144th requested review is of a young man growing up in a time past full of changes

Rating out of 10: 5

Layout etc. (2: 1)
The layout is okay. I read in the journal where the writer is playing with the layout. This online journal hasn’t been around for very long. When he first created it there apparently was no guestbook or contact page. He has created these. The archive page only links to June 2002. Are there more entries somewhere that haven’t been linked or is this journal a fairly new entry into the world of online journals?

If this is a new journal, then there is a solid foundation here already and that is a good thing. Simple colors and simple layout work. The font is not my favorite but personal preference shouldn’t weigh too heavily. I would like to see more entries and a better link with the archive. I have said it before and I will say it again, archive links are best when they open in a separate window.

The layout has potential and perhaps, with time, there will be more links. I hope that the person keeping the journal has the sense to be careful about cluttering up the main pages with too much “stuff.” A few links can go a long way. If you end up with a lot, then create a way to link to the many links separate from the main page.

Annoying Writing Habits: (2: 1)
Here is the writer’s disclaimer in one entry: I apologize up front, but I never really picked up the spelling of all the medical terms there are in life. There is a good chance at least one is not spelled correctly. Please live with it. At least he said, “Please.” Truth is, I don’t have to live with it. There are enough online journals to read out there that if I don’t want to suffer your misspellings I don’t have to. Now, I am forgiving here because medical terminology can be complicated and even the best spellers would likely stumble with some words outside their area of expertise. If these medical terms were the only example, we would be okay. Unfortunately, there are others. In the biography I found a few. (You “rode” the bus, not “road” the bus.) They are few and far between so it isn’t a crisis but when you make your journal public, you have to suffer the criticism for any and all carelessness.

Unique: (2: 0)
Not especially. Although one could argue that there are not a lot of men keeping online journals let alone Mennonites. That could be an argument in and of itself for its uniqueness. His writing style is pleasant to read but not especially unique. I don’t think this writer wants his journal to be outstandingly unique, frankly. If my assumption is correct, then he won’t care that he gets no points for not being particularly unique.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 1)
“My poor wife has to be saddled with a man that would probably kill himself if he had to do anything more than change the oil in a and I know where to go to get that done.”

It is a wise man who knows his limitations.

“As I said, I had over 40 entries that I lost, and I hope to repiece many of them together, as well as going forward with my life. Even I have the urge to sit down and write a novel, I know I better try pacing. There is a lot of set up that this site will need which it doesn't have right. I'd like to set up the archives, a contact page, maybe a guestbook.”

This may explain why there is so little content in this online journal. Gotta admire the courage of a person who asks for a review for a journal that doesn’t offer much to be reviewed.

“At church today, our normal pastor had gone on a trip to a reunion, so a guest gave the sermon. It was a women from the church who discussed what it was like to be single. It was not something I had ever thought about really. There are so many differences. Differences she took for granted, but recognized, where I hadn't even really recognized them.”

There is no doubt that this man has a deep and rich spiritual life, based on the hints that I found throughout his journal. He doesn’t bludgeon you with his beliefs. Sort of a damned if you do, damned if you don’t situation. After all, some people would suggest that he isn’t as committed as he ought to be because he doesn’t say more and if he were to say more he would offend those who don’t want to hear about it.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 2)
Definitely. If he can continue writing about his life with the same simplicity, irony, and attention to detail, why wouldn’t I? I can overlook the typos and such only because they are not too frequent. I would like to hope that because of this review these things will eventually fade into non-existence. I would like to read more about his personal life in the journal entries. He does a great job of writing his observations about his world and his life. I would just like to hear a little bit more about his family, friends, career, etc. This is a new journal, however, so these things may be coming. This isn't dazzling writing but sometimes you don't need to be dazzled to have a good time reading.

posted by Talulah Lamb on Saturday, June 29, 2002

143rd requested review is of Stanky Dangly Bits
Rating out of 10: 8

layout etc. (2: 1)
With a name like that, one has to take notice.

I read through her bio and it was short enough to give me a good idea of what kind of person she is, and what kind of life she would be writing about. I'm beginning to like bio's more and more.

The layout on a whole is not bad. It needs some reorganization though I'm afraid. You see, the three table journal layout is perfect, when the tables are made the right size. This one is out of balance. I think that right table has too much attention drawn to it. I would make that less wide and have the font be smaller inside it. If it were my diary, I wouldn't want to draw all the attention over to that side. The middle table needs to be much bigger, giving the diary entries the room they need.

Also, that title is pretty out there and catchy, but it is shoved over in the left corner. I would do something different with the title, maybe acrossed the top of the diary. Also she could put something else below the graphic, a quote perhaps.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 2)
I really wasn't annoyed by anything.

Unique: (2: 1)
She has a cast page for the people in her life, and one for her pets. She also has some pictures to look at, complete with a nifty thumbnail page to choose from. I like extras like this on a diary.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 2)
"In personal hygiene and upkeep news, I have gray roots that measure almost two inches, I took off my acrylic nails and found nail fungus and my bush needs some serious weedwacking. Aren't you happy I shared? I will not get assistance from Drunken Lawnmower Man, but thanks for asking."

I had to use this one, it made me laugh.

"Would I, after the high drama and emotions, be able to calm down and resume my life, the focus of which would be low drama and low emotional turmoil? Would I be able to hand him a gift and not demand it back, so that I could hold those things close to me, those comforting, awful things that I had made my own?"

