Definition: According to The New York Times: "Digital utopians have heralded the dawn of an era in which Web 2.0—distinguished by a new generation of participatory sites like Myspace.com and Youtube.com, which emphasize user-generated content, social networking and interactive sharing—ushers in the democratization of the world: more information, more perspectives, more opinions, more everything, and most of it without filters or fees. Yet as the Silicon Valley entrepreneur Andrew Keen points out in his provocation new book, 'The Cult of the Amateur,' Web 2.0 has a dark side as well."
Opinion: I agree with Keen's view that "because Web 2.0 celebrates the 'noble amateur' over the expert, and because many search engines and Web sites tout popularity rather than reliability…it's easy for misinformation and rumors to proliferate in cyberspace." Social interactivity and community policing are some positive aspects to this new era, but it's shameful how so many people are misinformed on a daily basis and are not even aware of it.
Source: Michiko Kakutani, "Books of The Times: The Cult of the Amateur," NYT, June 29, 2007. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/29/books/29book.html?_r=1&scp=6&sq=%22Web+2.0%22&st=nyt&oref=slogin
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
William Lind
JRN 320
1/30/08
Web 2.0 is the internet starting to become more consumer friendly. As people are starting to realize the internet’s place in society, the web is becoming more accessible. Instead a bland web page with information, websites are adding more interactivity through blogs and hyperlinks. Such examples of web 2.0 are Webcasts, podcasts, and blogs.
Web 2.0 may be a new term for me, but the idea is not. I feel interactivity is a essential part of the internet. To not have all the features web2.0 offers is boring, lame, and would cause the website to fail.
JRN 320
1/30/08
Web 2.0 is the internet starting to become more consumer friendly. As people are starting to realize the internet’s place in society, the web is becoming more accessible. Instead a bland web page with information, websites are adding more interactivity through blogs and hyperlinks. Such examples of web 2.0 are Webcasts, podcasts, and blogs.
Web 2.0 may be a new term for me, but the idea is not. I feel interactivity is a essential part of the internet. To not have all the features web2.0 offers is boring, lame, and would cause the website to fail.
Web 2.0 Assignment
Elizabeth Cooper
I found an article from oreillynet.com from 2005 that talks about the web 2.0 conference. The concept of web 2.0 began with a brain storming session between O’Reilly and MediaLive International. There was a dot com collapse that made a turning point for the web. They decided to call it web 2.0.
After reading through some articles online about web 2.0, I believe it can be defined as the changes of the web at a time when they affect a wide spread amount of people. I think it’s interesting to place a time when the web changes so drastically that you can name it at that time. One article said web 2.0 started when Google was claimed to be used by everyone and anyone everyday. And it continued saying because of blogging and everyone being interactive we could consider ourselves in 3.0. Along with the articles, I watch a video on youtube.com that showed aspects of web 2.0. It showed how the web developments change everything.
I think web 2.0 has affected our society in a positive way by connecting others and making information readily available. I think it is hard to pin-point what other major changes in the web have the highest impact. So it would be hard to say what would bring us to the next step of new technologies for the Internet.
I found an article from oreillynet.com from 2005 that talks about the web 2.0 conference. The concept of web 2.0 began with a brain storming session between O’Reilly and MediaLive International. There was a dot com collapse that made a turning point for the web. They decided to call it web 2.0.
After reading through some articles online about web 2.0, I believe it can be defined as the changes of the web at a time when they affect a wide spread amount of people. I think it’s interesting to place a time when the web changes so drastically that you can name it at that time. One article said web 2.0 started when Google was claimed to be used by everyone and anyone everyday. And it continued saying because of blogging and everyone being interactive we could consider ourselves in 3.0. Along with the articles, I watch a video on youtube.com that showed aspects of web 2.0. It showed how the web developments change everything.
I think web 2.0 has affected our society in a positive way by connecting others and making information readily available. I think it is hard to pin-point what other major changes in the web have the highest impact. So it would be hard to say what would bring us to the next step of new technologies for the Internet.
