Web Usability Revisited

Web Usability Revisited Web Usability Revisited Web Usability Revisited By Sharon If youre reading every word of this post, then youre in the minority. More than ten years ago, usability expert Jakob Neilsen published a paper called How Users Read On The Web. He began the paper by saying: They dont. Butterfly Readers Instead web users flit about like butterflies in a garden, pausing at anything that takes their interest. So what does that mean for people who are writing web content? It means that we have to write differently from the way we write for print. Heres a recap of Neilsens advice, which is still relevant, in my opinion. Keep It Short Since people arent going to read a large block of text, then theres no point in having one. A typical web page has more in common with a news story than a magazine article. Its short and to the point anywhere from 250 to 500 words, as a rough guide. Longer articles tend to be broken into several pages, and theres no guarantee that a reader will get past the first page. Inverted Pyramid That leads to the next point, structure. Use the inverted pyramid. That means putting the key information at the start so that readers will get the information you want them to have. If you were writing for print, this information might be your conclusion. For the web, you need to tell readers up front. One Point Per Paragraph If you manage to hook the reader, then theres plenty of time to expand and to tell them why you reached your conclusion. But you have to do it gradually, using a single point per paragraph. Within each paragraph, make the first sentence count if you want readers to get to the second. Use Signposts One way to slow readers down and make them look at your content is to use signposts, such as sub headings, bold text and bulleted lists. These make it easy for web readers to scan the text, but also make them stop and look further. Finally, Neilsen highlights the value of linking out. In part, this provides something else to make readers stop. Links also establish your credibility because they show that you have done some research. Neilsen went on to publish many more columns on web usability, which discuss other aspects such as using images, but I believe the basic advice is a good starting point for all web content writers. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Fly, Flew, (has) FlownFlied?5 Brainstorming Strategies for WritersInspiring vs. Inspirational

Human Sexuality Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Human Sexuality - Research Paper Example Educating students primarily lead to self development. At an extensive level it results in social welfare (Williams, 1968, p.51). On such grounds of immense scope, the topic of Sex Education has been chosen. Many preconceptions are responsible for a generally negative attitude towards sex education in schools. One such preconception advocates that sex education at an early stage increases the curiosity of young students thereby leading to an early sexual experimentation. Contrary to this misconception, a research on sex education reveals that educating students about human sexuality and their moral implications discourages instances of premature practices (Department for Children, Schools and Families, 2000, p.4). The concept of educating pupils about sex at school pertains to two major reasons. Firstly, learning at an early level is more profound (Wetzstein, 2007, p. A07). Secondly, inculcating among their peers establishes a collaborative understanding of the concepts. Often misperceived as a way of ameliorating their physical lives only, sex education also develops the children emotionally and morally (Department for Children, Schools and Families, 2000, p.3). Owing to the effectiveness of sex education, its practice in schools has increased at a fast pace over the last few decades. According to the studies of Oettinger, from 1979 to 1994 the percentage of sex educated students augmented from 47 to 90 percent (Sabia, 2006, p.783) thereby implying the success of the program. ‘LSBE refers to an interactive process of teaching and learning which enables learners to acquire knowledge and to develop attitudes and skills which support the adoption of healthy behaviours’ (UNICEF).

DADT Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

DADT Policy - Essay Example To address the problem of cost for the American people with regards to implementing the DADT policy, it’s interesting to look at how many people have been discharged over the years. According to United States Government Accountability Office (GAO, 2009), there are around 620 discharged military personnel accused under DADT from 2006-2008. Most people discharged under the policy have served the military for more than two years, making it hard and costly to replace them. According to GAO (2009), it costs an estimated $193.3 million to replace the thousands of servicemen who have been discharged from 2004-09 due to the DADT policy. To consider the personal cost to those discharged people is harder. But most people working more than two years for the military must have chosen it as a career. To be sacked due to one’s sexual orientation is not only horrible but might also destroy these people’s financial situation and future job possibilities. It might prove hard to f ind a job that could match what they were deemed unfit for, and the recovery could take a long time. Both personal and administrative in implementing DADT is unnecessary and burden to all American taxpayers. The unfortunate truth about DADT is that its implementation is not aligned with what our allies believe in. Today, there are 25 countries that allow gays to serve their armed forces including Canada, Australia, Israel and the UK. Of all the original NAT countries, only the US and Turkey still have bans on homosexuals in the military in place.

