Website: BelleAmour.org
Owner: Lindsay
Completed on: 25 August 2008

Layout

Header

First thing I see is a very large header image that takes awhile to load even on my rather fast connection. Checking the properties of the image I find that it’s nearly half a megabyte! On a dial-up connection, your site would take more than three minutes to load. Most visitors decide whether or not they want to stay at a site in less than ten seconds.

This header also uses some celebrity/model person whose name I’m not sure of (Ashlee Simpson?). It’s not okay to use these images unless you have the permission of the original photographer. The sites you are getting these pictures from most likely don’t have permission to use them either. They (and you) can be sued if some photographer gets a bug up his arse to do so. Here’s a really good articleon copyright violation. I highly recommend you and others using these images to read it.

The actual image consists of several images cut out and seemingly thrown together over a background of unreadable type. It’s very…sloppy for a lack of a better term. Why is Ashlee randomly horizontal at the bottom?

General Layout and Sidebar

I suggest centering your layout. Centered layouts usually look much neater and display better. Jem has a great tutorial on centering layouts. As it is, your navigation links are on the extreme left and it appears that the screen cuts off part of their left border. I should also mention here, that I really like the headers you’re using in the sidebar. They’re very elegant looking and I love that shade of blue.

However, consider using headers (h1, h2, h3, etc) for your headings instead of divs. It makes for neater, more organized code.

What is SLAT? In your disclaimer, there’s a bit of odd text: �2008. I’m assuming that you’re going for © 2008 here which is created by typing & copy ; (remove the spaces) Admin links belong in your bookmarks/favorites not on the sidebar of your website.

Having both top and side navigation is redundant. Get rid of one of them. I think the best one to remove would be the one in the sidebar to reduce clutter. Speaking of navigation, I’m not a big fan of the hover color on your top nav. Perhaps get rid of the background completely, then make the color the dark blue you’ve used elsewhere.

The link to heartpledge.net is broken. Olivia is now at its-olivia.com, this link should be updated as well.

Blog

I see that you’re using Cutenews as your blogging system. Bad idea. This script is incredibly vulnerable to hacking and spam. The URLs it generates are very search engine unfriendly. Also, if I remember correctly, this script isn’t even being updated anymore. FanUpdate is a good alternative which will also allow you to import all of your old CuteNews entries so you don’t lose your blogs.

Your entries remind me a lot of LiveJournal in how they’re formatted with the icons and signature at the end. Speaking of the signature, is that font similar to your real handwriting? I don’t review blogs, so onwards to content.

Content

Visitor

The non-celebrity icons are cute. I think you should change the title of “My Writing” to “My Poetry” or just “Poetry” as that’s the only genre in this section. Your product reviews are well-written and informative and don’t come across as sponsored.

I’d like to see you expand on your opinion articles. Then I get to the “Goals That Help…” article. I thought your name was Lindsay. Who’s this Dean Anderson? Do you have permission to redistribute this article?

From the SparkTeens website (the one you’ve credited):

You may not reproduce, distribute, modify or create derivative works of, publicly display (including by framing any content), or commercially exploit any part of the Website except as necessary to view the content on the Website and create a reasonable number of copies of portions of such content (without modification) for your personal, non-commercial use.

Apparently not. I’m skipping the other articles as they were not created by you. Now I wonder if the other articles besides your opinions weren’t your creations.

Shop

Some copyright holders don’t mind fanworks as long as no profit is made. Take JK Rowling for example, she doesn’t mind seeing fan fiction and artbased on the Potterverse. However, when the creator of the HP Lexicon attempted to get it published she sent a cease and desist order and had the publication shut down. Your shop crosses the line into copyright infringement. I suggest that you stop offering to sell graphics featuring copyrighted images.

Music

This link loads in a pop-up window and begins to play music automatically. I closed it immediately after a rap song began blaring its vulgar lyrics at me. You should probably differentiate your pop-up links from the others somehow.

