The one social networking site (SNS) I use regularly is Facebook. Just as many popular social networking sites, Facebook faces its share of privacy issues. Recent privacy issues have included Facebook making phone numbers on users' profiles public and selling access to users' consumer information. Facebook also changes its privacy settings constantly, making it difficult for users to keep up, and many users are not aware that they can customize their privacy settings. Even with customization enabled though, users have to keep up to date on the latest privacy changes, as I found out when my phone number was released publicly despite my privacy settings being customized to only show certain information, my phone number not among it.
The many changes to privacy settings and the fact that Facebook, like other online companies, sells access to users' consumer information is troubling. What makes it more so is the fact that current laws, as Boyd and Ellison point out, are not really equipped to deal with online privacy. However, if the "Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights" currently being proposed as described in a Time article (www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,2059442,00.html) is enacted, companies such as Facebook would be required to tell users what information they are selling and what it is being used for. This would be a plus in and of itself, seeing as many were unaware until recently that Facebook was even selling access to information, myself included. However, the proposed bill would also allow more regulation, which is even better.
Besides the privacy issues stemming from Facebook's actions, there are also the privacy issues relating to users' actions. Although users have the choice to make their profiles private, many either do not know how to, do not want to, or just don't care. As a result, potential employers and college admissions officers have been known to view applicants' profiles for any material that would change their decision to hire or admit them. Since the profile is public, there is really no legal reason why they cannot do this. However, what if, as Boyd and Ellison point out, the police were to do something similar? The question then becomes, is the information truly public? Or is a warrant necessary? As Boyd and Ellison say, social networking sites like Facebook "are challenging legal conceptions of privacy."
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Website Redesign: The Flow of Flo's
The website I plan to redesign is Flo's Clam Shack: http://FlosClamshack.net/
This website does not have much of an internal flow. By that, I mean that it does not have many inside pages that it links to. The home page has one inside link to the second page, which lists venues that are nearby. This second page is supposed to have one inside link, linking back to the home page, but though the home page url is there, it was not linked to the home page.
As for links to outside sites, the website has quite a few. On the home page, there is only one outside link to Yahoo maps. However, on the "nearby neighbors" page, there are many outside links (15 in all). The good thing about all the outside links is that the sites open in a new window, keeping visitors on the Flo's site.
For the most part, when you click on the links, they take you to where you would expect. However, there was one link on the "nearby neighbors" page that takes you to a site that has not yet been constructed.
Overall, the flow is not terrible, but it is not great either. Flo's needs more inside links to keep visitors interested and to better organize information.
This website does not have much of an internal flow. By that, I mean that it does not have many inside pages that it links to. The home page has one inside link to the second page, which lists venues that are nearby. This second page is supposed to have one inside link, linking back to the home page, but though the home page url is there, it was not linked to the home page.
As for links to outside sites, the website has quite a few. On the home page, there is only one outside link to Yahoo maps. However, on the "nearby neighbors" page, there are many outside links (15 in all). The good thing about all the outside links is that the sites open in a new window, keeping visitors on the Flo's site.
For the most part, when you click on the links, they take you to where you would expect. However, there was one link on the "nearby neighbors" page that takes you to a site that has not yet been constructed.
Overall, the flow is not terrible, but it is not great either. Flo's needs more inside links to keep visitors interested and to better organize information.
Website Redesign 2
The website I plan to redesign is Flo's Clam Shack: http://www.flosclamshack.net/
As it stands right now, Flo's website is very basic and appears as though it was kind of thrown together. There is not much included on it at all, aside from basic information about Flo's, such as its location, hours, menu, and prices (all located on the home page) and some information about what is nearby.
Although the alignment is consistent throughout, the center alignment that was chosen for the home page and the left alignment that was chosen for the what's nearby page look awkward on pages with no design elements besides text. However, the fact that only one alignment was used does help to make the pages a little more organized and easy to follow.
