Saturday, August 12, 2006

Blog Reviews

A few weeks ago, I noticed on my stat counter that I was getting a few hits from a blog called Frog My Blog. It's a blog that reviews other blogs. It was a new blog at the time and I was one of the first blogs they reviewed. I've given them a couple of weeks to get going before I give my opinion on their little endeavor.

Here's their review of my blog (unsolicited, by the way):

Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans? Uh…no. Not really.

I’m assuming this blogger was displaced by Hurricane Katrina. She appears to be in Texas but really wants to go back to New Orleans. It was my understanding that N.O. was being rebuilt fairly successfully, so if you really want to go that bad…

I don’t like the template. The notepad look is too…yellow. Damn, that’s a long sidebar, most of which is pretty unnecessary.

I wasn’t very high on this blog from first glance. The title and first post came across as kind of whiny, and a bad template will ruin a first impression. I was going to give 0 bugs, or just 1 for the Kinky Friedman ad.

However, I then came across the Hallsnark Cards and laughed in spite of myself. 2 more bugs for you. I think you should go into business.


It isn't a very nice review which is mostly based on the following: (1) she is indifferent to New Orleans and their plight, (2) incorrect assumptions about me (all she had to do was read the profile) and (3) she didn't like the yellow legal pad template. She laughed at the Hallsnark Cards "in spite of" herself meaning she had decided to not like the blog at first glance.


I don't expect everyone to like my blog or to care that it exists at all. However, that isn't the point of this post. The reason I decided to write anything at all is because of their reviews of other people's blogs. They seem obsessed with clean sidebars and fancy templates over content.


Blogs are a personal expression of what YOU want to put out there. Who cares if the grammar is lousy or if your interests are considered uninteresting by some people or that you like to put blinky things on your sidebar? Just keep writing and expressing yourself. Any act of self-expression is art and nobody has the right to suggest you change your self-expression in any way.


These people need to stop trying to sanitize the blogosphere and turning it into one big generic "clean" Wordpress template containing whatever they consider to be relevant writing on whatever they consider to be relevant subjects.


Whew. I feel better. Was that too whiny?
Edited to add:
Old Roses just left me a comment asking if the review had been removed. After checking, I find that the review has indeed been removed. I guess the reviewers didn't like being reviewed. Isn't that interesting?

31 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't find your blog whiny in the least!


*uspvfm* usual super positive view from me

Laurie said...

Susan - Thanks! (I like your word thingy, too.)

*txils* - The xylophone is lyrically stupendous.

cindybindy said...

Laurie: We love your blog just the way it is. Besides, who asked to be reviewed by strangers anyway :) Cindy

Laurie said...

Cindy - It definitely would have been different if I had asked to be reviewed. Since I don't care what the self-appointed Blog Fashion Police have to say make it a horse of a different color.

I just hope new bloggers don't put too much stock into what the style critics have to say.

Lori Stewart Weidert said...

Say, it, sistah!

I love your strong response. I hope that all they review can hold up; it takes a certain amount of courage to put yourself out there, and those mean little things might send some packing. I hate that.

Jack said...

Ifshe's going to complain about other peoples' color choices or sidebar arrangements, she really ought to consider dropping the lime green-with-white-type buttons on her sidebar. I don't know how they look on other peoples' monitors, but I can't read them even when squinting three inches from the screen.

I'll give her a Matthew 7:1-5. You can have verse 6.

Deek Deekster said...

your blog is one of my all-time favourites

Laurie said...

GnightGirl - A person's writing is so personal, I can imagine that some would be discouraged by this sort of thing.

Jack - Thanks for Verse 6. I'll take it.

Deek - And yours mine.

Laurie said...

Deek (Part 2) - I hope all is going well for you over there in London town. You've all been in the news a bit lately...in case you hadn't noticed.

OldRoses said...

Did your review get deleted? I can't find it on the site. Whine, on Laurie. And I'll join you. I thought reviews were supposed to be about content, not looks.

Laurie said...

Old Roses - It was one of the first ones done about three weeks ago. You have to click on the section for 3 frogs or keep going back to previous posts.

Laurie said...

Old Roses - It appears that the review has indeed been removed. Interesting.

Laurie said...

Kinky - He's baaaaaack.

Dave Knechel said...

I question her qualifications for reviewing blogs. After reading her 2 latest posts, I found errors in her own writing. Of course, I pointed them out to her.

I think the reviewer needs to be reviewed herself. So there.

Anonymous said...

Day-um! They're just dummies. You'd think they'd know to read your profile! It would have cued them into the whole legal pad thing too.

*large sophmom raspberry to dumb-asses with nothing to say beyond talking about real bloggers*

"mreue"

Laurie said...

Dave - Good for you! She's now written a post explaining her thoughts on what makes a good blog. At least they've stopped doing unsolicited reviews.

Sophmom - Sing it sister!

Dave Knechel said...

Yes, and that's one of the posts where I corrected a mistake in spelling she made. The next post down, I corrected her grammar, but she deleted that comment.

Laurie said...

Dave - A critic deleted a critical comment? Isn't that ironic?

GreekGoddess said...

it's good when they point fingers.. but if you dare to points your they dont like it huh? Very well said!!!

Janet said...

I was just reviewed by Frog My Blog but it's a different story as I chose to have them review me. I didn't know they did unsolicited reviews. I know of another site that does that which has hurt many bloggers.

My experience here was a positive one, but I've been where you are too, having people write about me who I don't know, without giving me a chance to defend myself. I'm sorry that had to happen to you and for what it's worth, I enjoy the design!:)

Laurie said...

Greek Goddess - How about that? :)

Janet - Aren't you nice? Your site is great by the way and definitely deserves all 5 frogs.

I think they've stopped doing unsolicited reviews which is a good thing.

NOMAD said...

I was thinking, only frogs (I mean Frenchs) have the copyright of this "appellation contrôlée"

Laurie said...

Nomad - Very clever! (Of course, I had to look up the translation. Don't tell anyone.) ;)

neil said...

Of all the blogs I read, yours is the the one I like the most and I look forward to a read everyday. The one bad thing is that I sometimes have trouble not leaving a comment everyday!

Whiny, what rot, especially cheeky as their blog appeals to the needy and if you are very needy, you get to pay as well.

In Oz we have a word for them...it kinda rhymes with anchors.

Unknown said...

Laurie -
In the words of Richard Prior (RIP) - tell her to have a Cike and a smile and shut the.....
We love you - she sucks
cya

Laurie said...

Neil - You may feel free to say wankers on this blog. I noticed that people can now PAY to have their blog reviewed! What a racket.

Al - Thanks! I wasn't fishing for compliments but I'm enjoying the hell out of them. Thanks everyone!!

Anonymous said...

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." We obviously enjoy your blog, and if others don't, well their browser doesn't navigate by itself. They can go elsewhere!!

Laurie said...

SO - It really didn't bother me that she didn't like my blog. It was more the fact that (1) I didn't ask for her opinion and (2) she didn't even bother to get her facts right.

Just like you say,
beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I might start putting blinky things on my sidebar just to piss people like them off. :)

neil said...

Wanker, wanker, wanker. Oooh that feels better.

Laurie said...

Neil - You better go lie down now.

Laurie said...

Rhonda - Even the gross words post? You're a true friend. :)