Official blog of Clark's Blogging for Journalists class, Mass Communication department

Thursday, February 18, 2016

Today's assignment

15 minutes: Find one blog you are interested in, that applies to your blog.
25 minutes: Post on your blog by the end of today--
Evaluate it:
1. Quality of Writing
2. Effectiveness of typography
3. Attractiveness of layout
4. Use of visuals
5. Overall strengths and weaknesses
6. Why do you like it or dislike it


18 comments:

  1. http://www.mademoisellerobot.com/category/travel

    1. Quality of Writing- Her writing sounds very much like it would if she were speaking to you directly. She takes her travel writing and describes it as something that is really what it is.
    2. Effectiveness of typography- I think it is very clean and slim, and since her blog is about modern luxury, it only takes sense that it is plagued by a lot of white, clean space, with clean type.
    3. Attractiveness of layout- Again, with the cleanliness associated with the word modern, her layout reflects a similar taste. White space, and clean line photographs are complementary to the light airy text.
    4. Use of visuals- She uses descriptive words, as well as images to support her explanation of her modern day luxury experiences.
    5. Overall strengths and weaknesses- I think her concept is strong, and I like that she treats it like a diary for all to read. It is really interesting to get to know cities through someone else, especially when you haven't been there yourself.
    6. Why do you like it or dislike it- I love the idea of creating travel-centric blog, and I really desire to do that myself, but I am very interested in the musings of someone who visits a city and can tell me about the way that it breathes.

    ReplyDelete
  2. 1. It's usually brief, but elegant.
    2. I believe it's the default for the template she uses. It looks professional and readable.
    3. Everything is easy to find and well cataloged without being too cluttered.
    4. She usually incorporates at least one image in her post. Her posts are usually under 500 words, so this usually complements the piece without overcrowding it. I like the banner she has at the top of her webpage because it accurately represents the controlled randomness that her blog contains.
    5. If this counts as a weakness, I think her posts are too short. They can be longer at times, but I wish she wrote more because what she writes is entertaining. Her blog's greatest strength is it's usually over interesting topics like which classical music song goes best with a book, or the top romantic quotes from novels she's read.
    6. I like how much fun she seems to having as she's writing these posts. There's a sense of freedom and adventure to it, unlike some blogs. It's not serious, but it's also not chaotic. It's just enjoyable. Like I said, I only wish some of her posts were longer.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Here's the URL http://ifmermaidsworesuspenders.com/

      Delete
  3. I chose to write about HTMLGiant, it is a blog based on reviews of literature and the writer's person experience as not only a blog writer but a literary writer too. The blog layout is incredibly simple with just a black background and white type. I think this sort of layout is very effective and I like it but somehow it almost looks sort of plain but I still like the content enough that I am easily able to overlook the background. There is almost always a photo posted with some of the type. I think the blog would do a bit better if it focused on just literature because sometimes it talks about movie scenes and other little tid-bits but the readership still seems to be pretty high so maybe he's doing exactly what he needs to do. I like the blog because it reviews books, much like I do. Usually book reviews have a lot to do with whether or not I actually read the book. All in all I would certainly recommend that everyone go ahead and have a read. htmlgiant.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. The blog that interests me is SB Nation. It, like mine, is a sports blog.
    1) The writing is usually pretty good. It has multiple contributors so sometimes the writing is good and sometimes it isn't.
    2) Its very basic. Nothing that jumps out at you.
    3) The layout is pretty good. It isn't flashy by any means but it is organized and clean looking.
    4) They don't use too many visuals other than some pictures from games they are writing about or their subject.
    5) Strengths would definitely be content and news. They don't just focus on basketball so there is something for every sports fan. The only weakness i would say it has, is occasionally the writing.
    6) I like it because as i said before, it has something for everyone. They also have news updated quickly so its a nice follow.

