Frostzone — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 20:18:53 +0000

Yeah, good point.
In fact I was just thinking of a phrase I could put on my front page to stop that long lasted wondering of what the site is. I will attempt to write a key phrase on the home page, I might put it right under the header. Typing in Frostzone on Google and looking at the third result is the most accurate description (or which ever result says frostzone.8k.com at the bottom)

mscreashuns — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 20:12:19 +0000

It's not bad, but there is way too much information on the front page. I would be quickly deterred upon first arrival. The banner isn't bad at all, and I disagree that it looks like it was done in MS Paint. MS Paint couldn't produce anything even close to that.

I still don't know what your website is after looking around for a while. It just seems like a bunch of wish-wash of everything you could ever want on the internet. Try to give us a little introduction to the site on the front page. That would be nice.

Good luck with your website!

GDVS — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 19:55:23 +0000

Frostzone wrote: Well, obviouisly they can't all like it.
I am only 13 years so it isn't as easy for me to develop revolutionary services, in my defense. Did you actually download my browser? Hmmm, I didn't think it was that bad.

If you wrote it yourself (I assume it uses someone elses layout engine, writing one of those is a skill very very few people have and as far as I know none of them are 13) purely as an exercise in programming then I'd say "go you", it's a pretty good stage to have reached at 13. My comments were in regard to other people using it though and it's not quite "market ready".

Quote: Well, in all fairness my web site isn't that great so you can mention that. I guess that the point of the site is to allow users to do all sorts of things on the same site.

Unfortunately many many other sites do exactly the same.

Quote: Not even MSN writes their own horoscopes.

But they don't get them from an external site, they pay for the content and post it on their own site.

Quote: I really work on my site as a hobby but did want honest reviews.

I reviewed it as a commercial site, that's how it presents. As a hobby site used to learn about web technologies and design that's a whole different ballgame. As I said in my review, I quite like the design it's all the content and ads I didn't like.

Quote: Except yours, but only because theres nothing I can do further with my logo and services....so...

The logo could be improved fairly significantly if you use the right software, I guess you don't have a budget so take a look at the GIMP (horrible name, good software) as that's free and almost certainly capable of more than whatever you were using.

Quote: As discouraging as that review was, I will try to improve my site on it.

I'm sorry if you were discouraged, looking at it as a commercial site I think my review was accurate but as I misunderstood the intention of it you should take it all with a pinch of salt.

If it's any consolation, my first sites looked like train wrecks. Hell, one I did only 2 years ago was eye searingly dreadful and I have a lot more practice at this than you. I looked more at the technology and content than the design because that's what I'm good at, I'm a dreadful designer but a pretty good programmer/scripter.

Don't be discouraged and don't give up, if you can turn that design out at 13 then you have more talent than most people.

Frostzone — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 19:12:33 +0000

Well, obviouisly they can't all like it.
I am only 13 years so it isn't as easy for me to develop revolutionary services, in my defense. Did you actually download my browser? Hmmm, I didn't think it was that bad. Well, in all fairness my web site isn't that great so you can mention that. I guess that the point of the site is to allow users to do all sorts of things on the same site. Not even MSN writes their own horoscopes. Like I said, I am nearly 13, so lets be less critical.

I really work on my site as a hobby but did want honest reviews. So wheather they are good or bad they will help me improve my site. Except yours, but only because theres nothing I can do further with my logo and services....so...

As discouraging as that review was, I will try to improve my site on it.

~Conor

GDVS — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 18:38:08 +0000

I'm sorry but I have to say there are a fair few things I don't like.

1. The logo isn't anti-aliased, it looks like it was done using MS Paint.

2. The Hotplugins stuff on the left is amateurish, you're not providing a unique service you're just rebranding someone's tired implementation of a load of old ideas. None of it adds value to your site.

3. The multi coloured ads make my eyes bleed, the cyan one in particular makes me want to go elsewhere post haste.

4. The less said about the browser the better, it's a disaster.

5. This expands on 2 really, nothing on the site is "yours". It's all rebranded services from someone else, presumably affiliate links. There's nothing new, interesting, or unique to differentiate it from thousands of other sites all doing the same thing.

The design isn't too bad, without the ads and with a cleaned up header image I could almost like it if it had some original content. As it stands, I'd never consider going back after writing this review. It looks like a site designed purely to make a few bucks of affiliate links and that's a huge turn off. Sorry man, I just don't like your site.

pepealayo — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 17:12:52 +0000

I agree with you but cambining colors in that way.
I think you could combine a wide variety of blues and this page would look nicer.
Anyway, this is a good page.

Frostzone — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 02:24:46 +0000

Quote: excuse me but I don't like the colors you use in your page.

Well, blue is a very simple color to use and maintain, altough you don't perfer it I realize many people do. I could use different colors but people might not like the look. I personally think that a website called "Frostzone" should use blue colors.

Well thats what I think, you are definitly entitled to your opinion and not everyone likes blue so thanks for your opinion.

