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HodgedUp – Join the Community – Or Not! – Bloggeries Review

If you are looking for a weird site, well, then I sure as heck have one for ya. It is called HodgedUp and they are calling themselves the coolest community. Of what, you ask? Hmmm….I am still trying to figure that one out. The blog is described as a collection of unique and funny articles, videos, and funny pictures. They were self-described as something different or twisted to laugh at. Well, I wasn’t really laughing when I was going through here, and seemingly, I wasn’t reading any articles either. In fact, this website does not even look like a blog at all. Some blogs disguise their blog status well, however this one was very strange. It has all the looks of a major online community, but lists only 3 members. Perhaps you have to register to take full advantage of the blog, but then, is it really a blog if that is the case? At any rate, I didn’t register, the few tidbits I got on the page were not enough to make me go that length. I did see some odd videos though, odd is a better word for me than twisted, but again, twisted is in the eye of the beholder. These videos included: “Kelly Clarkson joins Metal Skool with her friend Jack Daniels, David Hasselhoff – Hooked on a Feeling, Dave the Hoff Hasselhoff – Jump in my Car, and Chris Daughtry Singing Plush.

What can I say about Navigation? I just flat out did not understand this site. When you are browsing the videos you will see a browse links menu, and here you will find links such as “Zodler the Virtual Sim Baby”, and Free Online Games. The Top navigation bar contained links to My Desktop (AKA Home), My Contacts (the 3 members of the community), Search Blogs, Inkspot, Media, Login, Register, and a Help button. I don’t really know how recent the blog is, or if it is even used, the front page seemed to change while I was in the process of roaming and navigating, so I am going to guess it is pretty recent. The right navigation bar has a login section for members, as well as some AdSense code. In the bottom navigation bar there are pics of the blog members listed as “random members” but you will notice they are the same ones that appear in the “My Contacts” link. There is a search bar for members here, and also a menu for “Important References” such as Tell/Invite a Friend, Contact Us, Report Abuse, Bookmark Us, and their Privacy Policy as well as Terms of Use. It is links such as this that lead me to wonder how big this site may be behind the registration, but again, I just could not be bothered as they did not give me enough to whet my appetite.

I am going with a 1.4 here, and I think this is fairly generous. Bloggeries has never given a 1 before but I can’t give them a 2.  I just did not know what was going on with this site outside of a collection of assorted celebrity videos. I did not see much “twisted” humor or articles, or bloggeries – this leaves the content marks in the dust. Navigation WOULD be simple I think if I knew what this blog was about. It is certainly unique, but I can’t even give anything activity marks as nothing has date stamps on it. If this site is expecting a high registration, it really needs to fix these major issues, or I think it is just going to keep floating around aimlessly in cyberspace. Until it does, that is probably just as well.

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– Chrissie

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Lifetime Gamer – Video Games and More – Bloggeries Review

If you are into gaming, then you may like this site, it is called Lifetime Gamer and is meant to include anything and almost everything. From first glance it is pretty difficult to determine what the true intention of this blog is about. The layout is somewhat cluttered, but I will get to that later. Reading through the posts this blog is what is says it is, a blog about gaming. The most recent posts include Ever Wondered What Games our Fellow Russian Arcade Gamers Played?; Mr. Robot Review; The Ultimate Guide to Video Game Degrees and Careers; Gromit of ‘Wallace and Gromit’ Fame is the new ‘Top Dog’ for RCA; Blogger.com riddled with malware, yep you hear it correct; and Commodore looking to dip into video gamers wallets. I like how the site covers gaming in general, and not simply the topic of online gaming which is such a huge industry in itself. The blog opens up with some discussion on arcading and great pics of a Russian model of one of those old arcade systems. The Robot review post is also an interesting one if you are into futuristic technology, and if you aren’t, it works for a great read either way.

