Summary Design Delays Graphics Navigation Chunks Content Distractions Futures References

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Content

The main reason most people will visit your site is for content. Make the content as useful and readable as possible.

Text style should be adapted to Web environment. Bullets, good use of headings, short paragraphs, language that is objective rather than marketing oriented. (basically good tech writing -- but more abbreviated than usual).

• Alertbox (Oct 1, 1997): How Users Read on the Web

• Alertbox (Mar 15, 1997): Be Succinct! (Writing for the Web)

• Alertbox (June 1996): Inverted Pyramids in Cyberspace

• Writing purely for the Web is good for answering quick questions. For scanning, and skimming. When the subject requires background information and in-depth understanding, then the traditional model of reading/writing come into play. People tend to print out the document and read it in hardcopy form. In this mode, the "chunks" of information are long -- usually in one HTML or PDF file -- or in chapters. Alertbox (Feb 1996): In Defense of Print

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Last updated: Mon Jun 17 13:17:18 PDT 2002