Gawker.com was probably one of the funniest sites I have read in a long time.
Initially, I thought, oh great, here is another gossip blog. The layout has a main photo and a few photos of people who subscribe to it on facebook. So...it was looking sort of shoddy.
The stories are refreshing though. Different but refreshing. The type of language used is a lot more readable than the everyday news jargon. It was full of humor.
Advertisements on the site were minimal but relevant to the audience at hand. Pepsi was a sponsor.
Overall, I liked Gawker.com. It was a bit unordinary.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
People Magazine
This is a gossip magazine.I hate this crap. Vomit. Spew. Barf. Hurl.
Can someone please get me an i.v. drip? I am losing all of my fluids.
It's just a bunch of crap people think is news. I am not even going to waste my time.
Can someone please get me an i.v. drip? I am losing all of my fluids.
It's just a bunch of crap people think is news. I am not even going to waste my time.
Yahoo!Sports
The photo choices exhibited by Yahoo!Sports were pretty interesting. Every face had an intense emotion. It's like the photographers really focus on getting a great moment.
The photos were then placed so that headlines surrounded them, drawing your eyes to the headlines as they left the photos. Great tactic!
Advertisements that were placed on the page were geared toward sweaty athletes and their fans. Fitting.
Dove and UConn were examples of advertisers.
I liked this site because of the lively photos. They did a really great job.
The photos were then placed so that headlines surrounded them, drawing your eyes to the headlines as they left the photos. Great tactic!
Advertisements that were placed on the page were geared toward sweaty athletes and their fans. Fitting.
Dove and UConn were examples of advertisers.
I liked this site because of the lively photos. They did a really great job.
ESPN.com
The layout of ESPN.com is very bright and colorful. There are lots of reds and the main leading photo is one of women basketball players. I liked that.
Obviously, Pepsi is a huge sponsor for this website, as there were tons of Mountain ads all over the place.
The site covers a variety of sports genres, NASCAR, NFL, NBA, NHL and so on, catering to every sports fanatic.
There were commentaries, radio stations and games for interaction.
The site was good in my opinion for the type of information it relays.
Obviously, Pepsi is a huge sponsor for this website, as there were tons of Mountain ads all over the place.
The site covers a variety of sports genres, NASCAR, NFL, NBA, NHL and so on, catering to every sports fanatic.
There were commentaries, radio stations and games for interaction.
The site was good in my opinion for the type of information it relays.
Monday, March 14, 2011
The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post claims to be a "catalyst for engagement." I agree.
Every story posted on their page I wanted to read and all of the photographs were engaging to me.
On the other hand it was making me think to myself, "My God what is the world coming to?" It looked like hell had been photographed and posted on their website. If that is what is going on all over the world today, I will gladly take my simple life.
I loved the design and the slide show of photographs. There isn't a ton of color on the page but every word and photo stands out.
The content of each story and headline beckons readers to continue into the story. The stories were very stressful to read and the visuals of the tsunami are extremely disturbing. You can tell that the reporters do care about what they are writing. The feeling of urgency in some of the work is abundant. I liked it but I think there could be some more balance.
I noticed a lot of very strategic ad placement; Photos brandishing names of AT&T, celebrities with logos in their backdrop, etc. It was interesting to look at. Don't forget the newest Sprint smart phone.
Overall, I liked this website. I will read it again.
Every story posted on their page I wanted to read and all of the photographs were engaging to me.
On the other hand it was making me think to myself, "My God what is the world coming to?" It looked like hell had been photographed and posted on their website. If that is what is going on all over the world today, I will gladly take my simple life.
I loved the design and the slide show of photographs. There isn't a ton of color on the page but every word and photo stands out.
The content of each story and headline beckons readers to continue into the story. The stories were very stressful to read and the visuals of the tsunami are extremely disturbing. You can tell that the reporters do care about what they are writing. The feeling of urgency in some of the work is abundant. I liked it but I think there could be some more balance.
I noticed a lot of very strategic ad placement; Photos brandishing names of AT&T, celebrities with logos in their backdrop, etc. It was interesting to look at. Don't forget the newest Sprint smart phone.
Overall, I liked this website. I will read it again.
Monday, February 21, 2011
FoxNews.com
Although the content of FoxNews.com can be appealing, the layout and design of the site is not.
Cluttered with photos and headlines everywhere, it's reminiscent of my children's bedroom on a Saturday morning after a sleepover.
The content is better than the design. There are several ways of interacting with the site, opinion columns, video, even a way to watch the newscast if you missed it, via DVR. A box for the stock market is even on the upper right hand corner of the page.
As for advertising, I noticed a Sprint and a credit score ad. Not really anything fantastic but things that still apply to the general public.
