School Board Shooting

With news cameras rolling, a 56-year-old gunman entered a school board meeting in Florida on Tuesday and took several members of the board hostage, then fatally shot himself during a shootout with a security guard.

The episode was captured on video and broadcast on WMBB.com News 13 in Panama City, which ran several clips of the incident, including one in which the gunman fires a shot at a board member.

One extended clip shows the man, identified as Clay A. Duke, calmly walk up to a podium at the front of the room with a pistol after painting a mysterious red encircled “V” on the wall.

As people watched in shock and panic, the man ordered everyone to exit the room “except these clowns behind the counter here,” gesturing to several members of the board. He then engaged in an argument with board members, complaining that the school board “fired my wife,” later saying, “We’re broke.” After the board members tried to talk him down – engaging in a discussion about local taxes – he then opened fire on the superintendent, Bill Husfelt, but missed.

Moments later, a security guard entered the room and engaged in a shootout with Mr. Duke, hitting him at least once. Wounded, Mr. Duke turned the gun on himself and took his own life, the police said.

Ginger Littleton, a school board member, told The Associated Press that as the man held his gun out she tried to create a diversion by striking him with her purse, an encounter also captured on the video. Ms. Littleton said she fell to the ground and the gunman turned and aimed at her, but didn’t pull the trigger.

According to Florida state prison records, Mr. Duke has an extensive criminal record. He was charged in 1999 with aggravated stalking, shooting or throwing a missile into a building or vehicle, and obstructing justice. He was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison on each charge, and was later placed under community supervision.

Source: http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/14/video-captures-man-confronting-school-board-before-shooting/

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Week 17: Final lesson

This will be the final lesson this semester. Come ready with something to share on new media for New Media Talk of the Week!

Remember to update your blogs, and read and comment on each others' blogs too.

See you in class.

SIWM videos

At the end of Term 1, groups in each class worked on their SIWM videos that would reflect their highlighted aspects of new media.

Here are the videos created by the various groups. Enjoy!

T02:

The Powers of New Media: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=An6OZZrxi-A




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToDVull1vBI (Blogging)



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kf_1R9puSQ



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzoTqa5v_xQ



T03:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-l5ws2lNww



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuZCuftKwtM



T04:

Part1- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6jjBsvUwcA&feature=channel_page
Part2-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcgK-dEJ6UQ&feature=channel_page
Part3-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KR6EctvyOww&feature=channel_page
Part4-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hhw7IcAYIjU&feature=channel_page
Part5-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnkqETkW_ao&feature=channel_page
Part6-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sz4nZ4K8HNc&feature=channel_page
Part7-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ucq6BN5pkM&feature=channel_page















T07:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDg2IwqlaoE



T08:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLGgMK-vwl4



http://youtube.com/watch?v=EX7_Pw3n4s0

These are the links for the videos
part 1 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzoM4wrP01c
part 2 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwMyTB_Ti9g
part 3 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pg2XXS8F08M







http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcfbuEBW8ZE (traditional vs new media matchmaking)

Week 16: Web Writing Task

Do remember to submit your web writing assignment and be ready to give a brief presentation on the changes you made as well as your reasons for making them. They should reflect your awareness of web writing principles.

SIWM e-survey

Dear students,

As the semester draws to a close, and as you reflect on your learning in the course, please take some time to complete the following subject eSurvey:

Survey Title: SIWM AY0809 Oct Sem

Survey Target Group: SIWM AY0809 Oct Sem

URL: http://epoly.tp.edu.sg/tpapp/esurvey/survey.do?s=SIWMOCT08&g=1

Your prompt completion of the survey is much appreciated.

Thank you.

Reminder about web writing task assessment

Dear students,

A reminder that the deadline for your web writing task assignment is next week's lesson time. Please remember to also prepare for your in-class presentation that is part of that assignment deliverable as well.

Please read the assessment specs carefully. Your tutor went through them with the class a few weeks back, and you should have consulted your tutor if you needed any clarification regarding the assignment.

Please note that your webpage(s) will not go 'live' - nevertheless, your submission should simulate the look and feel of a webpage and reflect the necessary web writing principles you have been taught during the course.



