Creating Websites as an Online Portfolio

Wrapping up the rest of Matt Ivester's book lol...OMG!, chapters 10 and 11 make sure to through in the information that has been discussed but is crucial to remember. One important note that stuck out to me is the primary stage the internet is still in. Although it may seem advanced, the internet is as old as the generation now starting college so while social norms have had years to develop in society, online norms are still ambiguous. As well as societal norms are changing in recent years, behaviors that were granted in the past are not so acceptable. So this will definitely be applied to the internet the more people are interacting with each other using social media and other platforms. Chapter 10 also lists ten tests to act as guidelines for how you should approach your online accounts and interactions online. Crucial ones being the golden rule "treat others the way you want to be treated" and the offline test if you could choose to act this way offline, would you? All of these tests are basic social etiquette, many of these I feel were learned in elementary school. But sometimes it is important to go basic fundamental rules so that everyone is conscientious of other people's feelings.  

Chapter 11 dives into how sharing we can be with the internet; from the information we post about ourselves to even renting our possessions. At one time many people were hesitant to share their information online or put their credit information to purchase. This is drastically different from today many people have social security information saved and even many card numbers attached to their amazon browsers for fasted checkout. Teaching the importance of internet safety has also become a top priority. Its mentioned countless times throughout the book and throughout my years of schooling I have heard from educational professionals. No one is too young to be informed about these subjects. Although it is better to teach it early to make lasting impressions; I know many adults who would benefit from reading the books assigned this semester, especially lol...OMG! 

These last few chapters tye together nicely with the information learned last class. Given the basic instructions for using many sites to create your own personal websites, it is astonishing to see just how easy it is to create content. Without you even putting information out there you can be creating online content, being tagged in photos you did not take or post is an example of this. So it is important to not only prevent having a bad online reputation but to actively build up a good one. The article by Bussiness Matters overviews the sites we were introduced to last class, in a condensed version. This way the reader can quickly review their options and pick the website that fits the theme they are trying to create, whether its business or personal. Many websites exist to help you create your own, but the ones provided are the most popular. Wix, Weebly, Squarespace, Shopify, and SITE123 are the websites listed all with summaries to help narrow your choice. Along with some helpful advice; not one of these sites is better than another, the choice is based on the creator's preference. 

Once you've decided what website it is that you would like to assist you in creating your own, it is helpful to check out resources on how to format it. The article 'Where to Begin With Building a Website' by insidehighered.com gives concise ideas of what it should contain. These include the basics like a domain name and how many pages you want to establish. Moreover, it continues to explain content creation and the maintenance that goes into hosting a website. It is not online important to create a neat website but to keep its materials up-to-date and accurate. This way the network of people who visit your site will want to come back to visit again.

Last, an article that has helped me in my process of creating my own site was one from online Torque magazine. The website lists 10 highly effective web design tips, some being common knowledge and others I did not consider but now I'm gladly aware of. One tip for example states "take advantage of Hick's law", before this I did not realize this action had a name to it. The law states the more choices an individual has, the longer it will take for them to make a decision. I think everyone can say they have experienced this in some form; it could be as simple as selecting a cereal brand in a supermarket aisle. Applying this law to web design can be impactful, instead of overwhelming a visitor with tons of tabs and links they can click on. Keeping the site to a sufficient minimum will help the explorer find what they're looking for and if they are satisfied they are more likely to return to your website again.