Date: 06/11/2013
Discuss how the design, function and content of web pages influence the meaning and value of information.
Word Count: 1800
Web sites are swiftly becoming, and in some cases are already, the preferred media choice for information search, company presentation, shopping, education, gaming, socialising, and much more. In this day and age, where visual symbols play an increasingly important role in our day to day lives, the design, content, and function of web pages, play a pivotal part in influencing the meaning and value of information. The meaning and value of information can be worked out by a few simple questions; who is the author of this information? Who is the
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It helps answer one of the questions posed earlier about how current the information is.
There are several challenges that derive from having information online on web pages. One of which being the challenge of accessibility. This is a key challenge in having information in web pages being online. A website needs to be as accessible as possible, meaning making your website accessible for people of various backgrounds, abilities and disabilities. To do this, one must design and develop the web page so that all users have the same access to the information, as well as the functionality and features of the site. One such way I found that I was able to do this was through the use of ‘ALT’ tags. An example would be ‘alt="An image of the three OSW racing cars".’ ‘ALT’ tags are a way in which people who may have a visual impairment are able to know what is on the web page through the use of a screen reader. Getting a website to function, and do so well, can also be a large challenge. Attracting users to your website is only half the battle. If a user arrives at your website and they are unsure of how to
The first versions of WWW ((what most people call “The Web”))) provide means for people around the world to exchange information between, to work together, to communicate, and to share documentation more efficiently. Tim Berners-Lee wrote the first browser (called WWW browser) and Web server in March 1991, allowing hypertext documents to be stored, fetched, and viewed. The Web can be seen as a tremendous document store where these documents (web pages) can be fetched by typing their address into a web browser. To do that, two im- portant techniques have been developed. First, a language called Hypertext Markup Languag (HTML) tells the computers how to display documents which contain texts, photos, sounds, visuals (video), and animation, interactive
In order to comply, there are particular methods for ensuring that web sites are ADA compliant. When considering visually impaired person one must use text colors that are easy to read with the right combinations of colors as well as the right contrast adjustments. Additionally, color blindness must be considered. There must be an alternative to images for individuals who cannot view them in their browsers as well (for example, <alt=”text”>). In addition, the use of screen reading capabilities must be taken into account due to users that are visually impaired. For persons with hearing impairments, audio content must have a text alternative provided, besides this, for users who use alternative speech inputs, there should be a text equivalent. Web designers should also direct their attention to other disabling conditions such as the need for alternative navigation elements for people with learning disabilities or lower motor skills.
In these paper author focus on finding the gap in understanding how complex individual Web sites are and how this complexity impacts on the usersperformance. Also characterize the Web site both at content level (like, number and size of images) and service level (like, number of servers/origins). It may happen that some categories are more complex than other such as 'News '. Out of hundred 60% of Web sites fetched content from minimum five non-origin sources, and these give more than 35% of the bytes downloaded. In addition, they examine which metrics are most suitable for predicting page render and load times and catch that the number of objects requested is the most important factor. With respect to variability in load times, however, they alsofind number of servers is the best indicator.
For this assignment you are asked to SUMMARIZE or CRITIQUE the various features of each of the ten web sites NOT to simply copy and paste information directly from each site into your submission. Please don't just list a lot of historical or biographical information. You should describe each of the ten sites and discuss the various interactive and web features of each one. You can think of this assignment as if you were writing a review or critique of the 10 different
It was the early 2000s, and I would always ask my parents if I could use their desktop computer to do one task: surf the web. Sometimes they would let me, sometimes they will not; when they do, hype ensues. Through one Sony computer, I am about to enter a still-young digital world that seemed to have no limits. The Internet was continuing to grow in spite of the dot-com bubble. While I appreciated the overall potential computers had at the time, I saw the Internet as a big deal. This is not because it would bring us Google and Twitter, but because it was a neat way to play time-killing games in Cartoon Network, Nick, or Disney’s sites. However, the one annoying feature that many sites — especially those for entertainment — often suffered from
Technical documents, as is the homepage of Claflin University’s website, always have a target audience that dictates how information is structured for presentation. After some research, I found that university websites are mostly visited by prospective students and their parents; the target audience. These visitors’ visits are prompted by the need to complete some exploratory task such as finding out the cost of tuition or if a major is offered at the university. The homepage of a website sets the standard by which these visitors will hold the entire website, demanding that it meets the three (3) measures of excellence I will explore; accessibility, professional appearance, and clarity.
