Website Rubric
What is the website rubric, you ask? First of all, you might not even know what a rubric is. A rubic is basically something that someone uses to judge things; for example, take a science project. Tt is graded off a little sheet of paper, with categories like Hypothesis, Problem, Procedure, etc. with the amount of points that you got for each category. So, when you put together the words website and rubric, you get just that: something that your website will be "graded" from.If you want your website to be graded (and butchered) by me, then Contact Me with your website URL. Also take note that some of my comments will be harsh but that's just my opinion of your site and what it needs to improve on; NOT something that is meant to knock you down to the floor to the point that you're out of webmastering business. Just remember that before you consider getting your site judged. You can always ask for another rate if you've improved your site a lot and want a new, higher score. ;)
Also, if you are going to copy my rubric idea and put it on your site, you might as well twist it up a bit and not make it look like a copy, okay?
Anyway, onto the actual rubric.
Layout
5 points - Getting a five means that your layout is clean, valid, and nice looking. The navigation must be clear and in a good format that people can use without stopping for 5 seconds to figure out how to get to a different page. Remember, a good layout is what catches people's eyes in the first place so this is very important. Also, layouts that get 5 points aren't only pleasing to the eyes, but they must be convenient too. If it's filled with images that makes the screen lag, then you will most likely get a 4.
4 points - Layouts that get a 4 are also fabulous but, like stated in the last one, just barely missed a 5 because it either had too many images or just wasn't the best. These layouts are probably very easy to navigate, just like the 5 ones, but can maybe do with a few improvements.
3 points - These layouts are probably the average ones that you see. There's nothing wrong with getting a 3; it doesn't mean that your layout is bad but there isn't exactly anything special to it either.
2 points - Layouts that get a 2 are basic and pretty mediocre and I usually give to those who use free layouts. Sometimes, I give layouts a 2 (even if they really deserve 1) because I see a lot of effort into it. Like always, nothing's more important than effort.
1 point - These layouts are.... bad. The colors are eye-hurting, the graphics suck, and everything about them just isn't up to notch. If you get a 1, it means that the moment I enter the site my moral for viewing the site will totally decrease; kinda like seeing a squashed frog right before dinner. ;~; Then again, there is always room for improvement so don't get discouraged if you get a 1. It just means that you have to work harder on it and perhaps brush up on your coding skills.
Content
5 points - Scoring a 5 means having a quite a big load of content. When I judge content, I usually don't count the number of pages a site has but rather what kind of content it contains. I want to see big, juicy paragraphs, guides, reviews, whatever. What I don't want to see is some Skating Pikachu game that you got off another site or pages with just one sentence. Just to warn you, getting a 5 isn't easy and it will require at least four months of hard work to achieve. If you do get a 5, your site must be pretty darn good.
4 points - Getting a 4 means that you have quite a load of pages and a lot of them are useful like guides and tutorials or interesting reads like reviews. But, pages that are dedicated to Skating Pikachu and Tic-Tac-Toe or anything down that road are dragging the content rating down and getting you a 4 rather than a 5. Of course, that might not be the case; you just probably don't have that many pages yet but the pages that you do have are really good. When it comes to content, quality is always over quantity. Always.
3 points - 3 means that you have a lot of pages but a lot of them are just ones that will take roughly 5 minutes to create. *coughskatingpikachucough* Only a few of them are long pages with a lot of words and paragraphs.
2 points - You probably have some useful content; most are just useless pages that contain, yes AGAIN, Skating Pikachu. If you get a 2, it might be a good idea to get off your butt and write up something good.
1 point - Don't get a 1. I will be very disappointed with your site if you get a 1; content is everything and apparently you are lacking in the most important part of your site. I repeat: DO NOT EVER GET A 1. Before asking for a rating, put yourself in my shoes and look over your site and use your common sense to tell whether or not I would give it a 1. Don't get me wrong, I don't give out 1's just for the pleasure of it.
Originality
5 points - This is, in fact, a HUGE part of your site. Originality is the same thing as content, but instead of judging on how many page you have, it is judging on what type of content you have and whether or not I like it. Earning a 5 means that you have lots of guides, reviews, tutorials, etc. (sine I just love seeing those types of things on sites) with interesting pages that are about things that no one has ever seen before. You are definitely on the right track if you get a 5.
4 points - 4 is also good; your site is very enjoyable and can catch the attention of viewers for long hours. Again, 4 is basically the same as 5 but the quantity of the pages that are original to your site only are fewer than those that get 5's.
3 points - 3 is probably what your site should get if it's new and has only been opened for like 4 months. I am very hard when I'm judging originality so don't be *too* surprised if you get anything lower than this. If you get a 3, it means that you have a fair amount of good pages but also have lots of content that has been seen on the net at least 10 different times.
2 points - 2 usually goes for sites that supply gaming, anime, and TCG information. There's nothing wrong if you get a 2 if your site's focused on gaming but it should have at least something that no one else has seen before. If not, then I suggest getting some more original content whether or not your site is supposed to be based around something; after all, writing reviews is a part of gaming or stating your opinion on an anime episode can kick some of your points up a notch.
1 point - 1 point usually goes to sites that have absolutely no original content. No offense, but if I give you a 1, it probably means that I didn't like your site much, seeing as I love looking at sites with unique content.
Activeness
3 points - "Activeness" is basically how much you update your site. 3 points are for those who spend some time with their site every day, updating at least once every week. Of course, your updates have to contain a lot of meat in them; if you update your site just to say that you added a sentence to a page, it will NOT count to your activeness. Sites that have 3 points are those that have one or two paragraphs of updates on things that they added to the site, tweaks, whatever.
2 points - Owner updates the site about once every 2 weeks; again, mini-updates stated the most obscure thing will not be counted.
1 point - Owner updates at least once every two months. Unless you own a really big site, updating once every two months is pretty sad. If you can't find time to update more than that, I suggest closing your site all together to tell you the truth. No one likes a webmaster that never adds or changes anything on the site. ;_;
0 points - ...Your last update is probably half a year ago and your face is rarely seen on your site but is still asking me for a rate (I don't see how the two fit together, but whatever). In other words, getting a 0 means that I think that you've basically abandoned your site.
Feel
3 points - I am very sensitive when it comes to the "feel" of your site which is basically what you set the mood in it. If you're a very friendly person and has happy smilies all over the place, the environment for your site is light and relaxing. I think you catch my drift (if you don't, go check out tip #5 under Content Tips in my Website Tips page). Getting a 3 means that I am very comfortable when viewing your site and see only a good webmaster behind the other side of the screen, trying to please his/her viewers.
2 points - You aren't too great at setting the mood and I feel a bit cautious when viewing your site, or, as you can call it, "on my toes". Your grammar isn't the best and there is some chat-speak here and there.
1 point - I personally don't like viewing sites that make me give them 1 point. These sites have owners with bad grammar, short tempers (not meant in a light-hearted way), chat-speak everywhere, and just generally look amateur-ish. Don't be this person.
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