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(a)Upon analysis and exploration of the Generational Curriculum I
found that the site produced a framework similar to the ripples created in
a still pond when a stone is tossed. The ripple effect has circles that
start in the center and then gradually expand. At the center of this
ripple effect is the
Leon James Home Page, which is a "front end" to other related sites and
links like,
traffic psychology and
cyber psychology. The ripples seem endless and each time a visitor
accesses the Leon James Home Page it begins the ripple effect again because
he or she could view various sites and explore different links that
continuously lead to other sites.
For purposes of this report I've analyzed the site in a top-down,
tree format and produced a simplified
framework of the generational curriculum
down to three levels. I began with the
Student Generational Reports which could be considered Level I. Clicking
upon this link would lead to Level II and the next group of links. By
clicking upon the links in Level II the user would then go down to Level III.
I'm sure one can see how the tiers or levels can go on endlessly because one
level would lead to the next and the next and so on...
(b)First impressions are inevitable when viewing a homepage for the first time. To new and experienced users of the Web, homepages and their organization dictate whether or not that visitor will continue exploring or just click the "back" button all the way home never to return again. Because the Leon James Home Page Site in Hawaii is continuously expanding with each new generation there could be positive and negative results. Each new addition could be looked as a contribution and a chance forindividuals to "publish" their ideas however, if not organized properly or left to grow unchecked it could end up in chaos. To eliminate chaos or bring some order to the site, tools like, tour guides, indexes, search engines, and CGI maps could be implemented.
Tour
Guides by Calvin Cheungwas a useful tool to help the first time visitor get
an idea of what to expect from this home page and the various links. I felt that
it was helpful to me in the beginning because it gave me an idea of where I
could go and the possible things that I could see. However, I wouldn't and
didn't use the Tour Guides after that because at times I felt that the guide took
too long. Once is enough.
Indexes are another tool that can be implemented as a "front end" and there is a Handy Index that is very helpful located on the Leon James Home Page. An index is a useful tool when time is of essence to the individual and thus exploring a site thoroughly is impractical. The index will list the general contents of a site which can be browsed and clicked upon. Electronic magazines and newspapers are really good at having indexes that you can view, especially when looking for a particular article. I found it to be very useful when I was looking for something specific and I knew the general location.
Another tool to help in the organization of
sites are the search engines
and a few of them include Yahoo, Alta Vista, and Web Crawler. Search engines help to
bring many home pages together based upon a common theme. This tool is probably the
most frequent tool that I find myself using because I don't usually know of too many
sites that I can begin my search in. Therefore this allows me to just pick a topic and
then the search engine does all the work for me. Many of the search engine results are
then displayed as an index of all the possible sites that I could explore.
CGI maps are another tool that is useful. Usually
found at the beginning
of a large site. It presents the main contents of the site to the viewer in a very
graphical format. One example is of the
College of Social Sciences home page
which
displays a "table" with various areas that a visitor can explore by clicking upon the
box with the topic of interest. I found this format to be ideal for
those that don't like to read through a long list of links or don't have
the time to take an actual tour guide.
However, I feel that there is no one tool that is better than the
other
because it really depends upon the needs of the site and the visitors. I believe
that any tool that will make navigation through the site less complex and a more
positive experience should be used. I also believe that because there are
different types of "visitors" that we need to accommodate to, implementing a
combination of these tools will enhance the success of the site.
The differences between this site and other sites on the Web is the fact that we are constantly growing with each contribution from new generations. I believe that this site grows much like the ripples in a pond whereas other sites usually expand in one direction and then cease. It also contains a wide variety of topics from traffic psychology to cyber psychology to Swedenborg's spiritual psychology while many sites focus upon a particular topic and then elaborate upon that. The benefits of being part of this cybercommunity is feeling like I belong to a special community. A common goal is shared by the individuals within the community and that is to learn and grow within this technological society. Each of us may then have individual goals that we strive for like, overcoming technophobia or expanding our already existing knowledge of the field. No matter what the goals of the individual we come together as a team to help each other achieve that success by learning from and teaching each other. Other benefits include learning from previous generations and having new and better technology like, faster computers and better browsers.
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