Another reminder for groups to send your video links to your tutors, if you have not already done so.

Also, remember to update your blog and read and comment on each others' blogs.

Week 15: Independent Learning

Students allocated this session for the presentation of new media issues would have to present it via their chosen formats.

Presenters would also need to engage the others in a discussion of the issues, using their chosen formats.

Students must ensure that their materials, etc are uploaded/made available prior to the start of the lesson, and they must submit their CD-Roms with cover page by their scheduled presentation date.

Week 14: Revision of web writing principles

Recapping Main Ideas

Recalling what has been said about how users read on the Web (they don’t, really), it is important for Web writing to be
Concise
Objective
Scannable

We have learnt the need to:
 reduce the number of words for Web text
 use objective tone and language, and avoid marketese to achieve credibility
 write effective microcontent (headings, sub-headings, titles, links, etc)
 use effective layout and structure such as inverted pyramid, lists and chunking
A study by Nielsen measures the effect of improved web writing in a usability study (Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox for October 1, 1997):

The study used five different versions of the same website (same basic information; different wording; same site navigation). Users were asked to perform the same tasks with the different sites.

As shown below, usability was higher for the concise version (58% better) and for the scannable version (47% better). And when we combined three ideas for improved writing style into a single site, the result was amazing with 124% better usability.


Promotional writing using the "marketese" found on many commercial websites (control version):

Nebraska is filled with internationally recognized attractions that draw large crowds of people every year, without fail. In 1996, some of the most popular places were Fort Robinson State Park (355,000 visitors), Scotts Bluff National Monument (132,166), Arbor Lodge State Historical Park & Museum (100,000), Carhenge (86,598), Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer (60,002), and Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park (28,446).


Concise text with about half the word count as the control condition:

In 1996, six of the best-attended attractions in Nebraska were Fort Robinson State Park, Scotts Bluff National Monument, Arbor Lodge State Historical Park & Museum, Carhenge, Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer, and Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park.


Scannable layout using the same text as the control condition in a layout that facilitated scanning:

Nebraska is filled with internationally recognized attractions that draw large crowds of people every year, without fail. In 1996, some of the most popular places were:
• Fort Robinson State Park (355,000 visitors)
• Scotts Bluff National Monument (132,166)
• Arbor Lodge State Historical Park & Museum (100,000)
• Carhenge (86,598)
• Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer (60,002)
• Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park (28,446).

Objective language using neutral rather than subjective, boastful, or exaggerated language (otherwise the same as the control condition:

Nebraska has several attractions. In 1996, some of the most-visited places were Fort Robinson State Park (355,000 visitors), Scotts Bluff National Monument (132,166), Arbor Lodge State Historical Park & Museum (100,000), Carhenge (86,598), Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer (60,002), and Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park (28,446).


Combined version using all three improvements in writing style together: concise, scannable, and objective:

In 1996, six of the most-visited places in Nebraska were:
• Fort Robinson State Park
• Scotts Bluff National Monument
• Arbor Lodge State Historical Park & Museum
• Carhenge
• Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer
• Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park


The following are some activities that would help you to apply some of the principles of effective Web writing that you have learnt.

Activity:

Rewrite the following, based on the principles of effective Web writing. Work on them in groups and be prepared to share your versions:

1.


Site Survey
The following questionnaire is designed to provide us with information that will help us improve the site and make it more relevant to our customers’ requirements. Select your answers from the drop-down menu below. The questionnaire will only take 2 – 3 minutes to complete. At the bottom of the form, you may choose to append your name, address and telephone number. Respondents who leave their aforementioned details may be contacted at some point in the future to participate in a survey to help us improve the relevance and usefulness of this site. Any comments or concerns may be directed to our Customer Service Officer.


Suggested Response:

This 2-3 minute questionnaire will help us to improve the site and its relevance to our customers’ requirements. We may contact respondents for a follow-up survey. Please contact our Customer Service Officers if you have further queries/comments.



2.

FAQ: How do I enroll and pay for an online course once I have taken my placement test?

