Friends like to make fun of my website…it looks awful, “so 1996″…doesn’t use images…no cascading style sheets…zero flash (both literally and figuratively)…no thematic unity (”what’s with all the redneck topics”)…too busy…
It’s cool. It’s by design (if you want mysql/python/rails/rss/css…that’s gonna be my next project)…I think there is beauty in the simplicity of a Craigslist or even Drudge Report. Aesthetics is irrelevant. At the end of the day, it’s the content, always the content that brings you back. As for the fluff, Skip Intro, always… I think I’ve done a decent job in building some good reference materials, especially the dining section. The site aims to be ridiculously inclusive and comprehensive while removing noise/junk and leaving some space for personal recommendations. I think that’s why it’s built a growing readership and following (at least based on traffic stats and rss reader subscriptions).
The site still needed a makeover though. For some reason, I’ve always remembered a quote Alec Baldwin (of all people) once made. He said that his dream job would be being the Matt Drudge of St Barths. At the time, I immediately thought that he could have that overpriced island…I’ll take being the Drudge of St Maarten/Martin any day. Since that particular fantasy won’t happen anytime soon, I have resigned myself to my beloved Richmond.
Drawing much inspiration from the Drudge Report, Digg, and Google News, I redesigned the home page of the Good Life. I am now triaging interesting Richmond news stories drawn from everywhere (the paper, blogs, tv stations, myspace, discussion boards, whatever is interesting). It’ll be up to my editorial discretion to determine what might be of interest to you (I get to play-pretend being a managing editor). Sure, there are links to silly tabloid/celebrity stories, but it’ll be balanced out with some serious stuff. I’ll also have my share of stories that will be of zero interest to most of you. Expect a compilation of fishing reports every Thursday until June-ish.
Check out the site. Tell me what you think. I’m going to experiment with this new idea for a couple of months to see where it goes. Perhaps, “Glutton Opines: Grand Case restaurants” will be part of Version 1.2.Â
It makes me smile that I have chosen the following inaugural (first!) images for the new site: Marlboro, Lee’s Fried Chicken, Donnie Darko, 4 Chan, and some hot reality tv model.