I Want to Believe: Review 026

The I WANT TO BELIEVE blog is right up my street. Its not just a regular blog with random wafflings, it actually manages to be both casual and informative. The entry on Spirit Photography had the corners of my mouth turning skyward. He's obviously someone with a interest in the paranormal but zero interest in bullshit (applause).

The look of it is "almost" good, the effort has been put in to make it a bit different to standard templates (which include my own!). The annoying things are the jaggy text images (seen here) and the fact that the main body of texts only seems to start a good scroll down the page - what is with that big blank white area?

Its witty and definately worth a read, though if the blogger wants to make an effort on the look of the site they should go all or nothing - the content will carry it as long as the graphics dont distract people too much.

Now it would just be nice to see the blogger return after a years absense!

THE PARANORMALIZERS REVIEW: 6/10

MIDNIGHT TALES blog: Review 025

The Midnight Tales Blog (or rather Horror Fitness) is a great find. A collection of all things scarey, from stories to images, this blog will make you check the locks before you go to bed.

The tales are well presented and I can't help but enjoy how they are written. The bloggers english isn't perfect but this works to his advantage. His closeness to Transilvania almost adds a sense of romance to this blog.

Alot of the stories will have a familiar feel to them as there are variations on them in every corner of the world. That said if you are going to read them anywhere I would suggest the Midnight Tales Blog as your first port of call.

THE PARANORMALIZERS REVIEW: 7/10

Enter .... THE PARANORMALITE!

The internet is pretty big and the PARANORMALIZER is just one man, so stands to reason that to cover more ground this blog needs an extra pair of hands.


Thats just what we've gotten now that Spacey has come on board as the PARANORMALITE! I've no doubt his fair hand and a sharp tongue will be put to good use here ... so now its just a case of setting him loose.

Welcome to the team my good man, I look forward to reading your reviews!

ParanormalNews.com: Review 024

ParanormalNews.com is a site I used to look at once a month a couple of years back and just lost track of. To be honest despite the fact that its ticks most of the boxes it just lets us down by not updating often enough. Since the start of 2007 its just not been up to much.

If you haven't seen it before its worth a visit and reading back over their content from the last few years is something that will keep you there ... until you run out of updates.

Its not a case of there not being any news they just dont seem to be keeping up with it. Like I said, it ticks the boxes. Great design, well laid out, well written and easy to read.

Come back Jeff, don't let it all be for nothing!

THE PARANORMALIZERS REVIEW: 7/10

LochNess.co.uk: Review 023

Looking around for a half decent location which had a webcam I discovered that there aren't really any that fit that discription. I don't know just how many people out there have webcams pointed at their utility rooms and washing machines but it definately makes the search disheartening!


One website which actually made me look at the cam for more than 3 refreashes was LochNess.co.uk I mean at least when nothing is happening I am looking at a nice lake as opposed to some guy sitting in his makeshift office.

Its an awful website thats impossible to read but it was webcams I was after not content so I can try not to focus on the extremely poor layout and myriad of advertisements.

You can't help but get into it, the slightest shadow gets you excited but chances are you will never see Nessie from either of their 2 cams but the 2 sheep I watched in the field for 5 minutes may well end up in the belly of the beast.


THE PARANORMALIZERS REVIEW: 4/10

TheWerewolfPage: Review 022

The Werewolf Page is just pure indulgance for me. Its an area of the Paranormal that many see as pure fantasy, being that few people claim to have had real life experiences with these amazing creatures. Personally I have never met a werewolf but there is no other monster in the world of horror that I have ever wanted to be. Other people can keep there vampires, with the sexual undertones, for me its hair, claws and howling at the moon.

The Werewolf Page doesn't make claims that Lycanthropy is a real phenomenon. They put together a website which has everything from fan art to full online movies. Apart from the hollywood side of things they have some fantastic articles on the myths and folklore surround werewolves - these include a ritual to become a werewolf!

You can snub the idea of men turning into wolves and running around howling at a full moon but there is absolutely no denying that The Werewolf Page is an extremely well put together website.