Web 2.0
Web 2.0 is the user's Internet. It is a network platform for a host of applications like Myspace, Facebook, Flickr, Imeem, and Blogger that allows users to participate on the Internet. Desktop publishing and personalized web space is the heart of web 2.0 and the applications get better as more and more people use it. The biggest difference between Web 2.0 and Web 1.0 is that it is as accessible to the common user as those with extensive coding or software knowledge. Web 2.0 allows sharing and collaboration of personal information with networking websites, which was probably the biggest contributor to the 2.0 boom.
Web 2.0 changed everything. Especially on college campuses and amongst the younger demographic where people are spending more time on the Internet than ever before. Is Web 2.0 a good thing though?
I think it is, but it is a powerful tool with a lot of responsibilities that people should be aware of when dealing with personal information.
What is Web 2.0?
Web 2.0 basically references to internet user interactivity. It is the only information medium that uses instantaneous updates, comments, multimedia such as videos, photo galleries, RSS feeds, personalized webpages, quick links and social networking. These features are distinct to the web, and essentially Web 2.0 makes the web - the web.
I believe Web 2.0 is currently limited to multi-media, blogs, news alerts and feeds and the above features, until a more innovative feature, easier and catchier feature comes along and changes everything.
Before social networking, people received their news from a few authoritative news outlets, however social interactivity sites have allowed people to dictate what news is important to them, by tagging, blogging, commenting and rating information.
I believe Web 2.0 is currently limited to multi-media, blogs, news alerts and feeds and the above features, until a more innovative feature, easier and catchier feature comes along and changes everything.
Before social networking, people received their news from a few authoritative news outlets, however social interactivity sites have allowed people to dictate what news is important to them, by tagging, blogging, commenting and rating information.
Web 2.0 Assignment
When I think of the term “Web 2.0,” the first thought that comes to mind is “the Internet of the future.” In actuality, society is already immersed in what Web 2.0 stands for and has been for several years: a generation of Internet users utilizing tools like blogs and social networking sites in order to communicate with each other and create and share ideas.
According to Wikipedia, the term was first used by Tim O’Reilly in 2004 and can refer to a “trend in web design and development — a perceived second generation of web-based communities and hosted services (such as social-networking sites, wikis, blogs, and folksonomies) which aim to facilitate creativity, collaboration, and sharing between users.”
Before the advent of Web 2.0, the Internet was less interactive as a medium. Users could browse web sites, but they didn’t have the powers they enjoy today, like the ability to comment on news articles and blog posts or express their thoughts and opinions on sites like LiveJournal and Xanga. People are also able to communicate with each other more than ever before on social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace. Wikipedia, which calls itself the online Encylopedia, is a crowdsourcing web site that has changed the way people search for information. YouTube, a web site that allows users to upload videos, quickly turned into a revolutionary way of sharing entertainment. Web 2.0 has facilitated this and other types of interactivity on the Internet in ways that weren’t available in the past.
According to Wikipedia, the term was first used by Tim O’Reilly in 2004 and can refer to a “trend in web design and development — a perceived second generation of web-based communities and hosted services (such as social-networking sites, wikis, blogs, and folksonomies) which aim to facilitate creativity, collaboration, and sharing between users.”
Before the advent of Web 2.0, the Internet was less interactive as a medium. Users could browse web sites, but they didn’t have the powers they enjoy today, like the ability to comment on news articles and blog posts or express their thoughts and opinions on sites like LiveJournal and Xanga. People are also able to communicate with each other more than ever before on social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace. Wikipedia, which calls itself the online Encylopedia, is a crowdsourcing web site that has changed the way people search for information. YouTube, a web site that allows users to upload videos, quickly turned into a revolutionary way of sharing entertainment. Web 2.0 has facilitated this and other types of interactivity on the Internet in ways that weren’t available in the past.
