The category is pretty much self explanatory, and if you note the lack of serious design elements here at Wampum, you won't ask us to try and provide any pointers on good design.
This year's nominees are:
Posted by MB Williams at January 9, 2004 08:52 PM | TrackBackLast One Speaks is my heartful favorite, touched by the warmth and humanity in the Libb'real perspective.
respect,
PvH
Posted by: Paul von Hartmann at January 10, 2004 02:48 AMAlas, A Blog
Open Source Politics
kos by a mile
Posted by: Mark H at January 10, 2004 06:17 AMDaily Kos easily.
Posted by: Steve at January 10, 2004 09:53 AMCrooked Timber — I don't think anyone else comes close.
Posted by: Greg Greene at January 10, 2004 11:28 AMLiberal Oasis -- the only guy who understands sentences and links need air around them, on the web. Nice restful colors, too.
Posted by: Emphyrio at January 10, 2004 01:19 PMI really like the look of Jenn Manely Lee's site.
I also like the pseudo-sepia tone look of The Talent Show. Their archive pages are also pretty cool.
Kos has lots of cool features, but isn't the look of his site just a modified off-the-shelf template? TalkLeft looks like it's using the same template.
Posted by: rusty harmonica at January 10, 2004 01:39 PMCrooked Timber
Posted by: Michelle at January 10, 2004 02:21 PMDailyKos. Noone else comes close.
And in the future, this award should be renamed as "The DailyKos Award."
Since we're nominating, though, I'll point out that I also like Alas a Blog and the Agonist.
Posted by: pontificator at January 10, 2004 03:29 PMIn spite of the fact that it took me a month and a half to figure it out, and I'm still learning (but I'm a computer troglodyte, so that doesn't say much), I have to go with Kos.
So many fun features, so little time.
Posted by: Thumb at January 10, 2004 07:58 PMOSP
Posted by: Damfa at January 10, 2004 08:32 PMAlas a Blog
Posted by: lea-p at January 10, 2004 09:02 PMAs much as I'd like to get one nomination in this category, because I happen to think TLL is handsome, I'm going to give my vote to CalPundit, whose top banner knowcks my socks off every time.
PS. I can't believe TomBurka.com didn't get nominated. And I wish The MorningNews.org was a lefty blog.
Posted by: Oliver at January 10, 2004 11:10 PMMany fine choices here, but for pure aesthetics, I hafta go with Jenn Manley Lee.
After hers would be:
Democratic Veteran
Open Source Politics (yeah, I'm partial to my own!)
Crooked Timber
Alas, a blog.
Posted by: Mrs Tilton at January 11, 2004 09:28 AMMany thanks to everyone who nominated Alas. Shucks!
My favorites are my pal Jennifer Manley Lee (she's a designer for a living, and I think it shows), The Talent Show, Feministe, and Road to Surfdom. Feministe may need to be read regularly to fully appreciate how good she is; she does a significant alternation to the design at least once every couple of months.
Posted by: Ampersand at January 11, 2004 12:21 PMKos, Timber, WTF [http://maruthecrankpot.blogspot.com/]
DailyKOS
Posted by: Ramin at January 11, 2004 03:22 PMDailyKos
Posted by: Duncan Young at January 11, 2004 06:36 PMI'm on dial-up, I'm voting for Electrolite on the grounds that I don't reach old age waiting for it to load.
Posted by: Avedon at January 11, 2004 08:06 PMAlas
Crooked timber
Kos
Avedon raises an good point, though. I don't have dial-up, so I wonder how many people's expirience is affected by an over complicated desgin.
I realize its too late now, but maybe next year we should have a "Most User Firendly" category.
Posted by: kevin at January 11, 2004 09:19 PMDailyKos
Posted by: surfk9 at January 11, 2004 09:27 PMFriends have suggested my site for "Worst Site Design". I think that good site design is a bourgeois indulgence. So there.
Posted by: Zizka at January 11, 2004 09:48 PMXoverboard! If only for the flash-animated sleeping cat.
Posted by: Paddy at January 11, 2004 11:11 PMI'd have to say Xoverboard as well, because of the little drawings that accompany each post. As well as that wonderful beaver. I'm still waiting for it to die a different way, though!
Posted by: Alex at January 11, 2004 11:42 PMWithout any doubt these are brilliant choices
Road to Surfdom looks great and reads even better
After the surf I am partial to czech the X ballot paper next to
Back Pages
Crooked Timber
DailyKos
..........
Spaciba
Vlado
Not Geniuses.
Sorry Zizka, but hands down, Worst Site Design goes to Professor DeLong.
Second Prize goes to Atrios.
Posted by: JP at January 12, 2004 12:28 AMWhile aesthetics is in the eye of (b)logger
Was dysfunctional URL for Busy just my problem?
NB:
http://www.http.com//www.busybusybusy.com/
came
up:
Under Construction
http://www.busybusybusy.com/
21
Dec
03
latest
For sheer looks, I think we have to go with August Pollack's Xoverboard.com. It's got nice flash animations, a consistent theme inspired by his own comic strip characters, and Easter eggs in the site. Plus, instead of those hideous giganto-huge bloglists on the side of every blog site, ever, August politely gives them their own page entitled "Links" like every other sensible personal website out there. Makes it much easier to read.
Posted by: Funky at January 12, 2004 01:31 AMXoverboard.com for using flash animation and ayone who takes the time to code easter eggs into a page get my vote.
Alas A Blog and This Modern World are both beautifully designed.
Posted by: Mike at January 12, 2004 05:02 PMAlas a Blog. It just makes me feel good
Posted by: Jordan Barab at January 12, 2004 08:39 PMXoverboard. I'm his mom. Really.
Posted by: Beta at January 13, 2004 12:34 AMAlas a Blog
This Modern World
Glad to see all the support for DKos. The Diaries are seminal. He's single-handedly taken blogging to a new level. And anyone who's followed the transition from MT to Scoop knows how hard Kos has worked.
Posted by: DavidNYC at January 13, 2004 01:00 PMMy vote is for Not Geniuses.
But there's this:
Kos has lots of cool features, but isn't the look of his site just a modified off-the-shelf template? TalkLeft looks like it's using the same template.
I built that template from scratch. I implemented it for TalkLeft and a couple of other sites (like the Left Coaster). But it's mine, precioussssss....
Posted by: kos at January 13, 2004 03:08 PMI voted for Alas last year, so I'll keep the cartoonist theme going by voting for XOverboard
Posted by: julia at January 13, 2004 06:29 PMXoverboard has a great design, for sure, and he's a talented, thoughtful writer as well, but I'm voting for it because its the only blog I know of that links to Real Ultimate Power.
Posted by: Elias at January 14, 2004 10:55 AMMr. Tomorrow. I think people are hesitant to vote for him because of the left root-for-the-underdog thing, but it's a great blog and deserves to win something even if he is famous so it may as well be for this.
Posted by: David at January 15, 2004 12:22 PMPoison Kitchen!
Posted by: NTodd at January 15, 2004 10:48 PMFeministe (she plays interior blog designer every month or so. it's fun to see the changes.)
Alas A Blog
Jenn Manley Lee
Busy Busy Busy
Posted by: Trish Wilson at January 22, 2004 04:38 PM