Doing a Decade

Link: Doing a Decade

I must admit that going into this site, I first had some doubts. I’m not much of a person for the 70s, since they were before my time, and the farthest back I can associate with is the early 80s. Then when I arrived, the header was overlapping the layout so that it was slightly more difficult to read. The gray, off-centered title just doesn’t exactly strike my liking.

The entries are something else. They’re all about reminiscence to a former decade, and they successfully paint a picture of what his life was like back in 1975. If it were something I had any interest in at all, these entries would be bringing me back to my own memories from that time. But, alas, I can’t relate, as they are all before my time. I sincerely wish I could be drawn in, but that’s simply not the case.

The design, while not flashy or exquisite, it’s unique, but in a good way. It looks like a piece of paper placed onto a hardwood table, or a desk. This is a nice touch, and something you don’t see as much lately. It definitely plays in with the nostalgia-themed writing being done.

This blog is based on (and refers to a few times) a book written by the same author, which would probably appeal to the people who like the blog itself. Or, if you’ve read and enjoyed the book, perhaps it’s time to look at the site beside it.

All in all, this is far from a bad weblog, but it lacks what it takes to draw in a younger audience (which doesn’t really seem to be the goal in the first place). If you are old enough to have been alive in the 70s, it’s definitely worth the trip back in time. If you aren’t, you aren’t going to get too much from it and should probably pass it up.

In the end:

Review by Babz

The Other Blog

Link: The Other Blog

The first thing that I noticed as I arrived to The Other blog was the layout. Usually, it’s not the first thing I notice, and if it is, that’s bad. This blog was quite the contrary. Just on the basis of the warm brown hues of the background, I was compelled to read more. That’s when I looked at the header. “The Other Blog: …of coming to terms and coming out.â€? This, of course, could only mean one thing, and I was interested. Having several gay and lesbian friends, and being bisexual myself, I knew right away that this was a blog that was going to interest me.

As I read the sidebar (first, as is my habit when I visit blogs: read the static content before the transitional), I learned some things about the author. She’s 26, bisexual, and lives in Europe with her fiance and two cats. She’s mostly in the closet still, which is why this is “The Other Blog� and not “The Main Blog�. I know that some of the people close to me would probably be a little awkward if they knew my situation, so I can relate to what she’s dealing with. The sidebar directs me to read the older posts, and as I do, I realize more and more how much I can relate with her blog. Post after post, sounding incredibly familiar and understandable. I’m hooked.

The content is deep. The posts are long and plentiful, and quite descript. She assigns nicknames to the people involved in her story as it churns, as to protect their anonymity. (The explanation of each person is explained in her sidebar.) Brilliantly detailed and drawn together quite well, I felt myself getting fully attached to many of the posts.

Overall, this is a very good blog. I wouldn’t suggest everyone read it, because I know there are several close-minded people in the world who look down on this sort of “decision�, but for anyone who is wise enough to look past the normal and see into an area that often goes unexplored (for fear of ridicule), this blog is an absolute must. If you’re against bisexuality you’re obviously not going to like it, since that’s the whole point of the blog. I myself will most likely be making several return visits.

In the end:

Review by Babz

stressqueen

Link: stressqueen

When I first arrived at this site, I was slightly disappointed. The post on top was about what changes had been made to the blog, the design was very basic, and there were a lot of different plug-ins and links in the sidebar, which isn’t necessarily a good thing.

However, the blog owner (stressqueen) has quite a few posts, and they’re actually pretty interesting. As I clicked around and looked at some of her favorite posts, some confused me, some amused me, and some gave me further insight into the woman behind the blog.

The design is, as I stated earlier, pretty basic. However, it doesn’t really take anything away from the writing. Sometimes a basic layout is just what you need in order to balance long posts and lots of links (which this blog has).

As far as extras go, there are a lot of links, some in her posts and many more in her sidebar. A lot of them point to different places in her blog, while quite a bit of them point to different sites. These sites range from sites linking to her to blogs she reads, as well as some different blog tool programs she belongs to.

Overall, this site isn’t bad, by a long shot. It’s not the greatest blog there ever was, but it’s definitely worth checking out, and you might even want to add it to your lists. There’s nothing entirely exciting about it; however, for this blog, I wouldn’t change a thing. It all seems to fit, and that’s really what’s important.

In the end:

Review by Babz. This post is also at TWR, where Babz does weblog reviews regularly.

The 10 Commandments of MySpacing

I’ve posted an article similar to this one before, back when I was going solo. Now I’ve found it’s time to post again, with a more serious twist. Honestly, people! If you’re going to MySpace… MySpace right!!

1. Thou shalt not strain the eyes. This includes things like lots of flashing text, bright colors, ten million animated images, and TyPiN 1Yk3 DyZ jUs7 4 tHe FuN oF i7. Sure, be yourself. But don’t make your visitors go blind while you’re at it.

2. Thou shalt not strain the browser. Be curteous to your users with slower computers; don’t post music videos or stuff like that. If you must post them, go ahead and provide a link to the music video. Just provide the basic stuff.

3. Thou shalt not strain the ears. Posting automatically loading music files is annoying. Some people like music; those people most likely will already have music playing, and what about the people who go to your page and don’t share your taste in music? Be kind. Please.

4. Thou shalt not be a poser. Morgan Webb does not have a MySpace. Neither does Wayne Brady. Don’t fall for posers, either. If you click a link on said celebrity’s official website, usually you can trust it. Otherwise, it’s most likely fake. Tough luck.

5. Thou shalt not be vain. Don’t post nude pictures. That’s against the rules on MySpace, as well as not very good. Also, don’t comment your own profile… that’s just conceited. Comment other people’s. Duh.

6. Thou shalt not make a popularity contest out of it. I accidentally fell under this sin in the past, but as you will probably notice if you visit my old profile now, I got rid of all the people who I didn’t know (and musicians, of course). This isn’t  high school, people. It’s not a contest to see who has more friends. Seriously. And if it is… it shouldn’t be.

7. Thou shalt not let a profile go dry. Don’t use your profile for a blog space (i.e. update it every single day), but also don’t let it stay the same for too long. I say, changing it about once every two weeks is about good. And don’t leave it the standard MySpace layout; get a layout from CB or something. No offense to Tom, but the basic layout sucks.

8. Thou shalt not create hate groups. I admit, I’ve done this. But let’s face it… it’s not cool. The groups are there so that you can meet with people who share your same interests, not your hates. Be nice. (Or, make a Google group or something. Whatever.)

9. Thou shalt not pass along every bulletin. I know this is a common thing, and I have passed along a few, but let me put it this way. You will not die if you don’t pass along a bulletin. The Make-A-Wish foundation does not donate money for every person you pass bulletins to. And quite frankly, it’s a pain to read through every single one. If you see something really cute or something, you can put it in your blog or pass it along (as long as it isn’t very frequent!). Do not pass a bulletin just because it says to. If you like it and think your friends will, go for it. (MySpace whoring bulletins? Yep, they fall under #6.)

10. Thou shalt not get obsessed. The MySpace junkie, as an obsessive MySpacer is commonly called, is not a good thing to be. Yes, have fun with it. But make sure you also have a life outside of MySpace.

A few other tips: Make sure you let people know if you change your MySpace. Some people like to know these things For the most part, have fun. If you don’t, then what’s the point of MySpacing?

Happy websurfing!

Posted by Babz
– If you’d like to visit Babz’s current MySpace profile, please check the About Babz section of this site.