FanSite Reviews on TF.N

Hey all.

I wanted to let you know that I am now writing fansite reviews for the TF.N newsletter. As of now, I have done five reviews of sites that are listed in the Website Index and are noted as accepting feedback. For the future, I can either pull sites directly from the Index, or you can PM me the URL of the site you wish me to review.

I hope you all enjoy the reviews. If you have any questions or comments, you can always PM me.

JS

 

Thanks, Grimby. I'm glad to be writing them.

 

I think it's a great idea.

Just a question: will you also be making reviews on new versions of sites you've already reviewed?

 

I think that's a great idea! Looking forward to see the reviews.

 

Just a question: will you also be making reviews on new versions of sites you've already reviewed?

Sure. If I don't, I'd run out of sites to review and lose my job!!



I am honest about sites, and give suggestions for things that some sites might improve on, so it would only be fair to let readers know when something has been fixed.

 

I think this is an awesome idea.But a question(2 actually).

Its only in the newsletter not the main page?

Have you considered doing reviews on FanForce sites?

 

Its only in the newsletter not the main page?

Well, that's ultimately Josh's call. I don't want to say anymore than that they'll be exclusive to the newsletter for now.

Have you considered doing reviews on FanForce sites?

I haven't, but not because it's not a good idea. Honestly, I've never really gone through the FanForce sites. If someone wanted to send me links, I could review them as well. I don't really know much about them.

 

http://boards.theforce.net/message.asp?topic=7004707&replies=90

The first post of that thread has a list of all the FanForce sites.Easier than linking all the sites.

 

Cool. Maybe each week I'll review a different FanForce page or something. Thanks for the idea.

 

No problem

I just figured they are fansites in a way.Plus FanForce is apart of the TFN family .

 

that's cool, JediStryker

~aeryn

 

I like the idea, but out fanforce page isn't dfone enough yet so our leader doesn't want it linked to! AHHH I will have to get working on it

 

That's great Josh is allowing you to do this JediStryker. I just signed up for the newsletter so i could read them.

 

I can't seem to get the newsletter. I've signed up for it twice, but don't get it!!!

 

If you don't already, I think you should do this...

When you create a review, contact the website master/owner/creator, and send them the review, even if they aren't signed up.

 

I think that's a good idea, Raef.

 

I will endeavor to do so. I admit that I meant to last time, but didn't get the chance. It was sort of spur-of-the-moment once Josh asked me to send them to him. I will go back and do so soon.

 

All:

Sorry I didn't email these reviews to the webmasters; I honestly didn't know we were running with these today.

Here are the reviews as they appeared in the newsletter:

========================================================
4. Fan Site Reviews
Edited by Peter Michaelson
======================================================

URL: www.yodajeff.com

My Description

A fansite dedicated to the greatest Jedi Master Muppet of them
all: Yoda!

First Impression:

At the time of this review, YodaJeff.com had apparently undergone a
major overhaul, and therefore some links and content were unavailable.
For the most part, though, the site is professionally laid-out and
easily navigable, with lots for the Yoda fan to consume. The color-
scheme is fairly monochromatic, ranging from dark-to-light green,
but fits in with the site's theme well.

Content:

As previously mentioned, the site's content is all-Yoda,
with sprinklings of other Star Wars information found in-between.
Most impressive is the site's massive collection of Yoda images,
ranging from movie screenshots to humorous fan doodlings. Other
items of interest are articles and interviews with the people
behind the creation of Yoda, and a look at some of Yoda's possible
relatives as seen in Star Wars.

Maintenance/Updates:

As previously mentioned, some of the content was unavailable at the
time this review was written, but the site is being constantly updated.
The site has a message board, but it seems to be pretty quiet save a
conversation or two. This is definitely not one of those abandoned fan
sites that you run into all the time.

Who Would Like It:

Being dedicated to Yoda, YodaJeff.com is a great site for all
Star Wars fans.

Final Thought:

YodaJeff.com has the potential to be a great shine to the puppet
master Yoda. I would definitely keep coming back to check out content
as it is added and updated.

------------

Name: The Anakin Skywalker Home Page

URL: http://anakinskywalker1.homestead.com/home.html

My Description:

A veritable shrine to anguished young Jedi Anakin Skywalker.

First Impression:

Very nice-looking, though the bland colors become tiresome after a
little while. Very easy to navigate, with a simple-but-sweet menu on
every page.

Content:

Being dedicated to Anakin Skywalker, this site sticks to it's theme
like glue. From fan-art to fan-fiction to essays on the future
Dark Lord of the Sith, you can get a lot for your money here. I thought
that I site that calls itself the Anakin Skywalker Home Page could
stand to have a bit more official information and images in conjunction
with the fan stuff, but there's still plenty to go around.

Maintenance/Updates:

The site is well-maintained, and appears to be updated fairly
frequently. It has a large community with over 100 registered members,
and conversation on the message board seems fun and fluid. This site
will be around and jumping for a while.

Who Would Like It:

With the focus seeming to be on Anakin of the prequels, it would help
to be a fan of the new films to really immerse yourself in the site,
but it is otherwise appealing to all.