Web 2.0
Web Definitions
-Web 2.0 is a perceived or proposed second generation of the web. This is were the web has evolved and improved over time and now offers better and more up to date services like blogs, wiki’s, social networking sites etc germworks.net/blog/2007/02/11/web-jargon-explained/
-refers to a supposed second-generation of Internet-based services - such as social networking sites, wikis, communication tools, and folksonomies - that let people collaborate and share information online in ways previously unavailable. (source Wikipedia) www.thewebworks.bc.ca/netpedagogy/glossary.html
- Web 2.0, a phrase coined by O'Reilly Media in 2004, refers to a perceived second-generation of Web-based services—such as social networking sites, wikis, communication tools, and folksonomies—that emphasize online collaboration and sharing among users. ... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web 2.0
My Definition
Web 2.0 refers to the advantage, both in interactivity and multimedia, that the internet affords over print. This includes video, digital photos that can change, social networking sites, comment sections, most viewed or most popular and many more.
Thoughts
I think that the concept of web 2.0 is a good thing as long its not done just for the sake of its inclusion. I think people who run websites need to include things that the consumer of that particular niche or website or that demographic will use. For example I might like to comment on a sports article where emotion and allegiance reign supreme but on a question of real political importance, I personally find commenting arduous. Trying to convince someone in that subject area might be useless. Some websites just put in every possible feature possible and the end product suffers.
-Web 2.0 is a perceived or proposed second generation of the web. This is were the web has evolved and improved over time and now offers better and more up to date services like blogs, wiki’s, social networking sites etc germworks.net/blog/2007/02/11/web-jargon-explained/
-refers to a supposed second-generation of Internet-based services - such as social networking sites, wikis, communication tools, and folksonomies - that let people collaborate and share information online in ways previously unavailable. (source Wikipedia) www.thewebworks.bc.ca/netpedagogy/glossary.html
- Web 2.0, a phrase coined by O'Reilly Media in 2004, refers to a perceived second-generation of Web-based services—such as social networking sites, wikis, communication tools, and folksonomies—that emphasize online collaboration and sharing among users. ... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web 2.0
My Definition
Web 2.0 refers to the advantage, both in interactivity and multimedia, that the internet affords over print. This includes video, digital photos that can change, social networking sites, comment sections, most viewed or most popular and many more.
Thoughts
I think that the concept of web 2.0 is a good thing as long its not done just for the sake of its inclusion. I think people who run websites need to include things that the consumer of that particular niche or website or that demographic will use. For example I might like to comment on a sports article where emotion and allegiance reign supreme but on a question of real political importance, I personally find commenting arduous. Trying to convince someone in that subject area might be useless. Some websites just put in every possible feature possible and the end product suffers.
Web 2.0
Web 2.0 is a trend in web design and development that aims to facilitate collaboration, creativity and sharing between users. According to Tim O’Reilly, Web 2.0 is associated with a string of websites and user applications much different from the initial software developed in the 1980s. Web 2.0 can be differentiated from Web 1.0, the original web platform, because websites and search engines now foster collaboration and transitioned away from websites that acted as solitary information centers.
It can be characterized by websites similar to Wikipedia, eBay and BitTorrent and applications such as blogging, tagging and group participation. Ryan Singel wrote in Wired magazine that Web 2.0 is a constellation of web applications that rival the desktop applications of earlier computer software and the rise in blog publishing and self-service advertising. Web 2.0 technologies, wrote Andrew Keen in the Weekly Standard, personalizes culture to reflect us rather than the world around us.
However, there is still much debate among web users what the term Web 2.0 entails. Some users consider it a marketing buzzword while other experts believe that Web 2.0 is the second generation to the original World Wide Web.
In my perspective, Web 2.0 websites allow users to interact and comment with one another. They can do more than just retrieve information. Web 2.0 has enabled many users to comment and discuss issues across the web, participate in social networking sites and easily compare prices and products at the touch of a button. I think that Web 2.0 is not a new idea in itself; instead it is an extension of Web 1.0 and advancement in computer software. Web 2.0 has extended on earlier ideas and aspects of the Internet to facilitate larger communication among users.
