Usability and Me

Usability is something I never really thought about and I'm sure others feel the same, but its amazing how much it influences our Internet experience. Usability can really make or break a website when it comes to users using it. If a website is not friendly when it comes to easy access to what the public wants, the website has a strong chance of failing.

To expand on usability, I was able to find another great website that gives a different insight on usability and the true basics of it. The website states that there are five important characteristics to a successful usability website; they are easy to remember since they all being with an "E". They include: effective, efficient, engaging, error tolerant and easy to learn. I thought that was a great way to explain and learn the basics of usability; the website goes on to even explain how the effectively use the five "E"s and how to use these to plan usability evaluations.

This article will definitely help me when it comes to planning my website and executing it. It taught me that the simpler, the better, and that whatever I choose to do my website on, the usability is an extremely inportant factor that will help make my website successful. I will remember to be sure and make it easily accessible as far as the location of the website and the information provided in it. Usability helps to show that there is a lot of work and thought put into websites; it helps to show that they were not just slapped together in a week. I will remember this once planning for my website begins!


Website read and used: http://www.wqusability.com/articles/more-than-ease-of-use.html

Dear web... I still need you!

The idea of the web dying, but the Internet taking off, was one that I did not think made sense at first. I understand the difference between the web and the Internet but they have always been reliant on each other in my eyes. I wouldn't want to see one without the other close by. The article "The Web Is Dead. Long Live the Internet." on www.wired.com talks about the web dying, but the Internet continuing on it's journey. So, the question is, do I agree with this concept? I don't think I do.

The web may be used less and less every year but I still think it is a necessity to this era. People got too comfortable saying that libraries were going to fade out once the web hit because of the easy access to a mass amount of information, but libraries are still around. They may not be used as much as they used to be since people are able to do research from their own homes now, but libraries are still a great place to go and many still use them. So I think this same concept will happen with the web, it may not get used as much as it used to, but there are always going to be reasons to use it. Libraries did not die with the times, they were instead updated by having web access therefore giving people a reason to still visit libraries; I think that the same thing is going to happen with the web. Something has to come along that people will just not be able to ignore.

I have always been a user of the web and I do not plan on stopping any time soon. Even though the Internet and apps have their addicting ways and positive mind-sets, I see the web as an essential part of them both. Just like everything else in the world, I am sure that an update and/ or a newer version is on it's way to save the web.