Re: Web pages

[Robin Griebel <rgriebel -at- IS -dot- ALLTEL -dot- COM>]

I've spent quite a bit of time looking for Web pages with research related
to technical communication.  I find myself returning to pages if:

- MOST IMPORTANTLY:  The Web page is updated frequently.  At minimum, the
webmaster address should be current.  I don't know how many times I've sent
questions to the webmaster only to receive a message from an electronic mail
carrier telling me that the address is invalid.  This is both frustrating
and unnecessary.  It can also be a loss for the organization because I was
interested in reprints of some ACM SIGDOC articles but one message was
"returned" and a second one I left was never answered.

- Information provided is practical and useful.  Company information can be
interesting (and helpful if that's what I seek).  But if a Web page offers
me information related to the company's business (such as free articles or
software to download, practical tips of some sort, or links to other
relevant sites) I will probably return.

- The page is laid out well so that I can easily find information I need or
determine that the page does not have what I need.  In the latter case, I
often jot down the URL anyway if I think I might use the information at the
site later.

- Text is easy to read and the background is not distracting.  BTW, I've
only seen one Web page that allowed me turn off the background image and
that option (listed beneath the webmaster address) was a godsend!

- Graphics are used sparingly so that I don't have to wait for an image to
appear.  I know there are text-only options, but I don't use them because I
appreciate graphics if they are a reasonable size.  Even though Netscape 1.2
lets me navigate before a graphic fully appears, it can still take several
seconds before the navigational tools appear.

These are the main criteria I find myself using when I return to Web pages.
Good luck with the session.  It sounds like one I'll try to attend in
Seattle if I can find a chair!

Robin Griebel
rgriebel -at- is -dot- alltel -dot- com



At 09:00 PM 11/20/95 -0600, you wrote:
>Hi everyone--

>I am presenting a session at the STC convention on Web pages that people
>return to. I am conducting an informal poll and would appreciate your
responses.

>What makes you return to pages a number of times?

>Thanks,

>Sally Yeo
>sallyyeo -at- execpc -dot- com