"I need to stand firm, need to know my direction and need to not waver. This is the time for me to be honest with myself, but not tonight. Tonight, I feel like I might betray myself. Or I might be honest."

There are a lot of gems here to read, I've only chosen a few quotes from the selection.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 2)
She is very good at making her entries into stories and keeping me interested until the very end. It takes time and diligence to write that way, or just a love of writing. Whichever it is, she has it, and I will definitely go back for more when given time.

posted by Eli Moose on Tuesday, June 25, 2002

142nd requested review is of Some Kind of Wonderful?
Rating out of 10: 2

layout etc. (2: 1)
Honestly to me, a diary's layout is secondary since the writing is primarily the reason I read it, or would continue to read it. This diary needs help in both areas, but the most help is needed in the writing department.

This design is okay I think, I like the top graphic. I don't really understand the relevance of the 60's rock singer, except that perhaps it looks cool.

She has what seems to be a month's worth of entries on one page -- if they are going to be that long, she should only show a week's worth so that the page will load more quickly.

Her navigation is almost nil, except for the blogger archives at the right. I don't normally suggest a biography, but with the way she writes she really needs one. All those links on the right look like a jumbled mess too, she needs some more organization to all of that.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 0)
I really don't like internet tests. I don't like to read them on someone's diary either. But the whole concept of a blog leans toward allowing that sort of thing. I'm not sure if this is a diary or just a blog, but it doesn't really satisfy me either way.

She has a habit of not ending her sentences. She uses ellipses in abundance and her writing is littered with slang.

Her paragraphs have no definition, they just run on and on and on. She needs to gather her thoughts and organize them better. She also needs to double space between paragraphs to help break it up more. When I read this kind of thing my eyes get crossed.

Unique: (2: 0)
She doesn't offer her readers anything that helps her stand out from the crowd. It takes a lot of effor these days to do that with the thousands of online diaries clogging up the internet.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 1)
"Right now I'm sitting at the desk, wrapped in a blanket. My body aching, my head pounding, my ears plugged up, my throat sore.... this is what happens when you work at a daycare. Me, with my crazy life and low immune system (due to too much coffee, too little sleep, the list goes on) combined with many many sick kids results with this.."

"I'm guessing she was out with her boyfriend or something. So, instead we went to go pick up Morgan. Morgan now, is totally laid back... just like me. She's kind of a tomboy, with a pretty face, long brown hair and really skinny. We drove all over the place... We drove by Stephanie's place to see if the party had began but nobody was there...we drove to Burger King to say hi to Dan and he gave us a very nice gift...we drove to Cory's house to share the wealth (after ooo-ing and aaa-ing at his aquarium with one fish)........after that, I would have to say we stopped by Burger King like 4 more times. The funniest thing was the fact that we weren't really going anywhere."

As this seems to be going nowhere too.

"I've learned that you should always give people a chance. You'll lose out ongreat things that could have been, and won't know until you stop judging them and unless you give them a chance. Life's too short, you've got to enjoy it. Yes, you can get hurt, but sometimes you just have to take risks! Tonight was proof of a risk that turned out pretty sweet."

This was a nice beginning.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 0)
I think she needs to evaluate the reason she keeps a diary. Does she care if people enjoy what they read? If she does, she really needs to revamp her writing style. Think about your audience. It is not that hard to do. It is not that difficult to write a diary entry with the idea that you will edit it afterwards. It is not too much to ask that she write something interesting for her audience as well as something that will satisfy the needs of self awareness that a diary can provide. Until she starts doing that, she won't have readers like me.
posted by Eli Moose on Sunday, June 23, 2002

141st requested review is of Haredawg’s Journal
Rating out of 10: 2

Layout etc. (2: 0)
I don’t think I can say this strongly enough. I hate the layout. It is like a poor man’s imitation of Open Diary—the free Open Diary that is. Since I don’t like Open Diary that much to begin with, this is not saying much at all. I often write that Open Diary’s navigation is not the best. That said, I am about to say something I thought that I would never say. Navigating in Open Diary is better than navigating in AfroDiary. At least in Open Diary there is an archive page where you can scroll around in the past. In AfroDiary you get to choose going back one entry or forward, and that’s it! Or you can hit random and end up in an entirely different diary. Not a random entry. Another diary. That is annoying!

If you go to the homepage your choices of entries to read are very limited. Maybe there is a better archive for this journal hidden somewhere but I didn’t find it. I hate the colors. I hate the font. I have the links. I have so much about this. I know that most of the fault lies with Afrodiary but the person chose this horrible place to have a journal. Move your journal to a reader friendly site. Even Free Open Diary is better than this place.

Annoying Writing Habits: (2: 0)
I am not sure if it is stylistic or just annoying. I mean, there are so many grammatical, spelling and other errors that one doesn’t even know where to begin. Is this some attempt at dialect? Any writer’s handbook would suggest that only the most skilled writer try to write a character’s speech in dialect. So is this writer skilled enough to make it work? No. Even as a style, if that is what it can be called, it is simply annoying.

