Kent-Drury
English 347

Internet Evaluation Exercise

Before you begin this assignment, go to http://www.library.jhu.edu/researchhelp/general/evaluating/ and read about the six criteria for analyzing websites. Email your responses to the following exercises in one e-mail message to the class e-mail list. When you recommend a website, be sure to describe why you are recommending it, citing these six criteria. Also, be sure to include a subject line identifying the assignment and who you are.

Exercise 1

You have been asked to find a good source of information on the spread of the AIDS virus. Which of the following would be useful? Why or why not?

Exercise 2

Your boss has asked you to manage a group of student interns who have been brought into your company to create a website. The students know something about how to use Netscapes Composer and a little bit about html programming. You have visited their personal websites, and you notice that although they have a lot of enthusiasm, they don't have a strong sense of design, nor do they seem to know what's needed on a corporate webpage. You know that this is an important assignment because your boss has been talking about a company website for at least a year. Also, his brother-in-law works for a computer company in the Silicon Valley, so you know your efforts will be analyzed by an industry expert. Go to the following sites, which offer advice on how to design websites. Which seems to offer the best advice? What general design guidelines will you use to guide the interns in their task? What in particular will you want to avoid?

Exercise 3

Which of the following are legitimate websites? Which are not? Be sure to explain why you think so. List those you would recommend for use.

The Final Curtain--http://www.finalcurtain.com/

McWhortle Enterprises:  http://www.mcwhortle.com/

The Framley Examiner--http://www.framleyexaminer.com/

Dihydrogen Monoxide Research Division--http://www.dhmo.org/

Ban Dihydrogen Monixide--http://descy.50megs.com/descy/webcred/webcred/dhmo.html

Martin Luther King site--http://www.martinlutherking.org/

Peeps Research--http://www.peepresearch.org/

Research Study--Feline Reactions to Bearded Men

Carpsoft Corporate Solutions--http://www.brookview.karoo.net/CarpSoft/

Transgenic Mouse--http://www.rythospital.com/clyven/

The Ova Prima Foundation--http://www.ovaprima.org/

Boilerplate Historical Site: --http://www.bigredhair.com/boilerplate/

Sellafield Zoo--http://www.brookview.karoo.net/Sellafield_Zoo/

Google Technology--http://www.google.com/technology/pigeonrank.html

The Onion--http://www.theonion.com

British Stick Insect Organization--http://www.brookview.karoo.net/Stick_Insects/

Continental Drift Cam--http://dan.pfeiffer.net/continentaldriftcam/cd-cam.htm

Endangered Species--http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus.html

Driver's License Bureau--http://www.license.shorturl.com/

Effects of Internet Addiction--http://library.albany.edu/briggs/addiction.html

Trade bulletin--http://home.inreach.com/kumbach/velcro.html

Cicada Information--http://www.cicadaville.com/

Click Monkeys--http://www.clickmonkeys.com/

Dog Island--http://www.thedogisland.com/

Guide to Metric Time--http://zapatopi.net/metrictime/

Lake Michigan Whalewatching--http://www.lakemichiganwhales.com/


Roxanne Kent-Drury

Revised June 2006