Pigs, Wiccans Fairies, Twinkles,Babies....

[justjeni]

I had to come in here for my sanity. I'm sorry - I sincerely hope I do not offend anyone, but I truly am curious about opinions on some of this - if any one cares to comment, that is. If not that's okay because more than anything I need to vent right now.
A gal I partnered with and who has been a great help in asking me to be an expert on her site and helping to promote me insisted one should sign guestbooks whereever you can on the net. Then, I read it in a newsletter I get, also so I think okay, there must be something to this.
I find these top 100 womens' sites (men next - will be a great pleasure after these, let me tell you..:eek:) and I am going into every one and signing guestbooks. I have been stunned at the wasted web space on the net. I'm not kidding = one woman had her whole site about pigs. Seriously. PIGS. Floating pigs, fat pigs, skinny pigs (yes!) - pigs all over the page that took about 10 minutes to load...and that's another thing! These pages are filled with graphics on top of graphics and cutsy flowers, pansies, fairies, hearts, cupids - you name it! and the music! I'm sitting here alone, it's late, it's quiet and out blasts some awful music - I about jumped through my roof! I turned down my speakers after that jolt.
These aren't good features for a professional looking site, are they? Or did I just get an over kill? Right now I'm listening to some hokey dopey song coming from another one..called twinkle eyes. :0 I have seen hundreds of baby pictures, family pictures, graphics that made my eyes burn...if you even want a wild we experience, find a women's top 100 page and view some - it's a supernatural experience at best.
Ah. thank you. I needed to vent - and I needed to read some posts to remind me it can be a sane world somewhere so whomever moderates this board - BLESS YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[weberika]

justjeni,

While I think you got a lot of overkill....you also fell victim to just plain old poor design. And not intentionally probably....

Not everyone was born with a discerning eye when it comes to design and what pleases other people. AND many of the creators of these sites are probably people who got into web pages for fun, learned new tricks and overloaded their pages with them, thinking, "Geez, if I like this, everyone else must see and listen too!".

It drives me nuts as well,....I just try to get off those pages as quickly as possible! <grin>

[sillyfish]

There is a great deal of hype surrounding why you should reserve your own domain name - and why you should build a site, for that matter. Many people just do it for fun. In the future, personal web pages/sites will be used for much more than they are today.

Currently, most people who create these awful web sites just have a hobby that they want to share with the WHOLE WORLD. They know nothing of good web design, or usability in general. But it comes down to personal freedom of speech and expression.

The web is the best medium for public expression at this time - (and probably for as long as the government doesn't get involved with censorship/regulating, etc...).

Like weberika says, get off those pages as quickly as possible!

[R_Russell]

Jeni, instead of spending hours searching throught top 100 sitesw why don't you just join a simple banner exchange, link exchange, page exchange, ect. This also builds traffic with half the hassle.

[justjeni]

Thanks so much for a few understanding comments - I was almost ready to come in here and post a public apology - was afraid I may have insulted someone. Although I really thought if anyone would understand, it would be those who frequent this board. I'm telling you, I have never seen the likes of some of the stuff I've seen in the last few weeks. It boggles my mind and I think my computer, too - I crashed in a major way last night - had to do an F-disk,the works...been working on this all day. Have a long way to go with all the files and such for my websites and other things I do on the net. But, it's all part of it, I guess. I keep telling myself to look at it as a good, pre-spring cleaning for the computer...I do like things clean..:).

Anyway, I do realize a lot of these gals are just having fun making pages and adding all these things they think are really pretty, neat, wild, whatever, and for that I say "go for it!". Everyone in here has me spoiled with their expertise and their amazing and perfectly done websites. Ever since I bought my computer I've been reading and studying all I could find on good design and the things that make a web site enjoyable to visit, so I was thrown.

Russell, you said:
"Jeni, instead of spending hours searching throught top 100 sitesw why don't you just join a simple banner exchange, link exchange, page exchange, ect. This also builds traffic with half the hassle."
I do all that, too. I have a banner exchange, links exchanges and all, but I want to really promote, promote, promote in every way possible. It's a competitive market and although I have a lot of doubts (yet) in my ability as a webmaster, one thing I do have confidence in is my field - I know I have tons to share and ways to help, and that is my dream. There is just so much competition in this field and I'm trying to incorporate a new approach - a human one. So, I do everything I hear that may bring more traffic my way, although I hope one day I won't have to work so hard at it. For now, though, I"m willing to work my tush off for it...

