The World Wide Web: Evolution and Opportunity

1. The World Wide Web: Evolution and Opportunity 1. Web site evolution - a general framework 2. The web@york Bob Gagné York University Executive Director - Information Technology bgagne@yorku.ca

2. Web Evolution - a general framework Web Site Evolution Beginning - the mass communication model - transfer experience from print, radio, TV ... Information Creator Audience

3. Web Evolution - a general framework The web is not like other communication mediums Print/TV/Radio - it’s broadcast so everyone has to see the same thing. Web - every user gets their own copy of the web page. Information Creator

4. Web Evolution - a general framework The web goes both ways … transactions and transactive content Print/TV/Radio - broadcast Web - users can receive information but they can also send it. Information Creator

5. Web Evolution - a general framework Users can talk to each other - really a web From information provider to community hub Information/ community hub

6. Web Evolution - a general framework Some common traps in beginning - • Business Model: treating the Web as a marketing brochure and not as a fundamental shift in the way we do business in the network economy. • Project management: multiple developers without coordination. • Information architecture: structuring the site like the company’s own org chart instead of reflecting the user’s view of the service. • Page layout: using heavy graphics (that look good on a large monitor and load quickly on a direct network connection). • Content authoring: writers don’t realize the need to cut their copy in half for online readers. Nor do they modularize the text into multiple hypertext nodes. • Linking: banning external links in an attempt to imprison the user on your own site Jakob Neilsen - Author on Web Site Usability

7. The WWW Opportunity Focusing on the Audience, Customers, Services - • “Customer Orientation” • driven by utility - Why do they visit? What do they want to do? • ultimately “the audience of one”. • what do we do for “customers”? • how could we do it on the web and make it better? • Constraints of time and place vanish. • Beyond services to experiences.

10. The WWW Opportunity The Future web@york Lessons from the internet industry - portals and “home bases” Portals - Yahoo, Excite, Go.com, Lycos, Canada.com • pass you through to other destinations • based on searching and web directories • you go there to go somewhere else... Home Bases - My Netcenter, My Yahoo, PlanetAll • where you keep your “stuff” • start and return here between forays • lots of services, deep personalization

11. www.snap.com

12. www.amazon.com

13. my.netcenter.com

14. Northwestern Portal

15. Northwestern Home

16. The WWW Opportunity The Future web@york - • The “web campus” • home base for students, staff, faculty, alumni. • Personalized integrated services and features • on line learning, email, schedules, applications, personal sites. • parking stickers, bill payment, registration • how can we do what we do on the web and make it better? • Need an architecture and attention to usability and accessibility. • Internet=Intranet+Extranet

17. my.ucla.edu

18. www.mybytes.com

19. ecollege.com

20. Villanova/Campus Pipeline

21. The WWW Opportunity The Future web@york - • Need for new approach - • too big to do by ourselves. • Leverage tools - publishing, authoring, application development. • A web platform with personalization and utilities built in. • Partnership opportunities abound. • E-commerce potential. • Coordinated approach

22. www.yorku.ca …first steps