Thw Importance of English Essay Example for Free

Thw Importance of English Essay Language is the ability of human to communicate. Estimated number of languages in the world variesbetween 6,000 to 7,000. One of the most important languages is English language. Why do we think English language is the most important? English plays a major role in many areas including medicine, engineering and education, which in my opinion; is the most importantlanguage to learn. First of all, the reason why English language is important is to help students find better jobs. In the business sector, the most commonly used language is the English language. In order to achieve success in the selected jobs, one should acquire a sound knowledge in the language. As the result, fresh graduates have to know the language well in order to get a better job, and for those who have less knowledge in the language will only be able to acquire less paid jobs. For example, one of my friends’ sister, who was graduated from a well-known university and she has a good command in the language. That helped her to get a better paid job. The next reason for us to be well-versed in the language is to enable us to communicate with people around the world. It is important to get involvewith advancement of the technology. For that reason, we have to learn a common language. A language which could be understaood by everyone. For example, the internet can be used to get access to unlimited information and if our knowledge in the language is limited then getting around with the internet would be difficult task. Last but not least is the importance of the language in education.It is becoming a common practice in every higher education institutions to conduct lessons in English language. If we are good in the language then scoring good results will be easy. In conclusion, university students need to know the language to get access to all kinds of knowledge. In a nut shell, we could say that, it is important to know English language. It is also proved that the languageplays a major role in our lives. If we want to follow themodern trend, new gadgets and technologyin this developing world, we have to know the English language well.

The Pearle :: Free Essay Writer

The Pearle In The Pearl, by John Steinbeck, evil transforms certain humble citizens into envious savages. Evil was exhibited by the doctor who refused to treat Coyotito because his parents had no money. When the doctor heard of Kino and Juana's fortune in finding "the pearl of the world" (722), he boasted that they were patients of his while thinking of a better life for himself in Paris. Coyotito was healed when the doctor finally came to their straw hut. He deceived Kino by giving the baby a white powder that made him go into convulsions. An hour later he came and gave Coyotito the remedy and immediately wanted to know when he was getting paid. The evil in the pearl had reached the heart of the doctor. The pearl's evil did not restrict itself to infecting Kino's peers; it also affected Kino himself. He wanted to sell the pearl and use the money to better his family's standard of living. He had dreams and goals that all depended on the pearl. When Juana wanted to destroy the pearl, Kino beat her unmercifully: He struck her in the face and she fell among the boulders, and he kicked her in the side...He hissed at her like a snake and she stared at him with wide unfrightened eyes, like a sheep before a butcher. (742) Juana saw through the outer beauty of the pearl and knew it would destroy them, but Kino's vision was blurred by the possible prosperity the pearl brought. The malignant evil then spread to a secret cult known only as the trackers. This corrupt band of ruffians attacked and destroyed Kino's life. The very night that the trackers learned of Kino's pearl, they tried to steal it. The next night, Kino was attacked twice, which resulted in Kino committing murder. After the final struggle of the night, Juana went back to their home to find more baneful members of the heartless cult rampaging through their belongings to find the pearl. The end result was Kino and Juana's house going up in flames. The trackers then comm itted the cardinal sin, they destroyed Kino's canoe: This was an evil beyond thinking.

Bound Man

The Bound Man by Ilse Aighinger The thing that I found most compelling in the story ‘‘The Bound Man’’ was that the man was not worried about being released from the rope, rather he wanted to be bound and with that disadvantage he learned to adapt with it and live life as if he wasn’t bound at all. The reason why I find his situation and his own reaction to it so compelling is because while I was reading the story, I was putting myself in his situation and I would not of thought to react in such a way as he. In the beginning, where the man had awoken from his sleep to find that he was bound, he found happiness in that situation.Through out the story there were people who were amused by his situation, but also had sympathy in which the bound man was completely against; he took that situation and made it seem like it was not a problem, that perplexed me. – But still I find it all truly compelling. †His arms were tied to each other but not to his body, and had some free play too. This made him smile. † pg. 68-69 Even though his arms were not tied to his body, I felt myself becoming uncomfortable. To wake up bounded, I would see no good in that situation besides still being alive.Not only was he bounded, he was outside and woke up to flies around him which made the situation even worse. I read this story and put myself in his position; I could only contradict all his actions. My perspective comes from me not being an outside person whatsoever. I come from a family that if decided, we even go camping or to a national park, we don’t go in tents we rent out a cabin, lodge or a hotel. I wasn’t raised to be an outside person or to even like animals, so when I think of waking up to flies and being tied up outside I think of myself going crazy, screaming for help.It amazed me however, to see that someone can wake up in the position the bound man was in, without crying out for help. It seems carless to me, ca rless about life†¦ But also so brave and courageous because through his situation he built strength and adapted to being bound, something I wouldn’t of ever been capable to do. †These antics amused the bound man because he could have freed himself if he had wanted to whenever he liked, but perhaps he wanted to learn a few new jumps first† pg 73. The bound man was amused by the antics the people in the circus tried in order to set him free.There was many cases that the man could of freed himself, but he didn’t. He wanted his body to get used to these ropes and he was going to make the best out of his situation and learn from it. To my surprise, the bound man had ran into a wolf and was able to protect himself, even with being limited to movement. This man was powerful. The fact that he found a way to take action and be positive with being bound and refused to free himself, gained him a lot of power. He was the victim at first because he was robbed and b ound, but he became the one in power by overcoming it, and not letting it stop him from anything.In my opinion, the ones who can overcome huge obstacles in life are truly the ones with the most power and strength. When I think of bound ‘‘MAN’’ I think of strong and fearless. Men are believed to have a lot of pride and to not show their weaknesses; they want to be looked at as superior, and in the story I think the bound man was superior. People were interested in him and his life, but didn’t understand his purposed. I tend to appreciate people who are very positive because it changes my perspective on how I live my life. I often feel like I react off of little things, and make small situations bigger then they are.When something goes wrong, I feel like everything is wrong and nothing can be fixed. As an example. Last week my shoulder was dislocated, I felt helpless and I had 2 feet and another arm that could be used. With just my one arm not being ab le to function like it normally can, I was upset and angry and acted like the whole world was over. I didn’t do anything besides taking pain medication and lay in my room. This story brought about a different perspective on how I reacted to my shoulder. I could of been happy that at least my shoulder was put back in place, and that it was a minor issue and would be back to normal soon.But I am a dramatic person, and I’ve never looked at the good side of things, which is something I wish I did. As a result to the man being bound he became powerful. The condition the bound man was in and the actions he took during, gained him strength. I do believe that there is a consequence to everything you do. Whether it be good or bad, is how you react upon the situation. At the end of the story when the circus proprietor decided that telling the people in the village the bound man had killed a wolf, he though that there would be a good consequence out of doing that; to ‘†™revive the triumphs of the summer’’.He was wrong, his actions lead to the bound man having to prove his superior. And because people did not believe in his superior he was forced to prove himself by being in a cage with a wolf. Not only did he kill the wolf, but he was no longer one with his rope. The proprietors wife did not believe in the bound mans power, so she cut him free of his rope while he was in the cage. The consequence of her actions lead to there being no point in killing the wolf, the man was now unbound and he no longer had a purpose. So he shot the wolf instead. Without his bound the man felt weak, and blood rushed to his feet.Her actions not only lead to the death of the wolf, but soon to the death of the man himself. – The way that the bound man saw his situation had a consequence as well. It gained him power, and he learned to do new thing with just a little amount of movement, and with that I felt the story was compelling. Reading this sto ry changed my whole perspective on how I react to certain things. It made me think that it would be so much easier in the long run if you just see the bright side of bad situations†¦ But also, to not have so much pride that you feel you must prove yourself to others, because that itself, can lead to bad consequences.

