[Dorito_125]

I'm working on a personal gaming blog, as in it's just a side project for me. I've been messing around with the CMS's so I know this sites credit honestly should go to the person who designed the theme.

It's here, http://rougash.arulace.com

For the time being I threw up a Battlefield 3 background I know this causes a couple issues as fasr as readabillity of some items overall I'm not worried about that it won't be there long. What do you guys think? Is it to busy? What catches your eye? Content presentation?

Thanks all.

[modi123_1]

It's a theme.. you applied it. I guess an attaboy is needed?

As you said the background is way too busy.

Honestly hitting that site I have zero idea what it is about. "Begin all end all gaming." - eh, what? I don't get why specific titles are across the top... why not have them in a sub menu and leave the top level for things like "about" and other major information areas.

The site lacks direction and meaning... I probably wouldn't be back since I am not sure what it's about.

[Dorito_125]

modi123_1, on 26 October 2011 - 09:55 AM, said:

It's a theme.. you applied it. I guess an attaboy is needed?

Thanks broseph. I appreciate constructive criticism - minus the attitude. Go take a nap.

As I said I was working with a CMS and a theme no "attaboy" required. So you don't take that the site is about gaming after reading "Begin all end all gaming"? Okay I think that it does need updating. It's a bit boring and could be more descriptive.

Specific titles are across the top for the time being as there is not much content yet, that will have to change too.

You never answered my questions though "What catches your eye? Content presentation?".

[modi123_1]

Well I see that joke fell flat.

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So you don't take that the site is about gaming after reading "Begin all end all gaming"?

Sure it's about gaming, but ultimately why should I give my time or eyeballs to your site over someone else? what's unique? what the hook? What distinguishes you from the bajillion other blogs about games? Do you have an angle, insight, or some ninja sharks that steal betas to play before everyone else?

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You never answered my questions though "What catches your eye?

The horrible background... though I thought that was already mentioned (by you).

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Content presentation?"

What about the content? Are you asking if it was written okay, or that if the theme is displaying it like a blog?

[Dorito_125]

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The horrible background... though I thought that was already mentioned (by you).

Indeed, I kind of like it thought, it certainly won't be permanent. It's just for the drop of Battlefield 3 last night.

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What about the content? Are you asking if it was written okay, or that if the theme is displaying it like a blog?

Is it easy to read? If you do know about games was it helpful? How is the social icon placement? Does the lightbox look okay, do you find it out of place? etc.

If you were going to make a gaming blog/website, what would you do?

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Sure it's about gaming, but ultimately why should I give my time or eyeballs to your site over someone else? what's unique? what the hook? What distinguishes you from the bajillion other blogs about games? Do you have an angle, insight, or some ninja sharks that steal betas to play before everyone else?

It's not distinguished, or very unique yet. We are still trying to find our voice and our hook. Also trying to build a community. We don't want to just be pumping out articles of nonsense. We want to hear gamer issues about games what they like and don't like. Ultimate fails videos and pictures. I want it to be somewhat community driven.

[modi123_1]

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Is it easy to read?

Sure.. black text on white background is pretty easy to read.

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If you do know about games was it helpful?

No.. not particularly. The writing itself wasn't spectacular or snappy. Your "Battlefield 3 First look" especially was not enjoyable. Everything is glossed over. There's no meat to it at all, and it might as well have been for any generic FPS. Also the youtube video is just to a commercial; perhaps of your own game play... if this is your content then you need to own it! Also having such a banal review asking for other people to pony up ideas and content seems.. trite.

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How is the social icon placement?

The placement seemed odd. Maybe shove it in the top right with the RSS feed icon... hell just use the icons of like/tweet/rss/google.

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Does the lightbox look okay, do you find it out of place? etc.

It's a light box.. it works.. the images are a bit bigger than I care to have blow up on my screen though.

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If you were going to make a gaming blog/website, what would you do?

Tut-tut... no leeching off my ideas... but I would find a focus and run with that first.

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It's not distinguished, or very unique yet. We are still trying to find our voice and our hook. Also trying to build a community. We don't want to just be pumping out articles of nonsense. We want to hear gamer issues about games what they like and don't like. Ultimate fails videos and pictures. I want it to be somewhat community driven.

