Students' Web Sites:

Students' Web Site Critiques:

http://catcode.com/kintro
This is a Korean Language Learning Website. It has lots of information, and is very simply designed. It's very text-rich, and it could use some breaking up, but it does have wave files for the sounds, and picture files for the letters, so I guess you wouldn't want to add a lot of design elements to clog up slow connections. The navigation was a little confusing at first- I couldn't see how to get back to the main directory, when I clicked the back arrow it would go to other lessons within the section, not back to the directory. It would be nice if the pages within the lesson were numbered or there was an indicator of where you were. It could also definitely do with a constant array of buttons, with the basic sections and an email, and the name of the site. I was thinking that in the phrase and vocabulary lessons, it would be good to have a simple alphabet key to refer to. Maybe a pop-up box. Also, it doesn't seem to have any interactivity. But it has a lot of useful material- more than I could come up with. Maybe I could link to it.
Diana Nott

http://www.gov.pe.ca/index.php3
This is a great website. I guess it is funded by the local government of PEI, and I guess they are spending money on it, because it's really well put together. It has tourism information, including an extensive searchable index of lodgings (complete with pictures and links to the websites of the individual accomodation), as well as current events, descriptions of each region and lots of pictures. But it also has everything you would want to know- weather, maps, aerial pictures of the towns, a live camera, government news releases and a link to the local newspaper. It's very easy to navigate- you don't find yourself lost clicking around in sections like at the Korean web page. They recently added something called PEI today- which gives you up-to-date info for that day on PEI- from the weather to the cam to the front page news stories. I took two vacations to PEI- using this website to plan them entirely- and I love coming back to see what's going on there and to check out the camera.
Diana Nott

http://pollux.bibl.u-szeged.hu/cgfa/index.html
I'm not sure how famous this site is- I think it's gotten really popular. It has a huge index of fine art- you can find anything by any famous artist, it seems. It's interesting- the index is huge, and they seem to have is hosted on several servers (mirrors) in order to provide decent service. It's a little slow to load- but it's extremely complete- It's hard to find this kind of comprehensiveness in a book on art. It's non-profit, and it is maintained by ads. I'm just so grateful it's there. I remember it dissapeared a few times- I think various hosts kicked it out because of the traffic- (or the memory it takes to search the database?)The design is navigable and easy, without seeming amateurish. It's a little awkward to go through the mirror site thing, but once you're in, it's fine.
Diana Nott

http://WWW. WILEY.COM
Pretty dynamite site for a traditional bunch. Excellent content including company profile, directory, shareholder info, corporate news, jobs listings and corporate logos with guidelines & info on how to use them. There's author information on how to submit manuscripts as well as "smart template" downloads for submission of files for books as well as electronic products. There's a standard catalog for ordering of traditional books and a Wiley Virtual Center for Online coursework in continuing professional education, including courses for preparation for state licensing and certification programs. Design is simple, clean, lots of negative space; bright colors. Its easy to navigate with two clicks to get you to most stuff you're seeking. Search function is a full page instead of the itty-bitty pop-up box, and searches the whole site, turning up as one might imagine products, as well as samples of products. Since the site also has ecommerce capability, it should be noted that it is conveniently present at every product description and easy to use.
Marie Bareille

CGDB Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind
http://www3.sympatico.ca/cgdb
Simple site in french and english. Consisting of static lh frame with list of topic links and rh text frame. Text only, no graphics. Design interest pretty low, enlivened only by wide choice of not always compatible colors and type faces. Navigation is extremely simple, so you get where you want quickly. Since it's all text, it all loads quickly.
Marie Bareille

Samsara Jina Tibetan Terriers
http://users.pandora.be/samsara_jina/index02.htm
You enter this web site at the host service, I guess, then it slowly loads in an everwidening golden circle with nice graphic effects that finally bursts into the title of the site and a simple graphic of the dogs. Beneath the graphic are a set of topical links that open simple docs; at the base of each doc is a home button to get back to the list of topics. Another kind of very simple design and one that points to the advantage of retaining a site toc at left or across the top to permit visitor to escape without scrolling to bottom or using back button. Despite lots of color dog photos, the pages load quickly. This is truly a do-it-yourselfer, who even added dynamic html to get a flying-dog code-learning experience in.
Marie Bareille

Diana Gabaldon HomePage
http://www.cco.caltech.edu/~gatti/gabaldon/gabaldon.html
Content
OVERALL This website is dedicated to Diana Gabaldon fans. Diana is the author of the Outlander series, a time travel saga. She is currently working on the fifth and sixth books (simultaneously) and I often check the website for excerpts of these two books to tide me over until the books are published. It also contains updates on Diana's book tours and interviews she does for local newspapers. Is the site frequently updated? Unfortunately, not frequent enough for me. The site is updated at least every two months. Is the site out of date? It's as current as it can get. The site is maintained by a good friend of the author and does her best to update it as often as she can. Is the information authoritative and accurate? There are several websites dedicated to the Outlander fans, but so far, this particular website is what I would consider "official" and most reliable.
Design
OVERALL It is very simple. Serves the purpose of informing readers on the progress of the books. Does it complement the content? Yes. Although in the beginning, I was looking for photos and illustrations that would complement the book. However, the author is strongly against "illustrating" the characters of the book, she believes one should use one's imagination on what they look like. Is multimedia present? No. I do not think it is necessary. How much space devoted to content vs. navigation? The website is very simple. No fancy navigational tools, just links to the articles you want to get to.
Structure & Navigation
OVERALL: Is the site structured efficiently and easy to navigate? Yes. How many levels are there? Two. Home Page and Content. How many clicks does it take to get to the good stuff? Usually just one, depending on the link provided. Must you return to the home page to get to other sections? Yes. Does the site offer good navigation? Yes. Is navigation consistent throughout the site? Yes. Is there a search offered? No. Is there a site map? No. Just the main page. Do find yourself returning to it often? Yes, it's the only way to get to the other pages. Does the site take advantage of hypertext? Yes. All of the interviews are linked to other websites.
Speed
How fast is the server? Fast enough, never had any problems with it. How large are the pages? They are appropriately sized. How many small/large images? There are not enough images to brighten up the pages. But then, this is primarily a content web site.
Technology
OVERALL: Does the site use advanced technology effectively? No. Very plain web site. Are plug-ins required to view content? No. Is there a "best viewed withÉ" sign? No. Are there multiple versions offered? No Are there multiple bandwidth options? No.
Interactivity
Is there contact or feedback information? There are no direct links to Diana, but her email and PO Box addresses are provided. It would be a nice feature to just be one click away to composing an email message. I personally have not contacted the author. Is there a community place? There used to be links provided where one can get in touch or chat at scheduled times with other Outlander readers. I have been to these sites but was never successful in reaching other readers. I guess this was why these links were removed from the web site.
Overall
What is the purpose of the site? To keep Diana's fans updated on the progress of her books. Does it fulfill its purpose? Yes. "Under construction" sign? No. "Sorry, page moved" signs? No.
Marvi De La Llana