Developing Online Content
The Principles of Writing and Editing for the Web
1st Edition
Published on 10. January 2002
Book
Paperback/Softback
XVI, 384 pages
978-0-471-14611-7 (ISBN)
Description
An all-in-one resource on writing, editing, organizing, and delivering Web content Are you a professional writer or editor who wants to better understand the Web as a new communications medium? A knowledge or content manager of a corporate or organizational Web site looking for ways to attract, retain, and inform users? A Web production manager or designer who needs more information about the interplay of text and multiple media? Experts Irene Hammerich and Claire Harrison provide you with a complete blueprint and a set of best practices for writing, editing, organizing, and delivering effective Web content. They'll guide you through the site development process, uncover strategies such as how to structure information logically, create clear, coherent, and accessible text, and balance visual and textual elements. You'll also explore the basic technological issues involved in building and managing a successful site.
This book includes such topics as: The skills and responsibilities of content developers User surfing and reading behaviors How to structure, organize, and design information Nonlinear text, strategic linking, and interactivity The Web page versus the Web screen Tips to getting Web work The companion Web site includes resource listings and updates to the book. Wiley Computer Publishing Timely. Practical. Reliable. Visit our Web site at www wiley.com/compbooks/ Visit our companion Web site at www wiley.com/compbooks/hammerich/
This book includes such topics as: The skills and responsibilities of content developers User surfing and reading behaviors How to structure, organize, and design information Nonlinear text, strategic linking, and interactivity The Web page versus the Web screen Tips to getting Web work The companion Web site includes resource listings and updates to the book. Wiley Computer Publishing Timely. Practical. Reliable. Visit our Web site at www wiley.com/compbooks/ Visit our companion Web site at www wiley.com/compbooks/hammerich/
Reviews / Votes
"I read this book whilst engaged on two medium-sized Web projects, and can confirm that all the roles, tasks and collaborations they describe are 100 per cent accurate." (Writing & Computers, 5 March 2002) "a great book if you publish a large amount of content" (Internet Advisor, May 2002) "... hurrah for a book which, as it's subtitle says, is about The Principles of Writing and Editing for the Web..." (Writers News, July 2002) "...a good book which sets out the skills and responsibilities of online content developers..." (M2 Best Books, 19 August 2002) "...the authors cover an impressive range...I particularly liked the pithy panels in which an expert gives his or her view on topics...the examples of poor and good practice are another strength..." (www freepint.com, 5 September 2002)More details
Edition
1., Aufl.
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Publishing group
John Wiley and Sons Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 23.3 cm
Width: 19 cm
Weight
689 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-471-14611-7 (9780471146117)
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
IRENE HAMMERICH is the cofounder and senior partner of Inner Action, Inc. and Focus48, new media training and production companies. She handles corporate and government Web site production, coordinates a partnership with Algonquin College to deliver new media courses, and speaks extensively on the technological and creative issues involved in content delivery. CLAIRE HARRISON is President of CANDO Career Solutions, Inc. She is an award-winning writer/editor with twenty-five years of experience and is a communications consultant to the Canadian government as well as the private sector. Her Web work ranges from editing Web content to developing complete sites.
