Task: Make a summary of what you believe are the 5 most important ‘rules’ for writing online. Think about any differences between the articles – is the advice in the older article still current?
Log entry: 5 top rules for writing online:
- Be aware that most people tend to scan web pages online rather than read them. Nielsen’s Alertbox suggests that web pages can be made more usable for people who scan by:
- highlighting key text (e.g. using bold, changing the font or using explanatory text for linking URLs)
- using bullet points or short paragraphs
- using meaningful sub-headings
- using an ‘inverted paragraph’ style (starting with the conclusion)
- writing more concisely.
- Be aware that people tend to focus more on some parts of the web page than others. For example, eye-tracking studies report that users tend to view pages in a F-shaped pattern, with more time spent viewing on the first horizontal lines and the left vertical margin. Again, this implies that writers for the web should aim to:
- present the key points for the page upfront as a tagline or summary, or in the first few lines (the ‘inverted paragraph’ style referred to above) and
- use meaningful headings.
- Consider whether your audience prefers reading pages online or printing them out and reading offline.
- As suggested in Sarah Horton’s Web Teaching Guide, if your users like to read both online and offline you could consider providing an online version and a more comprehensive pdf version of a web page.
- When using links, explain what the link covers so that it makes sense in a printed version link. (This also benefits visually impaired people who use screen readers.)
- Be aware that users tend to dislike scrolling down for information. This can be addressed by breaking up larger pages into smaller pages, each with the key messages presented at the top and links to the next page or other relevant content.
- If you use this approach, each page should make sense on its own – it shouldn’t overly depend on information from a preceding page. This may mean that some points will need to be repeated.
- Use links sparingly and to reinforce your key points. As links are generally highlighted, the readers’ eyes will naturally be drawn to them – so make sure that the linking text is clear, and that you briefly explain how the link complements your wedsite content.
I think that the points made in the older article are still generally valid. As Nielsen suggests, usability guidelines change very slowly because they’re based on human nature (which also changes slowly). However, he overlooks the key point that ‘writing’ for the web is not just about words – other media, such as photos, videos and podcasts are an increasingly key part of websites. Web writers need to be aware of making sure that this content complements the written content, for example by using meaningful captions that link back to key messages for the page.
Task: Visit the Copyright Website, which provides a good overview of copyright issues related to the net. Next, go the Curtin home page and find the policy documents that relate to copyright and IP in IT use. Consider these question:
- Have you used images or words on your web page or website that contravene copyright laws?
- Would you be in breach of copyright if you put the Curtin logo at the top of your web page for an assignment?
Log entry:
Copyright protection covers original creative work, such as:
- written material (e.g. books, articles, newspapers, poetry
- images (e.g. photos, movies and artwork)
- music (e.g. recorded works and sheet music)
- artisitic works (e.g. sculptues and paintings)
The Copyright at Curtin website provides a good overview of copyright issues for staff and students. Students are allowed a limited ‘fair use’ exemption for some kinds of copyrighted material, provided that it is for a non-commercial, educational purpose.
In practice, it can be easy to forget that so much of the material available on the Internet is automatically subject to copyright, even where it is not accompanied by a formal copyright notice. Good practice to follow when using material that may be subject to copyright are:
- to give attribution for others’ work and
- to respect the ‘integrity of the work’ – e.g. don’t use it out of context.
These points also relate to good practice for linking – while linking to a website does not breach copyright, you should not link in a way that gives the impression that the externally linked page is part of your website.
Following some research, I conclude that it would not breach copyright to put the Curtin logo at the top of my web page for an assignment. A Quick Guide to Copyright for Curtin students states that Curtin students can ‘copy and communicate any material in which Curtin owns the copyright (except Confidential papers etc.)’. However, as the logo is a registered trademark, we would need to be mindful of the style guide for using the logo, as set out in Curtin University’s logo use procedures.