College Farewell Party Themes

If you or someone you know is heading off to college, a college farewell party can be a fun way to celebrate the start of an exciting new chapter. The following themes can all help to make sure a farewell party is the perfect balance of celebration, acknowledgment, and fun. Book Theme   Dont think nerdy; think scholarly. A book-themed party can provide all kinds of creative ideas, whether its a write-the-next-chapter-of-your-life idea or one that focuses on the academic nature of college. Additionally, decorating with books can be easy on the budget, as you (and your friends and neighbors) likely already have a ton of books you can use for centerpieces and the like. State Theme If youre going to college in a new state, consider making that states history and reputation the theme. Places like Hawaii, New York, California, and even Idaho all have strong identities that you can use. Additionally, look into a state (or even specific colleges) history for more ideas. Sports-Team Theme If your school is known, for example, for a great football team, that can easily become your farewell party theme. Similarly, if youre going to college in a town with famous professional teams -- like Boston -- those can also be adapted to a party theme as well. Course-of-Study Theme If you want to be a doctor, consider a party that revolves around those working in the medical field; childrens playsets of doctors coats and stethoscopes can easily become quick centerpieces and decorations. If you want to be a teacher, consider decorating with apples, books, chalkboards, and the like. Using what you want to study, or a job youd like to have after you graduate  can be a smart starting place for party themes. Off-to-See-the-World Theme This can be especially good if youre interested in studying abroad or majoring in something like international relations. The theme can easily carry over, too, with global maps, globes, and other world-theme decor. For an extra fun touch, see if someone can make an ice cream bombe that looks like the earth! What-Will-You-Become? Theme Conversely, however, some students go off to college as undeclared majors and have no idea what they want to study. If this is the case, use the party as a chance to explore the possibilities of what someone can do while theyre away at school. Ask guests to write down their predictions for the future. Put out a crystal ball that sets the theme of what the future might hold. Sometimes the unknown itself can be a perfect farewell party theme. Role Model Theme If you, for example, a woman who is going off to study science, use the opportunity to acknowledge those who helped pave your path. Similarly, if you want to go to college so you can help your community or become politically active, find and display information about role models who helped you set your goals. It can be a great way for you to remind yourself of your internal motivations while also helping party guests learn about people they might not have heard about before. College/University Theme This one is so easy and yet so many folks dont even think about it. Plan your theme around the college youll be attending. Use school colors for things like plates and decorations; have key people wear shirts advertising the name of your future college or university; ask to have a cake decorated with the logo of your school. Its easy and fun and can help everyone celebrate your excitement. Ready-to-Bloom Theme If you love flowers, gardening, nature, or environmental issues, having an off-to-bloom! theme can be original and creative. You can use small plants or even seed packets for decorations and party gifts. You can use the analogy of heading off to college as the start of someone really opening up and becoming him- or herself. This theme offers a lot of funky ideas for the right creative mind. But given how much growth and change happens during ones time in college, it can also be the perfect farewell party theme at the perfect time.