Whether you want to do one course or many, you can simply click on the enroll button which appears at the top of every Onlinecourses.com web page. Once you have clicked the enroll button, you can do several things, if you want. You can confirm that all the courses that you want to do are listed on the enrolment form. You should enter billing information and account details. You should enter your address for the delivery of the printed study notes. You can then click ‘enrol me now’ to move to the next stage. At that point, the transaction between you and Onlinecourses.com will be passed to our billing partners, Secure Billings. Secure Billings will safely handle the actual payment transaction on our behalf.


Suggested Reponse


Note that FAQs need to include all the necessary information so that the reader does not need to call you to check on details, etc.


3.

If floppy disks are exchanged with other staff, or picked up and used from common work areas, please be informed that there might be viruses on the disks. The same is true if disks are received from people whose work may have been copied from the Internet, or if the software gets loaded on the disk after being downloaded from unknown sites.

Suggested response:

Your floppy disks may contain viruses if:
 you exchange them with other staff;
 pick them up from common work areas;
 get them from people whose work may have been copied from the Internet; and/or
 get them from people who download software from unknown sites.

Remember to replace the passive voice with the active voice.


4. Web Writing Task

Before:

When sending us back a product, please use the original packaging if you still have it. For a refund, the product sent back must be in good condition, including any accompanying disks, books and batteries. As stated earlier, we offer a money-back guarantee for 30 days from the time you buy the product. To return a product, please use the Return Address Sticker that came with the original package, so we can credit your account, or call us to get the correct address and code. You can reach us at 1800-62252456.


After:

Suggested response:

We offer a money-back guarantee for 30 days from the time you receive the product. For a refund, you must:

1. Return the product in good condition, including any accompanying disks, books and batteries. (Please use the original box if you still have it.)

2. Use the Return Address Sticker that came with the original package, so we can credit your account. Or call us at 1800-62252456 for the correct address and code.

SIWM videos?

Hi all,

At the end of Term 1, all classes created their own SIWM videos. Please upload them to a video-sharing site and send the URL links to your tutors.

Week 13: Independent Learning

Students allocated this session for the presentation of new media issues would have to present it via their chosen formats.

Presenters would also need to engage the others in a discussion of the issues, using their chosen formats. Presenters need to moderate their discussions, and respond to comments/questions.

Students must ensure that their materials, etc are uploaded/made available prior to the start of the lesson, and they must submit their CD-Roms with cover page by their scheduled presentation date.

Week 12: We meet in class this week

This is a reminder that we meet in class for lessons this week.

Remember to complete your presentation discussions by your lessons this week.

Week 12ii: Effective web design

Design considerations are also important when creating effective web pages.



Writing for the Web: Effective Screen Design

http://users.ipfw.edu/blythes/teach/writeforweb/webwrite1.htm

Screen design is important as it makes the Web page readable and invites readers to scan it.

For effective screen design, you need to work with text, space and graphics.

1. Text

Choose a font that can be read on screen. At times, you may not have control over what the text looks like on someone else's computer. It will be useful to let readers choose their own preferred fonts.


There are basically two types of fonts: serif and sans serif. Serif fonts such as Times New Roman and Book Antiqua have fine cross-lines at the ends of the letter. Sans serif such as Arial and Verdana don't have serifs.


Sans-serif is better for smaller type on screens; serif is good for type on paper.
Generally, serif fonts are not very clear when read online, especially font sizes below 12pt. However, note that serif fonts help those with dyslexia as the i, l and 1 (I, L, One) are often very similar in appearance in sans-serif fonts and can thus make things very hard for dyslexics to read.


Sans-serif fonts are generally easier and hence faster, to read online, even in small type. However, they may be an obstacle for the dyslexic readers.


According to http://www.theinternetdigest.net , the best font for the Web is Verdana. Its wide body makes it the clearest font for on-screen reading, even at small sizes. Georgia is the best option for serif font. You can still use Arial for certain parts such as headlines and titles which require a different font and in bigger sizes. As much as possible, make sure your text is the right size for your intended audience.


