Some initial thoughts.

1. The web is about doing things because you can. The web is a mass distribution do-it-yourself medium. This is a mixed blessing at best.
   1. Accessible publishing has the potential for bringing public speech and visibility to many more people than could do these things a few years ago.
      1. JenniCam
      2. Zapatista FloodNet
      3. Star Wars ASCII-mation
   2. There is room on the web for everyone's concept (at least for a while).
      1. Ebay
      2. Baby-pictures.com
   3. Fast updates open the doors to a new kind of reporting, more information, better gossip.
      1. Ain't It Cool News
      2. Internet Movie Database
      3. Security Focus
   4. Fascination with the new leads sometimes leads to poorly designed sites cluttered with pointless technology.
2. The web is about instant gratification.
   1. In a way this follows from point one. You could do these things other ways, but the web is here all the time and you don't need to wait on hold or change clothes to use it.
      1. Cheap Tickets
      2. Merriam-Webster dictionary
      3. Pricewatch
   2. The Web is an excellent organizational tool.
      1. Evite
      2. Ruckus Society
3. The Web allows people to share personal things privately or publicly.
   1. Fray
   2. Nostalgic pictures from my ITP days
4. In order to avoid common pitfalls of poorly conceived or designed sites, I suggest starting your building process with several questions in mind.
   1. What is the purpose of your site?
   2. What information are you going to present?
   3. Who is your intended audience?
   4. What are the most effective means for reaching that audience?

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Building Web Sites - ITP Fall 2000 - Mike Cosaboom, Instructor

mc39@acf2.nyu.edu