@remoranger
hope u don't mind my asking. what graphics program do u use? there's this bogus look with all your graphics. it's like they take too much space on all of your works. every single one. i would'nt have commented on them, but since u posted them here, i though i should let u know (just my own observation).

@remoranger

I found the most popular hacker registered on your forum.

The name is krisbarteo.
Delete the ID immediately and add the name to the list of reserved names.

I run a forum too and dont doubt what i just said,

Roflmao!!! This is one of the main issues I have with folks on here. When a person comes in, a person who is not even one of you all, gives you a straight up review. You ought not to feel ATTACKED but instead read what the message really is and I believe it is straight forward.

P.S Splashing the colors white and green all over a site in the way you have done is not original. I can pick out about 5 Nigerian sites that have much the same look in like 10 minutes. Also, visit www.ColorLover.com if you are color blind or do not know how to mix and match colors for better effect. I stumbled on that site some years ago when trying my hands on web design. I realized that job was not for me at all but I at least learned a bit about how matching the right colors is key.

gud work bro, but, GREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN, yea of cos, its clean and green,
am glad my state is getting a website at least better than other states.
DDNOBI, we are ahead.

Tnx man!

ddonobi don hammer!

site is okay, was just wondering wht kinda stress the team musta gone through putting this up with a steep deadline. Home page is very busy though, i say tht cautiously cuz if u ask me for a solution to tht busy homepage i wont know wht to tell u (lol even cnn.com is busy).

Some links are still dead tho (most likely still under construction).

Well the governor, even the president will be impressed with a work like that.
but the homepage has a million activity links. it would have been better if it is reduced to half of what it is now, with some hyperlinks leading to mor links.
alltogether, its a clean work.

@sam Ok. Dont run the forum. What is this krisbarteo guy up to?

I have been gone for a while and had sworn never to return for a while either.  I am only coming in cos of the Imo website and the rebranding website and the concerns I have for them and our country as a whole.  After this, I will go back into hibernation mode, maybe returning to this thread only, based on responses after mine.  

There is a lot wrong with the site but I will stop at 10.  Chances are that the governor is going to like it anyways as you have one of the main things that make some nigerian clients go goo-goo-ga-ga with their mouths dripping with saliva: animation/fading photos. because chances are that he doesn't know any better when it comes to web dev/design.  His only concern is that the state has a website that he can go around boasting to his fellow governors.

Imo state site:

1) Full of green and full of sharp corners.  I suggest you take Kobo's advice and visit color lovers site for color combinations.  Mixing green, red and blue doesn't work for me and perhaps others.  If you must use green, may I suggest that you at least use "Nigerian green"?

2) What does imo celebrity have to do with bringing in investments the state?

3) Link to governor's site doesn't work.

4) Home Page too crowded

5) Calendar: if the whole point is to show the date, just print it as a one-liner (May 25, 2009).  That calendar is taking up unnecessary space.

6) You say the site is all original yet looking at one of the fading photos, the one with the guy with a stop sign, it is obvious that it was doctored.

7) You say you want to win an award for this.  I think this is a selfish motive. Rather, I think you should say that you want to put Imo in a positive light and to challenge other states to come up with something similar, if not better.  Such a site has the potential to bring in foreign/local investment, all of which can lead to long-term web jobs for you in the long-run.  Don't just think in terms of "I chop now, clean mouth".  I assume you want to be doing this for a long time.  This is the attitude that is killing us as a country, generally speaking.  we want it now and forget about tomorrow. Next thing, we are blaming air forces for our predicaments in life.

Remember, when God asked Solomon what he wanted, he didn't say he wanted long life and riches.  Rather he said he wanted God to give him the knowledge and wisdom to rule his people.  If you read your Bible regularly, you will know that not only did God give him the wisdom but he added riches to that as well.  Learn to be selfless.

8 ) Why are you using generic icons, mixed with icons of actual people?  For example, look at the "chat" icon.