Lindsay

Your about me is very detailed except for your favourites. Perhaps elaborate on why these are your favorites. Handwriting analysis is just a generic quiz result. *Yawn*. It’s good that you’ve marked your photographs as opening in a new window (or tab in my case). I suggest using thumbnails of the images instead of a list of links and have them link to the full-size image. Contact is just a plain text email address. Perhaps consider using a contact form here?

Site

Definitions of the words that make up your site name comes across as useless filler. It’d be much more interesting to read about why you chose the name, why you decided to open this sort of site, and about your web history prior to this site.

On the affiliates page, periods are needed at the end of each sentence. The buttons for its-olivia.com and bella-luna are broken. You also have Olivia linked twice, once for her new URL and once for her old one.

All of your Archives links lead to pages that contain a bunch of PHP warnings and nothing else.

Final Thoughts

This site infringes on multiple copyrights and redistributes articles from sites that specifically say “you may not redistribute”. The layout is poor quality and the CMS is one of the most insecure scripts available. However, there is a spark of creativity within. Rid yourself of all the crap and expand on the original content and you’ll be on your way to having a great site.

Never buy from the Bookstore

…unless you have to. A growing trend among colleges is to require “custom” editions of textbooks. Usually these only have the name of the college on the front, but sometimes they contain custom content. Buy used if possible. Sell these at the end of the semester by advertising around campus for a bit less than the bookstore. You’ll make more than selling back to the bookstore.

Use Third Party bookstores….

…with caution. They may use flashy ads and freebies to get you in, but the savings aren’t always worth it. Sometimes the difference is only a couple of bucks less than the campus store and I’ve seen several texts that are more expensive.

Amazon.com is your friend

I’ve found new texts here for less than the cost of used at the bookstore. The site is also currently running a promotion for free shipping if you buy $100 or more of amazon.com/gp/browse.html/?node=668781011&tag=easofche-20">textbooks.

Ebay and Half.com are also your friends

Half.com is a well-known destination for cheap media. Just be advised (and this goes for Amazon as well) that cheapest isn’t always best. Never buy from sellers with low feedback (for me this is under 96%) and don’t forget to check the quality. It’s better to pay the $10 more for the like new than to get the lowest price at a really poor quality. Don’t forget to check out EBay auctions as well. I’ve found new books for half price before.

Buy Looseleaf….

…and a couple of cheap 1″ binders (currently $1 or less). I just purchased a new looseleaf version of one of my textbooks for $50. The used hardcover was over $100 at the bookstore. Not only is it much cheaper, but it’s lighter too. You can choose to carry only the section of the book you’ll be covering in class in a small binder or folder and make your backpack a lot lighter.

Buy older editions

It’s a good idea to check with your professor to make sure it’s okay. Most professors are fine with it and some even ask for older editions, but the bookstore automatically lists the newest edition for the class. Buying one edition older (which is usually only a year or two old) can save a lot of money. Let’s say a new edition of a book comes out and costs $100. The previous book depreciates by quite a bit and only costs $5 (or less).

Check your local listings

Your local Craigslist is a good start. Also check bulletin boards on campus and other local classifieds.

Go to the library

If your class requires books that aren’t textbooks, go check them out at your local library instead of buying them. A renewal or two covers the entire semester. Also, some campus libraries have textbooks on reserve. This means that you may check them out for a period of time (at my library it’s four hours) to study and make copies of, but are usually for in-house use only. This is a good option if you ordered books online that haven’t arrived or if you don’t yet have the money for your textbooks. Sometimes academic libraries have textbooks out for circulation as well, but these are usually not the newest edition.

Buy used locally

Make sure to check used bookstores and thrift shops in your area. I’ve found textbooks at the local Deseret Industries (LDS-owned thrift shop) for as low as $2. Paperbacks can be found for 2 or 4 for a $1. Sometimes cheap books can be found at yard sales as well.

Check the Surplus Sales

Ever wondered what happens to lost and found items that don’t get claimed by their owners? They get sent to surplus who sorts through it all and donates, trashes, auctions, or sells the various items. Lots of people lose textbooks, so you can find brand new ones for half the price of the bookstore. If you’re in the market for a flash drive or a computer, check out the surplus sales for those too. One of the local universities sells computers to the public for between $25 and $200 and flash drives are the most commonly lost items. There’s usually a link on the college’s website, but if not call campus info.