In terms of the news media, I think Web 2.0 threatens traditional journalism outlets such as newspapers with the rise of citizen journalism and blogging. People may choose to ignore the world around them as they use the Internet to narrowly tailor their interests. At the same time, I believe Web 2.0 may also enhance journalism and traditional media outlets as they are forced to find new methods, perhaps through multimedia, to compete.
It can be characterized by websites similar to Wikipedia, eBay and BitTorrent and applications such as blogging, tagging and group participation. Ryan Singel wrote in Wired magazine that Web 2.0 is a constellation of web applications that rival the desktop applications of earlier computer software and the rise in blog publishing and self-service advertising. Web 2.0 technologies, wrote Andrew Keen in the Weekly Standard, personalizes culture to reflect us rather than the world around us.
However, there is still much debate among web users what the term Web 2.0 entails. Some users consider it a marketing buzzword while other experts believe that Web 2.0 is the second generation to the original World Wide Web.
In my perspective, Web 2.0 websites allow users to interact and comment with one another. They can do more than just retrieve information. Web 2.0 has enabled many users to comment and discuss issues across the web, participate in social networking sites and easily compare prices and products at the touch of a button. I think that Web 2.0 is not a new idea in itself; instead it is an extension of Web 1.0 and advancement in computer software. Web 2.0 has extended on earlier ideas and aspects of the Internet to facilitate larger communication among users.
In terms of the news media, I think Web 2.0 threatens traditional journalism outlets such as newspapers with the rise of citizen journalism and blogging. People may choose to ignore the world around them as they use the Internet to narrowly tailor their interests. At the same time, I believe Web 2.0 may also enhance journalism and traditional media outlets as they are forced to find new methods, perhaps through multimedia, to compete.
Web 2.0
According to Wikipedia.com, Web 2. is "the trend in web design and development" that uses a lot of creativity like photos, videos, and sound. It also incorporates the ability to share data between users. Such aspects of Web 2.0 include blogs, social book marking, RSS feeds and other "social software."
Personally, I feel that Web 2.0 is the trend that the internet is taking and will continue to take. We learned about Web 2.0 in Ms. Selvin's class and from what I understand, the movement of Web 2.0 is just a movement to make the internet more social. Because the web is not more social it also makes it smaller, bringing millions of people together with no hesitations over distance.
Web 2.0
Web 2.0 is a set of principles and practices that tie together a veritable solar system of sites that demonstrate some or all of those principles, at a varying distance from that core.
Or more simply put by Tim O’Reilly who coined the actual term: “The web as a platform.”
Basically, the web has evolved from the knowledge of a specific website, typing it in and entering that specific site into a more cooperative entity where sites like facebook.com can allow for more social interactivity. These sites are the platforms that build ties within the web, something we never had before. I do believe that it can change and that it will continue to evolve, seeing as how we have not reached the peak of maximum potential in the web. When we do reach that maximum, evolution of the web will brake.
Web 2.0
Web 2.0 is a revolutionary term used to describe the new features and structure of the World Wide Web. Features such as blogging, tagging, wiki and social networking sites are services that highlight Web 2.0 as a new way to define the new internet. Web 2.0 allows internet users to share various materials and information easily. The second generation of internet is based around the concept of Web 2.0.
This phrase was coined by O’Reilly Media in 2004 and has been the new way to phrase the improving web features as well as enhanced user participation among internet users. Web 2.0 applications have also enhanced the way Internet users communicate with each other via websites. I feel this term is appropriate and an innovative way to express the fast paced growth of the World Wide Web. Some journalists fear Web 2.0, while others embrace this internet evolution. I feel that whenever something new is created, there are going to be pros and cons. I feel that it is up to the journalists of today's time to work with the changes now, as well as the changes within the near future. As for news consumers, this era proves as a time for the people to become more educated, since Web 2.0 allows for a larger outlet of internet users to spread ideas and thoughts.
