Audience #2: Give Mutual Support

Task Discussion

• 
  Stefanie   Aug. 16, 2011, 5:57 a.m.

  Following Laura's example, I looked through everyone's blog - in case you have posted two blogs, I randomly chose one to review.

  Jessica:
  I like the blog layout, it is different and has a personal touch. Also, your focus on open source and open content is interesting.
  Pippa:
  I like the deeply personal and very educational/reflective character of your postings. It's kind of a "nightmare on elmstreet" strategy, you turn around and stare the monster down, so it vanishes. As a reader, I would like more pictures / drawings: Maybe something like a little anxiety kitten to lighten up the scary and sad stuff. I don't suggest trying to be funny about something that is clearly not, but I very much liked the sory about being on the phone with your friend and laughing about the weird inner voice. I guess, you could try to turn it into a persona. The idea is to give you (and your readers who all have experienced emotions like that - just not as frequent and devastating) something tangible to relate to.
  MR337: Could you include a map that shows where you have been and where your current location is? Or is the header already doing this and I just didn't get it? Also, categories might help to qickly engage the reader, e.g. "standing still" and "on the road again". Designwise, I would include more RV-pics.
  Lynn Cook:
  I think the design / title should emphazise the purpose of your writing. I am aware that you have hust merged the two old blogs into one new one. Maybe some graphics that blend traveling and eating together?
  Laura Hilliger:
  The magic button is VERY cool, I think every site should have one. I love the design, it is very playful and engaging. The post on the 2 minute pitch is great.
  blackstar: Same as Laura, I think the blog should have more info on the theoretical background of your art work.
  Ms.Receptionitis:
  The design and slogan make the content and goal of your site very clear!
  zalamander: http://goo.gl/sdWgx
  - sorry, I get a "site not found " - ???
  Wanderman: Love the topics - KL and traveling - suggest a map!

• 
  Laura Hilliger   May 19, 2011, 2:55 a.m.

  Hi! I looked at all the blogs posted in Audience #1. I really enjoyed reading about so many different topics and gaining a glimpse into your lives/brains. I've commented each blog below!

  homesweetroam.com
  I really liked the "little" adventures: the Spam Museum, the outdoor channel. I wonder if it would help you develop rhythm, if you treated more everyday adventures as real adventures. It doesn't seem that you and your family are sitting around doing nothing on the weekends, you're outside, somewhere, doing something, write about it!
  
  I spent some time going through your blog backwards in the order you posted, and I found myself quickly lost. Maybe you could post the Categories and/or Archives links on every page, instead of just the home page?
  
  And lastly, some pictures would be great! I had to look elsewhere for a picture of a 1961 Shasta Compact. There are a couple of plugins you can install to find commons licensed images to use. I've started a list under Tools and Technology #2: Useful Plugins
  
  thenaughtyindex.com
  I know, you're under development! I still think on your about or home page you should paste the history of Marc Riviere. Even if it's just the paragraphs you included in the Study Group!
  
  lynncooks.blogspot.com
  Love the Cookbook link, very helpful. I also like hearing about what you had for dinner (which I saw a couple of times). It would be nice if that was expanded - did you actually like everything you ate? Have you attempted to recreate those dishes? Were any of them so delicious that you got your friends/family to give you the recipe THAT night? On "Eggs and Haloumi" you describe what the dish looks like and my mouth waters. I love that description, and I think if you don't have too much time for it, maybe you just snap some pictures! And whats that basics link about?
  
  lynnmcook.blogspot.com
  Nice curation of your own work. I'd love to see a gallery added to this blog! Perhaps a plugin that automatically takes images tagged with a certain tag, and puts them into a gallery? You'll definitely find one for Wordpress, but I'm not sure about Blogger.
  
  battlecat.net
  Your personal struggles and nuances make your blog extremely interesting. Obviously, I didn't begin to scratch the surface of what your blog has archived, but the first post I read, which I commented on, made me feel connected. I've added battlecat.net to my RSS. My only constructive criticism - for the love of cheese, please, please enable the search function! Give me categories! All the posts from Rhubarb Syrup to the hiatus you took from July 23rd, 2007 to August 31, 2007, I want to search through them…are they tagged at all?
  
  I'd already added learninglearning, as I have a series of good education and tech blogs going. Your descriptions on your professional world are helpful, thorough and interesting. Thanks.

• 
  Laura Hilliger   May 19, 2011, 3:04 a.m.
  In Reply To:   Laura Hilliger   May 19, 2011, 2:55 a.m.

  Also, I had a specific question to the group in general - on my blog I have a static first page. I have a "recent posts" widget, but am not using the blog roll as the index page. I'm thinking about changing this, anyone have any opinions?

• 
  Lynn Cook   June 12, 2011, 1:19 a.m.
  In Reply To:   Laura Hilliger   May 19, 2011, 3:04 a.m.

  Hi Laura,

  I'm not so sure about the static entry page for your blog. I associate static pages with product or event web sites where the key information is always the same and the blog is a kind of "keeping you up to date" add on.

  Your blog however is more a collection of interesting things ... and it's interesting how ideas develop over time and it's not easy to see that with the static entry page you've got now. If you wanted to have a post on display permanently made you could use a sticky post and then have all of the latest stuff below. Hmmm.

  Lynn

• 
  Lynn Cook   June 12, 2011, 1:31 a.m.
  In Reply To:   Laura Hilliger   May 19, 2011, 2:55 a.m.

  Thanks Laura for the detailed feedback for my food blog and the art blog. I've moved both blogs over to wordpress and I'm renovating/rebuilding them. Your critique has set me on the path for making them both more professional - but I'm still thinking through how to write things up and be clear about audience, presentation etc.

  About photos on the food blog - I'm seriously thinking of making it text only. For a couple of reasons:

  1. there are a lot of very beautiful food blogs out there already
  2. I'm a impatient, and therefore bad, photographer
  3. the lighting in my dining room is crap and I like to eat
  4. my favourite cookbooks have line drawings rather than photos

  Having said that I've got a friend who is a marvellous photographer and if I can get myself organised and business like about this I'll see if she can do some work with me.

  Thanks again for the feedback!