Re: For Whom?

Hi Bill,

Like many organizations, we want to announce news on the home page
as well as provide links to more detail "inside". W3C doesn't have
much in the way of news except technical news. We mostly announce
the publication of new (technical) documents and information about
upcoming conferences and meetings. Not much non-technical stuff
goes on here. We should also offer palatable forms of technical 
material, but today we are aiming at the technically savvy audience.

The Comm Team has discussed having "another site" (virtually
speaking) for non-technical visitors. We haven't 
dedicated resources to its development yet. However, the more
requests like this that we get, I believe the more likely it is
we will get resources to develop educational materials.

Thanks,

 - Ian


William Loughborough wrote:
> 
> A frequent problem with the opening page of Web sites is that it is very
> frequently designed by people within the entity on display and their
> interests prevail even though they are not the intended or usual
> audience.
> 
> It is difficult for those of us in, as it were, the bowels of this
> technology to appreciate the daunting effect on a visitor who wants to
> learn about this organization being confronted with (in a prominent
> position) something like: "XHTML Events Working Draft Issued" and its
> accompanying paragraph.
> 
> Although this seems technically tame enough to those designing this
> site, it borders on the arcane for someone who wants to know what goes
> on here in a more "accessible" (lower case sense <g>) way.
> 
> I propose that the first page be even more of a link farm than it
> already is! The just-mentioned "story" would have to be accessed via a
> click and there is some concern (properly) about many clicks adversely
> affecting usability, but that mainly concerns those who would be using
> this route to these specific items repeatedly. A "news" link would put
> the "off-putting" techno-babble safely out of view.
> 
> Just my opinion.
> 
> --
> Love.
> ACCESSIBILITY IS RIGHT - NOT PRIVILEGE

-- 
Ian Jacobs (jacobs@w3.org)   http://www.w3.org/People/Jacobs
Tel:                         +1 831 457-2842
Cell:                        +1 917 450-8783

Received on Wednesday, 30 August 2000 12:32:33 UTC