2. Space
Use space to:


Create margins: A screen full of text can look overwhelming to a reader
Reinforce organization: Use space to enable readers to know which texts are headings, etc, and where the different paragraphs are. (Use space to "chunk" text.)


Increase navigation: Use different columns to make it easier for the reader to navigate the text.


3. Graphics
Working with graphics is not just working with pictures. You can also work with colour (to highlight highlight information, etc) and lines (horizontal lines can strategically placed to separate blocks of information)


Effective webpage designs:

Remember there are differences in reading on paper and on the computer screen. It’s difficult for online readers to get their bearings when reading a series of Web pages, so make sure that your Web page:


Provides sufficient navigational guides: Let readers know where they are by offering them links and options (e.g., next page, previous page, home, etc.)

Ensures independence: Each page should be able to stand alone, which means that the author's name, affiliation, publication dates, and other necessary information should appear on each page.


If the Web page has been well designed, you should be able to answer the following questions easily:


What site is this? (site ID)
What page am I on? (page name)
What are the major sections of this site? (sections)
What are my options on this page? (local navigation)
Where am I in the whole site? (‘you are here’ indicators)
How can I search? (search options)

Week 12i: Writing for different audiences

We have mentioned how a good webpage, or for that matter, any good writing, needs to take its audience into consideration.

We will now look at how web writing can better meet the needs of its audience, especially a global one.

Writing for a Global Audience

Given that the World Wide Web has a global reach, expect your readers to be an international one. Hence, you will also need to write in such a way that your global audience is able to understand your texts easily.


Tips on writing for a global audience:
Use familiar and common words that come to users’ minds easily when they are creating search queries. These are often old words that users have been using.

You need to speak the user's language, which means using keywords that match users' search queries, and choose the most common terms.


Jobs, Openings, Positions - which would you choose?
Jobs is a commonly used term known to all when dealing with work opportunities.

Note that on the Internet, words are often de-contextualised, so when users key in Openings and Positions, they may not necessarily be expecting your site on job openings!


Lecturer, tutor, educator, teacher – which would you choose?


It may be tempting to coin new terms because it could display your sense of humour or creativity, and you could also lay claim to the term if it becomes popular.


But, more likely, users will still use their old words. A key usability guideline is to avoid made-up words in navigation menus, because users scan them for words they know. In full-text content, you could include some new words for effect, but do supplement them with old words that your users use.

Use precise terms, and avoid "politically correct" words. For example, use blind users or low-vision users, and not visually challenged users. People do not search for a made-up phrase like visually challenged. Also, blind and low-vision are more precise as they refer to two different groups of people.


Cut down on marketing language. Some marketing sites like to make their products seem more exciting than they are. For example, instead of calling a spade a spade, they call it a digging implement, or worse, an excavation solution! But doing this will lose them customers as users will type in the known word, ie spade. Users will look for cheap airline tickets, not value-priced travel experience.

Provide generic names with brand names. If yours is a popular brand known to users all over the world, then users will often use the brand name in their searches. However, if your brand name is still not well-known, you would want to include a generic name together with your brand name when describing your products or services so that users can find you. For example, include Air-con servicing and not just Kooltech.

Avoid metaphors and slang terms as an international audience will probably not be familiar with metaphors or slang terms known locally. For example, terms like Fried Rice Paradise and The Durians (Esplanade) need some accompanying brief explanations.

Avoid puns and play on words as they may cause confusion for those whose first language is not English.


For more details, do read Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox, August 28, 2006.


Writing Online for Teenagers
(Adapted from Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox, January 31, 2005)


Teenagers tend to be bored more easily than adults when using websites. They prefer simple websites (but not childish ones) that offer interactive features.


In a study done by Nielsen, it was found that teens use the Internet for:
Homework and assignments
Hobbies or other special interests
Entertainment (eg music and games)
News
Learning about health issues that they're too embarrassed to talk about
E-commerce


Also, it was found that:

Contrary to the idea that teens enjoy surfing websites, especially those with glitzy, blinking graphics, teens’ insufficient reading skills, less sophisticated research strategies, and a lower patience level led them to be less effective when reading online.

