Review this site
ADVERTISEMENTSI would love to know your opinion about this site, it’s content, design and other stuff. Also suggestions on what type of posts you would like to see on this site are welcome.
I posted for a review on TechSpot’s forum and here’s the response I got:
I liked the content more than the design part but I am sure some bright pleasing layout will improve the site a lot
Basically the colors are not soothing, gives me a feeling to leave the site quickly…
Nice adaptation of K2, and the content is quite good. Thanks for keeping us updated with the latest news.
What do you think? Is my header graphic not good? Should I rework my site’s layout and colors?
Comments from all readers are welcome 
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Posted on May 13th, 2006 | Category: General |
Chrono Cr
May 14, 2006 at 11:43 am
Firstly, John, I think Header is great. If you aren’t planning on changing the layout, don’t change the header, it’s pretty neat.
But since JohnTP is more like a Personal-blog, you should really experiment with colors and make it colorful. There are a lot of good themes or you should just PrintScreen -> Paste in Paint and try meddling stuff up and then getting’s it’s CSS done.
While typing in the comment form, the text appears too small.
Finally, your content is great, I don’t see any reason for a compromise there..
johntp
May 14, 2006 at 2:26 pm
Chrono, I like the current header and layout. Even some of my readers said that they like this layout and asked for the css file.
What about the colors? Deep says the colors are not soothing and gives him a feeling to leave the site quickly.
Sridhar
May 15, 2006 at 6:33 am
If you want some bright colors and a 3-column layout, have a look at the one am using on my blog
johntp
May 15, 2006 at 6:49 am
Thanks Sridhar, I am already using a 3-column layout. Is the header I currently use too dark?
Sridhar
May 15, 2006 at 7:05 am
It’s not. Fine the way it is.
Chrono Cr
May 15, 2006 at 10:25 am
Hmm…I don’t know about the soothing part but your layout is a bit too proffesional for a personal weblog. It doesn’t make me want to leave or anything like that but generally plain colors are not suitable for blogs unless they are like Techcrunch or so.
Try out the K2 dark theme, it rocks.
Chrono Cr
May 15, 2006 at 10:26 am
Oh!
1) It’s a shame that coCOmment can’t catch your comments
2) the only thing that appears out of place are the Y! Ads…. Can you change their font???
WHo hosts you btw?
johntp
May 15, 2006 at 12:27 pm
First of all thanks a lot Chrono. My site does need to look proffessional as I am a Web Designer
One of the things I want to know is…Is the header’s color too dark?
Thanks Chrono but I hate dark colored themes.
And now about Cocomment, I use it and found nothing wrong till now. I also made my blog Cocomment compatible recently.
Which Yahoo! ads are you talking about? I use Adbrite and Clicksor.
My site is hosted by Web 1 Solutions (Deep).
Ashwin
May 15, 2006 at 12:38 pm
1. The texts (in the post, comments, while writing) all are small. Just look at my blog. IMO that’s ideal. Don’t get me wrong… not all ppl can read w/o glasses.
2. Header should be changed. Why have a Google search box, when you have the same in the footer?
3. Take out the share and enjoy thing. Looks bad. Does it have any use? ( I dunno, but asked out of curiosity)
4. Why related articles in the sidebar and in the end of the post. The sidebar looks clutered. Lol.. look at my blog.. I hardly have any sidebar in the individual posts.
johntp
May 15, 2006 at 1:00 pm
1. Some readers have reported to me of this problem, though I find it as the perfect size. Anyways, I will increase the font size asap.
2. Please give me some good reasons as to why you feel the current header should be changed. Is it the color?
I thought two Google Search Box’s will make it easier for my readers. Anyways, I will remove the one at the header
3. Yes, the share and enjoy thing looks bad, but it is a useful plugin if readers use it. I will remove it if more readers agree that it is useless.
4. I put the ‘related entry’ in both sidebar and at the end of post purposly. Which place according to you works best? I will remove one of them.