Unique: (2: 1)
The layout isn’t. But the voice, such as it is, annoying writing habits and all, is. When you read the quotes you will see what I mean. I can sense that the writer has a sense of humor but it is drowned out in trying to have a writing style that makes the writing almost impossible to enjoy and thus the jokes just sort of sputter, gasping for air behind the flood of “style.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 1)
“The dodge smells like stale beer and bacon fat all through Pennsylvania, Quinn at the wheel wired for sound, and I’m flapping at the window and slapping at things that ain’t even there, and somewhere in the hills we stop and climb and everything is queer and clear and we’re looking at ourselves like patrons at the museum, curious and detached and tapping our feet to some beat and pulse running through everything all at once like the fuse of some wound tight cracker, like the chi inside the charka."

There are times when the entries read more like free flow poetry. Very rough poetry. Or some performance piece. There is without a doubt a rhythm in the writing. If you read it aloud you will hear what I mean. But that doesn’t necessarily make it good.

“With the exception of it being the wife’s birthday, things were fairly normal. I mean I did hold up the starbucks for a quad breve, wrote bad paper at the last chance Texaco for a bucket of smokes, served them both to my lady fair in a lyrca harnass and spandex chaps, but it’s not like any of that was a venal sin."

Misspellings and a confused use of capitalization. Why is Texaco capitalized when Starbucks isn’t? Consistency may be the hobgoblins of little minds.

“It’s now three thirteen and any optimism for a healthy mental state has flown like so many purple monkees from my ass. And my ass has that special glow like new mothers or Lauren Bacall in that movie about the black pianist."

These sentences are amusingly quirky. What do they actually say? I am not sure. But something about purple monkeys makes me at least stop and think. So one point for slowing down my reading to try to remember what movie Lauren Bacall was in about a black pianist and how can a person who cannot spell monkeys know how to spell pianist? As I said, at least I stopped long enough to think.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 0)
The layout alone would keep me away. Perhaps if the writing were better, I would. There are allusions to so many wonderful things that I am tempted to say yes. But then I get hit with typos and grammar errors, and I can’t help myself. I lose interest. Even vague references to obscure writers, philosophers, et al is not enough to pique my interest for a return visit.

posted by Talulah Lamb on Sunday, June 23, 2002

140th requested review is of The New Zero
Rating out of 10: 8

layout etc. (2: 2)
The very first thought I had was, "this is beautiful." I truly think so. I love the picture and the colors. It really looks lovely. I also think the transition to the diary entry page is also gorgeous. The graphics are perfect.

I like the splash page because she has a few other sites that she links to as well. I also like the style she uses that allows the reader to choose where they want to go first. It is not only attractive, but funtional. A very well designed diary.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 1)
I'm not sure what's with the random capitalization of the letter "I", but perhaps it is merely an oversight.

Unique: (2: 2)
I found myself after a few entries in desperate need of some background information. It wasn't all falling into place for me so I had to check out her cast list and her backstory, both of which I thought were pretty clever; I especially liked the key on her cast page.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 2)
"I think it's wonderful that kids today can be helped. But I am glad that nobody ever tried to help me, glad beyond saying. I am glad the technology came along in time for me to explore the world of other people silently. I was given the gift of dealing with the world on my own terms and my own schedule, and I am a far richer person for my long silence."

"He's been with me through three states, more boyfriends and girlfriends than either of us care to remember, two kittens, seven residences, one college degree, and four jobs. He is completely, unabashedly, mine, and he still purrs like a buzzsaw when I pet him."

Awww.

"Just another straight girl. Just another straight girl who dreams of women, who loves sex with women, who wanted to grow old with a woman. Just another straight girl in a monogamous relationship with her boyfriend, in her comfortable little closet, who threatens nobody, who changes no minds.
Who is the very worst kind of hypocrite."

She gives me the honesty I crave for in a diary.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 2)
She has a lot to offer here. I would go back, if only to read more of the archives. I found some of the older entries just as interesting as the newer ones. I like how she can talk about her day and also share the nitty gritty as well. She provides a whole picture, and it kept me well entertained.
posted by Eli Moose on Friday, June 21, 2002

I thought I would be a little more proactive in my reviewing this time. Rather than find a journal that is not good and has been bad for a while, I would find a new journal that is not living up to its potential. It wasn’t as easy as you would think to find a relatively new journal. Even if I found a new journal the person keeping the journal didn’t necessarily have personal life issues that would qualify as interesting reading. Still, I like a challenge and finally I found the perfect journal, one that is simply not living up to its potential but could be a very interesting journal to read if the writer dared to dig deep. On that note:

139th unrequested review is of A New Day
Rating out of 10: 1

Layout etc. (2: 1)
This is one of Open Dairy’s free journals so I won’t begrudge the layout too much. Color is bold red with white font. Easy to read. The usual Open Diary clutter across the top and sides. And those annoying pop-up windows! If the young girl who keeps this journal is going to keep writing I hope she will consider moving the location to a more reader friendly location. I don’t know how computer savvy she is and she will probably want to add pictures in the future. Pictures of the baby would be nice when the baby is born. But the journal is only four entries old so maybe with time she will learn to be more creative with things in her journal. I recommend keeping the simple font, maybe changing the background to a color that isn’t quite so “loud” although it is better than its being too soft with the white font. I would also read some of the other reviews, especially the good ones, and try to find as many ideas for good layouts, how to use links, insert images, etc. She is still very new to the world online journaling so hopefully she will learn more about the basics to make her journal more uniquely her own.

