Delay for a Day or two

Hi all,

Just delaying this week's site of the week by a day or two, as I have a massive schedule this weekend, and i've just watched my AFL team, the West Coast Eagles, have just won the 2006 AFL Premiership.


Just to give you a sniff of what to expect, this week's site of the week will be handy for all guys out there.

Stay Tuned!

Pete

Site of the Week: Video Gaming is Good

Is it that time of the week already?

Site of the Week: Video Gaming is Good
Site URL: http://videogamingisgood.podomatic.com/

Visit this site if...: If you're a gamer, and are tired of the negative press it receives, then this site is for you (especially if you don't always have the time to sit down to read about the latest gaming news, as the lads offer up their free podcast for all to enjoy!!)

Synopsis: OK, before I get into the details of the site, I have something to admit. I happen to be good mates with the guys who run this website and its podcast, so I can going to try and review it without prejudice. For all intents and purposes, and at the end of the day, i'm only offering up reviews of websites. It's up to you, as the reader, to decide whether to go to the sites I review. Now onto the review!

Firstly, the site was created by 2 guys; Darren (aka Ammo) and Lee (aka Sclozza), was born from the idea that video gaming has been receiving a lot of bad press, with society using video gaming as a scapegoat for some of the problems that are around (For example, anytime there's an incidence of juvenile violence, the fact that those involved may or may not have played video games is used as reasoning behind it, ignoring other factors such as parenting, peer pressure, etc). The guys, being seasoned gamers themselves (if there's a Street Fighter game that Ammo isn't invincible at, it hasn't been made yet), set about changing the image of video games, and focus on the positive side of gaming.

Upon visiting the page, you are greeted with their new logo (nice work Aaron!), and their catch phrase "We're not pro's". This is definitely the case as far as how long they've been doing podcasts, with episode 6 due out shortly. However, the guys are extremely knowledgable about video gaming and its related topics, with a combined total of 30-40 years worth of gaming between them (I don't think that would be over-estimating it either!).

The method by which they go about this is through a podcast, in which the guys go through some gaming-related news of the past fortweek (a term patented by Ammo meaning "a fortnight"), then indulge in a lively discussion over their chosen topic for the episode, then they conclude each episode with a recap of games that they're currently playing, as well as offer up their own "site of the week", which other gamers would find useful.

The beauty of this site is the podcast, and there are a couple of good reasons why. Firstly, you may not always have the time to sit in front of your computer to read about the latest gaming news (For me, this is especially true, as I have a full time job, and in my off time, I often find myself warming a couch watching sport), so being able to load up the episode onto my iPod Shuffle, and to have the freedom of listening to the episode anywhere, and at anytime, is certainly a benefit in my books. Secondly, its free, so all you need is a few minutes to download it and transfer it to your mp3 player, and you're all set.

Of course, you do not need to have a portable mp3 player to be able to listen to the podcast. You may just want to download it, then use a program like Windows Media Player to listen to the episode whilst browsing the web or doing something else on your computer. Infact, you don't need to download the episode if you don't want, as all topics covered are summarised in the post (however, you'd be missing out on some great stuff if you didn't give the podcast a listen).

On a final note, if you guys happen to read this review, I do expect a plug on your site! :)

Well, thats it from me for this week. Thanks for visiting, and don't forget to come back next week where i'll have another Site of the Week waiting for you!

Until then, goed tot ziens!

A teaser for this week's SOTW!

Hi all,

Over halfway through the working week, and it's time for me to start writing up my review of this week's site of the week.

This week's site of the week will deal with another one of my favourite time wasters: Video Gaming. Since early on in my "gaming career", having owned consoles such as the Atari 2600 and the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), through to present day (I currently own an Xbox, Nintendo Gamecube, Nintendo DS, Gameboy Advance SP and PC), gaming has always played a big part in my life.

Now, as long as there have been video games, there has always been that "media beat-up" about gaming and how it is detrimental (ie. It promotes violence; Is contributing to the obescity issue society faces; etc etc).

THUS, my site of the week this week will be about changing that image of gaming, and instead, shine a spotlight on the finer points on gaming and those who play games.

Don't believe me?? Watch this space, and you tell me!

Pete

Site of the Week: Guide to Springfield USA

Welcome to my first site of the week. As I eluded to, this first site of the week is Simpsons-related, and I hope you enjoy!

Site of the week: Guide to Springfield USA
Site URL: http://mapofspringfield.com/

Visit this website if...: As noted above, this website is Simpsons-related, so if you happen to be a fan of TV's favourite animated family, then this website is a must see!

Also, if you've ever been curious as to where certain places in Springfield are in relation to others (for example, if you've ever wondered where Greasy Joe's Bottomless BBQ Pit is, or where the Escalator to Nowhere is in relation to the Simpsons residence), then this is the closest you'll ever get to knowing.

Synopsis: As the URL suggests, this website contains probably the most comprehensive map of Springfield ever made.

The two cartographers, Jerry Lerma and Terry Hogan, spent around 3 years of episode watching and trawling the web to ensure that the accuracy of the map was as close as it would get. Infact, this is part of their introduction on the home page of the site:

"Although we'd like our map to be as accurate as a map to any imaginary place can be, our main intent is to preserve the comic spirit of Springfield, document its unique identity, and to have some fun at the same time"

Their work paid off handsomely, as their map of Springfield has been added to the Harvard Map Collection, which is one of the oldest map collections in the world.

When you click on the link to access the map, you're given two options:

1. View the map in sections; or
2. Download/view the entire map as a massive image.

Either way is fine. I personally prefer the second option, as it allows you to view the entire map at once, so you can scroll from side to side, up and down, without the need for clicking the links to see other sections of the map.

Now, in addition to their fine mapping skills, this website also contains a comprehensive list of places in Springfield and in some of the featured other towns (Shelbyville, Capitol City, etc) that also appear in the Simpsons episodes on a regular basis.

Feel free to leave any comments on this site of the week, or suggestions for next week's site of the week.

Until then, adios!

My first site review......in 3 days time!

Hi all,

Just a quick post to let you know that my first site review will be up within the next 3 days. As a bit of a teaser, it will be about one of my favourite things in life: The Simpsons.

Until then!

Pete

First Post

Hi everyone,

This is my first go at blogging, so be gentle!

The whole purpose behind this blog is to draw attention to lesser known websites on the internet that I find interesting, and that people who share similar interests to me might also find useful and/or fun to visit.

The first step was registering the site name and blog address, so that now is mission accomplished. In the coming days/weeks, i'll add a bit more to the site, such as a profile about myself, and perhaps some images or tinkering of the design to try and make the page more unique.

In the meantime, feel free to leave comments. If you have a website that you feel is worthy of being Pete's site of the week, by all means leave me a comment including the URL, and your name (or screen name, whichever you wish to go by I guess). At this stage, i'm not really looking at mainstream websites (for example, one of my interests is NBA basketball, so i'd instantly rule out nba.com being Site of the Week, since everyone already knows about it and what it has to offer.)

Don't expect an update anytime soon. All things being equal, I hope to add the next update within a week's time.

EDIT: My profile is up and running.