Cloudband, http://www.cloudband.com/ , is probably the largest and most broadranging rug and Asian arts site on the web. I find it simultaneously terrific and frustrating.

What's terrific?
1. My favorite spot for window shopping. Right this minute there are nearly 1000 items for sale on it, most of it "good stuff" with nice images, and most offered by dealers with whom I'm comfortable. I do wish they'd all post prices, though; too many will only tell you the price if you ask.
2. Nice articles in the magazine section.
3. A calendar of events.
4. Discussion boards that are well moderated. Moronic posts appear from time to time, but get removed pretty promptly.
5. Periodic online exhibitions. Not at the level of quality of the Franses or Cassin sites, but well worth the time it takes to go through them.

What's frustrating?
1. The site is awfully slow to load, especially on a dialup connection but even on a direct internet link (I have dialup at home, direct connection at work, so I get to experience both). That's just poor design.
2. The headers for the site's sections are done in British, not American. I know, I know, it's a British site. But it has taken me forever to learn to associate the right word with the right section. "Listings" in the USA is an inventory of things for sale. In British, it means "Calendar of Events". The listings of inventory is "Arcade." I know, I know, "Arcade" also means shopping area in the USA, but it's an uncommon term here.
3. The Home page doesn't fit on a single screen, so you have to scroll down quite a bit to see it all. But the newest additions to the most interesting sections are not within the part that's visible before scrolling, so it isn't unusual for me to see some discussion on their boards and be absolutely mystified about what brought it up until, a few days later, I stumble upon an article in their Magazine that had been up for a week.

A note to Nick Purdon and Alan Marcuson: I hope this isn't offensive. I really like what you've done and are doing, and I hope you'll interpret the negative comments as the constructive criticism I intend them to be.

Regards,

Steve Price

On a positive note: thumbs up for the UK English and, joy of joys, metric measurements!

Regards
Stephen