Annoying Writing Habits: (2: 0)
Grammar mistakes and misspellings abound. Too many to ignore. I would strongly encourage this writer to take the time to type out her entry and use spell-check before posting the entry into her journal. Consider it a courtesy to the reader. If you don’t want to be bothered with these things, if you don’t care about making your journal reader friendly then why bother having an online journal that anyone can read? I know for a fact that Open Diary allows you the option to have a private journal that others cannot read. Either take the time to make your journal syntactically correct or don’t bother making it public.

Unique: (2: 0)
Not now. It could be wonderfully unique if she were to actually write about her experience. Albeit, adolescent girls who are expecting a baby may not be as rare as some would hope but it would be very interesting to read about her experiences. What sacrifices will she have to make as she comes closer to term and what about after the baby is born? This could be a truly interesting and unique journal if the young girl would write about what is going on in her life and didn’t just gloss over so much. Maybe my expectations are too high but I have read journals by teenagers that are actually quite candid. This one doesn’t qualify. Hopefully as she grows into her journal she will start recording more relevant information.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 0)
“Today has started out pretty good, my best friend is comeing over tonight to spend the night because we going to a concert tomorrow morning and staying there till 1-1:30.”

Ignore the grammar and spelling and you don’t have much here. What concert? Maybe she is trying to keep some anonymity. But I don’t get a sense of any excitement here. And who is her best friend? What is her friend’s name? How did they meet? These are things that a reader new to her journaling world will want to know.

“I sat ride and listen to all they talked about, my b/f is really lucky to have a best friend like his.”

She is talking about her biking with her boyfriend and I can’t tell if the best friend was biking with them or if this conversation took place at a later time. Also, her boyfriend doesn’t have a name, description, nothing. All you know is that he is the father of her child and that she loves him. Learning about how they met, how long they have been dating, would help the reader to feel emotionally invested in the journal.

“Like my parents are divored and my dad is remarried and i don't get along with my stepmom really great but were cool, same with my step sister. I just would like to see them more but it allways seems like they don't want us to be around and they don't treat me like i'm there daughter!!! I hate that. Well i have to go.”

”I hate that.” Not much of a reaction after a sentence that ends in three exclamation marks. When she says that they don’t treat her like a daughter who is she talking about? I would assume her father and step-mother but it isn’t very clear. And she says she wants to be around them more but that they don’t want “us” around. Us who? Us, the writer and her unburned baby? The writer and her boyfriend? A little extra time and effort taken to write an entry could make the entry very interesting. How long have the parents been divorced? How long has her father been remarried? Is her mother dating. Again, there is a lot of details about which she could be writing but isn’t.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 0)
I hope that the writer takes some of the comments into consideration. Read other online journals and you will see introductions that give some background information, some history about the person. Yes, a seventeen year old girl doesn’t have a lot of history but you can’t tell me that there isn’t something to be shared. Parents divorced. In her senior year of high school. Expecting a baby. There is a lot going on in this young woman’s life. But right now, no, I would not go back for another read. I would if she started digging into what is really happening in her life. I want to hear more about her pregnancy, about how her family feels about it, about what she and her boyfriend are planning to do with their futures. There is a lot here for her to be talking about and she barely scratches the surface. I would like to see more. A lot more

posted by Talulah Lamb on Sunday, June 16, 2002

138th unrequested review is of Sadan’s Journal
Rating out of 10: 7

Layout etc. (2: 1)
White background and black font. Very few links. No clutter. This is lovely. Simple and elegant for that. I did have a couple of problems with the archives and photos. I prefer some links, especially archives and photos, to open in a separate window so I can bounce in and out more easily. Also, when you click on the photos you have to keep clicking from link to link to finally get to the photos. Why not just have one link that breaks it down to different photo albums? Then the person could choose the album and scroll through thumbnails or something similar. The photo database link just puts you into yet another list of choices. And the lag ba’omer link doesn’t seem to be working. If the site was down when I tried it, that is understandable. If it is just a dead link it needs to be removed.

Annoying Writing Habits: (2: 2)
None that I noticed. He did use “anyways" which is sort of a pet peeve but probably not worth taking off a point since it isn’t in every journal entry.

Unique: (2: 1)
It is unique to have a young man in the military keeping a journal. Also unique is that he is from Israel so his military experience is not another American soldier’s tale. (Not that there is anything wrong with that but we are looking for what makes his journal unique, okay?) Other than that, though, there really isn’t much unique. He is a good writer, not fabulous, and the content although interesting is not mind blowing. Still, it is interesting to read about his life from his perspective.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 1)
“It's funny how I spend my day, waiting for something to blow up."

Is it just me or is this not funny at all. Very sad, really. But real.

“Moshe Einy went back to the army this week, and got killed last night when terrorists broke into his platoon's trailer. Ron also went back to the army this week, he's in Moshe Einy's unit. Luckily enough, he was in the right place at the right time, as they say. I can't explain what I'm feeling right now."

Nor can I and I only read about it.

“I'm the last person in the world I should be angry at. I should really be angry at the other people, those who jolt me around every day, those who use me, and abuse my silly, naive will - the will to please everyone. I'm having a hard time taking care of myself. I need to be a little more selfish. People are so cruel sometimes."

