Welcome to the first of my series of reviewing Mobile Blogs. As I promised, every Friday I'll review a different Mobile Blog and my guest this week is Symbian in Motion.

Authored by Zach, a senior administrator on the Internet's most popular free mobile content site www.mobile9.com, Symbian in Motion has become a well known blog specialized in application reviews.

Before I begin, I have to mention:

The following are all my personal opinions as a reader and It might also stand up for most other readers' thoughts. The aim of this review is to help the blog owner/author improve, modify or fix whatever necessary to enhance the blog's quality.

So, let's get started :) 

Blog Construction/Design:

What gives Symbian in Motion most of glitter is its design. Zach really did score on picking this theme, it's just awesome!

Good:

• I love how the blue color of links and the gray color of text blend smoothly into the 'not so black' background.
• The nicely designed right column makes it easy for readers to reach what they want, whether they're searching the site, picking a category or subscribing to feeds.

Bad:

• Feed Syndication shouldn't be placed at the bottom of the right column, I mean it sounds louder when visible as soon as the page loads.
• No syndication with popular web aggregators such as my Yahoo, newsgator, myAol... etc. I realized I had been blind.
• No recent posts/Archives.*

*Lack of Recent Posts/Archives may somehow be normal because of the nature of this blog being specialized in applications. But again, those two help people pretty much browse and easily find what they want.

Another thing I don't get or probably is just a mistake, the R9-Z13 written at the very bottom of the right column. I assume it's the title of an item that does not exist. Correct me if I'm wrong?

Content

Content Construction

Good:

• Title is presented as a permalink to the titled post which is good.
• Category so you can view other posts of same category.
• Content is delivered neat and organized.
• Reference links, download links, screenshots and videos are provided to support the post.
• Guides for the reviewed app is available through phone screenshots.

Bad:

• Phone Screenshots are too large.*
• Videos are not totally embedded in the post, they open in a new window.
• No Feed Flares

I think: The overall look of the content is neat, well organized and constructed, which works for the good of the blog, so let's just not destroy that by unneededly large phone screenshots. I mean a phone's screenshot should not be larger than the phone's screen, right?

Content Material

Now to Posts. The place where all the gold is found. When I first got to know Symbian in Motion, even before being renamed to Symbian in Motion, I liked the fact that it's specialized in mobile applications, and this is what made it different from other mobile blogs. Unfortunately from time to time I find posts that are off the "applications" topic. My point is, if it's my first time to open Symbian in Motion, and I find an application review, then the next post is a comparison between 2 phones or a mobile review for example, I'll get immediately an idea that it's just another ordinary mobile blog and I may leave with no return. The key here is being different.

New posts are frequently published with rare gaps of average 1-2 days in between which is good. And posts really do encourage people to contribute with their comments.

Other stuff

In the "About the Author" page, I find the title "About the Author" then beneath it a description of the blog?! Doesn't match. Ok about the author thing is mentioned in the next paragraph, but being titled "About the Author" gives priority number 1 to "About the Author" and not to "About the Blog"!

Also not posting a photo in the Author's page disappoints a lot of people.

Well, that's all I've got. I hope I covered everything.

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Did I miss something? Was it too short? Do you have an opposing opinion or think I've mistaken in a point or more? This is my first review, so please people let me know what you thought so I could do better next time. Thanks.

Labels: Blog Reviews

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