I need to be frank about the navigation however, if you are a gamer you will have some problems with this site. The posts are centered down the page and there are two navigation bars on either side, each with an assortment of “stuff” as the author titles. The left navigation bar includes an assortment of link menus – featured games, ebay auctions, online games and stuff, arcade stuff, gamers site stuff, unsigned bands free flash games, CD’s and stuff, friends and stuff, and a LOT of advertising stuff. You will also find on the left side the handiest archive tool I have seen yet – a drop down menu that allows you to locate specific dates for posts. On the right hand navigation bar you will see links and menus for da computer stuff, mo computer stuff, science links, geek people stuff, funny stuff, and yes, more advertising stuff. The unfortunate thing about both navigation bars is that it will take you some time to find all of this ‘stuff’ simply due to the exorbitant amount of advertising. I also wouldn’t mind seeing an About Me page on the blog, as there isn’t one currently. I think a categories menu could be added as well as that will simplify the blog a bit more and make it a little more apparent what the ‘stuff’ of the blog is about. Also the bloggeries themselves should be hyperlinked to open up that individual page.

The content is well handled, this blog definitely has a personal voice and some quips in and out of posts make that obvious. The writing is well done, but this is not a very active blog. The 6 posts on the main page included all blog activity since March 5, and while there was a June entry, I think more blogging is necessary. Another glitch is one post is missing a headline, which is obviously an oversight but when posts are few, the error glares on the page. Pictures are relevant and there are enough of them, however the advertising on this blog is excessive to the point of distraction. Unfortunately however, I can’t give this blog more than a 2.4 due to the aforementioned issues. A little cleanup and some regular content however I think will give this blog much success. If it was cleaned up and alot more active it could score well.

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– Chrissie

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Inklings – The Copywriters Blog – The Writing – Writers – Ads and Language – Blog Review

Ever find yourself in hysterics over a tv-spot? (aka commercial) Can’t think of one? How about those Mac vs. PC commercials. Smiling and nodding, right? ABC airs an hour long show each year on the funniest television commercials on air. And why? They are brilliant. Did it ever occur to you there are brilliant minds behind those maddnesses? Yes, writers are not just journalers, authors, poets, content producers, and film-makers, they are also highly accredited advertising creators. And they are some of the best writers out there. Why? Because they make you buy things, sometimes even before you want to. Meet Walter Burek creator of Inklings • The Copywriter’s Blog – The Writing, The Writers, The Ads, The Language! I stumbled across this blog when perusing the writer’s blogs. Walter is a copywriter who has learned his craft in some of the world’s best advertising agencies, and has many prestigious awards to back up his proclaimed talent. He decided to write a blog about copywriting because he’s good at it. And I agree, why not? He has in print epitomized every true writer’s ultimate objective: “learned to use the power of our language to communicate, stimulate, and motivate…” But you don’t need to see the trophies to believe him, stop in and read a few of his posts.

Many of his recent posts include the Copywriter’s Quote of the Week. My favorite was Number 18: “I have always believed that writing advertisements is the second most profitable form of writing. The first, of course, is ransom notes . . . .” You are going to have to visit the blog to see who is credited for that wit. Other posts include Hop Aboard the Alexa Train, Writing in the Green: 5 ways you Need to Be Kind to the Planet, Write and Write Again, and Good Copywriters don’t Use Shrunken Heads. You will also find an assortment of Miscellania’s where you will find a bounty of tips such as why you shouldn’t wear red when you are writing (as I quickly look down to examine today’s color palette), and should you or shouldn’t you be drinking that coffee during your musings. Again, I am not giving that one away here……

Navigation on this site is very easy. The posts are left marginalized with standard black text on white background. He has intelligent and appropriate pictures attached to the posts as well. On the right navigation bar you will find the RSS feed, Search Button, About Link (where you can get fees if you have a project, and also see his very impressive portfolio). Speaking of impressive, have a look at that blogroll! A writer’s buffet I tell you! That alone is evidence of the success his blog enjoys. You can also peruse some of the products he is advertising that is writing specific, and sign up for the site if you wish.

I am going to give this one a 3.8. There is something missing here, I am just not quite sure what it is. The site ranks well for content, naturally, and the appearance and navigation are extremely easy to work with. The advertising itself is not obtrusive, and I find the site itself is extremely unique. I liked the juxtaposition between the musings on writing and the here are my services elements. And in fact that is a brilliant marketing tool in itself. But perhaps the site needs just a little more marketing to increase the readership. It currently holds a 54 count readership and I think a few more would increase the comments and make it a little livelier perhaps. Overall, it’s on my bookmark list and I would definitely recommend it as a coffee break to any writer friend of mine.

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– Chrissie

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