Web 2.0
Web 2.0 is a term that is used to describe the second generation of the internet, which is still in the process of developing. It’s mostly known for focusing on user interaction and social networking. Without web 2.0, sites like MySpace, Facebook, and Wikipedia wouldn’t exist. Blogs, Podcast, and RSS feeds are also a result of Web 2.0.
I personally really don’t really understand the real specifics of web 2.0, partially because there is a lot of insider jargon used to really describe it. What I can say is that the internet does seem to be going more towards a social networking direction. Back in the early 2000s, the only social interaction I remember getting on the net was though AOL. Then in 2004 when I entered college at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, I remember everyone was making a big deal about MySpace and later on Facebook. These sites made it easier to keep in touch with old friends and new friends. You could quickly hop on to someone’s profile and see what they were interested in, what their class schedule was like, you could even see how their weekend was by photos they posted.
Of course, social networking sites aren’t the only major changes I’ve seen in the way I’ve used in the internet in the past couple of years. Wikipedia has also become one of the sites that I couldn’t see myself living without. Of course, it’s not reliable enough to use for a college paper but its good background information. It’s edited by users who feel like they know enough about whatever topic it is they are updating. The advantage point to this is that Wikipedia is also like a pop culture encyclopedia. For example, I was talking to my friends last Thursday about the death of Heath Ledger, he told me when he heard about it on the radio he thought it was a joke until he looked it up on Wikipedia later on that day. A normal encyclopedia wouldn’t even have an entry on Heath Ledger. What other site can you go to that you can look up something significant like Stem-Cell Research to something as trivial as the life of a celebrity?
I personally really don’t really understand the real specifics of web 2.0, partially because there is a lot of insider jargon used to really describe it. What I can say is that the internet does seem to be going more towards a social networking direction. Back in the early 2000s, the only social interaction I remember getting on the net was though AOL. Then in 2004 when I entered college at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, I remember everyone was making a big deal about MySpace and later on Facebook. These sites made it easier to keep in touch with old friends and new friends. You could quickly hop on to someone’s profile and see what they were interested in, what their class schedule was like, you could even see how their weekend was by photos they posted.
Of course, social networking sites aren’t the only major changes I’ve seen in the way I’ve used in the internet in the past couple of years. Wikipedia has also become one of the sites that I couldn’t see myself living without. Of course, it’s not reliable enough to use for a college paper but its good background information. It’s edited by users who feel like they know enough about whatever topic it is they are updating. The advantage point to this is that Wikipedia is also like a pop culture encyclopedia. For example, I was talking to my friends last Thursday about the death of Heath Ledger, he told me when he heard about it on the radio he thought it was a joke until he looked it up on Wikipedia later on that day. A normal encyclopedia wouldn’t even have an entry on Heath Ledger. What other site can you go to that you can look up something significant like Stem-Cell Research to something as trivial as the life of a celebrity?
Web 2.0
Kate Anderson 1/30/2008
JRN320/Promise and Perils
Essentially, at its conception, the Internet was a freeway for information and trade to travel upon by a series of linear paths. One who sought information received information from an online encyclopedia. One who sought to buy a product connected with a seller and received the product through online purchasing. With the inception of Web 2.0 technologies, the Internet was transformed into an interactive creative space. Internet users could now not only find information online, they could also share their own knowledge with other information seekers. Those who wished to engage in online purchasing could now participate in an online marketplace where buyers and sellers alike could actively participate in trade. The Internet was no longer a segway, but a platform on which user ingenuity could build upon.
JRN320/Promise and Perils
Essentially, at its conception, the Internet was a freeway for information and trade to travel upon by a series of linear paths. One who sought information received information from an online encyclopedia. One who sought to buy a product connected with a seller and received the product through online purchasing. With the inception of Web 2.0 technologies, the Internet was transformed into an interactive creative space. Internet users could now not only find information online, they could also share their own knowledge with other information seekers. Those who wished to engage in online purchasing could now participate in an online marketplace where buyers and sellers alike could actively participate in trade. The Internet was no longer a segway, but a platform on which user ingenuity could build upon.