While they pay more attention to a website's visual appearance than adult users, they preferred sites with a relatively modest, clean design. They found overly glitzy websites too difficult to use.

Teenagers don't like to read a lot on the Web. Sites that were easy to scan or that illustrated concepts visually were strongly preferred to sites with dense text.

One surprising finding: teenagers don't like tiny font sizes any more than adults do.

Teens like to do things online, and don’t like sites that are slow. They are impatient and don’t like sites that need a lot of figuring out.



The following interactive features are preferred as they let teens do things than simply sit and read. These interactive features allow teenagers to make their mark on the Internet and express themselves in various ways.
Online quizzes
Forms for providing feedback or asking questions
Online voting
Games
Features for sharing pictures or stories
Message boards
Forums for offering and receiving advice
Features for creating a website or otherwise adding content

There are many different preferences between age groups. To have a successful website, you need to consider the needs and preferences of your target groups.



Teens have different needs from adults and young children. Besides the interaction design of the site, you will also need to consider other things such as choice of topics and content style.


Writing for the Elderly
(adapted from http://www.useit.com/alertbox/seniors.html)

More and more of the greying population are going online for various purposes.
In the United States alone, there is an estimated 9 million Internet users over the age of 65. The number of elderly folks going online in Singapore is also increasing, with many showing keen interest in modern technologies such as the Internet, which provides them with another channel of communication and information.


In a study done by Nielsen, email was the main Internet application used by seniors, and they use the Web mainly for:
Research
News
Tracking investments
Researching medication and medical conditions
Online shopping and banking (people over 55 are believed to spend more on online goods and services than any other age group)

It was found that seniors fared worse in usability tests than those in the younger age group. Why?

Websites tend to be produced by young designers, who often assume that all users have perfect vision and motor control, and know everything about the Web. Also, as many of the elderly had little experience with computers when they were working, they were not familiar with how the technologies worked, which made things more complicated for them.


Poor design of websites will make the Web more than twice as hard for seniors to use. Seniors strongly prefer those websites that are easiest for them to use. By focusing on improving usability for seniors, you can attract them to your website again and forming a long-term relationship with them.


Activity:
Discuss: How can websites be made more user-friendly for the elderly?


Tips for designing websites for seniors:

Support larger font sizes. Sites that target seniors should use at least 12-point type as the default. All sites, whether or not they target seniors specifically, should let users increase text size as desired. It was also the case that the elderly participants preferred 800x600 over 1024x768 resolution.


Use large text for hypertext links to ensure readability, and make them more prominent targets for clicking.


Avoid tightly clustered links that are not separated by white space. This will decrease erroneous clicks and increase the speed at which users hit the correct link. Command buttons and other interaction objects should also be reasonably large to be easy to click.


Use different colours, and use the colours consistently to clearly distinguish between visited and unvisited links, as seniors may lose track of where they have been.

Communicate that a page is not finished and requires scrolling, as elderly participants regularly failed to scroll down a page and hence often missed out on information. This could be due to the fact that the elderly users had not fully internalised the concept of browser-windows often requiring scrolling.


Pull-down menus, and other moving interface elements cause problems for seniors who may not be steady when using the mouse. Use static user interface designs that do not require pixel-perfect pointing.

Whoever your audience may be, you need to make your website user-friendly. Web users are impatient and will simply take their business elsewhere, if they find your site too slow or unfriendly.


Some general tips on making your website accessible:
§ Make fonts resizeable
§ Provide language choices
§ Have captions for audio and video clips
§ Provide strong contrast between fonts and background
§ Avoid having flickering or strobing light effects (may induce epilepsy in some people)
§ Provide various ways to navigate your site
§ Provide screen reader technology such as allowing the text to be converted to speech


(Digital Life, The Straits Times, 24 July 2007)

Week 11: Independent Learning Week

Students allocated this session for the presentation of new media issues would have to present it via their chosen formats.

Presenters would also need to engage the others in a discussion of the issues, using their chosen formats.

Students must ensure that their materials, etc are uploaded/made available prior to the start of the lesson, and they must submit their CD-Roms with cover page by their scheduled presentation date.

