MariaPia's Thumbnail Reviews III John Kline's Web Site is deeper than it first appears. His (primarily) landscape portfolio features 10 clickable works that lead to many more international photos. My favorite is "17 Mile Drive", where violent surf meets rocky shore under turbulent sky. The programming is clean and neat, very organized, no doodads, just "great work." · The care that Rob Williams takes to present his travel photos well is flattering to the viewer. To think he did that just for us. Additionally, the Java, applets, mouseovers and image maps are highly customized and a vacation in themselves. Laos, Vietnam, Africa, bank notes, beer coasters ... you're sure to bookmark this site! My impression? A "MUST SEE!" Forum Romanum is a definitive collection of the chronological history of the Roman empire, an alphabetical listing of, I guess, 500 works of literature, several on site, a repository for over 250 photos and more, more, more. No bells and whistles, but EVERYTHING works and works well. This is one "scholarly" work! · Enter the Trench has it all: Javascript to drool over, unique graphics, mention of 14955 honored guests, to name a few details. The care and humor with which he presents his chihuahuas is ... a riot! And the man uses Stylesheets well. Everything about this site is an "inspiration" to personal site designers. Did I mention that this is a Space Shuttle site? Tom Chao's Paper Money Gallery is "rich." The US dollar is from 1880 -- now that's what our money should look like! The most expensive item in the collection (auction) is from Panama, 1941, at $ 1,250, only issued for six days. Chao has money from 265 countries and is missing 16. No razmatazz here in the programming department (nice image map), but what can compete with money? · Extreme Graphics has "dash!" ... mouseover shimmer, clever logo, image map, stunning graphics and talented organization. It is bright and busy. As for content, the site writes (well) on graphics design, and accepts submissions. The rest of this advertising site is way over my head, though exciting. · Numismatics buff? Don't miss Ancient Greek and Roman Coins, which is so much more than that. This is a high-content site, technically excellent. The educational features of grading, manufacture and preservation are generous. Everything is illustrated with photos of real coins, I believe from the author's collection. The site is "a treasure." · Medical Log - Star Trek is a Deep Space Nine site, specifically Julian Bashir. The graphics and image maps are gorgeous, mouseovers are "extraordinary," so much so, in fact, that I wish the ALT tags were not there as they cover the graphics for a moment, isn't that selfish? There is a tremendous attention to detail on this site that should serve to refresh any webmaster's block. Every link off the site is outstanding, as well. Can a serious subject like depression or suicide be handled well on an internet homepage? Yes, at Dave Grotke's Free Advice. There is a delicate balance of hope and urgency. And yet, the site is hilarious. Everything is covered here ... what to include in your email to him, links to professionals, advice for the immediately distraught ("Alternatives to Suicide: Sorry, I can't think of any offhand. But seriously ...."). He even posts messages to people whose return email doesn't work. This is "really good stuff." Kat's Keep is in the children's section of GeoCities. If you are not aware of the work that kids are doing on the Web, here is a fine place to start. I have no doubt that Fiona aka Kat is primary programmer of these pages; they are personal. The main page has a great fold-out javascript menu. And see esp. links to her graphics site and to mathematicians (anyone who has a picture of Pascal is okay in my book!). My impression is "fantastic." · Jplacsoncorp Web Design is nothing but two splash screens and an email link but, oh what splash screens! The owner offers video editing, Flash 4 macromedia, web design and graphics design. Very clever is my impression and I wish John well in his search for work. John proves that "less is more." Braindead Gray Matter's Last Issue is moving to a new site, according to the "Berger" page. Let's hope this link stays up until then! "New" sports a timeline script, "Portfolio" leads to a rare horizontal scroll page, with a nice new-window script to showcase his 29 illustrations, and the "Web Design" page has a nice image-swap script. My impression is "intriguing!" · Tobie Abad Diablerie Boy is a PBeM site, i.e., Play By eMail, with great graphics, use of font colors and autobiography. Discover the wealth of this site, which is on the "Writing" page; short fiction, plays and poems ... very talented. Impression regarding PBeM: "Who knew?" · Shonk_Man is a highly interactive site with timely updates, e.g., the Sports and Music sections. Be sure to have your macromedia player updated and use the Flash Intro. JS and applets all over the place in sports scores, MIDI playing, and several games. Nice HTML section and custom graphics, too. All in all, I would call this "a fun site." · Journey Through Evil contains two games, the title game and Dark Cloud of Beligerent. I have no idea how to play these online add-on games, but it appears that you follow a maze, make choices and then write the segment if you hit a dead end! The strength of the site is that the author strongly solicits visitor participation and is very involved in the games. The Enter image map and graphics are nice. My impression: "excellent!" Here is Javascript Adlib Games where the author takes adjectives and nouns, etc., from you and creates a nonsense story or poem. There is a LOT of work here, including crosswords, fraction reducer, a jokes Javascript, and more. Most charming is his solicitation for votes on whether he should upgrade the site. My vote is "Yes, you're almost professional, Tim!" This site is "bookmarkable." · Whispering Wings has beautiful specialized graphics, a nice dissolve script to and from Page 2 and JS drop menu, floating hummingbird script, 10 breathtaking applets ranging from snow to hue-changing (must see) to ripple, bright background sets and more. Oh, and if you want to know about the care of pet birds, learn here! My impression is "worth the trip!" · Visions of Art is laid out in an interesting and attractive manner. It switches to the Meaning of Art, but keep going! Every discussion is punctuated with one or more recognizable works of art, and there is enough information to learn something new. There is a collection of famous artists' feelings about art. Please do not miss the site owner's section of his own paintings with the promise of more! My impression: "Handsome!" The value of Creating a Successful Web Site is that it skirts HTML Programming with a few paragraphs, and goes on to the things that new programmers rarely find, e.g., Content, Proofreading, Advertising Your Site, etc. This site is "a staple!" All the pages have tips and point to sites that have written on the subjects expertly. The design is very clean, consistent and operable. See the online interactive comic book at Argon Zark! The menu script on the hub page is sensational, nice mouseover menu buttons, rich in navigation. For comics novices like myself, Charley Parker spells out what Easter Eggs are, which is an added enjoyment. Mostly, just go to see the menu script and then the 8-Page Excerpt of the comic strip. You'll be "hooked!"