[R_Russell]

When you get your computer all fixed up and stuff, get on icq and I will give you some good tips and tricks to get traffic to your site.

Looking forward to hearing from you...you were gone all day today!

-Ryan Russell

[Dave Swift]

Actually, I think posting your site link in many guestbooks can be a great source of traffic, infact I know of one site (http://www.geocities.com/smartass_1982) that gets virtually all its traffic from guestbook postings.
So I think you had a good idea there, just be sure not to make it look too much like spam :D

[justjeni]

I've been so busy, Russell, getting my computer back the way I had it - the updates alone took all day yesterday, Finally got my documents back and have my bookmarks to go through - good grief. I'm trying to look at is as an opportunity to clean up my mess but talk about time consuming. Anyway, as a result, I don't even have ICQ downloaded yet. Doesn't look good for today, either, I'm having some trouble when I set my own wallpaper and can't figure out what is wrong...

Dave - I think the guestbook signing does help. My traffic has increased - not as much as I'd like, but I'll take it - and I am very careful about spaming - really. I only put my website in if the guestbook asks for it, however, most do and that's a plus. It's not a bad way to go, but some of the sites I"m visiting take so darned long to load it gets tedious and as I had mentioned - some of the music that comes blaring out is alarming. Well, until I turn off the speakers..:).

[jalouda]

i know what you are saying jeni and everone has their own opinion which they are of course very much entitled to!

i don't agree with webspace being rationed or that it is wasted. what i like about the net is that *anyone* can get some space and put on it *anything* they want.

ok, so some of us have moved on from the 1500 huge multicoloured animated gifs on our home page, but if some still want to have them , what about it.

i really think that if everyone just turned into design snobs and practised "good design" (whatever that is???) that the web would lose a lot.

you can normally tell as soon as you reach a site what it is going to be like in terms of design and graphics etc and if it doesn't light your fire you can just surf on out, the same as you can change the channel on the tv if you don't agree with what is being said.

i mean, sure i visit sites and i think to myself "someone has a whole site devoted to this, well they're not all locked up yet that's for sure!" but seriously if someone is into something why shouldn't they have a site about it. we are all unique and the internet has helped me see how different and varied people are and made me feel a bit less of a freak! :)

you don't have to like it, but like life in general a little tolerance goes a long way.

just my 2 pennies worth....i don't mean to go all serious or soppy and sound like someone off oprah, but in among all the above waffle i hope i made my point :D

[justjeni]

Don't worry about it - I've been spoken to harshly before...:).
Seriously, I was really frustrated when I wrote this post - I saw stuff like I'd never seen before and was flabbergasted, but in fairness, yes, everyone should be allowed to express themselves as they please. I'm sure many of these people are having fun creating their sites and certainly there is nothing wrong with that. More power to them, in fact. I've since been purposely surfing more sites like that and now see that it's just another form of art for many and frankly, I'm finding myself even appreciating some of what I see. It can be interesting to look at all the different ways people come up with to do their sites. And it can be informative!
As for the wasted space comment, that was just frustration talking. I don't feel sorry for my comments, for I did think some of what I saw was extremely tacky and unprofessional, but the shock has worn off and now I see it as just another fascination of the interent.
So, bark at me all you wish - you have that right, too!

[pixelmonkey]

everyone finds sites like these from time to time. it's all in the frame of attention getting (point proven in this forum as well!) No matter how many people share ideas and critic others work, there will always be the "Build your website in 5 minutes" self proclaimed webmaster that cloggs the web with garbage (aka spam <be sure to check the latest posting in that room again jeni!>) anyhow, everyone has been there at the beginers stage at some point.

blame the overpopulation of *.gif's

chris<pixelmonkey>:D

[justjeni]

"aka spam <be sure to check the latest posting in that room again jeni!>"

Thanks for the reply. The remark above - I'm not sure what you meant - did I do something that could constitute spam? I do try to be so careful about that. I do not want that reputation, and to the best of my knowledge, I never have spammed - oh wait, once, when I first had the website, I stupidly went onto a forum without reading the fine print and said "Visit my website for some great tips..." and I got banned. I learned - fast. Lol.

