Name: Chelsea
Site: XNEWRAVE
Review completed on: 17/01/06

SPLASH PAGE

I couldn't help but laugh when I read some of your site requirements - Html? HTML is a coding language, not a site requirement, so this is therefore redundant. As is "iFrames" - again this is not a site requirement! Why is the word "Oh!" at the bottom of your splash? Forgive my candor, but this is absolutely ludicrous. 6/10

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

The scrollbars. Enough said? No, let me elaborate - there is an extraordinarily long horizontal scrollbar at the bottom of the browser window, leading to some content that could have been missed if I hadn't scrolled all the way across. Why is it so far to the right, why not include this content on the side bar of your layout? 5/10

LAYOUT

Why does the layout begin a quarter of the way down the page? And why is it aligned to the absolute left of the page, leaving a massive grey void to the right? And even beyond this said void are some random links that are not included as part of your sidebar menu. This is perplexing to me and I'm wondering why these are present - especially when they're pretty much hidden from view. You need to work on the alignment of your layout - simply align the layout to the centre of the page, instead of to the extreme left, and adjust the "top" attribute in your div layers so that there's not so much of a space between the top of the page and when the layout begins. The layout itself is beautiful, and excellently done. I like the way in which you've inverted two of the pictures of Reese Witherspoon. The tables are superb, and the brown colour you've used matches the layout image perfectly. I can honestly say that this is of a high standard...that's why it's such a shame that is has been absolutely ruined by the excessive scrolling and the alignment! You have a neat and tidy navigation system, that is incorperated into your layout. But the problem with the scrollbar is ongoing and constantly at the back of my mind; if I scroll a massive 25 centimetres to the right there are some more content links, in a very small black font. Most of these links have been repeated from those in the table - why have them twice? I can also vaguely make out some more links included here, in the most lightest shade of yellow I've ever seen. Even when I try and highlight the links with my mouse I still can't see them, the colour is way too faint and the text is phenomenally small. I don't understand the need to have this bullshit here, why not delete it and add the additional links to the navigation bar in your layout instead? If it wasn't for all these issues you would have received top marks in this section - as it is, I'm giving you 10 out of 20 based on the layout image, the colours, and the tables. These are perfect, but nothing else I can see matches the quality of them. 10/20

CONTENT

I was quite surprised when I clicked on your first page of content, "Chelsea", that it opened in a new window. Since you're using a tabled layout, it would be more practical if you used i-frames so that all of your content loads in the same window. In fact, you've stated on your splash that your site contains iFrames, so why aren't you using them here? The graphic on this page is interesting, in the fact that the words on it do not make sense. "Douse the lights"? Douse, if I remember correctly, means to thoroughly wet, or to sprinkle liquid over. Do you have some secret need to electrocute yourself, then? "Basics" - not a lot here. The layout on this page is all right, although a little plain. You've provided a short paragraph on yourself, housed in a tiny iFrame. The smallness seems strange seeing as the rest of this page is virtually blank; surely you could have made this frame bigger. "ATM" - abbreviation for 'at the moment'. This seems a pointless page to have, especially as you haven't updated it for over a month. "Pictures" - I like the Chelsea graphic at the top, the colours look great. Nice pics, by the way. "Confessions" - my goodness! Chelsea! Where are the shitty scrollbars? Nowhere! This page looks GREAT! I'm impressed. Now why don't you make all your pages look like this? I see there's no horizontal scrollbar on the following page, "Playlist", ether. This has definitely put me in a better mood. "This Site's Ratings" - a unique concept here, I haven't seen anything like this before. You've got someone to rate and comment your website for you, and to give you handy tips and pointers. I see one of the tips the girl has given you was to 'get rid of the list on the very right side' - smart girl, I couldn't agree with her more. Why haven't you done this? The next page in your navigation is the Guestbook...a rather prime location, it being second on the list and all!? "Ily" - what does this mean? It took me to a page in which you go on about your friends. I only knew this because I had to highlight the text to read it - white text on a soft peach background does not work! What you wrote about your friends was sweet, but change the font colour so that we can read these niceties with ease! "Your Music" - a page containing a tagboard in which visitors can tell you their favourite song/s. This page also contains YOUR favourite songs...all from bands I've never heard of, although this does not surprise me as I'm not into the whole angst ridden teen metal scene. I'm a big fan of the layout you've used on this page, of the NYC skyline. "For You" - a page containing graphics free for the visitor to take away. The "Previous Layouts" page is also included in this section, not sure why. It's more suited to a site-related category, as a previous layouts page isn't particularly visitor orientated. The layouts themselves are amazingly well done. Your site has impressed me in terms of graphics, but you do need to seriously work on your coding. "Pictures" - another pictures section! You should consider incorperating this into the picture section you had earlier, in your "Chelsea" section. The pictures are awesome, and very well taken. You must have a pretty good camera! I looked at every single one, it's great that you have so many good times captured on film. Despite the sheer awesomeness of these pictures, you know I can't help but mention that damn scrollbar again...it has returned on this page! How unfortunate! Your links page is fairly satisfactory, which is pretty much down to the fact there's no annoying scrollbar. The random animated tv gif at the bottom of the page looks rather unappropriately placed though. "Link Me" - pretty much okay, but the text would look better in bold, especially against the diagonal striped background. 8/20

SUMMARY

The scrollbar issue is a massive problem with your site - it tarnishes the overall look of your site and it makes viewing highly annoying. There is no need to have these scrollbars here. There is no need to have the same links in that far flung right hand position. All you need to do is delete these links - after all, they're all included on your sidebar already! As for the multitude of yellow links that are virtually invisible, either get rid of them or change the colour so we can actually SEE them. A simple push of the delete button is all it takes. Your layout image is fantastic, but it would look even more so if you aligned it correctly. With your layout centrally aligned, and the pointless links excluded, your site would look wonderful. That's ALL it takes to make this possible.

OVERALL SCORE: 29/60