Lately there seems to be a new trend on the World Wide Web with ordinary Joes posting their lives for the entire world to see. From live journals to AOL buddy profiles, it seems that people who need a little ego boost have found a feeling of self-importance in the fact that their day-to-day routines are readily available to everyone. Most of the time, this state of bare-all existence can lead to a pretty pathetic read.
Stereotypically filled with either bitter snipes at friends or dreary attempts at constructing an adventure out of their day at work, most Web logs fail to please any readers besides those who know (or think they know) the writer.
Matt Round has posted such a Web log that features an eclectic collection of bizarre happenings. Round is a Web designer who is clearly good at his job. His Web site, malevole.com, is really pleasing to look at with its exceptional backgrounds and creative presentation. It’s a shame the site isn’t as fun to read as it is to view.
Round began his peculiar voyage through cyberspace in the spring of 2002, promising a mixture of strange links, creative projects and some rambling. In it’s first year online, it has delivered in spades. With a relatively constant barrage of postings, Round offers his sometimes witty observations on life in America. More often then not, these bizarre postings are short and cryptic. He occasionally offers a link or two to Web sites that are often funnier than his.
The main problem with Round’s postings is the format in which they are posted. Each entry into his online diary appears on a small Post-It note-like pop-up that appears on the homepage. If one does not delete each pop-up, the screen will quickly become overly cluttered and distracting.
The set-up is beautiful with an innovative design that works well in small doses. The pop-up format conveys the effect that it seems Round was shooting for by resembling a cluttered desk full of scraps of papers. The problem is that the novelty is lost after the first few posts are read.
The site is a hub for links. Round offers links to Web sites that cover every aspect of his life. From his job to his favorite animals, Round seems highly concerned that readers log off with a complete understanding of his psyche. Some of the links to other sites are highly entertaining.
The real stand-outs on the Web site are the animations available in the archive section. The fun quizzes and cartoons are always hilarious. These professional-quality animations include a fun quiz that tests the user’s ability to distinguish from serial killers and computer programmers, a tribute to Ray Harryhausen (stop-motion animator), instructions for making a cheap Easter present for children and a text generator to help pad your English essays. These animations are clearly the highlight in this gorgeously designed Web site. Though brilliantly constructed, the site is unfortunately like eating Chinese food; it tastes good going down, but two hours later, visitors are hungry again. With a lot of aesthetical value, but a limited amount of standout content, it’s a shame that the site simply can’t deliver enough to satisfy.