Web 2.0 Assignment
Berkman
JRN 320
Prof. Liss
Web 2.0
In 2004, Tim O’Reilly, founder of O’Reilly Media, held the first Web 2.0 Conference. A year later the term Web 2.0 became a household word and turned into a movement across the World Wide Web.
“Web 2.0 is the business revolution in the computer industry caused by the move to the internet as platform, and an attempt to understand the rules for success on that new platform. Chief among those rules is this: Build applications that harness network effects to get better the more people use them. (This is what I've elsewhere called ‘harnessing collective intelligence.’),” Tim O’reilly said.
In layman’s terms, Web 2.0 is the evolving trend towards what I will coin as “soapbox interactivity.” Websites of all types now allow users to leave comments about posted content or even in some cases post replies to that content.
As usual, many newspaper websites were late to the Web 2.0 movement, but now are getting stronger.
Examples, not necessarily news related, of Web 2.0 include Facebook. Allowing users to the use the central site while customizing it for them and networking with thousands, if not millions, of other people. A more news oriented site that uses Web 2.0 well is Wired.com. Wired allows users to comment without any registration and no filter, making it easy for users, but also potentially dangerous for the site.
JRN 320
Prof. Liss
Web 2.0
In 2004, Tim O’Reilly, founder of O’Reilly Media, held the first Web 2.0 Conference. A year later the term Web 2.0 became a household word and turned into a movement across the World Wide Web.
“Web 2.0 is the business revolution in the computer industry caused by the move to the internet as platform, and an attempt to understand the rules for success on that new platform. Chief among those rules is this: Build applications that harness network effects to get better the more people use them. (This is what I've elsewhere called ‘harnessing collective intelligence.’),” Tim O’reilly said.
In layman’s terms, Web 2.0 is the evolving trend towards what I will coin as “soapbox interactivity.” Websites of all types now allow users to leave comments about posted content or even in some cases post replies to that content.
As usual, many newspaper websites were late to the Web 2.0 movement, but now are getting stronger.
Examples, not necessarily news related, of Web 2.0 include Facebook. Allowing users to the use the central site while customizing it for them and networking with thousands, if not millions, of other people. A more news oriented site that uses Web 2.0 well is Wired.com. Wired allows users to comment without any registration and no filter, making it easy for users, but also potentially dangerous for the site.
Syllabus revised (a bit)
This still isn't final, but the instructor of the other 320 section and I have coordinated our basic assignment structure, so here's that part again.
Web evaluation - 10%
Soundslide and Flash photo gallery - 10%
Video assignment No. 1 - 10%
Video assignment No. 2 - 10%
Design and html assignments - 10%
Personal/class blog participation* - 25%
Final Project - 25%
*Ongoing; may include some class assignments.
Web evaluation - 10%
Soundslide and Flash photo gallery - 10%
Video assignment No. 1 - 10%
Video assignment No. 2 - 10%
Design and html assignments - 10%
Personal/class blog participation* - 25%
Final Project - 25%
*Ongoing; may include some class assignments.
Assignment 1: Website critiques
Value: 10 percent of your grade for the semester
Due date: Feb. 11, 2008 (Late work loses two letter grades)
Turn-in method: TBD - For now, keep electronically, and be ready to e-mail and/or post in a blog on Feb. 11 at start of class.
Length: Although our format may not lay out as follows, this should amount to a five-page paper, double-spaced (not counting supporting images, screenshots, non-words). Approximately 1,250 words.
The assignment: Compare a pair of journalistic Websites from each of the following three categories (that's 2 x 3, or 6 total sites): 1) Local media company, 2) national media company, 3) Web-only. For the media company categories, choose sites of the same media type - i.e., two print companies or two broadcast companies. For the Web-only category, try to find a pair similarly matched in content and scope. Using the criteria listed below, evaluate the effectiveness of each site. Note: Aggregator sites like Reddit and Google News are not good choices for this assignment. These should be sites that produce and package plenty of their own content.
