Established by Emilie in May 2009, *statement aims to provide constructive criticism for the many site owners out there. She is very strong-minded, and her reviews may be considered harsh, but her goal is to provide areas of improvement for you.
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In the blink of an eye - 7.5/10
My first impression is mediocre - I'm not overwhelmingly impressed, but not totally discouraged. One thing I notice is the content runs off the page - try to avoid having a horizontal scroll bar! You want everyone to see what you've got to offer – don't hide precious content you've worked hard on ;)
Because she's so often confused - 7/10
First off, the navigation links are veeerry small! You want to encourage people to navigate through your site, so bring this element out! Another feature that would help your navigation would be the addition of "back to top" links – since you have a LOT of content up there, requiring a lot of scrolling, try adding links after each section to bring the user back to the top of the screen, where they can easily access the navigation links once again!
Also, the neopets navigation at the bottom is cut off by the horizontal scroll bar, and it really doesn't seem to fit the style of your page! These links aren't vital, but if you'd like to include them as a courtesy, make sure they fit in!
OW! My eyes! - 7.5/10
The colour scheme isn't too blinding (thank you!), but the layout is a little bit chaotic. A layout should show off your work, not hide it! Use your space effectively to communicate everything you want in a first impression. Bring out important elements! Unite your layout by a recurring theme – right now it seems scattered!
The meat - 17/20
Your content looks great, & you've definitely got a lot of it! I really like the style you did the Kyriis in - I like the smoother lines versus the pencil look of the others ;) I'd encourage you to expand your selection – you've done a great job of creating different looks for the species, but I'd like to see your talents applied to different species!
Do we have contact? - 9/10
Excellent – you have an update box! I also like that you've decided to ask your site visitors what they'd like to see next! Your updates are very thorough, and fairly frequent ;)
One thing I'd suggest to enhance your updates would be to put them in a more obvious spot! I didn't even realize you had an update box on first glance, because I had to scroll to get to it x( Put your box in the limelight, and show people just how hard you're working on all the adoptables!
Let the creative juices flow - 7/10
I like your style, especially the Kyriis ;) Though I admit, I'm not an adoptable guru, these seem pretty neat to me. You've got a variety of styles, but I'd like to see you let loose a bit! Add some more species, show off your talents in different areas! You've done a great job so far at showing your talents within a species, but work at expanding your collection!
I'd also like to see you add a personal touch, perhaps an introduction about yourself and the site: How did you start making adoptables, and why? When did you decide the open the site, and what inspires you. What makes you unique as an adoptable-maker (:P). Put your personal stamp on it, otherwise it's just another adoptable site.
It's all about the wordplay - 5/5
No errors that I can see ;) & no chatspeak –applause-
Who's to blame - 5/5
Nothing looks stolen to me, however I'd encourage you to try making your own layout from scratch next time - though I applaud you for at least editing the premade!
Avalanche - 8/10
I like how you incorporated your work into your layout – definitely a good move! You're also drumming up some affiliates which is great, & I like that you make your own link back buttons ;)
Going places? - 7.5/10
I think you've definitely got the potential to go far, you just need to work on organization and presentation a bit! Play around with your layout, try using your space effectively to show off all you've got. You've put a ton of work into your adoptables, & you've definitely got a knack for making them, so make sure your layout does them (& you!) justice!
Which all adds up to... 80.5/100!
In the blink of an eye - 10/10
Wow – this site looks awesome! Your banner is great – it immediately draws attention to itself. Everything looks organized, and the layout looks very well put together – way to go :)
Because she's so often confused - 9/10
Your links all work great, and everything is organized well! One thing that popped out at me though was the fact that your navigation links extend past the div area. It might just be my browser, Safari, (though it's doing the same thing in IE). I don't have firefox on here (my computer has some serious issues with it xS), so I can't tell if it works or not there – I had a friend check it, and it looks fine to her. Maybe to make it work better in other browsers, add the "overflow:auto" property, so that it will scroll in the other browsers. It should still look the same in FF since it fits, but will make everything visible to other users :)
One other thing I noticed is the neopets navigation under your banner is practically invisible – maybe try making it more visible if you're going to have it there ;)
& perhaps add some "back to top" links – the page is pretty long, so perhaps you could add links every few sections so people can easily get back to the navigation at the top.