THE PARANORMALIZERS REVIEW: 10/10

UFO.whipnet.org: Review 021

When you type UFO in google you get 39,900,000 replies - thats alot of content to trawl through if you are just looking for the "facts". There are discussion forums like ALIEN HUB you can visit to meet like minded people and discuss ideas, theories and experiences. Its a fantasic resourse but when I resently wanted to find out more about a specific area I didnt have the time to go through pages of discussions nor did I have enough information to ask the question I wanted answered - so off I went in search of somewhere that laid it all out.

UFO whipnet.org just happened to be the place where I found my answer. After getting the info I wanted I clicked on another report ... then another and another. The site is one of the most stylish designs I've come across, its cool, uncluttered and easy to navigate.

Sure it has ads on it but when you put time and effort into a page sometimes the little you get back takes some of the hit.

I know some very nice, sane and easy going UFO enthusiasts and even they can't get to annoyied when I say that the area of study and research has some absolute nutcases and even scarier hardcore believers. Whoever it is that does UFO whipnet.org is not one of these people. The writing takes time to laugh the subject (and itself) while maintaining a high level of respect for the material. I'm not ashamed to say I got a giggle out of the Gilmore Girls reference in the article The Speed of Light.

With a nice collection of images, news articles, documents and articles UFO whipnet.org is a website that alot of those 39,900,000 Google results should look at for guidance and inspirantion.

THE PARANORMALIZERS REVIEW: 9/10

PARANORMALMOVIES.com: Review 020

Some people sacrafice content for style, for some its all about the content. Then for others like ParanormalMovies.com, neither seem to matter at all. Here we have another case of a wasted domain name.

The one thing that ParanormalMovies.com does do well is highlight just why a site like Disclose.tv is needed.

I can't even bring myself to list this on www.PARANORMALIZER.com

THE PARANORMALIZERS REVIEW: 1/10

The Bell Witch Website: Review 019

I like when people take a very specific topic and build up a website around it. Thats exactly what Patrick Fitzhugh has done with The Bell Witch Web Site.

He's obviously a guy with a real passion for the subject and handles it very well. He takes a fair minded approach to a case which in the hands of another could go seriously Hollywood. That said I am a fan of the movie The Bell Witch Haunting, rarely have film makers done such justice to a supernatural story. Even An American Haunting, as good as it was, only loosely based itself on the facts.

The site is easy to get around and easy to read so in that there are no failings. A bit more of a design element to it would be nice but Fitzhugh is a researcher and an author, not a designer.

At the end of the day if you want to learn all there is to learn about a fasinating and real case of Paranormal happenings then check out The Bell Witch Web Site.

THE PARANORMALIZERS REVIEW: 8/10

Disclose.tv: Review 018

PARANORMALIZER says .... "it's gonna be HUGE!"

I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever that Disclose.tv is going to be a success, for lots of reasons. The main reason is that its very well done, following the formula of the likes of YouTube. As well as that its badly needed. Trying to find anything on YouTube with regards to the Paranormal can be a minefield, with so much repetition and Paranormal used as a tag on so many clips that simply have nothing to do with the subject.

Its hard to judge the site itself because its open to being judged on the content which is down 100% to the people who use the sight. As far as design is concerned its not really important for a project like this as long as its clean, functional and easy to navigate .... and it is.

For the idea and the execution Disclose.tv has no faults.

THE PARANORMALIZERS REVIEW: 10/10

Southern Indiana Paranormal Investigators: Review 017

I decided to snoop around the neighbourhood for more good blogs, man I trawled threw some real crap but its worth it when you come across ones like Southern Indiana Paranormal Investigators. I'm new enough to blogs but had I known people like these guys had been doing it for almost 2 years I would have jumped on sooner.

Ok they have alot of photos of Orbs but the difference is that all the content they have is their own. I'm really sick of seeing the same youtube clips on every site claiming that many of these obvious hoaxes are genuine.

There's nothing ground breaking about the blog but then again does there need to be? For many a blog is just like a diary, not a research log. Its a pity though that I couldnt find any trace of an actual website for these guys though.

Point to them for going for so long with regular updates and they obviously get out and investigated regularily - would be nice to see them have a place where they can go into it all with more detail.