Hunting for the correct information is not a problem with the University of Alabama in Huntsville’s (UAH) website. While some websites lose their users among clutter or badly named tabs, UAH’s website keeps their visitors interested and on track. Since these visitors are usually families exploring the school, it is important to have an efficient website. Without this efficiency, a prospective student could be deterred from further pursuing the school. As a college website that provides information and services to prospective students, current students, and parents, the University of Alabama in Huntsville’s website successfully contains pleasurable design, vibrant readability, and fluent navigation.
A website is used by different people for different uses. Each website can be evaluated for its usefulness by the general public based on certain criteria as discussed in this article.
According to the Australian Department of Social Services (2012), web accessibility is not just about making sure websites are usable for those with disabilities’; it is about making sure that a website can be used by as many people as is possible. This could include making sure websites are accessible for people on a variety of different devices, those with impaired abilities, the elderly, and people from a different cultural backgrounds who may struggle with the native language (W3C, 2005). Websites that are designed to be accessible are generally much more usable for everyone, not just those who may need certain accessibility features (Riley-Huff, 2012). It is important that websites are as accessible as possible not only to allow them
Developing Web contents involves shaping and making many choices involving technical, aesthetic, and usability concerns. With the expanding technical options for communication on the World Wide Web, it is tempted to focus only on issues such as hypertext markup language (HTML) syntax, page layout, or the latest and flashiest technologies. However, there needs to be a broader approach in order to articulate the information content that is to be conveyed. There is also a need to pay attention to the characteristics and qualities of the Website as a medium for communication so that there are not merely duplicate practices intended for paper and other media.
In This report I will discuss the development of the website I created for the event organisation business “Xcelents.” I will include descriptions of the many different applications I used to help with my development which includes photo editing softwares and also an application which allowed me to design the site. I will be including the steps I have taken as to ensure my website has a professional look and feel. Within the contents of my report I will discuss why i chose a certain navigation layout for my site and also provide a map as to direct the reader around the site. Towards the end of my report I will include a list of the file types i used and also their size, I will discuss why I used each file format and the
The principle of contrast is most clearly seen in the various types of font and size used to emphasize headings and concepts of importance. Each of the largest headings summarizes the following text in a catchy and concise way. Beyond that, each subsection is bolded, discussing sections of interest that fall within the broader headings. Alignment adds to this appeal because it gives an aesthetic quality to the text that is easier and more pleasant to read. The use of images and visuals is a consistent theme throughout the webpage, and it adds to the design quality in that consumers are more easily able to place themselves in the role of Kindle users, imagining themselves, like the people in the images, happily and relaxed while reading a good book from their Kindle's library. In addition, these images add color and vibrancy to an otherwise black-and-white textual format. They help to break up the monotony and keep readers
Web sites are just like magazines, newspapers, brochures, menus, or even directions on how to make nitroglycerin from house-hold goods, in that they all have to be put together in such a manner that whoever is reading or browsing over it will be able to clearly distinguish this from that. In this sense, a critique of any particular web site will have justification, while carefully considering also that this is an altogether new medium of information exchange. Now, all of this talk of togetherness is actually a general reference to basic design principles, such as color coordination, if color is used, text size, font choice/ style, art integration, accessibility, and just plain and simple design of the page. For
Discuss how mobile computing has changed the way in which the Internet is used. Identify three changes to the Internet that have occurred as a result of mobile computing and justify an argument about whether these are positive or negative factors.
Following the success of Netscape and its web browser, Internet became a resource and communication platform idolized by many IT students in the universities. What started off as a hobby-cum-research[1] work by Jerry Yang (now Chief of Yahoo!) and David Filo (Co-founder of Yahoo!) for their Ph.D. dissertations; has evolved and became an Internet sensation over time. What they did was to compile all their favourite web links to form an online directory for easy navigation in the World Wide Web. The duo’s work immediately garnered a lot of attention from many surfers in the Internet world and before they realized it, Yahoo! became one of the most highly visited websites of all time. The duo saw the