Just one day to go. Reading through the various finalists in the categories I have managed to cover has been an arduous, but extremely enjoyable task. (Next year the judges are going to have to cut down on the number of finalists or give me a head start!) I have discovered a whole load of real gems, and am actually brimming with proud over what our fledging online community is offering to the world ... and this is just the tip of the iceberg.
In the interest of highlighting our new blogstars here are the finalists in the category



Best New Blog
[Best blog which was started during the year of 2007]

• elledeco.blogspot.com : I found it interesting that a publication like Elle Decoration SA decided to go blogging, using Blogger. I would have though they would have the resources to buy an domain name, get a hosting plan and spend a little on an appropriate template design. [Accept that this come from Eish!! ~ eishcoza.blogspot.com!] Getting down to the content, they have kept everything bite/byte size. This actually works for me and the illustration rich content is diverse and interesting. I would imagine that their print readership would expect a little more.
  
  
  
  
  


• ivo.co.za : Ivo Vegter is a writer by profession. This blog is an extension of his writings for publications. This was a discovery for me, not having seen any of his writings before. I found the posts engaging and diverse. It must be said that us bloggers can sometimes become used to mediocrity as we forego standards in the quest to get our news(and views) as quickly possible. This is one of the blogs up for the SA Blog Award that bucks this trend, and there aren't enough of them. The page is simple, has all the necessary elements and does not detract from the writing, which is after all the main attraction. I great find.
  



• capetowndailyphoto.com : I am not sure why I am not a subscriber of Cape Town Daily Photo. I have mentioned my pangs of jealousy over Paul and Kerryanne's eye for a great photo before in a previous post. They somehow manage to find a different view of the mother city every day, with a short write up on the subject and/or how and/or why they took the picture. They have garnered an loyal readership as a result of the quality the offer everyday and have become a bit of an institution in the SA blogosphere.
  
  
  
  
  


• gfsouthafrica.blogspot.com : One of four foodie blogs to make as a finalist in this category. It must be said that the 'Gluten Free South Africa" does not pull me in as a reader. However I can imagine that there is a growing niche that would appreciate this blog. And what's more the recipes and advise offered are presented extraordinarily well. Those needing or wanting to eat gluten free do not need to miss out on much, if this blog is anything to go by. The added 'service' offered is the reporting on establishments that either cater for or accommodate those needing to stick to a gluten-free diet. A simple Blogger template is used, but the content is king here.
  
  


• greedygourmet.com : Another quality foodie blog. Again I am really impressed with this offering. I particularly enjoy the way the author (there's a pic on the about page but no name) has a readable preamble to each post on the front page, with a link to read the rest of the post which then includes the recipe, a really nice touch as this means the front page doesn't get clogged up with recipes . The photos of the food discussed are of high quality ... mouth watering actually. The design of the page is not particularly special, but this is unnoticeable as the colourful posts keep your attention. This is another blog that proves the value of the SA Blog Awards, I would not have found it otherwise.I am looking forward to trying the hash brown recipe this weekend!
  
  
• jaxbischof.wordpress.com : Jackie Bischof is a young journalist living in Johannesburg. She is using her blog to hone her journalistic and writing skills while bringing her views and experiences of Johannesburg to the world. The content is varied and Jackie is not afraid to voice an opinion, which makes for enthralling reading. It will be interesting to follow if this becomes a path to a career in mainstream media or if she follows this 'new media' route. One thing is for certain, Johannesburg should keep her supplied with many topics to write about.
  
  


• blog.ecr.co.za/newswatch : Much like the name suggests, this is a news site, disguised as a blog. I have been trying to get my head around why they would chose this type of interface for the news reporting. Actually is makes a whole load of sense, as you can subscribe and get the latest news in the RSS reader of your choice. The site design is East Coast radio, and keeps with the overall look and feel of all the other sections of the site. The posts are updated very frequently, and I like the news watch audio feature. All in all a functional, albeit regional news blog.
  
  
  
  
  


• vanielje.com/blog : Yet another foodie blog. It must be said somehow this genre appears to be producing high quality blogs. (Could it be in the water they drink ... or is it the food they eat?) I seem to be repeating myself, but once again the illustrative photography is top draw. Combine an easy to read writing style and add am extremely effective layout and you have a quality package. I can't wait to give the steak and mushroom pie a go.
  
  
  
  
  


• baglett.blogspot.com : It's a pity so little attention has been given to the design of this blog. the writing is enjoyable and just sufficiently irreverent to catch my interest. Baglett finds herself with a group of finalists that have a stronger all-round package. Good, entertaining reading is all good and well but, perhaps unfortunately, gone are the days that this is all a blog is about. Pity.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


• blog.bridgetmcnulty.com : Bridget McNulty is another South African author, sharing her writing via her blog. Covering all sorts of topics, giving you the odd glimpse into her life, this is a fun read. The masthead captures your attention and aptly displays graphically what you get when you read the posts. The is a clever accompaniment to her print offering and should help her connect to her readers.
  
  
  
  
  

My prediction :

• Not knowing too much about most of these finalists before this review, it's difficult to guage which of these blogs have the readership most likely to take the time to vote. My guess is the fact the ECR has bothered to publicise the fact that they are in the finals means that they will take this one. Honestly, I hope I am wrong though.
  