    ReplyDelete
  5. The blog is I SPY DIY: http://ispydiy.com/blog/

    1. Quality of writing: Her blog is well written, and I enjoy reading her blog posts.
    2. Effectiveness of typography: The font on her blog is extremely legible and the colors she uses are eye-catching without being overwhelming.
    3. Attractiveness of layout: The layout of her blog is extremely appealing. I like that it's very minimal (the blog is solid white with small pops of color).
    4. Use of visuals: I'm an extremely visual person so seeing so many pictures on each post is very appealing to me. This is something I plan on doing in my future blogs and would even like to invest in a camera and GoPro soon.
    5. Overall strengths and weaknesses: Overall, I really love the layout and use of pictures. She's a DIY blogger so using pictures is vital to her readability. I really admire what she does.
    6. Why do you like it or dislike it: I love her blog because it has a catchy name, is of interest to me, is very clean/organized, and has a ton of cool pictures.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Macrumors.com

    1. The quality of writing is very professional and similar to actual news stories. They are very well educated and researched posts.

    2. The typography is nice and readable. They use the same font throughout the page, but use a bold face for headlines and regular for body text to help differentiate the two.

    3. The layout that they have isn't the most attractive, but I think that it does what it needs to. It's simple and easy to tell each post apart.

    4. They use pictures for every post that they make allowing the viewer to see something visually appealing aside from just looking at text.

    5. Strength would be the validity of their posts since they are well researched topics and the writers are well educated on the topics as well. Weakness would be the overall site design. It could very well be more visually appealing, but it does get the job done.

    6. I like it because they post about the things that I am interested in rather than just a mixture of topics. They are centered around Apple Inc. news and only Apple news.

    ReplyDelete
  7. 1. The blog I feel is closest to mine is bigghostlimited.com or not really closest but it's kinda what I modeled mine after. I like the tone of voice and language because it's the most ignorant thing you can read but it comes from someone who is a lot smarter than what they are acting.

    2. The typography is grey on a black background, making it easy to read

    3.The layout is simple and easy to look at. It doesn't overwhelm your eyes.

    4. He uses a lot of visual when he does his reviews and sometimes throws in songs or music videos to help explain his point about a song.

    5. There aren't any weaknesses. You can use this blog as nuclear proof vest if Korea starts firing missiles at us.

    6. I like it because it makes me laugh while also pointing out some of the contradictions in music. He knows how to make you take a look at yourself.

    ReplyDelete
  8. The blog that I chose for this is the Everygirl, found here: http://theeverygirl.com/

    1. The quality of writing in this blog is great. It's fun and easy to read, and the topics attract me as a reader.
    2. The typography is simple and easy to read!
    3. They layout is very sleek and chic. It definitely portrays that the writer is very put together, and wants to encourage her readers to be put together as well.
    4.This blog has visuals everywhere! It's just enough to make everything easy to read and understand, without being overkill on the images.
    5. It's overall strengths is that it is specifically categorized, so it is organized. There is all kinds of content, so it appeals to many different readers. The whole blog is very easy on the eye and interesting. I don't really see a lot of weaknesses, but the one possible weakness that I could see is that there are so many posts that sometimes it is a lot to take in.
    6. I love this blog because it has EVERYTHING. It's so fun to read and it always has something that I'm interested in.

    ReplyDelete
  9. http://nowheremag.com/

    1. Writing - Nowhere is a blog that complies travel stories from a lot of different authors, so the writing styles vary. The writing is consistently grammatically and stylistically sound. The quality in terms of how interesting they are depends on the story, but that'll happen when you're reading different writers.

    2. Typography - The titles of essays in the main page are clean. There's isn't a clutter of words. The stories themselves are laid out simply, so that the focus is on the words. There aren't distracting colors or ads next to the essays.

    3. Layout - Nowhere uses a lot of pictures. In fact their homepage consists of pictures that link to stories. It's a minimalist layout that works well with what the lit mag is trying to accomplish.