Camera angles for your Youtube videos

Hi class,

This week, you will be doing some filming of your SIWM videos.

I came across a few videos that focus on camera angles as well as video tutorials on using Windows Movie Maker that you may find useful for recording and editing your SIWM videos.

Camera angles and shots



Tutorial on camera angles:



Editing movie on Windows Movie Maker:



Making movie in Windows Movie Maker:

Useful videos on blogging

Hi,

I came across this site with some useful video resources on blogging:

http://www.becomeablogger.com/

Week 7: Writing for New Media

This week, you will submit your Creating and Sustaining a New Media Site assignment.


Although the official submission is in week 7, you should continue to sustain your blog over the whole course as that would constitute class participation

This week, you will get the chance to script, film and star in your very own Youtube video!





Now, remember also to read and comment on each others’ blogs!





Remember to work on new media issues presentation - the presentations will take place in term B.

Some feedback on your 1st blog posts

Dear students,

Your tutors have taken a look at your first blog posts and here are some comments and reminders:

- do have a blog title that relates to your blog focus/topic; if a tagline is allowed, do make sure that your blog tagline also enhances the blog and adds to the meaning of the blog

- prior to your first blog post, you may wish to have a brief introduction to let your readers know what your blog is about; that could also be done in your first post - the thing is not to jump into your topic abruptly; also, do not over use jargon

- while you write in a personal and conversational style, it does not mean using ungrammatical structures and SMS language - you could be a less formal and still be grammatical (the same goes for people leaving comments on the blogs)

-make sure that you use your own pictures as far as possible, and if you need to use others' images, please ask for permission and cite your sources - do not infringe on copyright laws

-a number of you don't have a blogroll - please ensure that your blogroll is up and that the external links are credible and relate to the blog focus/topic too; your individual blog posts should also have external links to relevant and credible sites

-do provide your personal commentary and reflections on the topic - do not simply list or describe but comment and reflect - a few of you need to be more original - you may include links to others' info/views but you should not pass them off as your own - DO NOT PLAGIARISE

-while blogs may not necessarily need to reflect all the web writing principles we have talked about iin class, they could still be applied to make your blog more reader-friendly

Remember to think about why your readers would want to read your blog. If it's a rip-off of another blog, they would rather go to the original blog and by-pass yours. So, think carefully about the added value they will get when they read your blog. Your personal voice is an important dimension of the blog too.

Please read your classmates' blogs. You will learn more about their areas of interests and learn new knowledge as well. Do leave constructive feedback for them and keep that online conversation going.

Finally, your tutors would have given more specific feedback/comments on your first post. If you have further things you would like to clarify, please check the assignment specs available in OLE again and contact your tutor.

Regards,
Mrs Low

Week 6iv: Youtub-ing

Youtube Background:

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YouTube)

YouTube is a video sharing website where users can upload, view and share video clips. YouTube was created in mid-February 2005 by three former PayPal employees.

The service uses Adobe Flash technology to display a wide variety of user-generated video content, including movie clips, TV clips and music videos, as well as amateur content such as videoblogging and short original videos.

In August 2006, YouTube was hosting about 6.1 million videos and had about 500,000 user accounts. As of April 9, 2008, a YouTube search returns about 83.4 million videos and 3.75 million user channels.

It is estimated that in 2007, YouTube consumed as much bandwidth as the entire Internet in 2000, and that around 13 hours of video are uploaded every minute

Discuss: What is the appeal of Youtube?



Check out some student videos:


New Media Discussion Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bm-rimPWXdcrimPWXdc
New media vs Old media: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwgCsvhKOSI
What's up in the SIWM class: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K16HxGL6ycM

Week 6iii: Scannable writing - using lists

Besides using the inverted pyramid style and chunking, writing lists also makes your text more scannable and reader-friendly.


It is harder to read a long list of words or items within an online paragraph. Often, the semi-colon is not seen clearly on the screen as well. It would be useful to turn any lists you have into a bulleted or numbered list.


Lists can save readers time by allowing them to see specific items, etc at a glance. You can include a greater number of lists on a web page than on a printed paper page.


