Week+One+5365


 * Web Policy, Governance, and the Web 2.0 World**

In my first 90 days as Webmaster some of the goals I would try to accomplish would be to start with assembling a web project team and delegating responsibilities to each team member. I would begin by doing some research and evaluation of the existing school website. The web project team could then begin to discuss the positive and negative aspects of the existing website as well as evaluating some of the features and best practices of other successful school websites. I would try to lead the team to define the target audience, create a shared vision, set some short and long-range goals with deadlines for completion, and to determine technology and budgetary needs. An important part of this process would be to review the school Internet/ Web Acceptable Use Policy to determine what standards are required and whether changes or revisions are necessary. Once this initial planning phase is completed, we could begin to focus on the content and functionality of the website. As stated by Kaiser, “Effective planning helps web site projects stay on schedule and within budget, which ultimately gives the site a better chance of success.” (Kaiser, 2006)

Kaiser, S. (2006). //Deliver first class web sites: 101 essential checklists//. Collingwood, VIC, Australia: Sitepoint.

I agree that it is so important to have clearly defined roles in creating and maintaining a successful website. As Kaiser stated, “The project manager and team members need to know and understand the project’s progress, including which tasks are being completed, and by whom.” (Kaiser, 2006) Having regular meetings or consistent communication minimizes misunderstandings and will better ensure the success of the project.

Kaiser, S. (2006). //Deliver first class web sites: 101 essential checklists//. Collingwood, VIC, Australia: Sitepoint.

At the post-secondary level our target audience for our website is primarily students, but also other staff, faculty, as well as the general population. Students are often bombarded with email from the school, the instructors, and other sources that anything we try to send to them ends up being low on their priority list. We have begun to effectively utilize facebook but timing is often a critical factor when trying to get our message out to such a diverse population. We also have a blog but it does not appear to be reaching the intended audience. I think it is important that blogs be linked to an organization’s website. With websites you can provide basic program information, forms, and links to other sites, but with blogs and facebook, you have to continually provide frequent updates in order to maintain the user’s interest level. I am learning that the more opportunities for interaction you provide to the user, the more time they are likely to spend on your site, which means more time gathering and reading and interpreting the information you are trying to communicate. I think using blogs linked to the school website is a good idea because it will give users more opportunity for interaction.


 * Week One Assignment - Creating a School Web Policy**