9) I decided to look at your photo gallery page.  The first thing I saw? A generator.  What does that have to do with the state? (http://imostate.gov.ng/gallery/)

10) I clicked the Imo state logo on the gallery page and found out it isn't even clickable.

My "you might not like what I have to say but it's the truth" verdict":
This site wasn't properly planned from the get-go, hence, the sleepless nights.  If I were your project manager, I would ask that the governor postpone his viewing for at least another week so you can work on, at the very least, the items i have listed above.  

Take a look at the following sites, not to say they are any better, for ideas (I purposely chose these 3, one from each geo region, so as to allay any suspicions that I am a tribalist):
http://www.anambrastateng.org/general/
http://www.riversstatenigeria.net/
http://www.tarabastate.gov.ng/home%20p.html

===========================

Nigeria rebrands site:
I first saw this site about 2 weeks ago on the Nation online newspaper site.  First thing as always, I wanted to post here but as I said earlier, I am on a self-imposed exile.  

Be that as it may and site layout/design aside, the first thing I asked myself when I saw the site was, "Is this site about Nigeria or the minister?".  If the former, then why is her picture and not that of Nigeria in the header? Also, I went to at least 20 pages of the site and found NOTHING that would make me, a skeptical potential investor in some foreign country, to want to drop my pre-conceived notions of Nigeria as a corrupt nation.  Sorry.  When I see sites like this, I want to weep for my country.  We can do better but between cronyism and favoritism, we don't give it to the right people.  Where we do, such people most likely sub-let the job to unqualified folks who get paid 100K (if that) out of a multi-million naira payment.  Next thing, they are flashing around town bragging, never mind that they were given crumbs that even a dog wouldn't eat (or eat it then turn around and bite you).  It's ridiculous!

As I have said before, I don't eat amala but I have seen it on display at many restaurants and can tell the quality of such amala, without tasting it.  I don't have to eat amala to pass judgement on it.  Visual appeal is everything.  There is food that I never ate in my life but based on looks, I at least decided to give it a try. The same concept applies to websites.

My scores for each site:
Imo: 55%
Nigeria rebrands: 35%

By the way, in case you aren't aware, this is the site that is going to replace www.nigeria.gov.ng, if not already:

http://www.fmic.gov.ng/

View it and weep for your country.  By the way, don't get into the habit of loading up a web page, looking at the home page (the part that shows up above the fold anyways), admiring the flash/animation, and then proclaim, "wow! this site is cool".  Learn to scroll from top to bottom, clicking links, filling forms, etc.  That is how you actually test a website.

WOW!!!!!!!! well i m not much of a saint but i think i remember that part of the bible where it is written about logs and eyes and stuffs like that. Web design and development is not a full blown rigid ivy league academic degree program. Its not like in my profession where you dare not go against the second law of thermodynamics; you just may pay dearly with your life. I think web design/development is a free style thingy whether you use photoshop or the graphics are bogus, or the websites are too green (what the dickens is wrong with green anyway? its the designers choice) or this or that. Just do you best and dont think you help yourself by trying to pull down the houses others built just to assuage your own frustrated ego. Yawa will happen when you design/develop sumtin and your clients or audience dont digg it. The God of Hunger go descend horribly upon you.

AS FOR THE CRITICS . i have a list of sites below for you. start criticizing

http://www.csszengarden.com
http://www.alexbuga.com
http://www.cnn.com
http://www.bbc.com
http://www.youtube.com
http://www.nairaland.com

oh!! i almost forgot

http://www.facebook.com
http://www.twitter.com

AT least that will keep you busy for a while

Tnx though, I'm still uploading and running test that's why i posted for criticism. Thanks again, would carefully effect corrections,

about logs and eyes and stuffs like that.

That's not the actual quote but I am familiar with it and can hold my ground anytime, any day.  You can YIM me in private if you want

Web design and development is not a full blown rigid ivy league academic degree program

Is this based on what you know factually or on what you think you know.  There are schools that offer it as a degree program.  I happen to have a minor in it

I think web design/development is a free style thingy whether you use photoshop or the graphics are bogus, or the websites are too green (what the dickens is wrong with green anyway? its the designers choice) or this or that.

