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Site Name: Sweet Note
Owner: Alejandra
Reviewed by: Georgina
Reviewed on: 30th July 2009

Site Name

The words in your website name are quite common, but your site name is cute and easy to remember.

Coding and Validation

Your HTML has 196 errors and 34 warnings.

You have the very basics and fundamentals of coding covered, but validation is necessary to allow the smooth processing and performance of your website, particularly across different browsers.

A key rule with validating coding – specify an alt attribute (alternative text) for all images. Screen readers such as those for the blind will be able to read these more effectively and give a better description if you put some alternative text on your images. This is the correct way to display an image in XHTML:

<img src="image URL" alt="a photo of me" />

This includes the images in your navigation too. You should avoid using images as navigation as some people cannot view images. In this case, you should provide alternate navigation or at least some alternative text.

You’re neglecting to use <br /> in some places. You’re still writing <br>.

Also, your lists are incorrect:

<ul>
<li><a href="network.php">Sweet Note Family</a>
<li><a href="pexca.php">Excalibur Names</a>
<li><a href="ppix.php">Pixels</a>
<li><a href="tutcur.php">Add a cursor to your site</a>
<li><a href="shop.php">Shop</a>
</ul>

You must have </li> to end each link.

A lot of basic XHTML rules are being ignored. I suggest you read my tutorial.

Your CSS has 21 errors.

You have embedded styling in your document – there is no problem with putting that in your stylesheet. Embedded styling can take longer to load.

You have specified colours with two hashes in some places, such as ##A0E0DE. Under .reminder you are forgetting a semicolon after the colour.

Browser Compatibility & Usability

According to Browsershots.org your site looks the same in most browsers.

Avoid using images as navigation, as not everyone can view images and they would be lost on your website if you relied on it for navigation.

Because the layout is on the larger side, larger text would better support it.

Layout

It’s very nice – the colours are bright; they get me first. The layout is rather large. Keep in mind that people on smaller resolutions will have to scroll around to navigate your site, which is not always desirable.

The coconut on the layout stands out a lot. It’s a lovely graphic and it’s made very well, but it stands out from the rest of the layout. Covering it up a little bit would bring out other parts of the layout.

I don’t have many complaints about the layout at all. It’s very creative and colourful; the patterns and colours really work well together. I prefer the cute crab to be further up the page in the main header image, but that’s up to you.

The layout is quite large so make the header image smaller next time; that way I don’t have to scroll when I’m looking at your content.

The footer elements could be organised into a mini-sidebar under the navigation; having those sorts of things at the foot of the page isn’t too great. The back/forward buttons are not necessary either.

Content

Owner

There are a few errors on this page:
and exactly should be at exactly
pm.Lived in my chilhood should be pm. Lived my childhood
in there should be there
i only should be I only
was completely should be completely
i’m currently should be I’m currently
here I’m should be here I am
dont should be don’t.

You should proofread some of your work here; just using a spellchecker or something will help you correct your mistakes. This paragraph:

In my mom’s job they gave her a laptop, when she arrived home she lent it to me and played games, went to classic children websites like neopets or disneychannel and drew a lot in paint, I had a folder FULL of drawings.

Is a big mess and would be better phrased like this:

For my mom’s job they gave her a laptop. When she arrived home she lent it to me and I played games, went to classic children’s websites like Neopets or Disney Channel and drew a lot in Paint – I had a folder FULL of drawings.

There are other errors, and if you read through you will find that it might be a bit easier to space things out in paragraphs or bullet points to make it easier to read. I see a lot of big paragraphs in one go, and they’re hard to read when they’re not paragraphed out.

The further links to contact and such should go at the top of the page so that they are easily found.

Visitor

CG’s should be CGs.

The glitter graphics are nice, but I don’t really see them being used much because animated graphics are quite distracting when used on a website.

The cursors and backgrounds are nice. I like the checkered backgrounds better; the heart ones look squished together.

The signatures/names are nice – do you take requests? It would be a good idea if you did; I’m sure other people would like these with their name.

The pixels and adoptables aren’t the best I’ve seen but they’re definitely unique.

Don’t put “more coming soon” at the bottom of your backgrounds page; it makes your website look incomplete.

The CGs are great, but are a bit rough on the edges. They are very cute. As you don’t have many on each page, you might want to put them all on the one page under headings, or not categorise them so specifically.

I’m not a fan of anime, but you have some nice avatars. The colours could be brighter and interesting though.

The wallpapers are excellent. Have each wallpaper in many screen resolutions so they are suitable for everyone. I especially like the “Just Fly Away To Your Dreams” one.

Everything under “fun” is just games and Javascript games. They’re quite outdated. I would recommend removing them from your website. You have excellent graphics; there is no need for games like this.

The tutorials are all okay. Capitalise I on the cursor tutorial. Also, the code is wrong:

<style> <!-- BODY{ cursor:url("CURSOR URL"), pointer;}--> </style>

Should be:

<style> body { cursor:url("CURSOR URL"), pointer;} </style>

Also, custom cursors can be a bit annoying on websites, which is why I am against this tutorial.

The external CSS tutorial needs improvement. You don’t outline how to create the stylesheet at all; only how to link to it with HTML.

The back/forward history codes tutorial is a bit pointless. These links are too simple, and they aren’t even needed when back/forward buttons are integrated into most browsers.

Screenshots would be better on the glitter tutorial. Space out your steps as well, and proofread your work. Use a spellchecker. There are so many mistakes here and the tutorial looks carelessly done.

The other tutorials lead to 404s. You shouldn’t place them on this page until they’re done and uploaded. It makes your website look messy.

Site

On the link buttons page, in your should be on your. Organising the buttons and listing the sizes would be useful too.

On the hosting page you have errors:
i only should be I only
hosted apply should be hosted, apply
this simple rules should be these simple rules
Having the should be Have the.

On the terms page you also have errors:
hating email should be hate email
a constructive critic should be constructive criticism
searching adult should be searching for adult
suggestion, comment should be suggestions, comments
Disclaimer see the should be Disclaimer: See the
i do, but i dont should be I do, but I don’t
i already should be I already
i want more i will should be I want more I will
i say should be I say
i’m perfectly should be I’m perfectly
dont waste should be don’t waste
i’m pretty should be I’m pretty
i didnt have should be I didn’t have
in that moment should be at that time
i didnt should be I didn’t.

Portfolio

Pretty self explanatory. Everything is well organised.

Shop

Define “exclusive” and “non exclusive” in your shop, and what the difference actually is. This would make it a lot clearer.

of my site should be on my site
for your own should be for you
especial should be special
just by should be to only
i’m not should be I’m not
i accept should be I accept
i will should be I will
i will email should be I will email.

Originality & Creativity

You’ve got quite an original and creative website. There are some generic graphics like the Twilight graphics, and the generally tacky MySpace glitters. But other than that you had very unique quality graphics. The tutorials could do with some improvement and have more detail added.

Organisation & Errors

Well organised. I came across a lot of “coming soon” or missing pages on your website – don’t link to them until you have finished.

You need to check over your work and use a spellchecker, especially when writing a tutorial, because you want to be clear and concise.

Overall Comment

Alejandra, you’ve got a lovely website with some terrific graphics. You have great graphics skill and you showcase a lot of your excellent works.

There are key improvements to be made. Generally, the coding needs a lot of work. You also need to check over your work and use a spellchecker. Also, some pages need to be fixed up and errors dealt with. Avoid adding links when the pages don’t exist.

Keep up the great work.

Rating

(out of 5)