The proximity of some of the text is a little awkward. First, for the home page, a lot of information is on one page, so everything seems to run together. The main heading of the page (Flo's Clam Shack) is very close to the next few lines, which give the spring hours, and the hours are close to the next lines, and so on, so it is hard to distinguish where the heading begins and ends. The links to a map and the what's nearby page are also quite close to the start of the menu. As for the what's nearby page, the proximity is still an issue, but not as bad as on the main page. The heading of the page is still close to the next few lines and can't be distinguished. The link to go home (which hasn't actually been linked) is very close to the start of a list of nearby venues. In addition, the information toward the bottom of the page all runs together, even though there are different questions and answers being asked. The headings (the questions) are only distinguished through a change in font. Still, the spacing of the venues listed is good.
As for repetition, there is little opportunity for seeing any repetition as there are not many elements to begin with on either page. However, the use of repetition on the site right now is pretty poor. The fonts seem to vary across the page, with different fonts being used for different groups of information. The headings of the menu on the home page are a different font than the items listed on the menu. In addition, on the home page the font is a different color on the main heading and next few lines with the hours (red) as opposed to the rest of the page (where the font is white).
Finally, although most of the text on the site contrasts nicely with the green background as it's white, the red text of the heading and underlying information about hours on the home page does not contrast very well at all. There is also not really any main focal point on either page that can be distinguished, although the menu does stand out a little more as the change in font is very noticeable on the home page.
Overall, the site is too simple. The fact that the information is spaced oddly, presented in different fonts and colors, and that it is all on one page makes it harder to follow. The site does not seem very professional or organized and could benefit from better spacing, more repetition, the addition of other media (like photos), and focal points on each page. It would also be better organized if the menu were relocated to another page.
As it stands right now, Flo's website is very basic and appears as though it was kind of thrown together. There is not much included on it at all, aside from basic information about Flo's, such as its location, hours, menu, and prices (all located on the home page) and some information about what is nearby.
Although the alignment is consistent throughout, the center alignment that was chosen for the home page and the left alignment that was chosen for the what's nearby page look awkward on pages with no design elements besides text. However, the fact that only one alignment was used does help to make the pages a little more organized and easy to follow.
The proximity of some of the text is a little awkward. First, for the home page, a lot of information is on one page, so everything seems to run together. The main heading of the page (Flo's Clam Shack) is very close to the next few lines, which give the spring hours, and the hours are close to the next lines, and so on, so it is hard to distinguish where the heading begins and ends. The links to a map and the what's nearby page are also quite close to the start of the menu. As for the what's nearby page, the proximity is still an issue, but not as bad as on the main page. The heading of the page is still close to the next few lines and can't be distinguished. The link to go home (which hasn't actually been linked) is very close to the start of a list of nearby venues. In addition, the information toward the bottom of the page all runs together, even though there are different questions and answers being asked. The headings (the questions) are only distinguished through a change in font. Still, the spacing of the venues listed is good.
As for repetition, there is little opportunity for seeing any repetition as there are not many elements to begin with on either page. However, the use of repetition on the site right now is pretty poor. The fonts seem to vary across the page, with different fonts being used for different groups of information. The headings of the menu on the home page are a different font than the items listed on the menu. In addition, on the home page the font is a different color on the main heading and next few lines with the hours (red) as opposed to the rest of the page (where the font is white).
Finally, although most of the text on the site contrasts nicely with the green background as it's white, the red text of the heading and underlying information about hours on the home page does not contrast very well at all. There is also not really any main focal point on either page that can be distinguished, although the menu does stand out a little more as the change in font is very noticeable on the home page.
Overall, the site is too simple. The fact that the information is spaced oddly, presented in different fonts and colors, and that it is all on one page makes it harder to follow. The site does not seem very professional or organized and could benefit from better spacing, more repetition, the addition of other media (like photos), and focal points on each page. It would also be better organized if the menu were relocated to another page.
Website Redesign 1
The website I am planning to redesign is Flo's Clam Shack: http://www.flosclamshack.net/
The purpose of this website is to provide potential customers of the clam shack and the general public with important information about Flo's, such as the hours it's open, its location, prices of the food, and what food it offers. Thus, its primary audience are potential customers, while the secondary audience is anyone else wanting to find out information about Flo's. The site seeks to create a serious, informative, and professional stance, seeing as it is a business, and any business's primary goal in creating a website is to obtain customers.