I am happy you said, "think".  That's much better and lets the reader know you speak based on opinion.  By the way, I didn't say you can't use green.  I said use the appropriate green, in the case of Imo's site.

Just do you best and dont think you help yourself by trying to pull down the houses others built just to assuage your own frustrated ego.

Again with the assumptions and mind-reading.  I have no ego. What I do have is a passion for web dev. A passion so deep that though I admit that no one, including myself is perfect, I will call crap when I see it.  What you call pulling down is what I call the truth and last time I checked, the truth is bitter, it hurts and it isn't something you can take with panadol.  

Also, in the case of these and related sites, one's "best" doesn't and shouldn't cut it.  Qualified individuals need to handle such jobs, even if they cost too much.  I will go out on a limb here and say you might be alluding to me probably sounding this way cos I haven't gotten any jobs from my state government.  I actually have and such sites stand out from the others (I know this based on what I did and the comments of others, including the governor)

I would rather go hungry, on principle, than develop crap.  Last year, I went for 8 months without a single job partially cos of that.  Currently, there is a site that I could have done last month but cos of this very (Nigerian) issue of arguing and ITK, it hasn't gone off the ground.  Fortunately, one of the guys on the team finally wrote back yesterday and told the guy in question to knock it off and listen to what I have to say, saying that they may not want to hear what I have to say but it's the truth.  As I mentioned earlier, foundation is everything.

Per your listed sites, one thing, at least to me, stands out - simplicity.  Compare those sites with the imo site for instance and tell me you don't notice a big difference, granted they aren't in the same genre.

remoranger,

You see ddonobi's response? I have only one thing to say about it - maturity.  Based on what he just, I don't even mind helping him one-on-one, for free, to make the site better.  If he responded like you, it wouldn't help him much. Of course, actually executing the changes is another thing but at least, he took it well and with no hard feelings.

ddonobi, if you need any help, YIM me.

With me, it is all strictly business and not personal. Chances are that I will never meet most of you in the real world so I have nothing to lose. Even with that though, I still say it as I see it.

I am all for making Nigeria proud online.

@ Ya wa tide. jesus!!!!!! what in d name of dickens made you think i was ever referring to you? pls read every single post before you strike back huh? I did not say degree programmes did not exist. i will soon be enrolling in one before you can smoke the next wrap of weed. lets face it high school kids can download ebooks online and learn web design and even do a damn good job at it. but i will be hanged if he can design a refinery without going to school. capiche?

@ddunobi Just checked out ur site i think the website of my state is light years behind when compared to yours. Just do what you feel is necessary to make changes based on your own discretion ( at least you have team members or you had a plan before starting out) Great work!!!!. . i know a guy developing a website for an lga for 1 milla (At least u don hammer)

@sam thankx just googled kribarteo up. i got 185,000 results. can you believe this guy?

Ya wa tide. jesus!!!!!! what in d name of dickens made you think i was ever referring to you? pls read every single post before you strike back huh?

I didn't say that.  If you read closely you will notice that I have used the word(s), "probably", "maybe" and "I will go out on a limb here ".  You should infer from that that I am not speaking for a fact.

I did not say degree programmes did not exist. i will soon be enrolling in one before you can smoke the next wrap of weed. lets face it high school kids can download ebooks online and learn web design and even do a damn good job at it. but i will be hanged if he can design a refinery without going to school. capiche?

I didn't say you did.  read your/my post again:

Web design and development is not a full blown rigid ivy league academic degree program

I guess I need to back up.  What is "full blown"?  Is this like someone in nigeria who works in a bank as a teller saying he is a "banker"?  Please explain.  Good luck to you in your studies by the way.  Education is good.

lets face it high school kids can download ebooks online and learn web design and even do a damn good job at it.