It was adopted in August 2005 from a small pawn shop in Louisiana using funds from the first summer job its owner ever held. This job entailed long hours in a small cafe cooking and serving food to E.B. golfers for just above minimum wage at a rather high-end resort. Its life prior to its adoption is unknown. It was a loyal companion, accompanying its owner first to college, then across the country to Utah. The PS2 was survived by games from a variety of genres and accessories. It is accompanied in death by Guitar Hero III as it was with the console during its fatal plunge. Its disc has yet to be recovered. Both the console and the game will be sorely missed and will not be replaced for a long time as the family mourns (and attempts to save the money necessary for a replacement).

In Memoriam: Playstation 2. Sometime in 2003-August 9, 2008.

I think I’ve finally set my fall schedule after adding and dropping classes for the past four months. Here it is, combined with my work schedule. I don’t know that I’ll survive it…

Monday & Wednesday:
10-10:50: Introduction to Chemistry
11-11:50: Social Welfare Policy
12:30-9:30: Work

Tuesday:
12:00-2:20: Beginning French I
4:30-9:30: Work

Thursday:
12:00-2:20: Beginning French

Friday:
10-10:50: Introduction to Chemistry
11-11:50: Social Welfare Policy

Saturday:
1:00-6:00: Rotating shifts once or twice a month.

Online:
Public Information Services
Marriage and Family Relations

Total Credits: 17
Total Work: 23 (+5)

I also have to make time to study, complete the driving portion of drivers education, and take care of household stuff. Fun.

What classes are you taking this fall?

What do you think of it so far? All suggestions, opinions, constructive criticisms, and error reporting welcome. =)

Beyond Good and Evil: An in-progress story set (mostly) after the events of Final Fantasy VII.  The pairing of Reno and Tifa is very well-done and believable. Contains spoilers for various parts of the Compilation, especially Advent Children. [Final Fantasy VII Compilation]

Dumbledore’s Army and The Year of Darkness: An epic story about Neville and the rest of the D.A. during Year 7.  Spoilers for Deathly Hallows.  Focuses mainly on “minor” characters.  [Harry Potter]

Durc: The story of the Clan of the Cave Bear after Ayla’s departure.  Extremely long and detailed. Almost feels like it was written by Auel herself.  Spoilers for most of the series.  [Earth's Children]

Sowing the SeeDs: Set several years before the events of Final Fantasy VIII.  Told mainly from Xu’s perspective.  An example of original characters being done well. [Final Fantasy VIII]

Where Your Book Begins: “High school is over. As they enter a new stage in their lives, the girls will discover joy, sorrow, betrayal, love, and strength as they have never experienced it before. They’ll soon discover what they need to survive is love and faith in each other.” A bit much on the tragedy, but definitely still worth reading. [Babysitters Club]

1.Please recommend one dish that is native to your area.

Toronto is one big mix of culture; we don’t have any ethnic dishes. You can get every kind of food here, which I think is amazing. When I eat out, it’s almost always sushi, but I like Asian food in general - Thai, Chinese, Indian, etc.

2.Do you believe that marijuana should legalized for medical reasons?

I don’t have a big problem with marijuana in general. Having seen the effects of worse drugs (cocaine mainly), I think we should be focusing more on those drugs. If it can be used responsibly in medical environments, I don’t have a problem with it.

3.What is the one cause you feel most strongly about?

I have strong opinions about everything; it’s hard to pick just one cause. I’ve been hearing a lot about people who believe that global warming is nothing to worry about and that we’re wasting time and money; personally I think that, even if there wasn’t a problem, it isn’t hurting us to try to take care of the Earth.

4.Do you feel that your elected representatives represent your views? Why
or why not?

No, I’m not entirely happy with the Members of Parliament or Members of Provincial Parliament, which are the more local Canadian representatives. I know Canadian politics could be exponentially worse, but our system is flawed. I’m not well-versed in our politics, though, so I’m not the best person to ask if you want reasons or particularly educated answers.

5.What are your career goals?

