My server’s clock is still horked, which is messing up the number of posts on this page as well as the recent comments box. I’ve raised the issue with Support again, so hopefully it’ll be fixed soon. Sorry about the inconvenience!

The Snook and I both got rejected by the same company today. It’s a novel experience for us. We’re overachievers. Rejection is a bit of a reality check. (Not that we’re upset or anything. The company sucked. But still.)

Jakob Nielsen has a new report on website usability for kids. Since I myself run a site geared towards children, I read it with some interest. Unfortunately it confirmed my worst fears. Kids want bells and whistles. Kids don’t like to read. Kids don’t get hierarchical navigation. All of which means my site is one big usability nightmare for them. Honestly, though, I sorta knew that would be the case when I designed it. I had to think about the adults that would visit the site too, though. I also wanted to make it clear that my site was about information, not pure entertainment. I mean, compare my site to the official one. That’s the debate right there. The official one is very flashy and whizzy and noisy, yet it’s also incredibly difficult to track down specific information about Dahl or his books. My site, on the other hand, is pretty much transparent about where everything is located. Which is better? Personally, I think challenging kids is more important than pandering to them. I’m not talking about making things deliberately difficult, but I’m not talking about making them totally simple either. Kids are gonna need to learn how to research someday. Why should I hand them everything on a silver platter? I want them to think and read and figure things out. I refuse to dumb down my site because little Johnny’s too impatient to click on the “Timeline” to find out Dahl’s birthday. This is where I think the flaw is in Nielsen’s study. Was he studying kids using websites for fun, or kids using websites for a purpose? Which type of site do you prefer?

I think I might make a survey at my site to find out what the visitors think. Not that that will make me change anything, but I might as well know if I’m pissing them off.

Stop the presses! Roger Ebert‘s website (actually the entire Chicago Sun-Times site) has a new design. I like it! Much less image-oriented, which means it doesn’t look so bad when I surf with the images off. I think the blue is nice too. I just wish they hadn’t filled in the “o” in the logo URL. That bugs me.

“There’s no doubt that many Australians experience a collective cringe over Irwin’s showman-like antics. Unlike Americans, they’re put off by his impassioned testaments to his own sincerity, the preachy tone of his “saving the world” pitch, and his hair-trigger, often comical sentimentality. ‘Australians like people who underplay,’ ventures documentary-maker Malcolm Douglas. ‘Even Paul Hogan underplayed stuff, whereas Steve Irwin comes across like a used-car salesman selling everything down the camera.’”

Here’s a great article about Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter. I found the description of his childhood and early career pretty hilarious. You also get to read about how he met his wife. (“Crikey, a sheila who loves wildlife and can take a good hit on the head, that’s the woman for me!”) Interestingly, it also tackles the issue of his curious non-fame in his home country. He pretty much represents everything that makes Australians cringe about themselves. Good reading if you’re a fan (like my Dad).

In case you’re wondering, the clock on my server is all messed up, which is why so many posts are appearing on the front page. I’ve put in a support request to fix it.

Some things make you ashamed of your home state. I have nothing more to add.

Have you guys heard of Singlefile? It’s a web-based application that allows you to keep track of your book collection. It sounds like a great idea, but I’m not sure if it’s worth $20/year. I could probably build something similar and run it here at my own site. Hmm… I smell a new web project coming on!

New Poll: It’s another “favorite food” topic. When you’re at the big game, what’s your snack of choice?