Recently, Jakob Nielsen reveiled the top ten design mistakes when running a weblog (blog). A weblog is like an online journal that the author publishes for others to view (ie webNV).

Jakob Nielsen has been known for help in creating web design standards. He has also released the top ten web design mistakes of 2005.

Check out that list here >> Top Ten Web Design Mistakes

Back to weblog usability, I decided to compare my site to this new list and see if I fall victim to any of the design mistakes. Here we go:

1. No Author Biographies

It's a simple matter of trust. Anonymous writings have less credence than something that's signed. And, unless a person's extraordinarily famous, it's not enough to simply say that Joe Blogger writes the content. Readers want to know more about Joe. Does he have any credentials or experience in the field he's commenting on? (Even if you don't have formal credentials, readers will trust you more if you're honest about that fact, set forth your informal experience, and explain the reason for your enthusiasm.)

Obviously here I'm in the clear. I have a pretty in-depth 'about' page that talks mostly about me.

2. No Author Photo

It offers a more personable impression of the author. You enhance your credibility by the simple fact that you're not trying to hide. Also, users relate more easily to somebody they've seen.

Currently, I fail here. I have no photo of my on this site...yet. When I find a good photo of me, I'll post it in the 'about' section.

3. Nondescript Posting Titles

Descriptive headlines are especially important for representing your weblog in search engines, newsfeeds (RSS), and other external environments. In those contexts, users often see only the headline and use it to determine whether to click into the full posting. Even if users see a short abstract along with the headline (as with most search engines), user testing shows that people often read only the headline. In fact, people often read only the first three or four words of a headline when scanning a list of possible places to go.

I think I pass on this test here. It's only common sense. When writing a paper for school, usually the title of the paper relates to the content that follows.

4. Links Don't Say Where They Go

Many weblog authors seem to think it's cool to write link anchors like: "some people think" or "there's more here and here." Remember one of the basics of the Web: Life is too short to click on an unknown. Tell people where they're going and what they'll find at the other end of the link.

Again, I pass here thankfully. I always try to make my links as descriptive as possible.

5. Classic Hits are Buried

Hopefully, you'll write some pieces with lasting value for readers outside your fan base. Don't relegate such classics to the archives, where people can only find something if they know you posted it, say, in May 2003.

Looks like a fail here. Currently I'm running a custom news sytem that I created and haven't created a way to keep popular articles easily accessible. Maybe in the future.

6. The Calendar is the Only Navigation

A timeline is rarely the best information architecture, yet it's the default way to navigate weblogs. Most weblog software provides a way to categorize postings so users can easily get a list of all postings on a certain topic. Do use categorization, but avoid the common mistake of tagging a posting with almost all of your categories. Be selective. Decide on a few places where a posting most belongs.

My web site looks good here as well. I have a 'topic' menu on the right where users can easily find articles under their topics.

7. Irregular Publishing Frequency

For most weblogs, daily updates are probably best, but weekly or even monthly updates might work as well, depending on your topic. In either case, pick a publication schedule and stick to it. If you usually post daily but sometimes let months go by without new content, you'll lose many of your loyal -- and thus most valuable -- readers.

This is a tough one as I try to post everyday. But sometimes there's just nothing to post or nothing for me to talk about. I'm trying really hard to post on a daily basis.

8. Mixing Topics

If you publish on many different topics, you're less likely to attract a loyal audience of high-value users. Busy people might visit a blog to read an entry about a topic that interests them. They're unlikely to return, however, if their target topic appears only sporadically among a massive range of postings on other topics. The only people who read everything are those with too much time on their hands (a low-value demographic).

Damn, I fail on this one too. This web site is really just about me and all my interests. Well, I guess you can say I passed this test, because this web site is only about me. Hmm...me thinks this requires more input for you guys.

9. Forgetting That You Write for Your Future Boss

Years from now, someone might consider hiring you for a plum job and take the precaution of 'nooping you first. (Just taking a stab at what's next after Google. Rest assured: there will be some super-snooper service that'll dredge up anything about you that's ever been bitified.) What will they find in terms of naively puerile "analysis" or offendingly nasty flames published under your name?

Good thinking here. In the future I'll try to remember that. But for now, I don't think there's anything too offensive on my site.

10. Having a Domain Name Owned by a Weblog Service

Having a weblog address ending in blogspot.com, typepad.com, etc. will soon be the equivalent of having an @aol.com email address or a Geocities website: the mark of a naive beginner who shouldn't be taken too seriously.

No worries here as I obviously have my own domain name and am far from being seen as a beginner.

Overall, I think my site is holding up okay. I passed about 8/10 design mistakes and will hopefully have some more cleaned up in the future.

See the entire article here >> Weblog Usability: The Top Ten Design Mistakes