Lesson 1

As you already know, the Internet is revolutionizing how we obtain and use information. People around the world can now easily access and share information, whereas they were once limited by region. Worldwide, many are educating themselves in profound ways thanks to the bountiful learning content on the Web.
Web technologies affect how we access and process information. For example, reading print on paper is done traditionally in sequence. On the Web, hyperlinks change that process and readers access editorial content from various places and determine their own paths through it. Some may choose to read sequentially for maximum benefit, while others may choose to explore a site by searching for specific pieces of information. Either way, Web and content developers seek to design sites and content that accommodate multiple styles of user behavior.

Designing a good website that accommodates a lot of content is a challenging balancing act to pull off. Does one attempt to present the user with all the information in a clean, organized manner, or reveal it bit-by-bit, in an effort to create an engaging breadcrumb trail that tugs the user along the road to enlightenment? If your approach is incorrect, you risk overwhelming your visitors, who will then leave without retaining any part of what they just read. Write content using the correct technique, you will have gained a new audience member who not only understands your message, but also might just bring a few friends with them when they return.

After completing this module, you will be able to identify

1. Business uses of the Internet
2. Business uses of intranets and extranets
3. How businesses use networks
4. How signs create meaning on a website
5. How metaphors create meaning on a website
6. Navigational and usability methods
7. How to make a website faster and easier to navigate
8. Browser compatibility solutions
9. Cross-platform compatibility solutions

In the next lesson, you will learn about the Internet.