jan 2005, whereas the posts begin in mid Feb 2005.

Despite the lack of introduction I manage to pick up the storyline within the first 10 or so posts. Erin has just moved to North Carolina from Rhode Island – she is trying to start a new life with her husband Michael and young son Matthew. But she can't. She is trapped in an abusive relationship with no job, few friends, unfamiliar surroundings, little money, an addiction to gambling and ever dwindling self-esteem. To add to her woes she is distant from her mother and twin sister. Erin hatches a plan to leave Michael – to get a job, some security and a place of her own – to get a life. To plug the gap she earns a few dollars doing mystery shopping (see her informative guide) until she gets the permanent position she's after.

But the break from Michael never quite comes – there is a grim acceptance that both parties are at fault – him for his erratic, drunken behaviour and her for her wreckless gambling fixation. Reconciliation is in the air, but times are still tough – not least because Michael, a painter by trade, is having trouble holding down a permanent job. After many soul-destroying set backs, angst over where the next dollar will come from, Michael gets a job as a flood/disaster refinisher. For a while life is rosy once again. The family move to a more comfortable apartment in North Raleigh and Michael is bringing home a decent wage. It doesn’t take long before Michael, fuelled with drink, reneges on all the promises he has made and assaults Erin. It's the end of the road.

The rest of It's My Life concentrates on the developing relationship of Erin with her son, the trials and tribulations of job seeking and how she settles into life as a single mom. Not just another mommy blog - a truly gripping read.

As for making adjustments, I'd leave it just the way it is – it's a reliable, well-tested format that I know attracts a large following of regular readers.

Rating:
8/10

Reviewer:
Tom

Blog Review: Blog About Your Blog

Blog About Your Blog
http://blogaboutyourblog.com

Description of site:

As the title kind of implies this site allows fellow bloggers to blog about their blog. It is still early days for Blog About Your Blog, but the contributors so far have mainly come from the field of online money making.

Appearance:
One of the basic original Blogger templates. This particular specimen is white in colour, with side bar text links to the right of the main body.

Organisation:
N/A

Navigation and Functionality:
Sidebar links and blog archive.

Advertising:
Adbrite banner with network delivered ads at the top of the page. Assorted affiliate type advertising buttons are interweaved in the posts. There are a few blog directory and traffic exchange referral buttons on the sidebar.

Comments:
Blog About Your Blog is a brilliantly original idea. Like a lot of good ideas, it involves very little time and effort to maintain. The blog owner sits, waits for articles to arrive and then cuts and pastes the text into his template. A natural stroke of genius not unlike one of our previous reviews, Name That Tube. Blog About Your Blog will never run out of material to publish, and doesn't need to worry too much about the content of the articles. Furthermore, it's a self-propagating advertising machine - those who have had articles published feel obliged to link to them, which in turn spreads the word about this novel advertising source.

Unfortunately, as novel and resourceful as Blog About Your Blog is, it is still early days. This is reflected in the rating I award. The archive contains only a handful of articles all of which, naturally, have a strong bias toward the contributor's blog. I can imagine some readers being sceptical of the article contents. It is a solid idea and I’m sure this service will be in great demand in the future.

Rating:
6/10

Reviewer:
Tom

Blog Review: Fantasy Football N' Stuff

Fantasy Football N' Stuff
http://ffnstuff.blogspot.com

Description of site:
An online resource for Fantasy Football enthusiasts. Fantasy Football N' Stuff provides regular tips about team line-ups and strategy.

Appearance:
One of the basic original Blogger templates. This particular specimen is white in colour, with sidebar text links to the right of the main body.

Organisation:
N/A

Navigation and Functionality:
Sidebar links and blog archive.

Advertising:
AdSense ad units are positioned at the top, side bar and foot of the page. There are also a few referral buttons at the bottom of the page. The site owner has gone for a complimentary AdSense colour scheme, instead of the usual blending most people seem to prefer. If it gets clicks great - if not I'd consider blending the ads in with the background colour scheme.

Comments:
As I've warned the site owner already, this blog is hugely difficult for me to review. Being a Brit I don't know the first thing about American Football of the real variety, let alone the Fantasy version. From what I can glean from Wikipedia it's a game where participants (called 'owners') acquire a team of real life football players. The owners score points based on the statistical performance of their players on the real field. There are also virtual leagues for the owners to pit their teams against each other.

All I can say is that if you like Fantasy Football you might like this. It really wouldn't be fair for me to give a rating, when I’m so unfamiliar with the subject area.

Rating:
N/A

Reviewer:
Tom

Blog Review: Second Effort

Second Effort
http://secondeffort.blogspot.com

Description of site:
The author, The Curmudgeon, a self-confessed crusty correspondent and dinosaur from Chicago, offers his views on just about everything.

Appearance:
One of the basic classic Blogger templates. Plain, minimalist, but effective. This particular example is white.

Organisation:
N/A

Navigation and Functionality:
Sidebar links and blog archive.

Advertising:
Google AdSense ad unit located at the top of the page. AdSense referral button located at the base of the side bar. Again, the ads are discreet and there is no sense that The Curmudgeon has set out solely on the quest for internet entrepreneurship.

Comments:
Second Effort is more diary-like than a lot of the blogs we've seen. It tells the unfolding life story of The Curmudgeon, from Chicago. The Curmudgeon is a lawyer by trade and this is reflected in the tone of his initial few, informative posts about life in the office, previous cases and humorous anecdotes about his colleagues. This is a lengthy blog and it has taken me about an hour just to skim through all the posts – please excuse my comparative brevity of review.