THE PARANORMALIZERS REVIEW: 6/10

BERKSHIRE PARANORMAL GROUP: Review 016

First thing you have to notice about BERKSHIRE PARANORMAL GROUP is the stylish logo but its not all beauty and no brains for this group. The site is well laid out and easy to follow with a place for everything and everything in its place.

As a group they seem to be very professional and clued up, it might help that two of the team are cops because it they definately have an air of authority about them. That said they dont come across as stuffy or hardcore scientific types who ignore the spiritual side of things - the team also includes a Reiki Master for a bit of balance.

As I've said the site looks good. And despite having a dream head quarters they havent been lazy and played that one card, these guys get out their and Investigate. All the reports are well written and no detail is left out.

BERKSHIRE PARANORMAL GROUP are what good investigating is all about.

My only pick would be that despite them having a team page I could find anything on how they got together and a bit more insight into why they do what they do. Not much can be done to improve the site and I'm sure it will only get better the more they investigate.


THE PARANORMALIZERS REVIEW: 8/10

Sue Darroch and Matthew Didier's Paranormal Blog: UPDATE

It would appear that Sue & Matts blog has been nominated for a blogger's choice award and straight off I have to say that they get my 100% backing. As I said in my review HERE, these blog definately deserves some attention and support. Its fresh and very well written.

So click on the blogger's choice logo above and go vote for them!

STRICTLY PARANORMAL: UPDATE

I was very happy to hear back from another reviewed website today, namely Strictly Paranormal.

Hello there Earl,

Thanks for the review. I was pleased with what you said though obviously not about the look of the site. But I know what you mean. We are long overdue for a revamp. I'm not happy with the look of the site myself and it is in need of a lot of work. Its just getting the time to do it.

Thanks again,

Chrissy Cullen
www.strictlyparanormal.co.uk

My reply (because I always reply!) was:

Hi Chrissy,

Cheers for the reply. I'm glad you took the criticism as it was meant - constructively. Like I said you have a great site with some interesting articles and good Investigation write-ups.

My tips for a clear, neat and attractive site would be:

1) Keep all body copy text the same size, colour and font throughout the website.

2) The same applies to Headers and subheaders. Use them to highlight the articles etc.

3) If you are going to use a black or textured bakground then choose a coloured text that suits. Blue or Red on black is very hard to read as the are a similar tone. White is best but a clean yellow or green can really work too.

4) Use animationed gif sparingly.

5) Pick a theme and carry it through your website. Don't just from a scientific look to a gawdy Halloween party look or vice versa.

Remember its all about the content at the end of the day so try to make it as easy to read as possible.


Best of luck with the redesign and any upcoming Investigations you have planned,

Earl

I hope to hear back from the majority of the sites I review though I know not everyone will take what I say as well as Chrissy has.

Read the Original Review HERE.

Sue Darroch and Matthew Didier's Paranormal Blog: Review 015

Wow ... what a long title! My first suggestion would be to swap the "and" for a "&" ... but thats just me.

Anyway on to the review.

I've been looking at blogs for the simple reason that they tend to get updated alot more frequently than websites - meaning more upto date info. They also have the benefit of the bloggers being able to just jot down their thoughts meaning wit get to see what they have to say before they can think to much about it.

Sue Darroch and Matthew Didier's Paranormal Blog has that freshness but still the posts are well thought out and are up there with any magazine articles you might read on the subjects they cover. One of my favourite posts on their blog would have to be The Blue Ghost Tunnel from December last year ... its a cool story. The Bloody Mary article is also very well written though seeing as I dated her for a while I'm more than familiar with just how scarey she can be.

So as far as Blogs go Sue Darroch and Matthew Didier's Paranormal Blog is well worth a regular glace at least. Being that its fairly specific to Canada it doesn't lose focus and should be checkout be anyone planning to travel there .... you might find more interesting sites than the usual tourist traps.

THE PARANORMALIZERS REVIEW: 8/10

REVIEWED SITES

Ok, I'd like to ask any sites which get reviewed on here to post the above graphic on the website with a link back to http://paranormalizer.blogspot.com

The whole idea of this blog and http://www.parnormalizer.com is to promote good sites and give constructive feedback. There is no charge to be listed on either site - its about supporting the Paranormal Community.

NIGHTWATCH: Website Review 014

Looking around for some more stuff to throw on my mps player I came across RadioCrackle or more precisely NIGHTWATCH.