• Eish's pick : vanielje.com/blog

Labels: finalists, new blogs, review, sa blog awards, sablog awards

Posted by eishman at 9:18 PM | Permalink | Comments

Time to discover some new blogs... this time we highlight the category ...

Best Sports Blog
[A weblog written exclusively about any recognised sport]

• africansurfer.com : This a new discovery for me. And what a gem the awards have unearthed. Reading Africansurfer we follow three guys Tim, Lurks & Stone riding their 1981 Landcruiser up the west coast of Africa from Cape Town to London. I truly love the design and layout of the page. The writing is effervescent and appealing, with good mix of stories, quick updates and photographs of their adventures. You can't help but feel inspired to embark on an adventure after reading what this trio has gotten up to. Now if I can just get over this incredible bought of jealousy!
  
  
  
  
  
  
• sportblogs.24.com/ghana2008 : From one end of the inspiration scale we quickly descend to the other. This blog, maintained by Citypress as best I can see, is merely a list of weak commentaries/summaries of the Ghana 2008 African Cup of Nations football games, and this excludes the semi-finals and even the final. I am not sure how this made it onto this list, being a 24.com vanilla blog, there is no design merit, something that I think is important in this space as it mirrors the personality of the blogger and compliments the writing creating an overall experience that transcends simple prose. Enough said.
  
• sportblogs.24.com/frg : 'FRG' stands for 'Front Row Grunt.' Yes, you guessed it this is one of the six rugby-themed blogs in this category. As per the previous review there is no design kudos to hand out here, so let's concentrate on the content. Clearly there is much passion for the game here. While the is a wealth of results and game summaries here, you will also find some hard-hitting comment and opinions sneaking through. Thanks FRG for helping us raise this bar.
  
• compleatgolfer.co.za : One of two nominations that skirt the boundaries of the definition of a blog. The homepage is the online version of the print magazine of the same name. I am going to assume the nomination was for the latch-on blog 'The Mole's Blog.' The topics are varied, but golf related. There are the obligatory results, golfer profiles, equipment reviews and even some humour. The design is again held to ransom by the publication's overall image which does detract from the good content each post I viewed contained.
  
  
  
  
  


• keo.co.za : A serial nominee for blog of the year (2006 & 2007) and winner of this category in 2005. It must be stated that this category was discontinued after 2005 and has only resurrected again this year. Keo.co.za, Mark Keohane's genius creation when the SA blogosphere was still in it's infancy. The timing, combined with the pedigree of the writing team has lead to this blog becoming a blog with a massive readership. The page is functional, updated constantly and very often the source for breaking news. It's particular focus is rugby but it has branched into reporting on cricket as well. Keo.co.za has a vibrant community that often means you can get as much enjoyment and information from the comments as from the original post.
  
• sarugbyblog.com : Sticking with the rugby blogs. SARugbyblog probably tops the bunch, which is evident but it's rapid rise in popularity after is was first published. It has a balance of results, commentary, news and video relating to the game of rugby. This creation is a professional looking and well laid out page.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• pakiscorner.com : Like SARugbyBlog Paki & Hazard supply their readers with a mix of results, game summaries and video, predominantly around the game of rugby. The big difference I find here is a personality. Despite the presence of the all important 'About' page, the contributors allow their sense of humour to permeate their short posts. I have said it before, but this is what should differentiate a blog from a mainstream publication.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• blog.ecr.co.za/justplain : This is an interesting entry in this category. Although Darren Scott has been synonymous with sport programming on various Multichoice sporting channels, this blog is affiliated to his East Coast Radio show. Although there will be the odd sporting entry, it's more of a general interest blog. It's wide range of topics covered usually have a humourous twist.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• rugbydump.blogspot.com : Another blog that has experienced meteoric rise. Unfortunately, like too many finalists, there is no 'About' page, so I can't tell much about the contributors, other than there is a South African, a Canadian, and a Welshman. The blog features rugby videos of the best tries, tackles, funny incidents 'and more' and is updated at least daily. Interestingly the videos featured are not necessarily only from current or recent games, but from classic games in the past as well. They have a massive repository already built up, and rugby fanatics can spend hours wading through the short videos. The page design fits right into the subject matter, sufficiently masculine with an impressive index list down the right column. Rugbydump is a well thought out concept that will continue to be a success well into the future.
  
• iamastormer.com : Like compleatgolfer.co.za, I assume that the nomination was not for the landing page but for the associated team blog found once you enter. With just three entries in the section, it seems strange that this 'blog' managed to garner enough support and make it past the censors to get into the finals of this category. iamastormer.com is the official Super 14 franchise, Stormers fansite. It has a functional design, perhaps a little defensive when compared to the style of play expected from the team it supports.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  My Prediction :
• I have been unable to find any evidence of Keo.co.za mobilising it's readers to vote, otherwise I would say this category is theirs for the taking. The same goes with rugbydump.com, but I think they have fresh new appreciative readership that may just mobilise itself and pull them to the top.
• Eish's pick : AfricanSurfer.com
  

Labels: finalists, review, sa blog awards, sablog awards, sport

Posted by eishman at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments

Firstly, let me apologise for taken a bit longer than expected to publish the next review of a group of SA Blog Awards finalists. There have been many reasons for the delay, some out of my control.
Secondly, let me say that I will be staying out of the debate about the legitimacy or otherwise of the SA Blog Awards. Let's give those nominees their moment to bask in the glory of their nominations.