I can’t imagine what this would be like, being a young man in the military at a time like this. Totally beyond my comprehension. But I begin to understand reading this journal.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 2)
Yes. He doesn’t update often so a person could read the journal only once a month and still pretty much keep up with things. For this reason I am giving “another read" only one point. I can’t imagine how scary it would be to go to the journal after one month and find that there was no new entry. Two months later would be even worse. It is odd how invested one can become in a person’s life without even meeting them. And that should be what happens when you read a person’s online journal. You should care enough to want to come back even if it isn't every day.

posted by Talulah Lamb on Saturday, June 15, 2002

I wrote the following review unaware of the concept for Diary Anon. Apparently the diary is created so that anyone can post to it. This explains the confusing jumble in the content, the change in writing style and such. However, there is nothing on the page to tell the uninitiated person what this diary is all about. A person who stumbles across the journal is bound to be confused. Although I hate them, a splash page or a banner would help to orient the random reader into the intent of the diary. Otherwise you will invite the type of confusion and criticism that follows.

137th unrequested review is of Diary Anon’s Journal
Rating out of 10:

Layout etc. (2: 1)
Not sure what to think. The image is nice but it dominates so much. It would be different if the person wrote more but some of the journal entries aren’t even as large as the image. The black and white and gray is nice. Simple font. The person is using Diaryland so when you first go in you have to close the obnoxious promotion that Diaryland slaps into any and every journal. Once the distraction is gone you pretty much have the usual layout. Entry with previous and next links at the bottom. The image has the options to go into the archives (which do not open in a separate window) and a place to message her. Exactly why the option to “add entry�Eis offered to anyone and everyone is beyond me. You can’t do it because it isn’t your journal so why is it there for everyone to see? Probably a quirk of Diaryland’s but I don’t see the point of having a link that can’t be used. A biography or some information about the writer would be nice. I realize that the person is trying to be anonymous but a little context would be nice. Gender. Age. Nothing too specific but something so that the reader has a framework in which to read the content, such as it is.

Annoying Writing Habits: (2: 0)
No capitalization and misspellings are the first and most obvious. But then as you go through you realize she capitalizes sometimes and sometimes she doesn’t. I don’t really think it says much about the person if their writing style is based on not using capitalization and punctuation properly but I am beginning to think it says a lot less if you can’t even make up your mind. Use them or don’t. At least make a statement with what you choose. And please, do not mistake your choice for style. To have a writing style you have to develop a unique writing voice.

Unique: (2: 0)
No. Nothing about this journal is unique. Well, maybe the picture because I haven’t seen it anywhere else but so what? It takes more than one image to make a journal unique. Content. Writing style. Anything. But the content is banal and the writing style is simply non-existent.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 0)
“i dont know why
but im obsessed with saying moo, meow, rawr, and applesauce.
that is all. �E


And? I mean should I care? Do I care? What does this say about the writer, really? Nothing.

“Soo.. not so much somewhere I can post this that no one reads. So I'll post it here. Just because.. I need to wonder.�E

I know that there is a sentence in here somewhere. A complete one even. I suppose “I need to wonder�Eis a complete thought but what is that stuff that precedes it? Aside from a blatant abuse of the English language, what is it?

Would I go back for another read? (2: 0)
Given that the entries themselves offered me so little to know about the person I thought I could find some information by going through the archives. Nothing. And that is the problem. This journal offers no depth or insight into the writer. I wouldn’t go back because I don’t know enough about the writer to care what happens tomorrow, next week, next month, etc. Even if she didn’t write about herself, her life, her feelings if she wrote with some real style or any depth, maybe I would want to return. But given the journal as it is and, as far as I can tell, has been for over a year, I have other journals I would rather enjoy and do enjoy.


posted by Talulah Lamb on Saturday, June 15, 2002

136th requested review is of Crunchy
Rating out of 10: 5

Layout etc. (2: 0)
Okay, so I opened this diary and it seemed a simple enough design. White background, peach scroll bar, in-line frame in the center with the entry, and my first thought was "Nice, but why is the actual diary part of the site relegated to a small box in the middle?" Then I noticed that the page had not finished loading. I saw in the status that a few images were on their way. "Hmm, a logo, maybe some buttons, perhaps." Nope, what I got was a big-ass background image of what appears to be some sort of scantily clad yet opaque woman superimposed over a pink and purple ocean sunset. "Ahhhh, THIS is what is more important than the diary", I thought. The diary is subtitled "Lucy in the sky with diamonds" -- woman, sky, sparkly stuff. Get it? Okay, very nice, but after a while I was just left the impression that my bandwidth and the page's design is dominated by a pretty picture that after its first impact just gets in the way. The entries scroll over the background. It is not exactly hard to read, just annoying. On top of this, more of my bandwidth is taken up with the downloading of a midi file of (yup, you guessed it) Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds, I assume that it is supposed to serve as a soundtrack to the diary. Another thing that I didn't like was that my usual cursor was highjacked and replaced with the arrow plus question mark that is usually reserved for roll overs on help files. Were there any help files? Nope, but it didn't stop me getting bugged by it.

Her links are stuffed into a pull down box. Come on, you have all that space on the right hand side, use it. It would look better, it would be more accessible, and you could fit so much more in. Take advantage of the space you have and don't be

Annoying Writing Habits: (2: 2)
I like her writing. She is able to tell the events of her day without lapsing into a laundry list of "Then I did this, then I went there". She uses what happens in the day as a springboard to write about her feelings or what she feels about certain things. Unfortunately, and I think she will agree with me, there are limits on the life of the average 17 year old that restrict the scope of what she can write about. Nonetheless, she does very well with the raw material that she has and is able to construct a decent entry out of the most mundane day.