    4. Visuals - As I stated, pictures are a big part of Nowhere. Some articles consist mostly of pictures.

    5. Strengths/Weaknesses: There isn't a lot of clutter in the site. It's easy to get to the articles. They're right there as soon as you click on the site. However, it seems that since their recent remodeling of the website they've taken down the archives page - which is unfortunate, since it makes navigating through the posts that much harder.

    6. I like Nowhere because it's a unique lit mag, unlike others I've seen in the internet. The writing styles are varied and often extremely casual, as though the authors were telling you about their experiences across the wooden table of a Cambodian bar. It's a good place to go for a different type of travel literature. I also like that they're not constantly trying to advertise with the pieces they publish. My largest qualm with the website is how counter intuitive it is in terms of navigation, there is no archives page, getting to the submissions page is a bit of a run around, and the about me section really isn't that informative.

    ReplyDelete
  10. 1. It is written nicely and it is easy to follow. She stays on topic.
    2. With the typography is is easily readable with the fonts chosen as well as the sizes that she chose.
    3.The layout is great it has contrast of color between the header and the post.
    4. Overall the color catches your eye and makes you want to read more into the stories as well as adding pictures to posts.
    5. Very conversational writing. I love that she is honest and is writing about her life.
    6. I don't like it because she had stopped blogging for about a year and so there isn't that much content for the new year and makes me wonder if she will continue with future posts.

    ReplyDelete
  11. xxlmag.com

    1) Quality of writing, I think the quality of writing is good being that some of the experts in hiphop are the main journalist from this site.

    2) Effectiveness of typography, pretty clear and understanding.

    3) Attractiveness of layout, layout is pretty cool could add some special graphics to it.

    4) Use of visuals, a lot of visuals solely because they are a magazine as well.

    5) Overall strengths and weaknesses, strengths always up to date & weakness should give some lower level blogs some attention.

    6)Why do you like it or dislike it, I like it because I have been a fan of xxl magazine for years and now getting a magazine is out of style lol i just go to their website.

    ReplyDelete
  12. www.leahcampbellwrites.com

    1. Quality of Writing- She is an incredible writer. She is very passionate, and has her sense of humor still too.
    2. Effectiveness of typography- I think is is very easy to read. The font is a great size and its clean.
    3. Attractiveness of layout- the layout if very attractive and is easy to navigate; she has a fancy navigation bar.
    4. Use of visuals- Leah puts up a lot of pictures, she has a lot of pictures up of her adopted daughter.
    5. Overall strengths and weaknesses- Leah is very raw with her discussions. It's easy to read. There is not a follow button, so I don't know how she gains followers, which could hurt her.
    6. Why do you like it or dislike it- This blog was the reason I made the decision to start blogging about my condition. It made me feel brave. That my story was important. That I have hope too.

    ReplyDelete
  13. http://www.randomthoughtsandlotsacoffee.com/blog
    1.I love her style of writing. It is interesting she tells story in third person. I love that she starts with a quote.
    2.Her stories are better easy to read.
    3. Her background is calm, and cool. Its adult like.
    4.She has pictures on there.
    5.She is very straight forward.
    6.It inspires me to get deeper with my blogs.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Positively Present

    1. Quality of Writing - She has a great way with words and very inspiring.
    2. Effectiveness of typography- Very straight forward and easy to read.
    3. Attractiveness of layout- The layout is very simple but yet very organized to navigate throughout the page.
    4. Use of visuals- She doesn't really express herself with much visuals, it's mainly through her words.
    5. Strengths and Weaknesses- She is very inspiring but I would recommend having more visuals.
    6. Why do you like it or dislike it- I actually really like it because it's very positive and gives great vibes!

    ReplyDelete
  15. http://www.theshadesofpink.com/

    1. Quality of Writing: I feel like her writing is pretty similar to mine. She writes in first person, giving personal opinions and experiences that relate to her topic.

