I see four main areas where I would like to see improvement. However, one thing I would not like to see changed, is the simplicity of the front page. Neatorama loads fast and is simple to scroll through.

Here are my three suggestions:

(1) Filter out the poor quality submissions in the queue. The two advertisements for thejeansdrop that are there today, posts that are six words directing you to click on a link to see "funny" pictures, and posts with huge negative vote counts are just distractions. There are quality queue posts that do not get voted up, so dropping the junkier posts might make it more interesting place to visit.

(2) Improved search functions! Most regular readers know that certain topics have been covered but have difficulty finding them unless you know approximately when it was posted. As someone who posts to the queue, I would be interested in being able more easily find old posts to link them to what I am writing.

(3) Streamlined log-in process. Currently if I want to comment, I click log-in and am directly off the site to log-in. It would be great if when you came back to the blog if you were sent back to the article you were trying to comment on instead of having to look for it again. I seem to remember similar issues with the shop, but haven't ordered in a couple months so I may be mistaken.

(4) Improved queue submission tools: allow more functionality to select pics to be shown (currently only a few pics are available for the submission and might just be from junk the linked websites wrapped around the article you are referencing), allow multiple pics in posts, and allow multiple sites to be linked.

Alex - Glad to hear you are continuing to improve the blog. Good luck! One minor thought you might also consider - neatorama shop advertisements mixed in with the posts gets confusing and there might be more subtle ways to draw traffic to the store. However, I'm not going to complain too loudly because ads are just a part of life...

Device for teaching kids how to make ships in a bottle?

It is used to observe fluid flow in lines of tubing.

Where did Sausage go?

I find the designation as a war "victim" interesting. Certainly the munition that injured her was left over from the war, but she would not have been injured if some knucklehead hadn't thrown it in the fire (the fuze didn't work during the war and likely would not have detonated decades later if not for the heat from the fire). If someone stabbed me with a civil war bayonet then I would hardly consider myself a war victim. Not quite a fair comparison to a live munition being found, but I think you get my point.

BTW - I'm not trying to downplay the seriousness of her injuries. I simply find the designation interesting.

It is a shame that some people think they are special and need to game the system for the fun of it. It means that the system will be that much more skeptical when they get genuine requests for assistance.

Wes - I'll clarify my comment. I think the playground you described is reasonable. My intent was not to say concrete shouldn't be used because kids might fall, outdoor basketball courts are a great example of where it works great! My point was really that unevenly poured concrete (the ridges used to confine the water) just doesn't seem smart in a space where the intent is for young kids to run around and be "kids".

BTW - the two examples you provided look like great implementation of water and concrete, but the intention of the space is different. I don't think there is anything wrong with those spaces because I suspect people realize there is reason to take caution, whereas the space proposed in this project would encourage different behavior.

Hans - So where does the waterpleinen site talk about filtration? I haven't been able to find any reference so I would appreciate you pointing me in the right direction if it is actually discussed somewhere.

Wes - Arielle's comment brings up a good point to consider. Intentionally pouring uneven pavement in a park intended for young children seems a bit off.

Another concern might be the length of time the water stays there. Pollution (including kidos peeing) would build up and could also become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other disease spreading bugs. Some type of constant filtration would be recommended.

I like the concept. However, the space is not very interesting when water is not present. I would also be concerned about the filtration. I don't believe that run off filtration is kept to the same standards of drinking water. Probably not the best environment for children.

nifrek - that is exactly what I thought when I saw the Primer graphic.

I think they both were negligent by not blocking each other. Many people post personal information on their facebook pages and you're enabling someone to mess with you by not blocking them taking advantage of the very well known security features on facebook. Not smart.

Also, from the other side of things, it is plain common sense that contacting them online is the same contacting them via a phone. Not smart. Yes, a poke is one of the lowest forms of communication, but in the case where a person fears for their life a poke could be quite intimidating.

Matt - I think you might have missed the point of the One Laptop Per Child project (http://www.laptop.org/en/). It is a program to bring computers to the most remote regions of the world for the purpose of education. In an attempt to reach as many children as possible, costs have to be kept to a minimal. A laptop where you have to pedal is better than no laptop at all.

Sweet graphic. I had no idea there have been more missions to Venus (43) than to Mars (40). I was also not expecting that we have only sent 9 missions to the sun.

I wish they had a key for the colors though.

Geekazoid - I've been thinking the same thing about the queue. I have basically lost all faith in the queue between irregular voting patterns of voters, large amount of garbage and duplicate posts, and the number of posts that get added to the blog by the regular contributors weeks after being voted down in the queue.

That's not a knock at Alex or the other contributors, the queue is a difficult feature to manage effectively.