Saturday, July 05, 2008

Seriously Fucked Up Priorities

Today's victim boldly proclaims on her header image: "It's all about the balance and the shoes."

Wrong. Clearly, you don't get it. When it comes to blogging, it's all about the writing. Or, in this case, the lack thereof.

First off, the blog design sucks ass. For all of the ugly blogs we've reviewed, this blog, for me, takes the cake. It's impossible to navigate. It took me way too long to figure out what in the hell this site was, at first. Is it a blog? Is it a site to market children's books and diapers? Is it an internet parents' support group? You tell me. I still don't know.

The header image is pixelated and ugly.

And, three got-damn columns...almost without exception, 3 columns are overkill for any blog. They are just too damn busy and take up too much space to leave any room for content. Which, apparently is the plan.

Of course, that takes us to the real crux of the matter...the nonexistent writing. What the hell are doing here? I can't tell. There simply isn't enough substantive content, or you've made it so difficult to get to, that I have no inclination to read your blog in the future. In fact, I found visiting your blog like spending time in Haiti in a mud hut full of mosquitoes and snakes, and equating it to a glamorous beach vacation. It was a torturous hell to spend 30 minutes on this blog so I could review it.

So, let's cut to the bottom line. Why do you blog, Andria? Is it to make friends? Sell shit? Then do something else, for god's sake. The point of blogging is TO BLOG. TO BLOG. A blog is a web-based journal, which implies WRITING. And your design and the multitude of shit you have going on puts the emphasis on everything BUT writing.

So, here is my advice:

Trash it. TRASH IT ALL. Start over, anonymously, with no gadgets, no friend lists, no ads, no linky love. Start writing again. Pour out your heart. If you are dealing with mental health issues and/or depression, keeping a personal journal is one of the best things you can to do track your progress and to make a record of your feelings. And, don't make the mistake of telling people in your real life about your blog, ever again. Because of the way you've approached blogging, you've turned your blog into something painfully superficial and dull.

I want you to for submitting this to us.

6 comments:

  1. This abomination hung my phone. I'm NOT amused! I spent 20 minutes reloading my phone firmware....and 5 minutes reading this blog. I obviously have fucked up priorities myself.

    this blog's from a 'cozy couch in Austin...'. I can think of better uses for cozy couches in Austin, TX, which don't involve hanging my phone up, or trying to keep awake reading the reviewed blahg.
    Gah...ignore me. I've had a fucked up day. But, seriously, what happened to the flaming finger?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Awww... It's sad. She seems like a nice woman... And I don't know what it is about the ads. See, if you go to any newspaper website you'll see ads taking half the space, but for some reason in this blog it does seem too much.

    Probably the answer is in the fact that there isn't enough writing, and if there is, it's hidden by complex and redundant "continue reading" buttons.

    Yep. That's it. Get rid of that button and the blog gets better.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Actually, even removing that buttong doesn't help this abomination.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Is it a blog really?

    I can't believe you bothered.

    ReplyDelete
  5. "Mental Illness and Boundaries" was good. Could I have more of that please?

    ReplyDelete
  6. In defense, there are some decent posts there.

    Well hidden away mind you.

    So there IS an ability to write intelligently in there, but it seems to be lost in making something else out the site.

    ReplyDelete

Grow a pair.