Creating and organizing a list of items:


If you have three or more items in a row, within running text, take them out of the paragraph and put them in a bulleted or numbered list.


Use bulleted and numbered lists - bulleted when the order of the list is not important; numbered when it is, with the most important first.


Keep items as short as possible.


If items have two parts, eg a term and definition, boldface the first part, and plaintext the second part.


If items have links and descriptions, put the link first, and indent the description underneath it/.


Put the longest item at the end of the list, if that makes sense.


Organize the list in a pattern that the user recognizes, such as important to unimportant, beginning to end, 1 to 10, etc.


Group related items where possible without disrupting the larger pattern.


If the list is too long, use groupings and subheadings to break it into several smaller lists. Limit the number of items in a single list to no more than nine.


A few lists help divide a page visually and let readers see related chunks of information, but too many lists make a page look cluttered.


You can find an example of a bulleted list at the solaswebdesign page.


Further reminders on using effective structure to enable scannability

v split long information into multiple pages according to subject
v use the inverted pyramid style that starts with the conclusion, and with the first two paragraphs stating the most important information (Remember the F-reading pattern)
v start sub-headings, paragraphs, and bullet points with information-carrying words that users will notice when scanning down the left side of your content in the final stem of their F-reading behaviour

http://www.its.monash.edu.au/staff/web/slideshows/webwriting/all.htm

Activity: Rewrite the text to include bulleted or numbered lists. You may also wish to create new paragraphs.

a.

The person who is humble and retiring has three characteristics: mysterious charm, unspectacular excellence, and unnoticed influence. We consider the charm mysterious because the person does nothing we can see to draw our attention. We call the excellence unspectacular because the person does not boast, or make announcements, but completes all work with thoroughness. We call this person’s influence unnoticed because although everyone looks to this person as an authority, they hardly mention the name. The influence spreads like water underground, invisible.


b.
The TCP/IP protocol is found in major operating systems, such as Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows NT, and Novell’s NetWare, a LAN operating system. Because it appears in so many operating systems, TCP/IP has become the most common way to connect desktop PCs and workstations with each other within an organization and over the Internet. But customers have asked for a number of innovations to make TCP/IP more reliable in mission-critical applications: expanded addressing capability, so it does not run out of addresses, additional security features, to prevent hacker breakins, autoconfiguration, to save installers’ time, and real-time service, to enable transactions. Moving from 32 bit to 128 bit addresses will probably solve the first problem, all vendors agree; but on the other improvements, vendors disagree, and have, so far, refused to agree on standards. Some vendors are offering their own security packages; others are creating new ones specifically to work with TCP/IP. Autoconfiguration, unfortunately, can be done in dozens of ways, and vendors are looking at all of them. Real-time services tend to be the playground of mainframers, so IBM and ATT lead the way, here, with PC vendors trailing badly. Our estimate is that the new standard is at least one year away, and even then, the standard may be a weak one in the real-time and autoconfiguration areas.


c.
We offer a complete line, including fashion-inspired jeans, casual wear for men and women, color-coordinated cosmetics, and matching fragrances.


d.

A bridge connects two local area networks (LANs). The bridge physically joins separate LAN segments, such as two Ethernet cables. We offer four main types of bridges: transparent, encapsulating, translating, and source routing.

e.

New in this release are additional items of information about each song, such as encoding options, handheld devices that play these formats, genre, total length of the track, name of the original album the track belonged to, and a summary of any preferences you set in your download profile.


Activity:
Rewrite the following text to make it more scannable. Remember to put key conclusions first.
Original paragraph
Actions available to most firewall audit software include activating a Simple Network Management Protocol trap, signaling when the trap has snared an apparent violation, sending a mail message, relaying information to the management platform (such as Open View, NetView/6000, or SunNet Manager), emailing the administrator, or shutting down an account. Thus, companies look to firewall auditing software for activity logging, application usage tracking, and security breaches. Firewall auditing software has grown beyond simple security measures to include a much more sophisticated security setup, as well as features normally associated with network monitoring software. In fact, the real news is that the two software types are merging.