Critique my new site please (VotedTop)

Nomax5's picture

They have: 76 posts

Joined: Apr 2006

Note:

WebCrawler was the first full text search engine. It went live on April 20, 1994
and was created by Brian Pinkerton at the University of Washington

The website is really simple – basically a logo with a long input box

So does that make all hundreds of search engines such as Google and MSN search Yahoo search, Webcrawler clones?

Do we shun all these upstart search engines saying they’ve ripped off webcrawler?

In the same way my website is using the same mechanisms as a very popular website,
and it looks like that website. Which incidentally is one of my very favourite websites.

One thing I want to point out is that you can submit your website interactively which is not apparent until
you register (instant: no email verification). I’ll change that when I get time.

The site is designed so that the Best websites regardless of how big their budget is or
how high their page rank is rise to the top by popular opinion.

Lets face it we all would be obsessed with SEO if we could afford to Pay the search engines to be listed top.

So do your worst my new site which I would like your critique on is VotedTop.com Website Charts - Powered by People

Cheers

Megan's picture

She has: 11,421 posts

Joined: Jun 1999

Those search engines did still have their own identity. THey didn't come off as complete clones because they had some individuality. Nobody thought they were copying because they took the concept and went their own way with it.

This is a good concept, and I don't think there's anything wrong with copying Digg in that reagard. However, I think that you could some more to set yourself apart from them. Change the colour scheme for example. Try using warm colours like red and orange instead of digg's cool blues.

I also think that the logo is very weak and wishy washy looking. I don't think that's the kind of image you'd want to project for this site. It looks sort of fuzzy and splotchy, like it was made by an old stamp. Something stronger and crisper is needed here.

I do think this is an interesting concept. It'll be more interesting in the category areas where you might be able to find sites you wouldn't have already heard of.

BTW, TWF is on there, you guys should vote for us Wink

Nomax5's picture

They have: 76 posts

Joined: Apr 2006

Thanks Megan for the comments I'm working on the logo I was so pleased when I came up with the idea of a tick for the V but it needs to be higher quality like a vector based image, when I find out what a vector based image is lol. and how and what one uses to make one.

Megan's picture

She has: 11,421 posts

Joined: Jun 1999

A vector image is made up of a mathematical calculation that describes the image. This means that it can be scaled to any size without losing quality. You can try inkscape for creating vector images - it's an open source progam. Otherwise you'd need Adobe Illustrator or one of those.

Warning: the Inkscape interface is kind of weird until you get used to it. At least on Windows it is, I think it's a little better on Linux.

Nomax5's picture

They have: 76 posts

Joined: Apr 2006

Ahh I'll look into that thanks again Megan,

They have: 9 posts

Joined: Jul 2006

The site looks great.As said above the logo is not dark it is very transparent and should be darken.The login box is awful.The categories also correctly ordered.BTW what script is this?
Just want to know.

Nomax5's picture

They have: 76 posts

Joined: Apr 2006

We've just added the important sort option "Last Voted" so now you can see what has changed since your last visit
More importantly a vote for any website goes to the top of this sort option making it really worthwhile getting a vote every so often.

arena, I'm working on the logo learning about vector based graphics,
I take your point about the login box but I like it especially the shading and not always the most pleasing to the eye is best sometimes it's just better to draw attention to parts of the page..well thats my excuse lol
about the script if you look on the about page it has links.

They have: 18 posts

Joined: Jul 2006

That is a very nice site. But I agree with the previous comment about changing the colors, it's too much like that 'other site'. Similar is good, but too similar just makes your site look like a copy - you don't want people thinking your site is just a copy, it should have it's own unique identity, and changing the colors more will help that.

I like the login box and it's shading, it's maybe a bit too big though.

On the About page, the link 'Click Here to View' doesn't work - Internet Explorer is reporting a javascript error.

Nomax5's picture

They have: 76 posts

Joined: Apr 2006

ahh I'll fix the java script error thanks and thanks for your comments

Nomax5's picture

They have: 76 posts

Joined: Apr 2006

you know you guys can register and on my site it doesn't do the email verification thing
also you can submit you websites on there its easy.
I might not have a high page rank yet but a link is a link you know.

or comment

I wonder if there is something fundimental I'm not telling visitors?

They have: 173 posts

Joined: Feb 2005

I think the blue on the login box is a bit... too off-color. Try to make it more pastely or a minimal fade or something. It just doesn't seem to fit

the website looks like what I might expect a simpler Web 2.0 page to look like, but I'd advise you to try to get into AJAX and make various things use it.. such as the 3 tabs.. don't make me reload the entire page to see a different tab each time!

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Nomax5's picture

They have: 76 posts

Joined: Apr 2006

Made the dizzy heights of PR4 :aparty: I figure now its a way potentially to get a pr4 none reciprocal backink

My site is only 4 months old and my sort is currently screwed up I’ll have that fixed asap today.

I created it to find the Best websites regardless of page rank etc. as most people only submit their own websites it’s a bit of a launch pad for new websites.

It’s fully interactive your site appears immediately, you don’t have to reciprocate But you might want to get your visitors to vote for you Wink

If you click “Link to this” under your entry it will present you with the code (in a sexy ajax way) to link to your individual entry to get people to vote for you.

Help me get this web developer community going by checking out some of the sites and voting (joining is instant too - it doesn’t do annoying email validation )

Sorry about the sort it will be working as stated soon.

Roy

you can vote for this site here this forum site I'm posting on here --> http://www.votedtop.com/Web/Webmaster-Forums-HTML-CSS-graphic-design-programming

Cheers Roy

They have: 9 posts

Joined: Jul 2006

I got it now.Really great job buddy.

They have: 6 posts

Joined: Oct 2006

I think ihave already given critique on thos site else where, but the design is clean and tidy, it is very digglike, which i like and the colors go very well together.

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