Review: Kayt @ Drop The Phone

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Site Name: Drop The Phone
Owner: Kayt
Reviewed by: Georgina
Reviewed on: 16th January 2010

Site Name

I know you didn’t think of the name yourself (I used to know the previous owner of the domain, haha) so I don’t really have any comment to make here.

Coding and Validation

Your coding has 15 errors and 1 warning and your CSS has 1 error and 10 warnings.

You have the following character in your navigation: |
Seeing as you are using <li> and your navigation is on the basis of a list, you cannot have that symbol between </li> and the next <lt>.

In the blockquote in your CSS, 100%/120% is not recognised as correct because of the line height value.

Browser Compatibility & Usability

Your site is navigable and functions in Firefox, Safari, Opera and Internet Explorer.

The navigation is easy to see and the text is definitely easy to read. I’ve got no problems in terms of usability!

Layout

The layout is very neat. You’ve used a template but you really have edited it well. What I like most about the layout is the colours. You’ve used tones of black and white but brought it out with an unusual scheme of orange, teal, purple and pink. I really like the look! You’ve also subtly used a range of fonts – Arial, Georgia, Century Gothic and Courier New.

I don’t really have anything to critique in this layout. The sidebar looks a bit empty and some other elements would look nice – perhaps move the button advertisement in the footer to the sidebar instead? Maybe some recent posts or comments would make it look less empty as well – at least on the homepage (as I noticed you are using a dynamic sidebar).

Content

Links

Nothing wrong here. I love how the page is set out – very organised and neat.

Website

On the main page accepted to host me should be accepted me for hosting.

On the contact page VIA should be via.

On the hosting page:

The only blogging system that is going to be used will be WordPress.

Would be better expressed as:

The only blogging system I will allow you to use is WordPress.

Qualifations should be Qualifications.

On the owner page there are some mistakes:
there’s new people should be there are new people
out going should be outgoing
can, it should be can; it
there’s been should be there have been
Nurse(RPN) should be Nurse (RPN)
job, should be job

Articles

I love the online pet peeves article. It’s always interesting to see what sort of views people have about things online – especially pet peeves.
There are a few mistakes on the article:
Lets be should be Let’s be
can . should be can. (when writing with smilies, sentences should be ended before inserting a smiley)
get any replied should be get any replies
website, I think should be website; I think
out of no where should be out of nowhere
Everyday when should be Every day when
CLOSE!. should be CLOSE!
whether it be should be whether it is
whats hot should be What’s hot
learn? stealing should be learn? Stealing.

I personally have to agree with people talking to me on MSN when my status clearly reads “busy” or “away”… I’ve opted for the auto-message with MSN Plus, which sends people auto-messages when I’m away so they don’t assume I’m just ignoring them!

On the Tips To Attract More Visitors article:
visitors attention should be visitors’ attention
rare the days should be rare these days
together some how should be together somehow
nice; People should be nice; people
mentioned . should be mentioned. (As I explained above with the smilies.)

I think the “User Friendly” article would be better named to “User Friendliness”.
no where near should be nowhere near
your using should be you’re using
options, try should be options; try
way its should be way it’s.

I definitely agree with the points on this article, especially with the font size and the excessive sub-pages!

On the article Just Be Yourself, there are some mistakes:
more of your should be more of you
hates it to should be hates it too
what ever you should be whatever you
Whats there should be What’s there
what ever it should be whatever it.

On the Stop Being A Hypocrite Article there are a few mistakes:
every where should be everywhere
persons website should be person’s website
another persons website should be another person’s website
Your too young should be You’re too young
nor OK should be or OK.

Visitor

The graphics are all okay. The pixel text could be improved; I’m not really liking the style/font of the text.

The blog smilies are okay – they’re quite cute!

On the horizontal navigation tutorial:
it’s self should be itself
over all should be overall
Navigation bar should be navigation bar
underneat should be underneath
their not should be they’re not.

On the terms of use on your sidebar, which I actually just noticed… Every thing on the following pages were should be Everything on the following pages was.

On the image/image wrapping tutorial, your validating should be you’re validating.

I think the shortening CSS tutorial and the converting fonts one could be merged, or you could explain conversion of fonts in the shortening CSS tutorial.

On the vertical navigation tutorial, the result isn’t quite what you’ve done with the CSS. It just looks like a regular list of links. Perhaps you’ve forgotten to include the CSS in your stylesheet.

On the BellaBuzz tutorial, “Ask Me script” isn’t the best way to describe it – perhaps “ask and answer script” would be better.

On the PHP button rotation tutorial Everytime should be Every time.

Ask Me

Self explanatory.

Project 52

I like this idea because most people do a 365 rather than a 52. I know it’s probably a “cheat” way out – nevertheless I like that you have included this. These projects personally interest me.

Originality & Creativity

You’ve got a nice variety of content including articles and graphics. I think your articles are most original. You have quite a few mistakes but you have done a great job on the articles.

The graphics and tutorials are okay – fairly good quality and well explained, but they are a little generic. I’m not sure how you are with graphics but perhaps some CSS templates or layouts would be a nice addition. I did read your recent blog and if you choose not to, that’s fine – it’s completely up to you.

Organisation & Errors

Well organised! There are a few mistakes in your writing but these can be easily fixed.

Overall Comment

You’ve got a unique site with quite a variety of content to offer. I think your strong point is in your articles and writing. I don’t have many suggestions but I’d definitely like to see more of your articles and writing, and maybe some more graphics because I haven’t seen much from you in that area.

I didn’t see many flaws in your website apart from the grammar/spelling mistakes; well done!

Rating

(out of 5)