As the website is very basic and gives an appearance of being somewhat thrown together, there are not many elements included. Still, the primary genre is one of business, and the site does include typical business elements such as prices of what is being offered, hours, and general information about the business itself, even if this is information is lacking in detail when it comes to the Flo's website. The fact that the site is very basic and not much time seems to have been spent on it thus far also explains why there are very few design elements to speak of as well. The entire website features only text; there are no pictures, audio files, or any other media included.
Overall, although the website has a clear purpose, audience, and stance, it has not fully developed the genre it requires, and its design is severely lacking. It uses only one type of medium, which not only does not make Flo's seem attractive to potential customers but also does not help visitors of the site to understand the information provided as well as if it was presented in different ways. The genre, though inferred because Flo's is a business, is not completely nor clearly presented. There is very little detail about the history of Flo's, for example, which is a common element of business sites. In addition, what information is given is not presented as clearly as it could be, because the design is lacking in organization. A simple design is good, but the way Flo's website is right now is too simple, and very unorganized. All of the information seems to run into itself on each page, and Flo's is definitely not portrayed as well as it could be.
The purpose of this website is to provide potential customers of the clam shack and the general public with important information about Flo's, such as the hours it's open, its location, prices of the food, and what food it offers. Thus, its primary audience are potential customers, while the secondary audience is anyone else wanting to find out information about Flo's. The site seeks to create a serious, informative, and professional stance, seeing as it is a business, and any business's primary goal in creating a website is to obtain customers.
As the website is very basic and gives an appearance of being somewhat thrown together, there are not many elements included. Still, the primary genre is one of business, and the site does include typical business elements such as prices of what is being offered, hours, and general information about the business itself, even if this is information is lacking in detail when it comes to the Flo's website. The fact that the site is very basic and not much time seems to have been spent on it thus far also explains why there are very few design elements to speak of as well. The entire website features only text; there are no pictures, audio files, or any other media included.
Overall, although the website has a clear purpose, audience, and stance, it has not fully developed the genre it requires, and its design is severely lacking. It uses only one type of medium, which not only does not make Flo's seem attractive to potential customers but also does not help visitors of the site to understand the information provided as well as if it was presented in different ways. The genre, though inferred because Flo's is a business, is not completely nor clearly presented. There is very little detail about the history of Flo's, for example, which is a common element of business sites. In addition, what information is given is not presented as clearly as it could be, because the design is lacking in organization. A simple design is good, but the way Flo's website is right now is too simple, and very unorganized. All of the information seems to run into itself on each page, and Flo's is definitely not portrayed as well as it could be.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Wikitravel Postwrite
In their explanation of the parts that make up the systems that are informational ecologies, Nardi and O'Day talk about the concept of diversity. They go on to explain that diversity in informational ecologies takes the form of many different roles, people, and tools. These different roles, people, and tools all help the informational ecology to function well by working together and complementing one another. According to Nardi and O'Day, diversity in informational ecologies is also key to helping them survive change, and is therefore related to the continual evolution of the ecologies. Finally, they point out that "a diverse information ecology...has many different resources and materials and allows for individual proclivities and interests."
Wikitravel is definitely reflective of this concept, and as an informational ecology, contains a lot of diversity. Anyone can participate in the site by editing or adding information to pages, or even by creating new pages, which results in many different people becoming involved in the information ecology. Not everyone who adds to or edits the site comes from the same background. There are people from all over the world, so there is a variety of nationalities, races, ethnicities, and beliefs represented. Basically, contributors can be from any country, male or female, young or old, of Asian or Hispanic descent, and that adds a lot of diversity.
There are also different roles involved in Wikitravel. Some people contribute as the initial writers- the first ones to create a page. Others contribute by editing what's already there, or adding new information to an existing page. Still others might only upload photographs. Then there are the docents for different locations, and the site overseers.
As for tools, there are lots of those too. Wikitravel uses a creative commons license, which allows contributors to share their knowledge, writing, and photos, for example. Contributors also have the option to edit, by adding or deleting, or add brand new information or photos to the site.
