THE EAGLE DIRECTORY

Regular readers of this blog will know that I have been blogging for just over a year, when I started I knew nothing about blogging and one of the blogs that gave me inspiration and support was The Eagle's Aerial Perspective (http://thegoldeneaglesblog.blogspot.co.uk/ ). Posting twice a week, the Golden Eagle is lucid, respectful, fun, informative, hardworking and writes eloquently on both the arts and science, a rare mix. If you have never looked at her site you are in for a treat. 


Recently she unveiled her new website, The Eagle Directory (http://www.eagledirectory.org/ ). It is a work of love and vision, well deserving of your attention. When I first visited the site I found an hour had passed without me realising. Yes it's that good.


I am really pleased that Golden Eagle was kind enough to let me interview her about her new website and her blog.

WHY EAGLES?

Their skill in the air and their overall elegance attracts me. I find them to be beautiful birds.

WHICH IS YOUR FAVOURITE AND WHY?

The Golden Eagle (Aquila Crysaetos) is my favourite eagle. I love the colour of golden eagles and the way they fly.

HOW LONG DID IT TAKE TO PUT THE SITE TOGETHER AND HOW DID YOU GET THE IDEA?

It took me almost a year exactly from start to finish: I spent a couple of months working on the design and figuring out how I could best present the content (in addition to deciding which content to include): the next next nine or so consisted of actually writing the content; and the last month I spent trying to find a good web host.

I got the idea from thinking over subjects I liked and thought I could build a website out of. I wanted to learn HTML (the better to learn how to work my blog’s layout and design something that in the end, I ended up not changing at all) and thought that creating a site while learning the code would be a good way of cementing the information I had picked up.

IF YOU WERE DOING IT AGAIN, WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENTLY?

I’d definitely be more organised. I had numerous lists of edits and changes I wanted to make during the process, such as spelling specific words (savanna or savannah for example), category names , page links, how to present image copyrights and soforth which I wouldn’t have needed if I’d known them before hand. Of course, most of these would have been impossible to foresee until I made an error.

ANY TIPS FOR PEOPLE THINKING OF BUILDING A WEBSITE?

Define what you want your website to focus on, come up with a consistent (an readable design), and focus on developing your content so that it is written well.

TURNING TO THE BLOG, TEASER TUESDAY IS A REALLY GOOD IDEA, HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE CONCEPT?

I’m not the one who actually came up with the idea, I try to link her at the beginning  of each  of  my own  TT posts (sometimes I’ve forgotten to do so!) but the Miz B at http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/ started the event.

IF PUSH CAME TO SHOVE, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR FAVOURITE BOOK?

The dictionary. Though if I had to choose fiction, it would be The Lord of The Rings.

WHAT HAVE YOU GOT PLANNED FOR THE FUTURE?

I’m not sure if I’ll be publishing any new websites for a while. The Eagle Directory seems to be relatively well at this point and I’d like to gather some more views before really digging into another project: also, I’m thinking about setting up a mobile version of ED because I’ve tested the site on mobile browser renders and it doesn’t look so good.

I have considered, though,  the idea of creating other raptor – orientated sites (The Hawk Directory, The Falcon Directory etc) sometime later on.

WHEN ARE WE GOING TO BE ABLE TO READ YOUR NOVEL?

Saying “someday” would be terribly non-specific, I guess. I’m hoping that something will be published, but I have yet to write more than three books and none of them have gone through an extensive edit or rewrite, which I’m sure they need.

LASTLY IF YOU WERE A COLOUR WHAT COLOUR WOULD YOU BE AND WHY?

Green. I enjoy its sense of calm and how well it goes with blue, another colour I really like.

Thank you Golden Eagle. I for one can't wait to read that novel and I have suggestion for a future directory-Magpie Directory-sounds great to me.