Accessibility- *** This website had a homepage with no obvious defects. Several of the linked pages were clunky (see Rules of Submission)
Logical Layout- *** This site was rather long for scrolling and the format was not easily viewed in one screen.
Easy to Find Submission Guidelines- **** There is an icon with explanation almost at the beginning of the page that clearly shows where to find submission guidelines link. Within that link a mass of text awaited but no drawn out search was needed.
Straight Forward Rules of Submission- *** This site had a huge text page that covered the guidelines for submitting everything from poetry, (which was at the bottom) to the advertising for the magazine. There were no breaks in the page that made the mass of text difficult to follow.
Other- ** The blank spaces on the website was not effective at all. Several of the graphics appeared to be floating in a white screen.
Overall- *** This site was not all that professional in styling, but the it is a volunteer run organization for the benefit of poets. They did a decent functional job and should be patronized for their literary efforts and not their site. These people support good causes, they try hard to keep a medium open for poets. I think that getting a new web designer would be the most desirable thing this journal could do to boost their prestige, if of course that is what they want. Maybe the simple image is best for them.
January 5, 2005