DallasPoets.org

ReviewedBy: Sherri Wisely

REVIEW

Accuracy: This site appears to be created by the members of the Dallas Poets Community and as such has reasonably accurate information about the group, its goals and programs. It has a few technical errors - typos or misspelled words and in one case the obituary of a member has the dates 1926-2002 yet the article refers to the man as having been 54 years old. These errors are distracting, but they also show that this is a site built by the members themselves - not some professional webmaster and I think I'd rather have the errors and the authenticity.

Authority: This site is designated as a .org and the "About DPC" section details the history and the transformation of the group into a non-profit organization. This same section has links to the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws of the group. I thought this was a good addition to the site and for me, it enhanced the credibility of the group.

Objectivity: Despite the fact that the site is created by the group it is very straightforward and is not overly self-congratulatory. The various members are profiled but it is more "who we are" than advertisement. There are no pop-up ads or any other kind of advertisement in the site.

Currency: There isn't a date on the page to state when it was last updated. On the homepage there is an announcement that the next poetry reading will be July 5th but the actual calendar has dates up to December 2002. Even with the July 5th date the site is fairly up to date for a non-commercial endeavor.

Coverage: The page lists information about the group and its members including the guidelines for the poetry workshops. There is also details about local poetry events and contests. There is a link to a page about the group's print publication Illya's Honey. Another page provides links to resources for writers. By agreeing to their stated ground rules you can join an online discussion group linked from the homepage.

There are some difficulties with the page design. In the member profiles section the text of the biography often runs significantly past the picture of the member. The font size needs to be reduced or the wrapping needs to be improved. In other profiles the text is too close to the picture. The formatting of the text is not consistent - in some biographies there is italics and underlining and in others the text is unchanged for similar elements.

Overall, it is a good site with a great deal of information for poets or those who want more information about the poetry scene in Dallas.