Criteria:
a) Content: What's there? Is the content a bunch of flat text files or are there value-adds like multimedia, databases, images, etc. What type of content is there? News? Commentary? Is it well-written and credible?
b) Interactivity/community: How does the site regard its audience? Is the audience encouraged to participate? How effectively is that participation elicited and presented? Is the site encouraging the formation of communities or the participation of existing communities?
c) Navigation, design, ease of use: Can you find what you want? Can you find what you might want? Does the layout make sense or is it cumbersome to use?
You should describe and evaluate. Decide what you think is important and rate the site accordingly. The weight of each criterion might be different for each site, depending on what you think the site is trying to do.
Organization: The organization of this assignment is up to you, but pick a method that makes sense.
Webbed-out: Prepare this assignment for publication on the Web, even though it's not decided how that will happen yet. That means you should include links to relevant parts of the sites, keeping in mind that a link to a section front or a homepage will probably not last and may not show what you want it to show. Take a screenshot to preserve something specific and include it.
What counts: Everything counts. Your organization, your choice of sites, your claims and how you support them, your spelling and grammar - all these are important for a working journalist, and they are important here.
Important: This isn't an assignment that can be done at the last minute. You are expected to look at your sites over time, across different day parts, and your discoveries along these lines should be part of your evaluation.
Due date: Feb. 11, 2008 (Late work loses two letter grades)
Turn-in method: TBD - For now, keep electronically, and be ready to e-mail and/or post in a blog on Feb. 11 at start of class.
Length: Although our format may not lay out as follows, this should amount to a five-page paper, double-spaced (not counting supporting images, screenshots, non-words). Approximately 1,250 words.
The assignment: Compare a pair of journalistic Websites from each of the following three categories (that's 2 x 3, or 6 total sites): 1) Local media company, 2) national media company, 3) Web-only. For the media company categories, choose sites of the same media type - i.e., two print companies or two broadcast companies. For the Web-only category, try to find a pair similarly matched in content and scope. Using the criteria listed below, evaluate the effectiveness of each site. Note: Aggregator sites like Reddit and Google News are not good choices for this assignment. These should be sites that produce and package plenty of their own content.
Criteria:
a) Content: What's there? Is the content a bunch of flat text files or are there value-adds like multimedia, databases, images, etc. What type of content is there? News? Commentary? Is it well-written and credible?
b) Interactivity/community: How does the site regard its audience? Is the audience encouraged to participate? How effectively is that participation elicited and presented? Is the site encouraging the formation of communities or the participation of existing communities?
c) Navigation, design, ease of use: Can you find what you want? Can you find what you might want? Does the layout make sense or is it cumbersome to use?
You should describe and evaluate. Decide what you think is important and rate the site accordingly. The weight of each criterion might be different for each site, depending on what you think the site is trying to do.
Organization: The organization of this assignment is up to you, but pick a method that makes sense.
Webbed-out: Prepare this assignment for publication on the Web, even though it's not decided how that will happen yet. That means you should include links to relevant parts of the sites, keeping in mind that a link to a section front or a homepage will probably not last and may not show what you want it to show. Take a screenshot to preserve something specific and include it.
What counts: Everything counts. Your organization, your choice of sites, your claims and how you support them, your spelling and grammar - all these are important for a working journalist, and they are important here.
Important: This isn't an assignment that can be done at the last minute. You are expected to look at your sites over time, across different day parts, and your discoveries along these lines should be part of your evaluation.
Welcome
I don't know if this will be our final blog solution, but it was driving me crazy not to have a blog to go to right now, so here it is.
I mainly did it so I could post our first assignment here today and give you a link to it.
I mainly did it so I could post our first assignment here today and give you a link to it.
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