Very true.  I once worked with someone who has a history degree who is better than me, with a computer science degree.  So, what's your point here?  I could equally argue that I don't need a degree to build a bridge and that I could go to google for a quick tutorial.  Back when I was a kid, I remember we had a TV an antenna (this was when we had the antenna you had to twist on the outside to get signal. Ooops! i Just gave my age) that didn't quite work right.  My Dad wanted to go buy another one and I told him not yet.  I ended up getting a small board, affixing a metal hanger to it and covering both with aluminium foil and voila! the signal came back.  I had no degree at the time in engineering and don't have one now yet I was able to do that.  If I could do that as an 11-year old, what couldn't I do now?

Just do what you feel is necessary to make changes based on your own discretion ( at least you have team members or you had a plan before starting out)

no man is an island.  sometimes, you need to be humble and listen to the discretion of others.  As they say, two *good* heads are better than one.  I am not from Imo state but I take such a site very seriously.  Even if it meant paying someone to do it, I would.  I want all of our states to have excellent websites

Per your guy developing a site for 1m, what's the big deal?  It's not par for the course in this discussion IMHO.  At the end of the day, what benefit does developing a crappy 1m naira site give the developer?  Sure, he might be retiring early but that doesn't take away from the fact that the site sucks.

Please note that I am not saying the site is crap. I haven't seen it yet. Treat my last question as rhetorical.

@ yawa ti de. You sound very interesting. I do like to subscribe to you blog if you have got one. At least you are an honest critic!!! i disagree with googling a tutorial on how to build a bridge. i seriously do. if that where to happen, oxford and havard would go broke. Well i must honestly say i am tired of all this back and forth with nigerian web developers(what in the name of *** was i thinking) i think we all have projects to attend to. When i am stressed out and i need a comic relief i will come and read most of the posts.
And for all those whose ego's i have trampled on intentionally or unintentionally. well i am NOT SORRY

You sound very interesting. I do like to subscribe to you blog if you have got one.

Thanks for the compliments.  At least you have realized that my thoughts are honest.  I don't have a blog and don't intend to have one either.  Between that and twitting (don't get me started), I think it's a waste of time.

i disagree with googling a tutorial on how to build a bridge. i seriously do. if that where to happen, oxford and havard would go broke.

Maybe with respect to building a bridge but I disagree with other areas (for example, many in the US learn about how to make a bomb by googling and I consider bomb-making engineering, something the average joe doesn't just pick up over night) and that harvard et al would go broke.  By the way, what's with the ivy league references?  Why not UNN or UNICAL or whatever?  

Besides, the number of do-it-yourself people can never outweigh those who are willing to pay to learn it.  Example: I have a neighbor who always fixes his own car whereas I go to a dealer.  he might spend 1 month fixing something but at the end of the day, it costs him 80% less (in labor costs) than what I pay the dealer.  Yet the dealers still strive.

Well i must honestly say i am tired of all this back and forth

What you call back and forth, I call a debate.  You say something I might not know and vice versa. In the end, we all learn from one another.  Just cos I disagree with you doesn't mean I know it all. For all u know, na open eye I dey take argue with you.  Don't chicken out just yet

I bet you that at this very moment, I am more busy than you are. It's called time management. I suggest you check it out

@yawatide nah!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i gotta chicken out. Some big bad wolves in the area are out to get me. i am so scared Anyways are you really living  in potiskum?. The way you sound it seems that you get a lot of jobs in potiskum!!! lol!!!. send me your address so that i will come and parasite on all ya jobs. as for the back and forth. if its purely intellectual and sincere; i am game. but when sentiments and beef start rolling out. Nigerians feel they know too much is it a blessing or a curse? maybe i ought to start a thread on that. but then i am not much of a poster. i just prefer to read and laugh my scrawny butt off and fart all over me office. 