I’m still undecided as to what I want to do with my life, which I actually blogged about fairly recently. I know I want to write, although I don’t know if I want to make a career out of it or do something else while trying to write on the side. I would love to have a novel published (I have a dream to have one published before I’m twenty, although at the rate I’m going I’m not sure if that’s going to happen), and of course I’d like to be successful at whatever I end up doing.

6.Do your friends and family know about your blog? If so, how do they feel
about it? If not, would you prefer that it remained that way?

My family knows and one of my close friends knows, but they don’t care too much either way. I’m not sure I’d want my other friends to know; it’s irrational, really, because I don’t write about anything I wouldn’t want them to know.

7.Do you have any pets? Please share pictures if you have them.

I don’t currently have any pets, although I’ve had two guinea pigs, ten hamsters, and too many fish to count. One of my guinea pigs, Winnie, was incredible; my family used to joke that she was part dog, to account for her uncanny cleverness and big heart. She’s still missed.

8.If a potential employer asked to see a sample of your writing, which of
your articles or blogs would you submit?

I would submit two blog entries (A Ballet-Dancing Firefighting Astronaut and Why Blog?) and two articles (Is Photography Art? and Unrequested Reviews)

1. No Generics: There is often a difference in taste and overall quality. It’s worth it to spend the extra money (usually less than a dollar) for a higher quality product. Buy organic juices and yogurt if you can afford them.
2. Good Fruit: Once again, buy organic if you can afford it. Local and organic is optimal. Fresh is best, but frozen will do if necessary. Watch out for added sugar in the frozen ones and be sure to wash all fresh fruit thoroughly before use.
3. Never use ice: Overpriced smoothie chains have a tendency to do this. It’s a trick to save ingredients and money that dilutes the smoothie and makes it taste disgusting.
4. Balance: If you make a mixture that’s nearly all orange juice, strawberries, and apple juice, you’ll have a rather harsh and tangy drink. Mix in more neutral tasting ingredients like bananas.
5. Experiment!: Try different combinations of ingredients and amounts to find ones you like. Play with different settings on the blender to change the texture. Don’t be afraid to put in seemingly unusual ingredients. Some won’t work, but most will.

My favorite smoothie is made with strawberries, bananas, apple juice, and vanilla yogurt. My least favorites were one my partner made that had ground coffee in it (I hate coffee) and one from the smoothie shop on campus that was about 65% ice and cost nearly $5. What are yours?

I blog because I like to do it. I’m incredibly picky about the subject as well as the overall tone of a blog entry. Lots of times I’ll just edit a draft 10 times before I delete it. With paid blogging there’d be deadlines, and requirements… I positive that if I were payed I could not maintain a satisfactory standard for my blog entries.

2.What is one little thing that makes you happy?

A “thank you”.

3.When you type ‘lol’ are you really laughing?

Unless I mean it as sarcasm, yeah.

4.How do you feel about the use of copyrighted images on websites?

I feel they lower the “value” of a website. I know how much work goes into creating a website, and thus I greatly admire anyone who does his/her best to use his/her own resources (as much as possible).

5.Do you ever feel that you have to censor yourself on your blog?

Yes, when I blog about people I know offline. It’s not fair to expose others, who might not wish to be exposed.

6.What do you do when you can’t fall asleep?

Depends… sometimes I’ll put my earphone on and listen to my mp3 player. Other times I’ll go and surf the web.

7.Which charities, if any, do you support?

None. I haven’t really been interested in any.

8.Why do you blog?

It’s a great way to vent, and I seem to be able to entertain my readers.

9. Which of your entries best represents your skills as a writer?

Difficult to say… possibly http://lianko.com/2008/01/20/self-defense-basics/

10. Please list three blogs you enjoy reading and why you like them.

• Jemjabella.co.uk - I love all her tech related posts and I’m secretly plotting to steal her cats… erm well… maybe not so secretly, now
• Dooce.com - I tried to stay away… I truly did. I don’t like mommy blogs… but Heather is so funny and her writing style is so easy to follow.
• Impish.ca - I truly wish I’ll manage to make the ordinary so interesting as Rose does.