allmusic.com

I thought I might as well start by presenting an overview of one of my favorite websites. So here we go!

Intended Audience: This one is interesting. Allmusic.com provides reviews and background information for just
about every band that has every existed, and also includes material on classical pieces and composers. So while
there is something for everyone, the sheer glut of information provided suggests that they might be most interested
in providing for the record collecting and musically obsessed. Like me!

Usefulness of Content: If you're into music, the usefulness of this site can't be played down. Reviews of every album from
thousands and thousands of artists from around the world, with tracklists and 30 second samples. The biographies for bands
and artists are all quite in-depth, and profiles for active bands are updated with each album/significant event/drunken bar brawl that might occur.

Consistency of Design: They have a layout that they stick to, that's for sure- it's dull, but functional. The front page of the site is an explosion of album covers and artist photos, and may be disorienting at first, but focus on the search bar near the top and you should be fine. Pages for bands and artists all follow a standard format, with albums and reviews (with 5-star ratings) following a brief introduction that can be expanded to a lengthier biography.

Ease of Navigation: Ah, here's the rub. This site is a bit schizo at times, it can move along nice and smooth or shudder and crawl to a snail's pace. Broadband is almost a requirement as well, because of the amount of images (artist photos, album covers, etc.) And while searching for artists and albums is easy enough, their song search engine is a tricky beast. You have to be very, very specific- and if you're searching for a half remembered song you heard on some commercial, that isn't always possible!

Co-Op America

Interested in learning how to live green and all that living green entails, check out http://www.coopamerica.org/. The target audience is broad in scope from the novice to the professional. Whether you're new to applying green principles to your everyday life or a certified environmentalist, this site has something to offer . Co-Op America offers rich content which focus on topics such as: Green Living, Green Energy, Climate Action, Fair Trade, Sweatshops and much more. Simply click on "Programs", one of the eight tabs at the top of the page, and choose the topic you wish to explore. The tabs make it super easy to navigate through out the site; being on the top of every page provides the user with a wealth of information just a click away. Each page has a mixture of visuals and content, maybe a bit too much content at times, but overall Co-Op America is a great site which consistently offers valuable information. Check it out.

Martha

Welcome to INF 380K - Internet Applications

This blog was set up for students at the University of Texas at Austin's School of Information to post web site reviews for INF380K - Internet Applications.

In each blog entry, please find a website (good or bad, interesting or boring) - the website content is not important (although - no porn please) - what we're interested in discussing is the design, layout, and audience for the site. Blog entries should be short, bullet points are okay, and I expect this assignment to take between 20-40 minutes per week.

Address four points in each blog entry for each website you choose to discuss :
1) your best guess at intended audience;
2) usefulness of content;
3) consistency of design;
4) ease of navigation