Why Most Web Pages Suck

Objectives:

1. To help you evaluate Web sites for your research.
2. Offer guidance to design your own Web sites.
3. Challenge you to create Web pages that are useful for the public.

Information is power to those who know how to get onto the information superhighway. Future business managers must understand what information is available on it, how to access it, and how to use it. Regrettably, most Web sites fail to live up to the potential. For proof, conduct a simple search of your favorite topic and look at ten of the Web pages. Which ones can enhance your teaching effectiveness or improve your students’ learning experience? I typically find the following types of Web pages:

• And now, a word from our sponsors ... (Too many E-billboards on the I-Way.)
• Text only. (Old material in a new container.)
• PowerPoint presentations. (My advice: Let it slide.)
• Family photo album. (Andy Warhol said it first.)

How many of these do we need clogging the Internet? What would you prefer to find? Herewith, I offer my admittedly unscientific and somewhat biased finding of what’s wrong with most Web pages:

1. The 32 Cent Solution. Is this mode of communication an advance over, say, the U.S. postal service? To put it bluntly, most material posted on the Web should remain physical.
2. Delusion of Convenience. There are real trade-offs in designing and utilizing Web pages. Not everything we do is a perceived or immediate benefit. Our ease of use can become a very real burden to olthers in spite of best intentions.
3. Variety is the Spice of Life. The Internet is vast and diverse, consisting of more that colorful hypertext documents. Design Web-based materials that exploit this variety.
4. My Way for the I-Way. It is unrealistic to anticipate every Internet application. Welcome surprises.
5. What’s the Point (and Click)? The great leap forward was hot links ("hypertext"), but may pages don’t utilize any, and many that do don’t check them often enough. Sites can disappear as quickly as they are designed. Much of the I-Way is littered with such signs as: "Cannot connect ..." "Could not retrieve ..." "Forbidden ..."
6. Originality. How many directories does it take to create a useful index? Most pages point to other pages, creating a chain of links that go full circle, winding up where they started. Instead of easing and enhancing learning, we become frustrated from spending a lot of time on futile searches. Are Web pages really providing a unique task or valuable information?
7. Can we Talk? Given the Web’s ease of use, researchers spend an inordinate amount of time getting documents and data from numerous sites and ignore sharing ideas and opinions. Fully exchange diverse opinions free of interruption and open up a larger number of people to converse with.

Here are my red flags:

• ~ The "tilde" in the address means the organization does not sanction the Web page. This could be a real problem if the domain is edu which permits many freshmen to behave sophomoric.
• "Mail your check to . . ." Calls for an immediate "back" button.
• Out of print. Always check the date on the bottom of the page. (No date? Steer clear.)
• Who’s in charge? Evaluate the source. (Many K-12 classes now post their student papers to the Web.)

To conclude on an upbeat note, please consider this checklist when evaluating or designing Web sites:

• Is it compelling? Web sites should not be appendages but central to your purpose. Are you offering something others really need to master the subject?
• Is it interactive? One advantage of the Internet is the ability for two-way communication. Contrary to retrieving printed matter, users become part of the experience and can provide feedback and conversation.
• Is it collaborative? Decisions need not be an isolated event. Today, citizens of the world can exchange opinions, ideas, and questions. Bring people together to jointly solve a problem or share their experiences.
• Is it asynchronous? Web sites should provide experiences whenever the user seizes the initiative. It is not necessary to be limited by work space or bureaucratic schedules.