Final Thought:

The Anakin Skywalker Home Page has a lot going for it. A few tweaks
in color and maybe some additional official content, and this site
could be the place to go for Anakin info.

----

Next time I promise those sites reviewed will get a head's up.

JS

 

Hey, cool! I didn't know I'd be in the first batch of reviews.


I appreciate your thoughts on the site. I think I came out of your review looking alright. Hope you enjoyed your visit to the Home Page!


The reviews are a good idea. I look forward to reading more.

 

I want to keep them constructive; I hope it helps to improve sites. You do have a very nice site, and I tried to push that fact through the few negatives that I saw.

 

Very good well written reviews. As I haven't seemed to get the letter, please keep posting the reviews in this thread.

 

Yeah, I will post them here when they come out in the newsletter.

 

Name: Daughter of the Force

URL: http://www.idotf.com

My Description:

A personal site for showcasing Star Wars fan-fiction.

First Impression:

Very fun and clean-looking; this site has a lot of potential.

Content:

This site is great looking from top to bottom. With all the
quiet colors and images, it's a great place for the webmaster
to showcase her own brand of fan-fiction. From humor to
monologues, there is a lot of fun fiction in an easy-to-read
environment. There is also a small picture-gallery, but it's
nothing to get too excited about. This site is definitely
about the fan-fic, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Maintenance/Updates:

It looked to me like the site was updated as often as the
webmaster finished stories. There weren't any incomplete fan-fics
or broken links, but new content may be far and few between.

Who Would Like It:

Anyone who likes to read fan-fiction.

Final Thought:

This site just strikes me as being fun. I like the way it's
laid out and the relaxed feeling it evokes. It could be just
about anything, but as a showcase for the webmaster's fan-fic,
it works well. I would be interested in seeing her take on
another subject for a website just to see what she could do
with it.

-----------------------------

Name: PEZMAN4's Star Wars Site

URL: http://www.geocities.com/pezman4sw/

My Description:

A fansite with a little bit of everything.

First Impression:

Very good. Everything is organized well, though the background
is a little busy.

Content:

This site has a little information on a lot of things.
The webmaster has done a lot of reviews on many of the
Star Wars books and comics, and has a particularly
interesting timeline for all the Star Wars novels/movies/comics.

Maintenance/Updates:

The site appears to be updated frequently. I didn't find any
broken links or serious problems with the page. As new novels
and comics come out, expect to find something updated on this
site within a few days.

Who Would Like It:

Definitely for the EU fan.

Final Thought:

The site is nice and has a lot of little bits to it to make
it a fairly well-rounded site. With a less headache-inducing
background behind the text, this site would be a breeze to
browse.

---------------

Here are this weeks reviews. I wrote these nearly a month ago as an example for the newsletter staff, so if they're a little outdated, I apologize. I also did not get a chance to email the webmasters because I didn't think these would be the one's running this week.

JS

 

Whoopee, here are this weeks reviews.

If you have PM'd or emailed me a site to review and haven't gotten a reply, don't worry! I have gotten a lot of requests, but your site will be coming soon!

JS

---

Name: Obi-Wan Kenobi's Jedi Order

URL: http://obiwankenobi29.tripod.com/

My Description:

A site for fans of the Jedi of the prequels.

First Impression:

Ouch! White text over a starfield is never a good combo.

Content:

The site is focused on a certain few who have played more prominent
roles as Jedi in the prequel movies. Some in-depth profiles with
images are very nice if you overlook the occasional grammtical errors.
Otherwise the site revolves around it's message board, which is posted
to pretty frequently. The piece about Episode II losing the Academy
Award on the index page is interesting, too.

Maintenance/Updates:

Not a lot of content updates; most of the site's activity takes
place on the message board. The rest of the site is basically just
a good reference point if you need info on some of the Jedi from
the prequel films.

Final Thought:

With some color changes and maybe some more content, this could be
a really good site. For now, though, I would look at it as a
work-in-progress.

------------------------

Name: DarthMak's Darth Vader Page

URL: http://www.geocities.com/speedfreak217

My Description: The ultimate Darth Vader fan site.

First Impression:

Clean and organized front page; it looks like there could be a lot
to see and read here. I particularly like the picture of Vader
holding the "E-Mail" sign.

Content:

No question about it, this is a Darth Vader site. If you're looking
for pics, biographical info, sounds, and even info on the man behind
the character, this is a great place to go. DarthMak's focus is
airtight. This is something that can sometimes hurt a site, making
it stale after a while. In this case, with all the great content,
it's a blessing. One thing that I think every site could do without
is a star field background. It may just be personal preference, but
I find them distracting and headache-inducing.

Maintenance/Updates:

No dead-links, no missing images, and few other errors that would
detract from the site. Plenty of thought and work has gone into this
site. Due to the site's focus, there are few updates that can be
done; the Episode III section could be updated as the film comes
closer to release, but with so little known about Vader's role in
the film, it could be a while.

Who Would Like It:

Any Darth Vader fan.

Final Thought:

This is a great fan-made site; not super-polished, but clean and
easy to navigate with a lot of great content. Not much to complain
about here, and I think that any Vader fan will like it.