Comments on: 2005 Top 10 Website Design Mistakes

By: Assad

Assad — Sat, 08 Oct 2005 19:43:24 +0000

I hate the standard width for most blog templates, which hovers around 600-650 px. It makes everything look so narrow.

In response to having light typeface on dark background, this really improves visibility for me and it looks a hell of a lot cooler! I think it offers a completely different mood for a particular blog.

By: Bill

Bill — Tue, 04 Oct 2005 19:03:57 +0000

My pet peeve is when bloggers refuse to comment on their own blog. Blogs are such a useful tool for dialogue and they refuse to respond regularly, or even at all, to peoples’ comments and questions.

By: The Dane

The Dane — Tue, 04 Oct 2005 18:59:03 +0000

Ali, I’ll agree with most everything on that list except for the titles one. I have long resisted the move towards post-titling (I think I first noticed it growing in popularity about three-and-a-half or four years ago). Though I will occasionally make use of titles, these are usually on special occasions as most posts aren’t worthy of a title.

Caveat: Titles DO help me avoid uninteresting posts on blogs of spotty interest, but then: 1) they should become more interesting blogs and 2) that’s just me judging a book by its cover.

By: Funky Dung

Funky Dung — Tue, 04 Oct 2005 05:20:41 +0000

You’ve reminded me that my blog is way overdue for a clean-up.

By: Ali

Ali — Tue, 04 Oct 2005 04:28:48 +0000

I wrote something about blog design sins a while back:

http://alison.caffeinatedbliss.com/thoughts/bloggingsins.php

A little tongue in cheek, but still valid!

By: The Dane

The Dane — Tue, 04 Oct 2005 03:04:38 +0000

I actually find all the extraneous text on blogger sidebar fairly annoying. All I care to see is a link to a bio (and other in-site navigation) and archive links. Blogrolls should be linked separately (like the blogger bio), not placed on ones blogpages. I hate having to scroll down past a too-long-and-worthless-to-me blogroll to find what is actually useful (e.g., contact info or archive links).

I think the ideal sidebar looks like this (from top to bottom):
1) insite nav (for sites that are more than just a blog)
2) capsule bio and link to extended bio (or just a link to an extended bio)
3) either archival links or single link to a page of archival links (search feature can be included here)
4) link to blogroll (no blogroll here - just link to blogroll)
5) contact info or link to contact form to defeat spamulators.

If the site is well thought out, 2, 4, and 5 can be included in the insite nav collection of #1.

But really, the peskiest thing on my list, and I cannot iterate this enough, is blogrolls taking up needless realestate. Blech and double blech.

By: Bene D

Bene D — Tue, 04 Oct 2005 02:26:11 +0000

I would never want to shame you Richard!
The contact form worked last time.
Twice even:^)

By: Richard Hall

Richard Hall — Tue, 04 Oct 2005 01:32:38 +0000

You’ve shamed me! I have put the contact form back on my bog!

By: alicia

alicia — Tue, 04 Oct 2005 00:01:20 +0000

slow loading pages are mine - and after that, having light type face on a dark background. Impossible for my aging eyes to read!
I wish that I could figure out how to make my own page load faster without having to totally delete my graphics.