I did like some of the content on this site but found its' political views to be a little nauseating. I seriously hate reading Planned Parenthood rants. How many times do we have to read about anti-abortion fanatics? How many times do we have to listen to Mr. O'Reilly. Seriously? This guy is a huge hypocrite. Anyway, if they cut out a lot of their fat, they might be a better, more reliable site.
Cluttered with photos and headlines everywhere, it's reminiscent of my children's bedroom on a Saturday morning after a sleepover.
The content is better than the design. There are several ways of interacting with the site, opinion columns, video, even a way to watch the newscast if you missed it, via DVR. A box for the stock market is even on the upper right hand corner of the page.
As for advertising, I noticed a Sprint and a credit score ad. Not really anything fantastic but things that still apply to the general public.
I did like some of the content on this site but found its' political views to be a little nauseating. I seriously hate reading Planned Parenthood rants. How many times do we have to read about anti-abortion fanatics? How many times do we have to listen to Mr. O'Reilly. Seriously? This guy is a huge hypocrite. Anyway, if they cut out a lot of their fat, they might be a better, more reliable site.
CNN.com
CNN.com, as to be expected, has a wonderful website presentation. Not only is it visually appealing but the content of the photos actually draws you into the story. It is very easy to read and instantly includes you as part of the audience by bringing up your Facebook pals, enticing you to become a part of the site.
It's topics relate to everyone, worldwide. It discusses peer networking sites, automobiles, even plights for our furry (and not-so-furry) friends. The reporting is probably the most original and objective that I have seen so far. Video and i-report are both ways of interacting with the site and its creators.
Cars are the most advertised besides news in general. The audience is naturally the world at large, so they must cater to it. I didn't notice any pop-ups.
This site is very clean-cut and straight to the point. The visuals are appealing right along with the relative articles. CNN has always been a reliable source for information as it does not usually have any fat. It's one of my personal favorites, online or television.
It's topics relate to everyone, worldwide. It discusses peer networking sites, automobiles, even plights for our furry (and not-so-furry) friends. The reporting is probably the most original and objective that I have seen so far. Video and i-report are both ways of interacting with the site and its creators.
Cars are the most advertised besides news in general. The audience is naturally the world at large, so they must cater to it. I didn't notice any pop-ups.
This site is very clean-cut and straight to the point. The visuals are appealing right along with the relative articles. CNN has always been a reliable source for information as it does not usually have any fat. It's one of my personal favorites, online or television.
Monday, February 7, 2011
The Atlantic, Review
The Atlantic serves as a news website but it is kind of boring to look at.
Dark blue just doesn't really pop on the page and there are so many pictures...there aren't as many articles as one would hope. Content is lacking in comparison to other sites. The lines are all over the place, making your eyes wonder but never really focus. This site is not very well organized and the labels of the contents are vague. What does the label "culture" mean? I don't like that one at all.
There is some interaction on the site through video and email. Most of the ads are related to the site or job hunting. The site is pretty easy to navigate but it is not very appealing.
I am bored to tears just looking at the front page.
Dark blue just doesn't really pop on the page and there are so many pictures...there aren't as many articles as one would hope. Content is lacking in comparison to other sites. The lines are all over the place, making your eyes wonder but never really focus. This site is not very well organized and the labels of the contents are vague. What does the label "culture" mean? I don't like that one at all.
There is some interaction on the site through video and email. Most of the ads are related to the site or job hunting. The site is pretty easy to navigate but it is not very appealing.
I am bored to tears just looking at the front page.
Review of Time.com
There is a reason that Time Magazine has been around for so long. It's just great to read.
The site is visually appealing, with bright red and white contrasting colors and design lines that do not annoy.
All of the content is organized well, the pictures are smaller, leaving room for the many articles displayed.
The content is actually very interesting. It discusses national and international news, addresses opinions on a level that does not seem like reading a highschool gossip column and features fun facts on different topics. The writing style is formal, there are several original pieces, including one very curious story about the Bank of China. There are several ways to interact with the site, including Twitter and Facebook, going mobile and podcasts. A panel of links to contact the site producers is on the very bottom of the page.
As for advertisements, they were pretty limited. I noticed more advertising for Time Magazine than for any other product. There were many headlines with links to articles.
I love this site because there are so many articles. I saw so many interesting leads that I kept stopping to read them. It was pretty hard to continue to write this blog when all I want to do is go back there right now and read.
The site is visually appealing, with bright red and white contrasting colors and design lines that do not annoy.
All of the content is organized well, the pictures are smaller, leaving room for the many articles displayed.
The content is actually very interesting. It discusses national and international news, addresses opinions on a level that does not seem like reading a highschool gossip column and features fun facts on different topics. The writing style is formal, there are several original pieces, including one very curious story about the Bank of China. There are several ways to interact with the site, including Twitter and Facebook, going mobile and podcasts. A panel of links to contact the site producers is on the very bottom of the page.