Thanks Ashwin for the listed feedback
Ashwin
May 15, 2006 at 3:43 pm
Hmm…
1. Remove the related posts thing at the sidebar. It’s already cluttered.
2. Abt the header.. I dunno man. I din’t like. As deep said, it make me feel “bad” and “nauseous”. Blog is like your home, IMO. Will you paint with deep and dark colours? Think abt it. I really can’t explain much.. just try some other theme.
3. Well, remove the enjoy and share thing. Most of that thing won’t be much use to many. How much of the users are experts (and not nOObs)? I myself don’t know 75% stuffs in it.
In da end, it’s upto you to implement what you like and what’s good for the blog.
johntp
May 15, 2006 at 4:28 pm
1) reduced the ‘Share and Enjoy’ to 6 useful links
2) removed ‘Related Enteries’ from sidebar
3) removed ‘Random Posts’ from sidebar
I hope the sidebar is less cluttered now
Lobo Schmidt
May 16, 2006 at 3:42 am
First of all, I love the content of your page. That’s why I visit it every day.
I like your header also, but altought that, I think it does not match with the context of this site. I believe something more simpler could do better.
The rest is just fine with me.
As a matter of fact, you really don’t even need to bother and change something, since I’m already a fan of yours and will visit this page everyway.
johntp
May 16, 2006 at 5:07 am
Don’t you think the header need to be a bit techy?
Chrono Cr
May 16, 2006 at 10:33 am
Hey John
Just don’t change the header. You have one of the best Headers that I’ve ever seen, the banner is simply fab.
I recommend you to make your blog a bit more colorful. Currently it is just too plain. There are certain shades of blue which would match with your header and make your blog design rock!!!! As ash said, blog is your home, you aren’t really blogging about your business here are you?? Plus, since you are a designer, a colorful design attracts more people. BTW, you designed the banner?? You could give me a couple of pointers on webdesign in the next post.
And your sidebar is a bit too big. Since text is small, sidebar big, the psychological impact is a bit bad.
John:: You really need to think of getting a nice bright colorful layout if not dark. Blue is good. Or just start a poll here and at Techspot http://quimble.com.
You should change the bgcolor of the subscribe button.
Also why is there a huge space between end of posts and related post???
None of my comments here goto coco. Probably cause of the ajax.
I meant adbrite btw. The font size is too big.
johntp
May 16, 2006 at 5:59 pm
So far 2 people - Deep and Ashwin, have said that I need to change the header. Maybe I will start a poll here on that.
Blog needs to be more colorful? ok, I don’t mind. Should I change the background color from grey to some light shade of blue?
Should I change the color of the body and text? As far as I know, white background and black text is the most readable and universaly accepted.
Or is it the footer’s color you want me to change?
Done, I will try to teach readers how to make a blog header like that. Some of them have been asking me for months.
The sidebar,I feel, will look ackward if I make it smaller. I will increase the text size, when I get time. The problem is the current here keeps going and coming. I don’t get the time to post here and on other blogs (Deep is going to kill me).
Start a poll on what -which color to choose? Are you asking me to change my background color from white to something else?
I have done a research on the bgcolor of the FeedBurner’s Subscribe button. The best color is what I have chosen currently. Infact I had an increase of readers from 17 to whatever number you see now after I changed the color to Orange. I recommend you to try it too.
If you remember properly I had 303 readers the week I changed the color.
I am not saying the color is the only reason for the increase in subscribers, but it is an important factor.
I will decrease the space between end of posts and related post as soon as possible.
None of your comments here goto Cocomment? Should I disable AJAX commenting?
I don’t think that I can change the font size of Adbrite’s ads.
Chrono Cr
May 18, 2006 at 9:42 am
Hmm…You aren’t able to change the size?? Hmm….Collectivex.com did it, I dunno how… Don’t you get control over the CSS??
Think you should hold a poll about the design and header and see what popular opinion is.
Chrono Cr
May 18, 2006 at 9:43 am
I see you removed you AJAXing’.
Just make a new post, stating the various ideas you got and asking people to comment on each of them.
johntp
May 18, 2006 at 11:32 am
I did not remove Comment AJAX.
I will try starting a poll about the design and header and see what the popular opinion is.
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