Module Three WWW Standards

Website Development Tips

Few ppl read all of a websites, word by word.
Some ways to ensure a website is most effective in relaying information are:

• Highlighting key words or phrases: When highlighting words, use words that match the users search queries. Make sure the words are precise and familiar. Old words are words that ppl have a familiar association to. If you have to use a new term, supplement it with an ‘old word’.
• Macro content = 40-60 characters to explain your website using the rules of old words and ruthless editing and no fluffy political correctness or embellishments.
• Call a spade a spade, don’t embellish the truth. Supplement brand names with generic terms. Avoid “politically correct’ terms.
• meaningfull sub headings (not “cleva” ones)
• bulleted lists
• one idea per paragraph
• a lower word count
• credibility that can be easily validated (like a link to the authors bio)
• other credibility links so the reader can scan through them. This shows the author of the site has researched their topic well.
• Good quality images and good economical writing
• Avoid exaggeration or ‘marketing”. Always show numbers as numerals. Eg: 2 instead of 'two'. It's easier to read and 'feels' quicker.
• If you included detailed research results, give the reader a brief description and put the complete results on a link. This way the user can decide how much they want to know.
• Research suggests ‘F’ shaped text is more often read than the conventional ‘heading, paragraph, paragraph,” format. The “F” shape text is two short horizontal text lines followed by a vertical text line. According to this theory, the reader will scan the left side of the page more than anywhere else. Using sub headings, paragraph titles and highlighted key words placed in this area will make your text more likely to be read. The first two words are read more frequently than any others. The first word is the most important so make it an information carrying word.
• State the most important information in the first two paragraphs.
• If writing for teen keep the text simple (but not childish) and include interactive features as teens tend to become bored more easily than adults. With any specific demographic, research your audience.
• The intro (or “blah blah blurb”) is often to long and skipped by most readers who are looking fr more “actionable’ text like bullet lists, prices or links.
  The worst kind of intro has no purpose. Eg: “welcome to our site we hope you find it__” Kill the welcome mat and cut to the chase. Readers want to get their issue addressed asap and move on. Anything that doesn’t lend itself to this purpose shouldn’t be included. Nothing fluffy or feel good needs to be included in the intro. The intro and the whole site require ruthless text editing. The intro need only establish what the site is about and if necessary put it into context. Excessive word counts make ppl less interested in looking further.
• A tag line explains what the company or website author is about. Two question to ask in developing good tag lines are: Would it work just as well for a competitor? Would another company claim the opposite?
  “Search the largest inventory of cars and trucks on the Internet. More than 1.5 million listings, updated daily."
  This is an example of a good tag line. Readers can quickly establish what the site is and does.
• Traditional writing guidelines are clear on the use of passive voice:
  Worst: The passive voice should be avoided.
  Bad: The passive voice should be avoided by writers.
  Better: Writers should avoid using passive voice.
  Best: Writers should use active voice.

Writing Tips in a Passive Voice (as cited in www.useit.com)

When structuring a sentence, active voice ("Actor does X to Object") is usually better than passive voice ("Object has X done to it by Actor") because it more directly represents the action. As a result, readers don't have to jump through as many cognitive hoops when trying to understand what's going on.
For the same reason, it's usually better to write a positive statement ("do X") than a negative statement ("avoid Y"), and it's almost always horrible to use double negatives ("avoid not doing X"). Again, the simpler the translation between the text and the user's mental model, the easier the writing is to understand.
Typically, it's even harder for readers to understand passive sentences that don't explicitly state the actor. This style can also lead to additional usability problems if users misinterpret who's doing the action. For example, if you write, "Social security taxes must be paid monthly" readers might think that employees have to pay the tax. In contrast, "Employers must pay social security taxes monthly" is clear and easy to read.
Usability increases when users need fewer mental transformations to convert a sentence into actionable understanding (what they should or could do to address their issue)
The easier the writing is to understand, the more likely customers are to plough through your words. Users don't like doing hard work. That is, users prefer effortless reading (to state it positively, and thus improve readability).

WWW Standards Optonal Task:

Make a summary of what you believe are the 5 most important ‘rules’ for writing online.

1. Write well: Too much text information will not encourage a reader to continue reading thru your site to find the information they seek. Research suggests most reader’s skim through websites. When choosing text for the website make sure all text is relevant, necessary and well written using familiar words everyone will relate to. Use highlighted key words or phrases, headings and ruthless editing.

2. Remember the purpose of the site: A website visitor wants to resolve their issue absolutely ASAP. Everything written/added to the website should cater to this need. Anything else should be edited out.

3. A good tag line: 40-60 characters explaining how this website is going to help a reader achieve resolve ASAP.

4. Research: There is an abundance of research available regarding how to write for a website. Also research should be carried out on the demographic the website aims to attract.

5. Be honest: Online readers are discerning enough to know (or eventually find out) if a website is offering what it says it does. Don’t embellish or add any annoying ‘teaser’.

Concept: Communication and Information Are Related

Key Focus Points:

• An electronic communication is made up of the original source of the message and it’s destination, the act of communicating and the item of information communicated.
• Saving electronic communication is automatic and usually requires little effort or thought on the part of the reader.
• Good organisation is the key to best utilising electronic asynchronous communications (such as emails)

Concept: Cyberspace is Informationally Created Space

Key Focus Points:

• Humans create a type of “imagined physical space” online through MMORPG’s, detailing physical acts in online chats and IM’s (like touching another user or handing them something etc) even having “cyber’ sex.

Legal Issues

Have you used images or words on your web page or website that contravene copyright laws?

I'm not sure which website these questions refer to?? If it is re: the index.html test page done on the html tutorial, this is a straight copy from that tutorial. From the information I read, it has not breached any copyright law. The only additions I made were text additions using my own words. HTMLdog.com suggested adding their logo to this 'test page' there by giving their permission.

My blog has possibly breached copyright because I honestly dont know where the pretty picture at the top came from. I own the copyright to the picture below and the text is my own. Wherever I have used direct quotes, I've cited where they are from.

Would you be in breach of copyright if you put the Curtin logo at the top of your web page for an assignment?

No, if the student follows the assignment instructions and doesn't alter the logo. It would fall under 'fair use". In this situation, the Curtin logo would only be used as part of a Curtin students test web page which is part of the units cirriculum. The nature (academic), relative amount (minimal and of a quality established by Curtin, unless the student alters the logo) and market value (nil) are all 'fair' and present no harm to Curtin University. The only area that could potentially be harmful is 'purpose". As stated in www.benedict.com/info/FairUse if the student adds to or changes the logo, copyright could be infringed on the basis that it's value would then be different to its intended value.