~Conor

pepealayo — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 00:56:38 +0000

excuse me but I don't like the colors you use in your page.

timjpriebe — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 13:27:55 +0000

Frostzone wrote: Alright Tim,
I see your ways and have attempted to update my site accordingly. I understand that as a designer you know what your talking about, and quite frankly I agreed with what you said.

Great! Now, let's see what we have now... Looks much better! Still some issues, of course.

Frostzone wrote: First off, I'm not really sure what the purpose of the site is. This should be made more immediately apparent on the site.

Well, I don't know what more I can do than advertise the search engine as much as I can, the point is an Internet Service resource, if that helps.

Nope, doesn't help. An Internet Service Resource? Honestly, that sounds like a bunch of buzzwords strung together.

Frostzone wrote: Second, there's entirely too much scrolling involved. Even if this is a portal site, there should be much, much less scrolling on this main page.

I agree, and I did delete a ton of unneccassary content making much less scrolling.

Looks much better, although there are still some other things you can do. In the "Frostzone Dictionary" section, I would put those radio buttons in two columns. Same thing in the "Frostzone Nation" section. Also, the top search section takes up way more room than it really should.

Frostzone wrote: Some things you could do to eliminate some scrolling include getting rid of the top search box. Isn't the same thing available on the top right of the page?

Well, no it isn't. My site is almost like an MSN, if you will. We offer a WWW search engine and many features. The top right search engine searches Frostzone services, the top one searches the web. In fact we just changed our search engine.

The difference between the two needs to be more apparent. Having used each of them, I still can't tell what the difference is. I should know before I even use them. One says "Search Frostzone," the other just says "Frostzone Search."

Frostzone wrote: Your logo/title is a little pixelated, as well. I would get that fixed.

I agree, or agreed. I care about appearence, and that is even with my site. I used a different image format and now my logo is crystal clear.

Looks much better, except for in the "My Frostzone" section.

Frostzone wrote: Scrolling marquees? Ugh. People are there to (hopefully) read your content. Don't distract them with scrolling marquees.

Good point! In fact I don't even like marquees but it was the best thing to cover the slot on my site. It's gone and now we have a time greeting there, thanks for the advice.

And don't forget the scrolling newsbox in the top left.

Frostzone wrote: I feel like you're trying to shove the Frostzone browser down my throat, too. Just mention that it's available. This main page is not the place to go on and on about it and your other features that are in the left sidebar. Just list them, then if I'm interested, I'll click on them for more details.

Well, promotions are important but not to go over-board. However my browser is my main feature and I have recently come out with a new Frostzone Homescape so... But I agree, the marquee was really the big thing that advertised it too much.

Then this comes back to the main point of your site. If the point of the site is your browser, that needs to be made much more obvious. Maybe a simple banner towards the top that says "This site brought to you by the All New Frostzone Homescape browser!"

Frostzone wrote: In most places on the page, your text butts right up against the edges of your table cells. Put a little padding in there.

I did put some padding there, I think that was an easy solution.

Great job. Looks much better.

Frostzone wrote: Hopefully I'am going in the right direction, I will foward your entry to my administrative department so they can continue helping the site improve.

Simply by accepting constructive criticism, you've already put yourself way above many other website designers. So you're on the right track.

Frostzone — Thu, 30 Mar 2006 23:22:12 +0000

Alright Tim,
I see your ways and have attempted to update my site accordingly. I understand that as a designer you know what your talking about, and quite frankly I agreed with what you said.

First off, I'm not really sure what the purpose of the site is. This should be made more immediately apparent on the site.

Well, I don't know what more I can do than advertise the search engine as much as I can, the point is an Internet Service resource, if that helps.

Second, there's entirely too much scrolling involved. Even if this is a portal site, there should be much, much less scrolling on this main page.

I agree, and I did delete a ton of unneccassary content making much less scrolling.

Some things you could do to eliminate some scrolling include getting rid of the top search box. Isn't the same thing available on the top right of the page?

Well, no it isn't. My site is almost like an MSN, if you will. We offer a WWW search engine and many features. The top right search engine searches Frostzone services, the top one searches the web. In fact we just changed our search engine.

Your logo/title is a little pixelated, as well. I would get that fixed.

I agree, or agreed. I care about appearence, and that is even with my site. I used a different image format and now my logo is crystal clear.

Scrolling marquees? Ugh. People are there to (hopefully) read your content. Don't distract them with scrolling marquees.

Good point! In fact I don't even like marquees but it was the best thing to cover the slot on my site. It's gone and now we have a time greeting there, thanks for the advice.

I feel like you're trying to shove the Frostzone browser down my throat, too. Just mention that it's available. This main page is not the place to go on and on about it and your other features that are in the left sidebar. Just list them, then if I'm interested, I'll click on them for more details.

Well, promotions are important but not to go over-board. However my browser is my main feature and I have recently come out with a new Frostzone Homescape so... But I agree, the marquee was really the big thing that advertised it too much.

In most places on the page, your text butts right up against the edges of your table cells. Put a little padding in there.

I did put some padding there, I think that was an easy solution.

Hopefully I'am going in the right direction, I will foward your entry to my administrative department so they can continue helping the site improve.

Conor