Unique: (2: 0)
She has a little requirements for viewing the page: "::ie 5.0+::css::800x600::open mind::" This is becoming a pet peeve of mine. I am sick of people telling me that I need to be broad minded in order to look at their page. Look, you (third person plural) aren't that cutting edge, you aren't shocking me, and you certainly don't push any limits of taste or propriety. Get off your teenage angst hobbyhorse and recognise that you are nothing special. There are thousands of diaries like yours out there, and they are all interchangeable.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 2)
"We were scaling guys from 1-10. Nicole may get a kick out of it, but I really don't. I think that classification of looks is rude and superficial. Althought [sic] I may joke about Retardo's ugliness, looks honestly don't matter all that much to me. OK, so I despise Ricardo, but not because of his looks. It doesn't matter if someone is hot if he's abrasive and had no intelligence."

I found the incongruity between the sensitivity to others' feelings and calling a guy "Retardo" funny.

"Life, give me something interesting to write about next time."

An all-too-common pleas among diarists.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 1)
This is her fifth review in a week. Attention and approval whore, anyone? I have a feeling that she requests reviews in the hope of getting more hits, rather than getting any advice. Her motives for requesting aside, I liked the content (limited in scope as it was), but I didn't much care for the design. I think the writer will become a very fine diarist one day when she has the chance to write about something more than work and school.

posted by Eli Moose on Tuesday, June 11, 2002

135th unrequested review is of Hidden Laughter
Rating out of 10: 9

Layout etc. (2: 1)
The layout is very simple. I am not crazy about the color choices but that is a matter of preference and has nothing to do with content. The usual complaints, however. The links are not very convenient. You have to go back and forth in the same window. I would much rather have the archives open in a different screen. Also, some of the links are not quite right. I tried to go to some April archives and ended up in March. But the journal itself is uncluttered and easy to read.

Annoying Writing Habits: (2: 2)
None. She writes well and is careful not to abuse the English language.

Unique: (2: 2)
Without a doubt yes. I realize that the journal doesn’t look very unique but this isn’t about the layout. This journal is unique simply because of this woman’s circumstances. Her son is mildly autistic and this mother is writing about her experiences. There is no sugar coating here. She is honest with her frustrations and her joys. Reading between every line you hear how much she loves her son and wants him to be happy.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 2)
“Damian got upset that I didn't buckle both of his seatbelt buckles right away. He told me to do it and added, "because I don't want to fall out." It's not much, seemingly, but it's an extra step in his thinking/articulating thoughts, it's that much closer to abstraction. And it doesn't happen nearly enough.

This is the honesty about which I am talking. That this woman would admit she wants more while also celebrating the daily victory is wonderfully candid and real.

“Besides, in his story Mommy gets well and hugs her son close. What can be better than that?

Nothing is better than that, if you ask me.

“He’s got a two year old’s emotional chaos swirling around in his four year old brain. He’s teetering on the fence between wanting to be independent, all grown up, ready to tackle the world and oh-no-not-yet, let me stay a baby a few minutes-days-years longer. A few nights ago as I was rocking him, he said "Once I was a little baby, then I grew and grew and grew."

She shares these little stories about her son in every entry.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 2)
Without a doubt. She doesn’t update daily but just about. Certainly often enough that you feel involved in this woman’s life. She doesn’t sugar-coat nor does she over dramatize in hopes of getting pity. She writes from a rare position and writes honestly. It is interesting to read a mother’s journal about her relationship with her child which isn’t all praising and celebration. And there simply are not a lot of mother’s with children with autism, whatever degree, who is willing to expose her struggles so openly.


posted by Talulah Lamb on Sunday, June 09, 2002

134th requested review is of Nonsensical Gibberish
Rating out of 10: 3

layout etc. (2: 1)
The layout is not bad, but it seems to be lacking something. There is no ooomph, no pizazz. I'm not really fond of yellow backgrounds either.

I think that guys that write diaries tend to worry about looking too feminine and in the process their layout can end up looking bland. It doesn't have to be girly to be attractive. He really needs something to spice this up. I suggest searching the web for pictures of things he likes and spending a day surfing the web for design ideas, as well as a considerable amount of time spent in photoshop.

Although it seems to be lacking in spark as far as appearance is concerned, I do like how his entries are laid out. He gives his writing the space it deserves. Others could gain insight from this feature.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 0)
He writes too many lists within his journal entries. I'm not a list making person, so I do not appreciate reading them either. He also commonly repeats a word or phrase throughout his entire entry. For instance the one he wrote about his mother, he constantly uses the word "Ma Ma," instead of the pronoun she. In the current entry he repeats the phrase, "Moving Brain Syndrome (TM)" over and over.

He also has the habit of using asterisks for emphasis and abuses the ellipsis, not to mention an abundance of smiley faces.

Unique: (2: 0)
I wish I could find something, but I do not see anything unique visually, technically, or content wise.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 2)
"What bothered me was the fact that he just sat there and *stared* at the kids. Anyway, Jen suggested that I might want to get out there which is exactly what I thought. However, at that moment, Braden had hurt himself, and Ariel brought him in. As soon as the kids came in the apt, the man stood up and walked off."