    2. Effectiveness of typography: The titles and dates have a fun font, but as for the actual content of the blog, it is a basic Serif font that is large and easy to read. It's broken up into readable sections so it isn't just a wall of text.

    3. Attractiveness of layout: Simple but effective. Nothing overwhelming, but it isn't boring either. I like it.

    4. Use of visuals: She uses a relevant image at the start of each blog post, usually with a quote that pertains to the topic she is writing about.

    5. Overall strengths and weaknesses: The blog is neat and clean, with a menu at the top dividing different blog topics. There isn't any "about me" on the home page though, which I think would be nice.

    6. Why do you like it or dislike it: I like it because it's personal and simple. The blogger is just voicing her opinion on different topics and using her experience to back it up.

    ReplyDelete
  16. http://www.freecandie.com/about/

    1. Quality of Writing- One of the things I like about this blog is the quality of writing. It's not pretentious, but very relatable. The blog is very light, outgoing. sprinkled with humor, and easy to read.
    2. Effectiveness of typography- Overall I think the typeoography is pretty
    good. I really like all the headline text, its in this light orange color and is in all caps so it's easy to distinguish. The paragraph text is written in black serif font and easy to read. I'm not crazy about the title text, although the colorful and whimsical text is fitting for the blog, I like a more modern and clean look.
    3. Attractiveness of layout- I really like the layout, it's easy to navigate but theres is also a lot of information. I think it's categorized very well, and the neutral colors of the background make the pictures and text stand out really well.
    4. Use of visuals- I love love love the visuals on this blog. A lot of them have to do with travel, so they're very pretty to look at. Another thing I like about the pictures is that even though they are of these exotic places, they don't look staged at all, just very simple and inviting and real.
    5. Overall strengths and weaknesses- I think one of the biggest strengths about this blog is that the writer just seems really carefree and honest. One of the things I like most about lifestyle type blogs is their ability to engage readers, its so interesting to read about peoples lives because you develop an almost personal relationship with them, without knowing them at all. I don't really see any weaknesses so far.
    6. Why do you like it or dislike it-I really like this blog because its a travel blog, but also a lifestyle blog. I think the main reason I like it so much is because the writer lives in Germany. My brother in law is in the US Air force, and last month he and my sister found out they are being relocated to Germany for three years. I'm really sad because of how close I am with them, and they are probably leaving within the next month. Everything was really sudden and has been a little hard to deal with. However, this blog makes me really excited not only for them, but gets me super excited to visit them. I think her travel experiences and tips are going to be a great resource to utilize for all of us.

    ReplyDelete
  17. http://juliannehough.com/

    1. Quality of Writing: I really like how she writes each post because she is very personable. It is clear to understand, it relates to every day life situations, and most people go through the things she writes about. She also has different topics in her blog but her personality comes through all of them because of her fun and quirky writing.
    2. Typography: I like the simplicity of her typography. It again relates to the overall feel of her blog which is simple, fun, and relatable.
    3. Attractiveness of Layout: The layout is great because even though it contains so many choices, it is very easy to navigate around and find what you are looking for. She has recipes, healthy living, style, and life advice. With each of those headlines, you can find many different posts and related pictures which I really like.
    4. Use of Visuals: Her visuals are all personal pictures that relate to her blog. I love that she always post pictures in her blog posts because it gives readers a more fun look into her life.
    5. Overall strengths and weaknesses: Overall I think her major strength is that her blog is so personable and fun. It is simple to understand, easy to navigate, and fun to look through. I think if anything is a weakness is that she does have so much on her blog. It is probably more complicated to keep all of the categories up to date.
    6. Why do you like it or dislike it? I really like this blog because first of all I love Julianne Hough. But I like this blog because it has all of things I find interesting. I love fashion, healthy living, and inspiration. I also really like how personable she makes it. It is all fun and simple to read.

    ReplyDelete