Well then are you a blog or a forum? I would suggest taking time to find that quirk or hook.




Oh, and perhaps a section that provides some explanation on who you people are. I hear "us" and "we" - who the hell is that?

Also your footer is way too large. Scale that back.

[Dorito_125]

Thanks for your input.

[DarenR]

my eyes were too distracted by the background of the page-- I think there was content in there but I am not sure. Just remember some golden rules I use that was taught to me a long time ago---

scroll only when you have too
keep it as simple as possible
get to the point
etc etc

[Dorito_125]

DarenR, on 26 October 2011 - 12:40 PM, said:

my eyes were too distracted by the background of the page-- I think there was content in there but I am not sure. Just remember some golden rules I use that was taught to me a long time ago---

scroll only when you have too
keep it as simple as possible
get to the point
etc etc

The Ugly Truth.

[Dorito_125]

While I've made tons of changes. Hard for me to remember them all.

Added a lot more content so the site is more or less getting to look what it will look like Except I think on the nav menu on the right I will have the sub menus collapsed.

Have a new domain. Rougash.

Just implemented the new Facebook commenting system, so I'll see how that goes.

What do you think?

[Lemur]

It's hard to give a site an honest review when it uses a premade template. Effectively, you're asking us how does some other persons work look. I'd be happy to review a custom design, but I'm not one for looking over premade templates.

[Dorito_125]

Lemur, on 20 November 2011 - 12:42 AM, said:

It's hard to give a site an honest review when it uses a premade template. Effectively, you're asking us how does some other persons work look. I'd be happy to review a custom design, but I'm not one for looking over premade templates.

Not really, a "Site" is much more then just the framework that's put in place to make it easier to maintain. If you just want to comment on the HEX colors and padding w3 compliance that's one thing, but a "Site" is much more then that.

You're not one of those "USING A CMS ISN'T A REAL WEBSITE" kind of guys are you?

[Lemur]

No, hardly. I noticed this line in your code:

<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="http://rougash.com/wp-content/themes/skeptical/style.css" media="screen" />

Through a quick search I found the skeptical theme for wordpress: http://www.woothemes...0/09/skeptical/

...and from the preview image I have a hard time seeing any changes:



I appreciate the value and usefulness of a CMS, I love the power and flexibility that it grants, do not misinterpret that point. What I am saying is that posting someone elses template with extremely minor changes in a section that is based on reviewing sites for their design is more or less not befitting of an actual review.

I love the template, it's nice, clean, and professional, but that does not change the fact that you downloaded it from a templates site.

As I stated before I would be more than happy to review a custom theme.

[Dorito_125]

Dorito_125, on 20 November 2011 - 09:57 PM, said:

a "Site" is much more then just the framework

I think you're missing the point completely. I and an increasingly majority of people are changing how they think about websites. The average person doesn't really care whether it's a cms or not or even how a website looks they're at the website for the content.

Which I'm getting at. Things like, is the menu relevant. If you came to the site looking for something would it help? We're the articles clear? Not jumbled? etc. etc. If I could have thought of all the questions I would not have posted in Site Check.

I would have just given you the link if you wanted it.

[Lemur]

Given that I don't play MW or many videogames anymore, I'll go a more general route on this one.

The point of a site doing reviews is to provide something unique, something that people can't find on any other site. Now as to what this may be is up to your own creativity and ideas. Admittedly this is one of the most difficult of all aspects to really get down for a site, seeing as this is everyones ultimate goal.

From what I looked over I would be careful on making a list of a list type articles. If at all possible try and find the information first. Try and find something that hasn't been covered yet, and if it has then add details that have yet to be covered. Things like that boost a sites value exponentially.

Eventually, if you intend to take this to a much higher level than just a personal site you'd have to look into custom designs and perhaps a Custom CMS, but that would be a long ways off on at least the CMS.

If possible you might look into the Lynda tutorial on Wordpress, it covers a lot of aspects that most typical users would not think of. To do this you'd have to have some knowledge of PHP, but the amount of power that's hidden in WP is something else, and with that it's quick on its way to being (if not already) a full CMS.

Really, all of this depends on one question: What do you want to make of this site?