week 5 reading

This chapter is one of my favorites so far, because it deals with honesty. People want to deal with honest people. The text explains how people have a certain level of frustration they will deal with before they will get mad and leave your site, most likely never to return. When people are looking for something, it is best to put it out there, even if it is the less pleasant parts of the web site. People are smart! They know if they don't get what they want easily, they can probably go to another site, or worse... if they are already users of the site, and they have an unusually frustrating time, they may stop using the site. Be upfront, and if you don't.... there better be a really good business related reason as to why. The book recommends for the web designers to make it easy, exciting, direct, and as honest as possible.

Here are three related links-

Here is a blog about Shady Websites: http://blog.centresource.com/2006/06/19/shady-websites-stop-hiding-the-info/

This one is my favorites related link this week. It talks about using "Dark Websites" as a way of dealing with major issues/crisis...(such as the strike listed on the first page of this weeks text). Although this site is talking about one certain type of business, this plan-ahead attitude can come in handy for many other areas, like helping people in a crisis, or providing information during a strike. It is alot easier to tweak a pre-made template than to not offer any helpful information at all: http://www.spinhunters.org/blog/dark-websites-hide-many-security-threats/

This last site is a ripoff report about a company who was hiding information on the website intentionally to boost a little business. I see this as an example.....If you are dishonest and hide things on your website to trick people, it will catch up to you: http://www.ripoffreport.com/Telemarketers/SMC-And-EMerchant-Cl/smc-and-emerchant-club-decepti-3a9fp.htm