MKJ

Hi

I have messed about designing various sites for ages it seems. Still doing so now as it seems to be a passion of mine. By now I should be some sort of qualified website designing expert but I ain't. Just someone that likes to potch and create things on the net. My site is quite complex as I have remodelled various weblog scripts and lots of other things too. It caters for UK Shopping - Trial and Opensource software, along with Arcade games. I have just rigged up a server to show portal and forum themes. I will be expanding on this idea rapidly from now on and moving the site far more towards catering for portal and forum theme work, though I will still keep a main forum for messing about and talknig about other ideas. Tons of work needed to run this site but I quite enjoy doing it. Hope you like it.

Regards
MKJ

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My Site

Katey

Hi there,

First of all I will just come out and say what I think from first impression and then I will give a full review on what I think of the site overall.

When I first opened your site, I got the impression it was a blog. I'm not sure whether it is meant to be a blog or not, but that was my impression. Secondly I think the layout is very confusing, at first you think there are only three destination to choose from, as all I could see was three sections on the centre of the index page. Although at the top I finally found on a dark blue background with some light blue text, the instruction on how to use the menu. The bad thing about what you have done is obviously not spent time thinking about the colouration of your website theme. Trust me, dark blue and light blue might blend - but they certainly don't stand out. Try putting white on a dark blue background and see how much more effective it is.

I clicked on a few things in your site but within a minute or so I was bored, there is no real reading material, index page need a welcoming introduction, and a missionary statement, and thing that state they contain no SPAM, etc.

If I was you as well I would place a copyright notice on the bottom of every page so that people don't just think they can copy and alter you original ideas, and publish them.

You do however have a 3/10 Google PageRank so you obviously have a lot of good back links to your site.

Good luck on the website and I hope you can improve it as soon as possible.


Regards,
Kieran Taylor.

MKJ

Nice appraisal . Your thoughts are very similar to mine. Since you have looked at the site I have done quite a bit of extra work. The side menu although is a great way to put links is nevertheless hidden. As you say people will hardly look at a page let alone look for some hard to read text. All the things you mentioned I am very much aware off and will continue to put right. I think all will be addressed in the next few weeks. Great deal of work in running and altering this site. I just set up a mirror site for my theme display so that I can take one offline at times. I hate misleading sites and mine is amongst them - misleading as in poor explanation of content and confusing navigation. I think it can all be put right though. I like the fact that it is kinda original and doesn't look like all the rest of the portal sites out there as it is based on a blog script. I am pretty sure I can keep it looking less cluttered than a portal yet have tons of content. Thanks for the detailed analyses.

Original Ideas? Have to be a right maniac to copy a lot of this site's design. Only a head banger like me would create such a site. I also alter it a great deal (bad idea I know).

Edit: Just installed a drop down warning about the side menu. Only shows once each browser session. Bit of fun really but it brings attention to the side menu link.
Regards
MKJ

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My Site