OW! My eyes! - 11/10
The layout looks great – I really like how vibrant the banner is, compared to the grey background. It really gives it emphasis!
The meat - 20/20
Definitely an excellent (and helpful!) page. I haven't seen anyone else organize the captions in this way, and it's definitely a great resource. It makes the contests easy to navigate, and much more accessible. I will definitely be bookmarking your page! I can tell you've put a lot of effort into organizing them all as well :)
Do we have contact? - 10/10
You update every day – excellent :) You also keep track of how many you've organized for your visitors, which is very helpful as well!
Let the creative juices flow - 11/10
Your layout is great, your idea is great, its all great :)
It's all about the wordplay - 5/5
No errors that I can see, and no chat speak! –applause-
Who's to blame - 5/5
All credit is given, good job. I also like that you cited neopets for the caption contest images –thumbs up-
Avalanche - 10/10
I love the site name, and the text on the banner is awesome. There's not much I can say that I haven't already said ;) Keep going!
Going places? - 10/10
Your site is already awesome. You've done a great job of getting it going, and with a very unique and helpful idea. Kudos to you, my friend!
Which all adds up to... 101/100! Take an award ;)
In the blink of an eye – 9/10
The bold splash page is definitely an attention-grabber! Upon entering the actual site, it looks well put together, the only thing that sticks out at me is your content looks VERY small. I don't like scrolling, and I feel like I need a magnifying glass to read it all.
Because she's so often confused – 10/10
I like the way you've organized your navigation to keep it neat; dividing the different categories makes it more user friendly, rather than searching through a page long list of links!
-- I just noticed you have "affiliates" listed twice, once in your main navigation, and once under your site navigation. I'm not sure whether this was deliberate, just pointing it out!
OW! My eyes! – 9/10
The layout is very bold, I'll give you that. However the bright pink starts to hurt the eyes after browsing for a while (and you have a lot of content to browse!). Perhaps if your content was a little bit bigger and easier to navigate, the pink might not be so overwhelming. It's also a pain to scroll through all of your layouts in that tiny, tiny box!
The meat – 19/20
You definitely have plenty of content – more than I could take in. One thing I'd like to see is a little variation – you have lots of layouts, but a lot of it is just variations on your standard theme. Try developing some more different styles :)
In your quotes section, I tried to hover over the images to get their numbers, but it didn't work. I checked it in another browser, and it worked there. Clearly, that feature doesn't work in Safari, so you should probably make a note of that somewhere, and an alternate method for Safari users to figure out the number :) (also applies to your icons, which are very cute by the way!)
Do we have contact? – 10/10
Looks like your site is fairly new, as you only have two updates! However they seem thorough, and your introduction was excellent :)
Let the creative juices flow – 9.5/10
This is definitely not a typical CSS site, which I like. You've got a wide range of resources, and other pieces people could really benefit from. It would really be a shame though if someone avoided your site, judging by your name that all you have is layouts. Your name doesn't really do you justice, though I like the idea behind it :)
I'd also like to see you develop some new CSS styles, you've done a great job with what you've created so far, but I'd like to see you push the boundaries a bit ;)
It's all about the wordplay – 5/5
All looks well :)
Who's to blame – 4.5/5
You've done a good job of giving credit, however I'd like to know what you're thanking swimchick and photobucket for – what exactly is their influence in your site? It's sort of empty credit right now.
Also (though I have no clue where it originated, and whether it was made for public use), but the floral background in the first of your 1 column petpage layouts I know was definitely in one of simone's layouts. Now granted, I don't know whether she made the pattern, or found it on a public site. I'm just saying it jumped out at me.
