Any chance of a critique, please

The Pisstakers is a fairly nice looking site. I like the angles and the colors. But I don't care for the size. I feel that there is a lot of wasted space, perhaps because I use a 19" monitor, but even on a 17" there is too much wasted space. I think that most people now have at least 1024 x 768 and that the days of 800 x 600 and lower res developments are over. My biggest suggestion would be to develop the site over in a higher resolution and use more screen space.

GR

I have looked at your site the Pisstakers and on your Pacific questions "is it easy to navigate, do the graphics look co-ordinated, and is it laid out to encourage interaction with commenting, bookmarking?" I do think you achieve your first two goals of the easy navigation and graphic coordination. Encouraging interaction I have mixed feelings on I feel too much is going on beyond the fold on my computer screen. What I mean is although it is not a pain to scroll vertically I would at least like to have a glimmer of understanding that this easy to do scrolling will be worth it. I do know in art class you are encouraged to use negative space however this encouragement does not take into account the the density of language which will most encourage web page users to interact with the site. Negative space is purely a graphical thing and in my opinion your whole site starts with too much negative space above the first graphic. I measured 50 pixels before I saw anything but blue background on my screen I think that gap above your page with just blue background is too big. Also when I click on the news graphical button I find using negative space, and maybe words too, too liberal to a to get me the headline "Lion man, unlucky 13" above the fold. Like I said verticals growing is not hard but I would like to see at least a headline that encourages me to vertical scroll before I do so.

I have a particular problem with your site in regard to my disability. I am dyslexic and can see quite well but use a screen reader to assist me in reading although I am able to do so if needed. The lack of alternate text on your graphics forced me to read the graphical text as opposed to just having my screen reader read the text to me. If when you use graphical text you included alternate text for these images which matched the graphical text my screen reader would read it to me and I would not be forced to read it with my eyes. Well that is just the thing with me however I am sure I am not the only one in this situation

Well I would say I do like the site and I think it can be improved as anything can.
Sincerely
Marc

My monitor is set at 1024 by 768.
Marc