The Curmudgeon was slightly stressed about his impending office move and this story slowly unfurls over the first couple of months. One humorous anecdote that springs to mind is the tongue-in-cheek account of bank customer service in the post entitled 'Life after death, maybe, but credit cards are forever' (Feb 2006). It just goes to reinforce what I've been thinking all along about banks – give them a computer and they lose the power of commonsense! Skip forward to March 2005 and we encounter the tail familiar to every father, the indecisiveness and bathroom hogging antics of The Curmudgeon’s daughter. Another post that I remember well, details the 'remote control rivalry' between father and son as they sit watching a White Sox baseball game on TV – this is a familiar occurrence in my household too.

Topical news snippets are also prevalent in Second Effort – whether it is Paul McCartney's impending divorce (interesting for us, the other side of the pond), the latest baseball news or pot-smoking KFC diners being lifted by narcotics detectives. There are also a few moral dilemma/guidance type posts related to The Curmudgeon's experience as a father – some thought-provoking stuff that’ll be of relevance to most parents.

A well-written and comprehensive account of The Curmudgeon's life, mainly from the angle of a lawyer and parent. Well worth a visit.

Rating:
8/10

Reviewer:
Tom

Blog Review: Thermal

Thermal
http://www.thermalblog.co.uk

Description of site:
The author of the site, Chris, provides regular posts mainly related to technology, trivia and cartoons.

Appearance:
Looks like a WordPress template. White background, topped by functional deep red header. Simple, but effective left hand side bar with text links.

Organisation:
Very good. The short posts and concise wording means there is a natural flow to this blog – no rambling or waffling.

Navigation and Functionality:
Left hand sidebar with text links. Browsing by post category is quickly achieved using the tabbed header. Very handy search bar located on the header.

Advertising:
Themal is monetised by Google AdSense and Amazon Associates. There is an AdSense skyscraper towards the bottom of the side bar. Amazon ads appear under each post. The Amazon ads appear to be contextual in nature so could contradict with AdSense – maybe the author should seek more advice on this. The AdSense skyscraper is unobtrusively tucked away. The Amazon ads, despite being widespread, aren't particularly 'in your face' because they are that well blended.

Comments:
This is one of the best blogs I have reviewed so far. I am instantly attracted to the short, topical and informative posts. Many of the posts are about Chris’s discoveries on the web – different file sharing sites, graphic resources and the like. There’s some good tips to be had. Chris also has an eye for a good photograph – I saw the November 16^th entries and was in awe at the beauty before me.

A very helpful, functional and attractively designed blog which is well worth a visit. The regular updating also means there is something fresh for every visit. I may pad this review out slightly more time permitting!

Rating:
9/10 – the blog’s bollocks.

Reviewer:
Tom

Blog Review: Not The Girl You Think You Are

Not The Girl You Think You Are
http://liss76.blogspot.com

Description of site:
The author, Liss76, provides short snippets about her everyday life and routine in Canada. Occasional comment on current affairs, politics and entertainment but predominantly another lifestyle blog. A recurring theme in these lifestyle blogs is a love of cookery and Not The Girl You Think You Are is no exception. At the very top of the sidebar you’ll find a list of recipes. The title comes from one of Liss76’s favourite Crowded House songs.

Appearance:
Light green and yellow columns on a sky blue background. Blurred floral header. I like the dashed borders around the page elements - it reminds me of making cut-out models while watching Blue Peter (a UK TV program) when I was much younger.

Organisation:
Yellow sidebar to the left of a green central column. The author is to be commended on her regular, often lengthy entries. A slight negative is that in some parts of the archive too many posts are showing per page. The result is that the posts run much longer than the sidebar and there is a lot of wasted space as you scroll towards the bottom. I recommend posting only 4 or 5 entries per page to keep the sidebar in proportion.

Navigation and Functionality:
Sidebar links. Blog archive at foot of page.

Advertising:
None. A totally organic and wholesome blog, which is nice to see in these days of venture capitalism.

Comments:
This is a well-established blog, dating back to March 2004. The author continues to post fairly regularly, at least twice a week. There are a few months in the archive where she has only managed one or two posts.

The first few ‘10 year catch-up’ posts provide a very useful foundation for the reader. From these we learn that Liss76 lives in Ottawa, Canada in a house and location she adores, with a husband she’s shared rocky times with, has two young children and likes cats. She met her husband at university and it was pretty much love at first sight.

The early archives are dominated by posts about her children, as you would expect from a doting mother. These are also accompanied by regular posts about cookery, book reviews and comments about the family. There is an educational element too – Liss often gives motherly advice on topics like breast-feeding and weaning. Liss76 is also partial to a good rant once in a while - these usually stem from house related troubles like when the shower breaks. Health-related posts also feature highly throughout, probably because of Liss76’s concern about her kids, particularly the youngest.

In conclusion, this is a solid ‘hobby’ blog. It is pleasing to see no commercialisation whatsoever. Liss76 only writes entries when she has something worthwhile to write about, leaving the uneventful/uninteresting days bare. Despite the attractive design, high-quality family type posts and educational nature I can’t give too high a rating because of the sparse entries in the archive.

Rating:
6/10

Reviewer:
Sam