As for advertisements, they were pretty limited. I noticed more advertising for Time Magazine than for any other product. There were many headlines with links to articles.
I love this site because there are so many articles. I saw so many interesting leads that I kept stopping to read them. It was pretty hard to continue to write this blog when all I want to do is go back there right now and read.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
USA TODAY Review
USA TODAY is a great example of a site that is well-organized, visually appealing and flows easily.
The designer made sure to draw the eye across the page with horizontal photos and repeated the process in a way that organized the information and created a pattern.
This site recognizes the different needs of its readers. There are entertainment, weather and hard news sections. It doesn't underestimate the intelligence of its audience, making world news and money two of its main topics. Reader polls address serious topics. There are various ways of ingesting the information, including videos and print. There is an option to become a member to the site.
Advertisements are strategically placed at the top and right sides of the page, making them the first and last things you see. There are similar ads from the same company, going with the idea of repitition in hopes of making an imprint on readers' memories. Thankfully, there weren't any popups.
I personally like the site. It shows a mature conglomerate of news and understands that the audience does not like to read garbage that they can get from their local gossip circle. It addresses real issues. The photography and design are well-done. It should be used as a model to other news organizations that are lacking.
The designer made sure to draw the eye across the page with horizontal photos and repeated the process in a way that organized the information and created a pattern.
This site recognizes the different needs of its readers. There are entertainment, weather and hard news sections. It doesn't underestimate the intelligence of its audience, making world news and money two of its main topics. Reader polls address serious topics. There are various ways of ingesting the information, including videos and print. There is an option to become a member to the site.
Advertisements are strategically placed at the top and right sides of the page, making them the first and last things you see. There are similar ads from the same company, going with the idea of repitition in hopes of making an imprint on readers' memories. Thankfully, there weren't any popups.
I personally like the site. It shows a mature conglomerate of news and understands that the audience does not like to read garbage that they can get from their local gossip circle. It addresses real issues. The photography and design are well-done. It should be used as a model to other news organizations that are lacking.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Site Reviews: mlive.com
I am currently taking a class in which I have to review sites and post them on a blog. I will be using this blog to do the site reviews. My first site review is http://www.mlive.com/ .
To begin with, it is pretty organized. Every category is listed horizontally across the top of the main page, including a way to share your favorite stories on facebook. I do not really like the color selection. There aren't very many stories on the main page either. It just seems cluttered to me, like a bunch of stuff has basically been thrown up onto the page.
The content of the site is okay sometimes. Usually the only time I use this site is when I am helping someone job hunt in the tri-city area. Also, I have found much of the information is a conglomerate of different news information from other news sources. I keep track of the Saginaw News and the Flint Journal via facebook and usually it's just regurgitated stories posted back and forth linking to a few sentences on mlive. Plus, it takes forever to load because of all of the junk links on the front page and never goes directly to the story. Not to mention it reads like a college newspaper when there are stories. Seriously, who doesn't know that gas prices are rising? Why can't you get the big wigs that run these operations to sit down and answer some real questions? Lets just keep telling people how the gas is fluctuating and maybe you can get your readers down so much that you can only publish a paper version two days a week.
There are a few gospel ads and the usual newspaper classifieds. There is also a section for interactivity. I couldn't get that link to work though. Not unusual. This wasn't even on my cell phone. Site maintenance is limited from what I can tell.
My opinion? Mlive sucks. Try harder guys.
To begin with, it is pretty organized. Every category is listed horizontally across the top of the main page, including a way to share your favorite stories on facebook. I do not really like the color selection. There aren't very many stories on the main page either. It just seems cluttered to me, like a bunch of stuff has basically been thrown up onto the page.
The content of the site is okay sometimes. Usually the only time I use this site is when I am helping someone job hunt in the tri-city area. Also, I have found much of the information is a conglomerate of different news information from other news sources. I keep track of the Saginaw News and the Flint Journal via facebook and usually it's just regurgitated stories posted back and forth linking to a few sentences on mlive. Plus, it takes forever to load because of all of the junk links on the front page and never goes directly to the story. Not to mention it reads like a college newspaper when there are stories. Seriously, who doesn't know that gas prices are rising? Why can't you get the big wigs that run these operations to sit down and answer some real questions? Lets just keep telling people how the gas is fluctuating and maybe you can get your readers down so much that you can only publish a paper version two days a week.
There are a few gospel ads and the usual newspaper classifieds. There is also a section for interactivity. I couldn't get that link to work though. Not unusual. This wasn't even on my cell phone. Site maintenance is limited from what I can tell.
My opinion? Mlive sucks. Try harder guys.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)