Bravenet.com Review
Every even-numbered issue we offer a review of a product/program that we have been using and would like to share with you. We will tell you what we like about it and, crucially, what we don’t.
During the following two weeks, we will invite you to share your opinions and experiences with the same program on our forum. Good or bad. We will then reproduce your comments, two issues later. The best review will also win free advertising in The Nettle.
Before we begin, we’d like to briefly address an issue that has been circulating the Internet lately. That of website owners taking responsibility for their advertising.
We are in full agreement that website owners should have the integrity to refuse to place advertising they feel is offensive or potentially fraudulent. However, there are limits to how far one can investigate.
Even if we recommend a product we have been happily using for months, how can we guarantee that YOU will be 100% satisfied? We can’t and we will never make this claim.
Don’t forget that a recommendation is just our opinion. Feel free to disagree and tell us we’re wrong. But don’t hold us responsible for your dissatisfaction.
Before you use a product/service advertised in The Nettle, exercise careful diligence. Investigate the company concerned before making any purchases. For advice on how to do this, see Issue #1 of The Nettle. You might also like to view the “Conditions of Use” link at the top of this page.
However, if you have a bad experience with a program, tell us about it and we will consider removing this advert from our website. We may even publish the details of your experience as a warning to others.
That said, we’d like to tell you about Bravenet.
Occasionally family members, starting their own websites, have asked for advice. Inevitably, we tell them to start with TrafficZap and Bravenet.
More about TraffcZap later, but Bravenet is an excellent resource to start with.
Bravenet offer a variety of tools that can be used to enhance your website. The list of features is quite extensive, but includes:
- Hit Counters
- Forms
- Forums
- Guestbooks
- Newsletter Templates
- Polls
Admittedly, most of these features are available at other websites and, in many cases, offer better examples with fewer advertising. Bravenet’s advantage is its easy, step-by-step approach to integrating their services. It's also the only place where you can get all of these services from just one, free account.
Beyond these features, the two sections that stand out are the Free Stuff and the Bravenet Forum.
The "Free Stuff" section offers lots of HTML and Javascript scripts for you to copy and paste. This section keeps on growing and is a great source when you need that little bit extra.
The Bravenet Forum is notable for its traffic. Any questions or problems you might have with your web design or coding can be posted here for the regulars to offer their advice. We have yet to have a question go unanswered on this forum.
Bravenet recently redesigned its front-end and although prettier, we're not convinced it’s as user-friendly as it was. Some of our favourite features seem to have disappeared, although some newer enhancements are excellent.
If you are an experienced web-designer, there’s a good chance you already use, or have used, Bravenet in the past. If so, share your comments in The Nettle Forum.
If you’re new to web design then you will almost certainly find something you can use. Give it a try and tell us how you got on.
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This review first appeared in The Nettle Ezine.
If you enjoyed it, why not try The Nettle Magazine at www.thenettle.com
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