Being part of RadioCrackle its just one show but I have to say its the best they have. I mean getting China O'Brien on to talk about the Paranormal is a supernatural feat in itself!

Its a pity they dont do more with it as a site though, I mean the logo above is catchy and would lend itself to some nice design. So rather than view their website HERE I just go straight to the PodCasts HERE.

Anyway, with a classy, atmospheric intro and constantly serving up the goods NIGHTWATCH is well worth a listen.

Oh and another bonus for NIGHTWATCH is that you can actually download all the shows which makes listening alot easier.


THE PARANORMALIZERS REVIEW: 7/10

HAUNTED VOICES UPDATE

Well its great to hear back from sites I review, for one you know that these guys are willing to listen to constructive feedback.

It was great to here back from Haunted Voices, Todd Bates himself (also of Haunted Voice Radio - who've gotten pretty big in the last year!)

Todd Bates said...

Hello Earl,

Thank you very much for the fair evaluation of our website. I am in agreement with everything you said about it and will do my best to get those flaws taken care of. Working with PHPNuke can be very testy but it is worth it to have the interaction. It is a great thing you are doing for the community here and keep up the great work!

Todd Bates
Owner/EVP Instructor
Haunted Voices
www.hauntedvoices.com
"We Hear What You Fear"

Read the original review HERE.

Strictly Paranormal: Website Review 013

There's alot to like about Strictly Paranormal, for starters these guys have done alot of Investigations and always write them up well. Obviously I'm loving the colour scheme - green and black ... could it get any more stylish?

Anyway as a group you have to respect that they are out there doing it but as a site theres just too much bugging me. The animated gifs, flashing text and MASSIVE FONT SIZE (in places) takes away from some genuinely interesting content.

If they kept the look of the banner I've used above then this site would go from looking like an amateur scrapbook to kicking around with some of the big boys of the UK paranormal scene.

THE PARANORMALIZERS REVIEW: 6/10

TheMajorReview: Website Review 012

Ok well its not really a website but a channel on YouTube. Still, TheMajorReview is hilarious! I don't just go around looking at sites that take themselves seriously, as long as a site or group does what it says on the tin then thats cool with me.

TheMajorReview do MostHaunted spoofs and they do it better than anyone else I've seen. Some serious talent here that I can see getting snapped up if they keep going on this project.

I wouldn't normally post a video but what the hell?



THE PARANORMALIZERS REVIEW: 8/10

STRANGE BUT TRUE: Website Review 011

About time I reviewed a Paranormal Podcast site so I may aswell start with one I am a fan off. Strange But True has been going for a couple of years now and thankfully neither the team who put it together or the listeners have gotten bored yet. This might be down to the fact that they will cover any topic that falls into the realms of the Paranormal, from Goat Suckers to White Noise.

The great thing about this show is that Steve & Jo head out on Investigations regularily so you get fresh reports from all over the UK.

Website wise theres not much to comment on, the logo is cool and the sites easy to get around.

So as far as I am concerned if you want to listen to a good Paranormal based show on a regular basis and really get into it - check out The Strange But True Radio Podcast.

THE PARANORMALIZERS REVIEW: 9/10

www.PARANORMALIZER.com - UPDATES

Slowly but surely www.PARANORMALIZER.com is growing. My aim is to do an average of 1 review a day at the moment. Then its a case of getting more traffic to the site so I can get more traffic pointed towards the sites listed.

HAUNTED VOICES: Website Review 010

Taking EVP as being one of the most popular and easily accessable areas of research in Paranormal, I decided to look at a few sites dedicated to it.

After trailing through loads of poorly put together sites I found Haunted Voices. Being that it is mainly a discussion forum (as most sites seem to be going down that road) it leaves itself open to having the quailty of its content being in the hands of its members - good & bad. That said it does have alot of interesting pieces on it and its good to have so many examples on a single site.

The discussion and analysis for the most part is very good but I found it hard to concentrate with all the flashing ads and animated text.

In an area clogged up with alot of crap Haunted Voices does a fair job of pulling it together in a manageable format - not a task I'd envy!

THE PARANORMALIZERS REVIEW: 7/10