Below is an email sent to me by Narcissa, a reviewer from So Vain who reviewed my journal on Friday. My comments will be in italics, beneath the paragraphs she wrote, so you can easily follow the situation.

I reviewed your diary. I checked it in both Netscape 6.2 (in which your layout was a horrid mess - not viewable at ALL because the black backgrounds do not show up), and also in IE 6.0. The review was done using IE 6.0. because of that fact. I have a brand new Dell computer with a flat screen monitor. We're talking top of the line equipment. My monitor has no problems.

We also use IE 6.0, have a custom built computer, not a flat screen, but who cares?

Stolen Code: I looked at your code thoroughly. I looked at your guestbook form code, and it is the same as Lex's code. I'm also aware of the fact that you've stolen code from designers in the past, so I have a hard time believing that you happened to come up with the exact same code as Lex all on your own. Even the columns and width values are the same. You didn't even remove the comments - (, )

Um, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but that example of "guestbook form" is standard issue teaching in internet classes/online tutorials I got most of my codes from this site. Yes, I do admit that I somewhat stole a Sunfall design, but I mainly altered a design she made for me. But also take into consideration, I was new into this whole design deal on Diaryland. I used to only design for myself on Angelfire, and that was it. I had no clue about CSS back then, I thought that it was Javascript or some new software I had to get to get the effects for my links. This was last August. A lot has changed since then.

I stand my ground on that comment.

Color: The internet only recognizes a certain number of colors. If you don't pick one of those web-safe colors, it can show up as a totally different color on somebody else's monitor. I've viewed your diary on my computers at work and home, and the red was blinding on both. Just because it isn't bright to you doesn't mean that's the case for others.

It might have been distorted by your color resolution. We use 16-bit, you may be using 256 colors, instead.

Mini-Banners: Because they are located on a secondary page of your diary and not the main page, they are considered content, and therefore do not count as part of the layout itself. You don't have any graphics on the main page other than a buttonbox graphic, a weather banner, and your table border.

True.

Theme: If you're aware that not everyone has heard of Steak and Shake, then you should have mentioned what your theme was about when you requested a review. We aren't there to do research. In any case, having a layout themed around a restaurant doesn't really say anything about you other than you like their food. Your writing isn't centered around steak and shake, so that doesn't tie in either.

Whatever. And I'm sorry that you didn't like my design.

I hope this shed some light on your review.

Past Five:
12 May 2006 * Workaholic
16 April 2006 * It's Easter!
20 March 2006 * And she comes back
07 January 2006 * Starting over, elsewhere. I think.
02 January 2006 * Face your fears