"Face it...excessive use of these mind-numbing devices are causing more & more children to be bored, listless, unimaginative, etc. It's no wonder more & more children have to be "drugged" while at school. I'm not saying there aren't some children who really have ADD/ADHD, but there is an overly high number that have been (mis-?)diagnosed in recent years. It's just a convenient way for the School System to keep kids under control."

"I'm going to start off this Entry with Two Words: Boiled crawfish. Hehe. Absolutely delicious. :) I know many of you don't share the same sentiment as I do, but IMHO it is an absolute delight to the taste buds and belly. :) Can I just say that I *love* Cajun cuisine? Needless to say, I always look forward to dining out when I go down to Louisiana. :)"

Would I go back for another read? (2: 0)
I don't think I will be going back. I think he said it himself in one of his entries that because he told his close friends and family about the journal he may be censoring himself. Reading an online journal for me is a journey into another person's personal thoughts. I want the dirt. I want to read the things that they wouldn't tell their friends or family. We all have dirt. We all have thoughts we wouldn't dream of telling another person. Use your diary to log those thoughts if you want to keep me reading.
posted by Eli Moose on Friday, June 07, 2002

133rd requested review is of stephielove
Rating out of 10: 3

layout etc. (2: 2)
My first thoughts? This is a beautiful layout, great colors, neatly done. My next thought? She doesn't use capitals.

There is not much wrong with the layout. I like it very much except I would suggest a larger text because I hate squinting, even the slightest when reading something on my screen. I also don't like that she is using her diaryland profile page as her "about" page. I dislike those purple screens so much. I almost forgot one more thing, I want previous and next links at the top as well as the bottom. They help out, believe me when I say this.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 0)
We started off with a good impression that quickly led to a different one. I really don't want to come off this bitchy all the time, but I don't go for the writing style displayed here; I especially do not like reading, "so yeah" at the beginning of every paragraph. Call me a snob if you will but I think writing the way one speaks is okay for a first draft because it allows someone to get their thoughts down, but then a rewrite is in order.

I don't have to point out every single annoying writing habit this time because it may take me too long. I may be the pickiest person alive, but I really can't seem to make myself appreciate slang writing.

Unique: (2: 0)
Not much going for her on the unique side.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 0)
"We were talking and his voice gets all quiet and cute, and low and rumbly and he makes fun of me, really teasingly like he used to when we were dating... and then, he said *again* that he cant wait to see me, *and* we were talking about him donating plasma and how it really drains him, and then he has to go do pt for a long time and run like 5 miles... and im worried about him, and i kept telling him to make sure he drinks his juice and stuff, cause like he needs to replenish his body with fluids and stuff so it doesnt make him sick, and out of the middle of nowhere, he told me (a few times) thank you for caring about him, that it meant a lot to him that i worry."

I was beginning to wonder if this sentence was ever going to end, it had me worried for a minute or two.

"I cant say Im sad, but i guess Im nostalgic. Really, i shouldnt be, because this isnt even the room i moved into in the beginning of the year, where I though my roommate would be cool and she and I would be best friends and talk for the rest of our lives, and stay up till 4 in the morning having great conversations about stuff... "building strong interpersonal relationships," as chickerings 3rd vector states. Back when I thought I would get good grades and love all of my professors and where I would be molded into this amazing clarinet player. Ha. None of this has happened."

By reading this you can relive your dorm life, that is, if you had one.

"So we highlighted my hair agian tonight... arica did... whoa am I blonde, oh my god. like... ok. so my hair naturally is really light brown, and sometime this yeah I had a friend put nice blonde highlights in it, and then she re-did them winter quarter."

Do people really talk like this?

Would I go back for another read? (2: 1)
I did notice in my reading of her diary that she does talk about more than just the day to day boring mumbo jumbo, which is a good thing. I appreciated that quite a lot because it seems there are too many people that keep online diaries who are either incredibly boring, or really inept at being able to communicate through their diaries.

I think she can take what she has and with some improvements in her writing turn it into something better. It is a good start that puts her a head of the game in a lot of ways.
posted by Eli Moose on Friday, June 07, 2002

132nd requested review is of Blatherings
Rating out of 10: 5

layout etc. (2: 2)
The title is catchy. I like catchy titles. They stick with you, especially when the web address matches, which makes it easier to remember. I like how she displays her title as well.

There's not much to say about the layout. I like it well enough. It is very functional which is a great thing, and it is not hard to read. There are a few things I have to mention just because it is what I do.

I don't really like centered diary text; when it is flush with a left margin it is so much easier to read, otherwise it looks like a poem.

Sometimes there can be too much of a good thing. Although I generally enjoy pictures when they accompany diary entries, having too many can be a little overwhelming. I like the section at the bottom titled, "today's blatherpics," and if she is going to use that I suggest she limit her pictures she uses in the entry to that section alone, otherwise what is it for?

Something I found hard to believe is she doesn't have an obvious link to her other webpages from the blatherings page. The little girl typing in the clouds is a link to a page that tells you all about the author. I think personally that should be made more clear, the little "ohi," in the bottom left hand corner of that picture is not what I think is clearly marked.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 1)
There are only a few I can think of right now, one is the centering of text and another is smiley faces. I think she used to abuse ellipses quite a bit in the past from what I gathered in the archives, but she has been much better at not using them in recent ones.