I think I have stuck to the points of the debate at all times. If not, I stand corrected. I am all about learning. I can throw down with the ad hominem attacks if and when need be but I choose not to

I am the only yawatide in potiskum. Just get off at the bus stop and ask and u will be directed to my offices. Just beware: I expect nothing but the best from the people I choose to associate with

Are you serious? Pokistum is like the end of the, neva mind. My yahoo id is remoranger@yahoo.com. I just may need your critique services. I am online now. POKISTUM? strange. My friend did is youth service in that area and

@Yawa

Nice to see you around. If I may I ask; what lead to your hibernation mode?

abhosts:
Long story but to cut it short, unlike remoranger, some on here misconstrue my honesty for harassment.  If you don't know something, including myself, just be humble and own up to it. No need bragging about other stuff you know. Consequently, based on principle (something I mentioned a few posts up), I decided to lay low.  I am not paid to post here. I do it based on love and passion for web dev.  I visit this board daily but don't post.  I have been following this thread for a while and only felt I had to step in based on the quality of the websites I saw.

It is very frustrating to me at least when you want to help people yet it isn't appreciated.  As someone once told me, some Nigerians don't need help cos when you give it, rather than thank you for it, they turn around and criticize you.  I don't know how to water down criticism. I tell you the truth, even if it means you kill me cos of it.

I consider myself on conditional return.  Will be re-evaluating on a post-by-post basis.  Thanks for the welcome

remoranger:
My profile has my contact info.  You know where to find me if you wanna chat.  I chose to live in Potiskum for the very reason you are afraid of it.  The longer the distance from humans, the lesser the yawa 

Hi,

@ Yawa - I can see the ever emphasized point on this forum is coming around again. You know how you dealt with it in the past, apply the same method.

- nitation

ddonobi , good work on the site (u too gbaski!! lol ). yeah it's croweded and all (like i expected) but well arranged. i'll sudgest you leave the colours the way they are. i use a fairly large screen. maybe thats why i think its ok. green, red and blue might not go well when you talk about it but in your case i think its ok. this is because down the page you come to see those colours again and it strikes some kinda balance. for example, you have a red bar on top (for enquires, ). just below that theres the tourism link (also red), and below that the top destinations (which is also red). you also come across some reds on the flash banner. top models coming soon also has a % of red in it. same with the blue (business, education and the calendar below. the resort on the flash banner and the logo below. not to forgrt the O on the imostate logo). so there's so kind of balance between the colours. which works for me. because they try to take your mind off the fact that the site is too green which is totally cool. if the calendar is going, make the date on the search bar more visible. on the far right where you have [project update, tourism in imo, ], i'm not really feeling those images. and the fact that the download button/image is different makes the whole place look rough. try to make atleast clearer images for them. and they should all look the same. eg. if there is going to be an icon before the name like u have for downloads, let them all have icons.otherwise loose the icons for all of them.
this review is for the homepage alone. nice one man.

iNTERESTING,

@Yawa, ur hibernation has realy made u HOt,  u r just going on full Throttle.
Truth is,  criticizing a website kinda demoralises the developer involved. It takes real gutz to admit and take corrections,  but most will see this as being cruel to em.

I think whats cosing this is: after considering the sleepless nites and all,  someone just comes around and says abt 39 things are wrong with the site. what do u realy expext that developer to do? Smile and path u in the back?

DDnobi is a real matured guy and i like the way he took it.

YAWA,  is realy helping the developers in NL, else,  we all wulda thought we THERE.


============== http://www.fmic.gov.ng/ =====================

did i see something like , in the source code?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
script type="text/javascript" src="jquery.min.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="ddsmoothmenu.js">

/***********************************************
* Smooth Navigational Menu- (c) Dynamic Drive DHTML code library (www.dynamicdrive.com)
* This notice MUST stay intact for legal use
* Visit Dynamic Drive at http://www.dynamicdrive.com/ for full source code
***********************************************/

aint bad though, nize tweaking.



whats it with http://www.riversstatenigeria.net/
taking forever to load.
whats it also with the flash animation, just flashing continously in chrome.?

@dual core
Na real dual mouth, sorry dual core u be  lol

and to u all

Get back to work

@ Neptune,
The site has changed o! Pls, refresh your page again. Kindly refresh and criticise for me.

God bless

Thank you all for your comment

maybe u culd help by pointin to what and what u changed there, as for me, its still all the same as yesterday's.