COMM 380: World Wide Web Design and Production

Dr. Paul Martin Lester, Professor
California State University, Fullerton
714/278-5302; Email | Homepage
Office: H-324F

Assignment 2: Past, Present, and Future of the Web

For this assignment you will write a three-page, double-spaced paper on where the Web has been, where it is now, and where you think itıs headed.

Use the Web for your research. Include three citations with their URLs on the back of this sheet. (Don't use the three below!).

Here are some URLs that may help you get started:

past: www.mediahistory.com/
present: www.why-not.com/company/stats3.htm
future: www.media.mit.edu/Projects/

Be especially concerned about the quality of the information you get from a website. You must be sure of the credibility of the site and its data. Since anyone can create a website, you must evaluate the usefulness of the site carefully.

There are five criteria for website evaluation:

1. Authority
Is it clear who is sponsoring the page?
Is there a way to contact the sponsoring entity?

2. Accuracy
Are sources for information listed clearly?
Is the page free of typos?

3. Objectivity
Is there advertising on the page?
Is the domain name .edu, .org, .gov, .com, or .net?

4. Currency
Is it clear when the page was last updated?

5. Coverage
Is the page still under construction?
Are significant topics left out?

Use the form to evaluate your three URLs used for this assignment.

WEBSITE EVALUATION SHEET

Site One: URL: ___________________________________________

High Level of Authority 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Low Level of Authority

High Level of Accuracy 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Low Level of Accuracy

High Level of Objectivity 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Low Level of Objectivity

High Level of Currency 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Low Level of Currency

High Level of Coverage 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Low Level of Coverage

Site One: URL: ___________________________________________

High Level of Authority 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Low Level of Authority

High Level of Accuracy 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Low Level of Accuracy

High Level of Objectivity 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Low Level of Objectivity

High Level of Currency 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Low Level of Currency

High Level of Coverage 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Low Level of Coverage

Site One: URL: ___________________________________________

High Level of Authority 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Low Level of Authority

High Level of Accuracy 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Low Level of Accuracy

High Level of Objectivity 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Low Level of Objectivity

High Level of Currency 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Low Level of Currency

High Level of Coverage 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Low Level of Coverage