6 March 2010 19:50
It might have sounded good in the Communist Manifesto, but it turned out to be a rubbish idea in reality. Let's see how Communism fairs in web design!
North Korea: The Official Webpage of The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)
Best Bits
- It's built with Wordpress.
- Items they list on their Export page include:
Duck, chicken, ostrich products.
Weapons and ammunition.
- If there's nothing in that list that takes your fancy, maybe you'd be interested in something else:
Tobacco. Security systems, software.
Handmade accordions
- The first entry on their FAQ page is:
Can I get a signed photograph from Leader Kim Jong IL?
The KFA Shop is offering this article.
- And in case you've been wondering:
Can I work in North Korea as a teacher/interpreter/(other)?
No
Can I join the Korean People's Army?
No, only Korean nationals with DPRK citizenship
Worst Bits
- A 'forum' where, ironically, you can't post anything (Government only) and, not surprisingly, you can't leave any comments.
- Two <html> tags, the first of which holds two links to sites selling fake handbags and another selling diet pills. I have no idea whether site has been hacked or they were just disappointed with Google Adwords. (See forum, Security & Privacy page. I would link to it, but they might nuke my ass),
Vietnam: Vietnam Government Web Portal
Best Bits
- They provide a single telephone number to call.
- They use Helvetica. Popular with the Communists since 1957.
Worst Bits
- The colour scheme
- The first entry on their FAQ page is 'How to divorce your Vietnamese partner if you live overseas'.
Cuba: Site of the Government of the Republic of Cuba
Best Bits
- Money wasted on images for the website could be better spent on the countrys infrastructure - so there aren't any!
Worst Bits
- It looks remarkably like the first 3 websites I ever made. In 1997.
China: The Chinese Central Government's Official Web Portal
Best Bits
- It was built to fit 800x600 monitors. It still does.
Worst Bits
- Bearing in mind they have the 2nd largest GDP on the planet, this website is pretty crummy. Most pages have a 'Copyright 2006' notice in the footer.
Loas
Best Bits
- It's the best of a bad bunch.
The worst
- Don't put stats on your site if they're really rubbish. Pulled from my visit:
Most users ever online was 22 on 19/05/2009"
There are 1 online users: 0 registered, 1 guest(s)
About the Author
I'm Paul Ashton. I'm part Web Developer, part Web Designer, part Digital Marketing type person. I can often be found waffling on Twitter: @paulashton1979. Feel free to send me a message, leave a comment below, or get in touch if you think I can help you in any way.