[pixelmonkey]

that makes me laugh! i've had the same thing happen. honestly though you need to visit the SPAM forum. Jason has started another one which everyone needs to jump in on!

ps.. watch out for the flynig spam
chris<pixelmonkey>:D

[justjeni]

I get you! Thanks Pixie - going there now!

[Jason]

Anyone see The Simpsons repeat yesterday (The Mr X Episode). Homer built a website almost exactly as Jeni described, nothing execpt for bootleged animated images, I could hardly contain myself when I watched.

[Dr. Web]

Hmmmnn...I am going to have to watch the Simpsons again if they are still as funny as ever!

[justjeni]

Are you serious? Or are you being "jason" and pulling my leg? Well, there are a lot of them out there, why not Simpson...(I don't watch them anymore but used to - if this is for real, think there's a real URL for it??):)

[Jason]

No gag. Homer became the town gossip on his website, the mysterious "Mr X" and spread his rumors through his website. The first version of his site was nothing more than 30 goofy animated gifs hoping around (including a dancing Jesus). Someone else had to see this.

[justjeni]

I would have enjoyed seeing that and you are SO right - it really does sound like some of the sites I've been seeing! Stuff literally floating around you and it's very distracting. I think the pig one was what finally did me in that night! I mean there were pigs just roving all over the screen - fat, pink, pigs. I am not kidding. I realize now I was just in some kind of cyber culture shock or something....
But Pigs????

[TheKman]

I watched the beginning of the Simpson's last night. I saw the first half though and got a real kick out of it. My 4 year old daughter needed some attention and I missed the end of the episode. It seemed like a poke at Drudge? I don't read his stuff, but the politician getting caught by accident seemed familiar concept.

[Wabanaki Web]

I know exactly what you mean Jeni. You really have to be in the right frame of mind when you find these sites. I sometimes go on weirdo expeditions just to amuse myself and if you look at it that way then the pig site would have probably made you laugh instead of making you scratch your head in confusion. I think alot of people who go overboard with the animations and other pictures are just new to the net and really liked these things when they found them and just had to show the world! The only thing I wish they would do is figure out how to make more than just one page. Have you ever gone to what seems to be an endless webpage? You could scroll for like an hour and still not reach the end! LOL The music has to be one of the most annoying things. I hate getting to a site with a cheesy midi that doesn't allow you to turn it off.

[justjeni]

"Have you ever gone to what seems to be an endless webpage? You could scroll for like an hour and still not reach the end! LOL"
I know!!!! Just last night I'm sitting here scrolling and scrolling - and was thinking the same thing! I wondered just how long a page could get! Heck, I'm getting a callus on my index finger..lol.

" The music has to be one of the most annoying things. I hate getting to a site with a cheesy midi that doesn't allow you to turn it off.""

Again - I know!! And some sites don't give you the option of turning it off! I do turn down the speakers, of course, but I'm on a 56K phone connection and it seems like it bogs down my computer when added to all the graphics loading up on top of it.

Yes! You know exactly where I'm coming from! Thank you - was beginning to wonder if I was turning into an old crank or something. That was the first time in almost 2 years on the net that I'd seen anything like some of the stuff I spoke of. It threw me. I've been so busy learning first, my way around the net and then I started on learning how to make web pages so most of where I go is info sites, and being a political junkie, political sites - all top notch stuff, you know? Then one night I found this top 100 women's list and whoa!! But I also agree that people are just having fun and some really are very creative and it can be amusing and/or a learning experience. I've even marveled at some (and gagged at others..lol). Like you said, it's all in your attitude, and I've made an attitude adjustment since that night. Helps - a lot! :)

[Wabanaki Web]

Hey everybody! Next time you are surfing around and find one of these types of sites offer them this "award"!
http://www.thecorporation.com/icon/sorry.gif

[Dr. Web]

Now THATS funny!