10.18.05
(Hat tip: Business Blog Consulting)
Also see Top Ten Design Mistakes. My biggest pet peeves: 1) Blogs with no “About” section. You don’t have to write a multi-page bio, just tell us something about yourself, even if blogging anonymously. 2) Difficult-to-find or no e-mail address.
Did you know that 6.4 billion people are blogless? Oh, the humanity!
Update (10/19): I hope no one thinks I’m calling them out with my pet peeves. LBC has some design and usability faux pas, too. As far as design is concerned, I prefer a less busy-looking, more streamlined blog, for instance, but I accept ads, which tend to look flashy. Between the minimalist look I want and ad revenue I need, I chose revenue. Bottom-line: design your site to your specifications. 
15 Comments
I think web animations and background sounds are about the worst things you can have on a blog - or a traditional website. The way I see it, the more animations and other annoying nonsense, the less credibility the site has right out of the box. This also goes for colored scroll bars, anything that flashes.
The one exception I would make for animations is the American Flag. I have an animated flag at the top of my blog, and I think it’s a rather nice enhancement. I also have an animated WeatherBug at the bottom of the page. I agreed to put it there in exchange for a year of WeatherBug’s “Plus” paid service. I designed it to integrate nicely with the blog and placed out of the way at the bottom.
Another thing that yanks my chain is ads that appear in the main content area of a blog where real posts are supposed to go. If I see that, I will almost never return to the site in question.
Comment by John — 10.18.05 @ 8:31 pm
I am one of the 6.4 billion who are blogless. Doubtless I am the victim of a nefarious Bush/Cheney/Rove/Zionist/neocon/Christian conspiracy. Reparations, anyone?
Comment by Mwalimu Daudi — 10.18.05 @ 9:20 pm
I heard a stat that said less than 2% of regular internet users read blogs.
If that’s true, and it wouldn’t surprise me if it was, then blogs and bloggers are over rated. I tend to think that is the case.
Comment by DarkStar — 10.18.05 @ 9:51 pm
Blogs should be easy on the eyes. Where one is faced with walls of text, blinking lights, gadgets, do-dads, and mystery links, the process of teasing out real information is simply too exhausting. This is especially true if, as I do, you drop in on dozens of sites a day.
I have to admit, however, that when I write my own posts, I have a fatal weakness for clever headlines (or, at least, what I naively believe are clever headlines). Sometimes, one sacrifices descriptiveness for a joke or word play, but I just can’t resist.
Comment by Bookworm — 10.18.05 @ 11:25 pm
I agree with John. Keep the flashing lights and banner ads on the used car lots.
Comment by Jim — 10.19.05 @ 7:28 am
Weblog Usability: The Top Ten Design Mistakes
Boy, do I need to get this place in order!
Trackback by The View From The Nest — 10.19.05 @ 8:28 am
Oh! Before I go around criticizing tacky websites, I should not forget to own up to my own handy work. Go check out The Cubby Corner to see what I mean. Of course, being a Chicago Cubs blog, a certain amount of tackiness may be in order. I’m not completely sure.
Comment by John — 10.19.05 @ 9:21 am
Uh, oh. It looks like my html didn’t work. The address is http://www.cubbycorner.net for anyone interested.
(right click and open in a new window to see the full view.)
Comment by John — 10.19.05 @ 9:24 am
Between the minimalist look I want and ad revenue I need, I chose revenue.
Isn’t capitalism grand?
Comment by Tony — 10.19.05 @ 9:35 am
La Shawn,
You’ve just given me further cause to continue to write my “About Me” page. I started it months ago, but it’s only yielded about two paragraphs and a really sexy photo of myself. No time like the present.
Comment by Mike M. — 10.19.05 @ 10:50 am
All about me
For all who care, I’ve finally updated the “About Me” section of the site. Click on the link at the top-right of the page. It’s not entirely comprehensive, but at least it’s a bit nicer than finding that ugly pic I posted.
Thanks to La Shawn fo…
Trackback by Down with Absolutes! — 10.19.05 @ 12:26 pm
I’ve been trying to get things arranged more neatly and functionally, thanks for that site link La Shawn, I’ve bookmarked it.
The thing is, my “Say What Now” started as and remains a personal blog in which I just express stuff, so I don’t know if I’ll ever make much effort to make it “suitable” so to speak. My other blog is designed to get attention for my radio show, so I’ve been fine-tuning that one for the big launch. Heck, I may move to a private domain before that happens.
Comment by Mark La Roi — 10.19.05 @ 9:50 pm
My Blogging Mistake Checklist
Courtesy of Lashawn Barber, I found the top ten design mistakes for weblogs.
Anyway, compare myself to the list and see how I’m doing in terms of avoiding the mistakes:
Mistake 1: No Author Biographies
I’ve avoided this from day one. Honestly, if …
Trackback by Adam's Blog — 10.20.05 @ 12:49 am
ABOUT ME: JOHN A. GILLMARTIN - NOW ARE YOU …
… happy La Shawn? And I’ve got an email address up too! Clink on the title link to find out why I did this.
Trackback by The Sheep's Crib — 10.20.05 @ 8:53 pm
About us
If you hadn’t already noticed, we’ve finally added an “About Us” link (at right). You can thank La Shawn Barber for her “kick in the butt” to get that done. Mike M. got the “kick,” too. Gooch, who will indeed…
Trackback by The Colossus of Rhodey — 10.23.05 @ 11:26 am