Just as Nardi and O'Day suggested, the many people, tools, and roles that make up Wikitravel work together to allow it to survive change. Things are constantly changing. Restaurants and hotels close and new ones open, for example. When doing my Wikitravel project, I found that the North Kingstown page had a few restaurants listed that were no longer in business, and there were a couple of newer restaurants that had not been added yet. By allowing contributors to edit the pages, to delete restaurants that have closed and add new ones that have opened, Wikitravel keeps up with these changes. Still, the tools to edit that it offers would be for nothing if there were not so many different people contributing, since each person has their own knowledge. Maybe someone would know that the restaurant had closed, while another had not. If there were not so many contributors, changes would have a greater chance of being missed and the information would not be up to date, rendering Wikitravel less effective.
As for whether informational ecologies raise awareness about and reflect how we interact with others, I believe they do. Most interactions online are not so different than real-life interactions. The expected social rules are the same, for example. On Facebook, just as in real-life interactions, it is expected that people will be polite to one another and respect the different opinions and beliefs expressed. However, knowing that Facebook is a place for people to express their thoughts, feelings, and beliefs, one can expect to find more differences of opinion. How people react to differences online can reflect how they might react to differences in real-life experiences as well. Either that, or people will take less care to be respectful because it is online and they do not feel they are as constrained, in which case informational ecologies such as Facebook or Wikitravel, where it is so easy to edit and change pages and people can get quite defensive about their work, can serve to make people aware as to how they would react in situations where they feel less pressure to live up to expectations (as a result of no direct interaction).
Wikitravel is definitely reflective of this concept, and as an informational ecology, contains a lot of diversity. Anyone can participate in the site by editing or adding information to pages, or even by creating new pages, which results in many different people becoming involved in the information ecology. Not everyone who adds to or edits the site comes from the same background. There are people from all over the world, so there is a variety of nationalities, races, ethnicities, and beliefs represented. Basically, contributors can be from any country, male or female, young or old, of Asian or Hispanic descent, and that adds a lot of diversity.
There are also different roles involved in Wikitravel. Some people contribute as the initial writers- the first ones to create a page. Others contribute by editing what's already there, or adding new information to an existing page. Still others might only upload photographs. Then there are the docents for different locations, and the site overseers.
As for tools, there are lots of those too. Wikitravel uses a creative commons license, which allows contributors to share their knowledge, writing, and photos, for example. Contributors also have the option to edit, by adding or deleting, or add brand new information or photos to the site.
Just as Nardi and O'Day suggested, the many people, tools, and roles that make up Wikitravel work together to allow it to survive change. Things are constantly changing. Restaurants and hotels close and new ones open, for example. When doing my Wikitravel project, I found that the North Kingstown page had a few restaurants listed that were no longer in business, and there were a couple of newer restaurants that had not been added yet. By allowing contributors to edit the pages, to delete restaurants that have closed and add new ones that have opened, Wikitravel keeps up with these changes. Still, the tools to edit that it offers would be for nothing if there were not so many different people contributing, since each person has their own knowledge. Maybe someone would know that the restaurant had closed, while another had not. If there were not so many contributors, changes would have a greater chance of being missed and the information would not be up to date, rendering Wikitravel less effective.
As for whether informational ecologies raise awareness about and reflect how we interact with others, I believe they do. Most interactions online are not so different than real-life interactions. The expected social rules are the same, for example. On Facebook, just as in real-life interactions, it is expected that people will be polite to one another and respect the different opinions and beliefs expressed. However, knowing that Facebook is a place for people to express their thoughts, feelings, and beliefs, one can expect to find more differences of opinion. How people react to differences online can reflect how they might react to differences in real-life experiences as well. Either that, or people will take less care to be respectful because it is online and they do not feel they are as constrained, in which case informational ecologies such as Facebook or Wikitravel, where it is so easy to edit and change pages and people can get quite defensive about their work, can serve to make people aware as to how they would react in situations where they feel less pressure to live up to expectations (as a result of no direct interaction).
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