Today's reviews will be those nominated in the category ...


Best SA Blog about Technology / Computers / Web Development
[Best South African technology focused weblog]

• noboxmedia.com : Although the name rang no bells I have the feeling I may have popped over to Nobox Media from time to time. I found the masthead particularly impressive. It captures yourattention and draws you into the page. NoboxMedia is a blog produced by a group of developers showcasing their Ajax, DHTML and Javascript scripts. They present the ideas and designs in an easy to read fashion. Not only to they present their own scripts but also little (and not little) gems they have found on the web. Those of you involved on any level with the design and/or implementation of anything web or browser based will find this is a great read.
  


• imod.co.za : Again, imod finds itself in a category that perhaps it doesn't strictly belong. Sure Chris covers tech related stories relatively frequently, but while this is one step closer to a good home for imod when compared the Best Entertainment Blog category, I wouldn't necessarily class this as a blog about technology, computers or web development. Obviously it's supporters think otherwise. Having said that, you could do worse than to use imod.co.za as a source to ensure that you know what going on on the web, all written in an easy going, relaxed style. A regular reading of this blog will keep you in the know.
  
• bandwidthblog.com : Bandwidthblog is part of blogger extraordinaire Charl Norman's impressive blog and website stable. Bandwidth blog has a feel of authenticity which emanates as a result of it being written by someone who has been able to make Web 2.0 his bread and butter. Charl has a deep knowledge and interest in social networking and if you want to keep up with what's hot and happening in this space, bandwidthblog should be added to your subscription list.
  
  
  

• stii.za.net : Stii Pretorius is another one of SA's Web2.0 rockstars. Stii.za.net is his conduit to share his interests, news views with those willing to read them. Like imod.co.za, stii.za.net is more or a personal blog, with a heavy leaning towards his passion tech and web design. Having said that, reading this blog gives you an appreciation for and a greater understanding of the recent developments in the SA webspace. In my opinion this page comes out tops in design. It's simple yet interesting and appealing.
  
  

• nudjit.com : "cause gadgets are kiff" By their own admission, Nudjit should not really be on this year's list, been a too recent an addition to the SA blogosphere. Nevertheless, here they are. Nudjit, is probably best described as an SA version of the monstrous Engagdet.com. It's perhaps overdue for SA to have a central repository of news and reviews of gadget from a local perspective, written by people who's opinion matter. Gregor Rohrig, Justin Hartman and Nicholas Haralambous have created what is sure to become SA's premier tech related site.
  
  

• vincentmaher.com/mit : This is the online outlet for another of South Africa's online heavyweights. While, I don't think you will necessarily find any 'breaking news' here, reading Vincent's views and perspectives of tech developments local and international is invaluable. The page design is simple and quirky, and I enjoy the personal photos under the masthead, reminding us exactly what a blog is supposed to be.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• tectonic.co.za : I started reading Tectonic before I even knew it was a blog, probably before I knew what a blog was. Tectonic is a world class source for news of anything open source. The content here is always up to date, if not news breaking and written by writers seriously in the know. In the seven or so years it has been in existence it has grown to be probably a must read for anyone delving into the world of open source software.
  
  
  
  

• adii.co.za : Another of my regular reads. Adii is a self proclaimed, "Wordpress rockstar." Adii is a successful designer of Wordpress templates. As such his writings on the developments in the Wordpress world are respected. He is not shy of speaking his mind it's been insightful reading about the 'going's on' in the community from his perspective. As an added bonus he has some of his designs available for download. It must be said that the current header at adii.co.za does not resonate with me, the overall look though is extremely useable and easy on the eye.
  
  
  
• andyhadfield.com : Andy Hadfield's Cowboys and Engines is a new blog to me. Andy calls himself a Web 2.0ist and, like all the other finalists is someone who would be classed as an industry insider. The unassuming layout masks the informative nature of this blog, on a diverse set of tech related topics.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• mikestopforth.com : Yet another SA web rock star. Mike is one of the pioneers of the SA's web 2.0 movement. His blog looks at the big tech developments and invariably pulls them back home, giving us an understanding of they mean for us, here, locally. Another blog that should at least be on your list of favourites if not in your reader, if you are remotely interested in anything to do with the web.

My prediction :

• This is an extremely tough one to call, as while there are many finalists that have impressive readership figures, these readers do not necessarily have any stake in the SA blogosphere and will therefore not feel obliged to spend the couple of minutes required to cast a vote. Nudjit.com is going to take some beating next year, but I am going to suggest that BandwidthBlog will take the crown this year.
• Eish's pick : Noboxmedia.com
  

Labels: finalists, review, sa blog awards, sablog awards, technology

Posted by eishman at 7:43 AM | Permalink | Comments