Unique: (2: 1)
I like the section at the bottom, "today's blatherpics," I also like how for her previous and next links at the bottom she has the title of that day's entry. If one has the time to code each page its a neat idea.

How cool is it that she made a comic about herself? I think it is pretty damn cool.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 1)
"I went to my sister's yesterday afternoon to hang out with my nieces. It's been a very long time since I've visited with Sara and Annie during the week, and without Jeff. Annie was delighted to have me to herself during the first part of the visit while Sara was still in school."

"I made calzones for dinner last night; they actually turned out pretty well. I know I keep expressing surprise when my dinners are edible...this is much more due to the fact that it seems like such a long time since I've done regular cooking than to false modesty."

"No Urban Tapestry practice tonight. :-( Allison is busy with an after-school practice for the musical she and another teacher are working on, Joseph and the Technicoloured Dreamcoat (the show will be in May, I think)."

Lots of entries are found at this site, but I didn't find any that were really open or deep.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 0)
If I read more than five entries in a row and I do not get any really personal information about the person, I get bored very fast. I do not read diaries to find out about the everyday things I could read anywhere. I understand that every so often there is going to be one of those days that you want to write because writing is what you do, but I don't think it should happen all the time. I know that other people feel differently, but I am following my gut on this. I probably won't be back to this site, but it doesn't mean it wasn't worth the effort to find that out.
posted by Eli Moose on Thursday, June 06, 2002

131st requested review is of Jennipurr’s Journal
Rating out of 10: 9

Layout etc. (2: 2)
Simple which is always a good thing. The main page offers you an interesting quote that gives the unaware visitor a warning: This writer likes cats. As if the title wouldn’t have given that away already. Nonetheless, I appreciated the quote. You have a quick selection of the most recent entries which you can jump into wherever you choose. At the bottom (and not too far) are links to a biography, links, archives, and more. Further still are more links to various web rings. The font is reasonably reduced so these don’t clutter the page which, given how many there are, could easily happen.

I really like the layout. I would double check some of the webrings because a few of them didn’t work for me. Either the server was down or the links are no longer active. But I like that the journal entries are so uncluttered. Pictures are created as links and the reader can follow the link or read on. They have a choice. (I happen to like having a choice, in case you haven’t noticed.)

My only complaints are so minor that can’t see taking a point off for them. She doesn’t give her in-laws “names.” I understand that most online journals try to maintain the anonymity of other people by not giving real names but nicknames are annoying. Sil-1, Sil-2, Bil-1, and Bil-2 should have real names. It makes it easier for the average reader to follow along.

Annoying Writing Habits: (2: 2)
I didn’t find any. I looked. I really did. Just couldn’t find any.

Unique: (2: 1)
Yes, sort of. There is a quietness about this journal that sort of sneaks up on you. You start to read and nothing really dramatic is going on. She is just writing about her cats, her husband, her job, her day. This doesn’t make for exciting reading. But then, I like Jane Austen sometimes and John Grisham other times. This writer would be my Jane Austen. A quiet gentle read. (Actually, I have only read one of Grisham’s novels and it wasn’t a thriller so I guess that is a bad example.)

Quotes from the diary: (2: 2)
“I only have one prescription – a pill I take in my overall goal of Better Living Through Chemistry. Not only does the pill cut out that pesky pregnancy issue, but it also has resulted in me never having to deal with the Cramps From Hell or the suicidal depression that often accompanies my once-a-month reminder of my glowing femininity. Yeah, I just love being a girl.”

I know this is going to sound harsh but it is nice to read a woman writing about something other than her children or grandchildren. Then again, she does write about the cats and that does start sounding somewhat the same.

“At some point during the ride home this afternoon, Richard said, with a painful laugh, "You know, this was your idea." I bobbled my head in a nod, because he was right. This *was* all my idea, and up until the last four miles it really had seemed like such a wonderful idea too. It was only during the last stretch that I began to question my wisdom, but by that time there was nothing to do but keep on going.”

In media res opening for an entry. Nicely done. Sucked me completely. At first I thought that the entry segued from another and then I realized what she was doing. I really liked this opening.

“I'm not sure when I stopped letting myself take part in storms as I once did when I was younger. I'm not sure when I stopped taking the time to go outside and stomp in puddles, with or without a raincoat, with or without the hood pulled over my head as if somehow that could keep me from becoming drenched as I tilted my head back with eyes closed to feel the water pour down on my face. I do not know when I last stopped what I was doing to go outside and watch the lightning in the sky. There have been too many obligations; too many reasons why I could not get so wet - reasons why it is not considered acceptable for adults to come in dripping wet and laughing like small children.”

Not everything she writes about is as immediate as her daily activities. It is nice to visit her youth through her adult eyes.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 2)
One of the things I try to do when I review a journal is not read just a few entries and run with the review. In fact, I don’t just read one day. I will read and reread and surf around and explore. This way I don’t risk taking out a bad day on some unsuspecting fool or being all warm and fuzzy towards someone who deserves a kick in the pants. That said, this journal grew on me in a pleasant way. At first I would have given “another read” 1 out of 2 points. Now, after letting this writer sink in slowly, I know I will go back and enjoy learning more about her and her life.

posted by Talulah Lamb on Monday, June 03, 2002