Avalanche – 10/10
I really like the different resources you've provided in addition to your CSS – some people will really benefit from those :)
Going places? – 10/10
Your site is definitely off to a great start – keep up the excellent work :)
I've given you a few minor adjustments to consider, but otherwise, you've done a grand job.
Which all adds up to... 96/100! Go grab your award ;)
In the blink of an eye – 8/10
Your site looks pretty well put together – the only thing that jumps out at me is your banner isn't very eye-catching. The image is great, but your name doesn't stand out at ALL in that green text – your site has a great name, so get your name out there!
Because she's so often confused – 10/10
Links work great, and everything's in its spot. *high fives*
OW! My eyes! – 7.5/10
Everything looks pretty good, aside from what I mentioned previously about the banner! One thing that jumped out at me was the colour of the rollover on your navigation links – the yellow & black doesn't mesh with your colour scheme at all x(
The meat – 15/20
You've got decent criteria, and you seem to put a decent amount of effort into your reviews. I don't always agree with your opinions, but again, that's the point of review sites :) I noticed you often criticize review sites for being harsh – personally, I believe if people are knowingly submitting to these reviews, they deserve what review they get. The reviewers are entitled to their opinions, and if the site owners aren't happy, then they shouldn't request reviews.
One thing that stuck out at me is you like to criticize spelling and grammar – you have a number of errors on your site (I'll discuss in the appropriate section). If you feel the need to criticize others, make sure you've done it properly yourself.
Sometimes I feel your criticisms are too centred around your style and opinion – you take off points for layout styles you don't like, or the way people present things, but if they're effective and unique, I don't really feel people should be deducted because you believe they should present things in a different way.
Do we have contact? – 9.5/10
You update quite frequently – good job :)
Let the creative juices flow – 7/10
I don't really get the feeling you're doing anything much differently from all the other review sites. I'm not getting any real strong vibes about you, or your style. It just seems typical, I'm sorry.
It's all about the wordplay – 0/5
Eek - quite a few spelling and grammar errors!
Suggestions section:
#3 – "Your might be rainbow" – should be "Yours..
#5 – "My site is not very thouh.." not sure if you mean tough, or though, & if it's "though", it's not proper grammar either.
#7 – Update "recently" does not make sense. Do you mean frequently? Recently means in the near past, as in perhaps you updated a few days ago. It does not, however, mean you update all the time, only recently. Which I doubt is what you're looking for. Frequently, however, means many times at short intervals.
#9 – Your phrasing is not really right. You should say "save the images you make as PNG's".
Your "best viewed in firefox" button, is also spelled wrong. It says "viewewed", it should be "viewed".
Who's to blame – 4.5/5
No stolen credit that I can see, and you've thanked people for the layout and such. You might want to also establish that the layout, content, and buttons were all by you as well. Who made the banner? Don't leave these questions unanswered – cover all your bases!
Avalanche – 8/10
I'd like to see you organize your layout a bit more – right now, you've got your sites, your affiliates, and the sites you're listed at, all under the heading "affiliates". Your list is also getting much larger – you might want to have it scroll, or marquee or something. It makes the sidebar pretty long to scroll through, especially if you plan on adding more.
I like that you made your own link back button – its quite nice :) Though as a button maker, I guess you have the upper hand on that one!
Going places? – 7.5/10
I believe you have the potential as a site owner, however I think you're facing some barriers as a reviewer at the moment! You seem to let personal opinion get in the way of your reviews, and while opinion is always a driving force, you also have to look at whether the site is effective the way its currently running. You may believe review sites should have 2 columns, however perhaps someone has come up with a genius way to run their site without it? Maybe you believe updates should be in a div instead of a textbox, but techinally, the textbox isn't preventing visitors from reading the updates as they would on any other site. As a reviewer, you need to be open to people's artistic choices, and while we do have to make suggestions and sometimes things do need criticizing, I think you need to look at certain things with a more open mind. Just because you personally don't like someone's link back buttons doesn't mean they aren't decent.
& you still haven't added my button to your site. My rules specifically say you need to link back after you request a review. I'll have to deduct points for that, I'm afraid. If you expect people to follow your rules, you should show the same courtesy to other site owners. – 5 points.
Which all adds up to... 72/100. You may apply for a re-review once you've made significant changes to your site.
In the blink of an eye – 9.5/10
Your layout is very striking, and definitely looks very solid on first glance. Your banner stands out quite well, and I like the way you emphasized your name – very effective :) The colours all match, and it emphasizes your name as well, being purple!
Because she's so often confused – 10/10
Everything is organized well, links work, good job :)
OW! My eyes! – 9.5/10
Your layout is excellent – colours work, banner is striking, everything makes sense, good job!
The meat – 18/20
Your buttons look pretty good :)
Don't put down your own work – "most of the old, ugly ones were deleted". Seriously, what message are you trying to send to your visitors?
Also, I realllllyy don't like seeing that you used someone elses base in your customs.
Do we have contact? – 7.5/10
There's really not much to your updates other than "made 3 buttons, made 5 buttons, added an affie, got a review". Your visitors won't really connect with that. You don't seem to really reach out to your visitors much. You come across as immature and stand-off-ish. In your rules, you complain about spending a "a whole 10 minutes" on each button. Well, if that's the way you feel, don't run a button site. Many site owners spend much more time on their work. I run a graphic and layout request site, which also provides premade css. I spend AT LEAST an hour on each layout, sometimes triple that depending on the coding required. I often get multiple requests a day. However, I NEVER complain about it, because I am after all running a site and accepting requests.
Let the creative juices flow – 7.5/10
Your site has the potential to be really creative and unique, but you've sort of stomped it all out by conveying a bad attitude. You don't offer anything too unique compared to other sites, and you mention that you used someone elses button base for your button? Seriously, that's a huge DON'T. You're a button maker. You shouldn't have to rely on someone elses resources to make your buttons. And that person will probably not get their due credit when that button is used.
It's all about the wordplay – 0/5
Rebecca, meet shift key. Shift key, meet Rebecca. Seriously, you have a very bad case of lowercase-itus. You need to capitalize the first letter of every sentence. It's easy, and basic. It's hard to read the constant lowercase, and it's very unprofessional. There's a LOT of sloppy typos. Please, please, PLEASE spellcheck your work before you save it! Type it all into a word processor, have it check it, and then copy and paste to your site. Typos looks sloppy, and people may assume you could make a typo in their button.
Who's to blame – 4.5/5
You've done a very thorough job of crediting everyone in your "credits" section – good job :) However, I really don't like what you've put in your button bases section – "they weren't entirely by me, but give me credit". Most button makers will use images from other sources, so you really don't need to mention this. And, it conveys to people that perhaps its "stolen content".
Avalanche – 7.5/10
Your name is pretty interesting – Purplefly? When I hear that I think, "Wow, that must be a neat site!". However, I'd really like to know how in the world you came up with it? I like to hear the story behind unique names, or how the site started, etc. It also serves as a great intro – people like that stuff, it makes the person behind the pixels a little more real.
Right now, your intro isn't very catchy. You start right off by sayng "I don't animate buttons", emphasizing what you CAN'T do to visitors, rather than drawing them in with your talent. Commenting on how it's a "waste of your time", is also not really a good thing to say. I'm more likely to visit a site where it owner likes making their buttons for people. You need to use your intro to hook people – what makes your site unique? Right now you're just appearing rude, and honestly a bit immature!
Going places? – 8/10
Despite your lack of attitude and professionalism, your site is a decent one. Your buttons are well-liked, and you do a good job with them. However, I think you need to run your site more maturely.
Once again, you've forgotten to add my button to your pending reviews list. If you expect people to link back to you, as a site owner, you SERIOUSLY need to show that courtesy to others. Don't expect things if people can't expect the same from you. – 5 marks.
Which all adds up to... 77/100. You may apply for a re-review once you've made significant changes to your site.