Content
Author Biographies. Acknowledgments. From the Authors. Chapter 1: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Web. The Informational Site: Uncharted Territory. This Book Is for You if. What You?ll Learn. Online Writing/Editing Challenges. Career Advice. Resources to Further Your Knowledge. Examples, Exercises, and Links on Our Web Site. Getting from There to Here. Back in Them Olden Days. Fast Forward to Today. New Roles for Writers/Editors. The Web Is a New Frontier. Making A Difference: Your Contribution. You and the Process. How Much Technology Do You Need to Know? Getting Work. The First Step: Surf, Surf, Surf. What Employers Want: The Job Ads. Know the Tasks. What?s Next? Resources for This Chapter. Chapter 2: Audience, Audience, Audience! The Bubble Syndrome. In-House Language. Meet the Online CIA. The User Prism. Is Reading Print Different than Reading Web Text? De-Naturalizing Content. Visualizing Users. Thinking Global. Text in the Context of Design and Navigation. Is Designing for the Web Different than Designing for Print? Technology and Presentation. A Question of Accessibility. Typos and Other Gremlins. Why Do Users Read (So Fast)? Precomputer Knowledge Seekers Living in the Information Age. To Sum It Up. Resources for This Chapter. Chapter 3: Organizing a Web Site: ?Elementary, My Dear Watson?. Organizational Basics. Architecture Navigation The Gooey (GUI). Information Architecture (IA). Navigation Design. The Graphical User Interface (GUI), or The Gooey. Getting Started. Find the Right IA Model. Choose Navigation Priorities. The Case of the Chaotic Content. Mind-Mapping: IA Revealed. The Site Structure: Solving the Mystery. A Tale of Two Web Sites. Navigation Patterns. Navigation Links. How Many Clicks to Content? Site Maps. Web Detection. To Sum It Up. Resources for This Chapter. Chapter 4: E-Rhetoric: A New Form of Persuasion. Death of the Author? Hypertext Theories. The Futurists. Rhetoric Returns! A New Definition. But Whither Fact and Accuracy? E-Rhetoric and the Drive-Thru Reader. The Four C's of Quality Web Content. Credibility. Clarity. Conciseness. Coherence. The Small Stuff Counts. Make Microcontent Meaningful. Conjunctions: Those Old Standbys. To Boldly Go?? To Sum It Up. Resources for This Chapter. Chapter 5: Is Seeing Believing? The Art of Visual Rhetoric. ?A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words?. What Is an Image? What Do We Really See? Don?t Let Gestalt Get You Down. The Gestalt Principles. How You Can Help. The Psychology of Art. Perception as Cognition. Vision Is Selective. Fixation Solves a Problem. Discernment in Depth. Shapes Are Concepts.Perception Takes Time. How You Can Help. Visual Semio-What? The Image Act. Social Distance. Perspective and Angles. How You Can Help. Design Tips from Designers. To Sum It Up. Resources for This Chapter. Chapter 6: Links, Logic, and the Layered Reader. Brain Links: From Apples to Muffin Tins. The Web Site: A Network of Associations. The Writer/Editor as Arranger. Macroarranging: The Main Navigation Links. Microarranging: Embedded Links. The Rhetoric of Departure and Arrival. Types of Associative Links. Authorizing. Commenting. Enhancing. Exemplifying. Mode-Changing. Referencing/Citing. Self-Selecting. Intranet E-Orientation: A Case Study in Associative Links. Highlighting Employee Policies. Building a Learning Culture. The Manager's Orientation Toolkit. The Launch. Tips to the Process of Linking. To Sum It Up. Resources for This Chapter. Chapter 7: Writing/Editing for the Web Page; Writing/Editing to the Web Screen. Is a Web Page Really a Page? Starting with a Splash. Navigation Pages versus Destination Pages. How Many Screens Does It Take? The Web Page: A Rhetorical Unit of Content. Credibility Basics. The Page as Persona. Creating Page Personalities. ?We? versus ?You?. The Web Screen: A Flexible Unit of Space. Those Baffling Browsers. Users? Monitor Technology. Can You Count on Word Count? To Scroll or Not to Scroll. The Internally Linked, Scrollable Web Page. Scrolling and Memory. Scrolling Considerations. Writing/Editing Nuts and Bolts. The Editorial Style Guide. A Note About Proofreading. Keeping Track of Web Pages. To Sum It Up. Resources for This Chapter. Chapter 8: Content + Technology: A Surprising Alliance. Make the Technology Transition. Adjust Your Mind-Set. Think Techno-Creative. Technology Basics. The Web Production Team. User Technologies: From Browsers to Players. Making Audio/Video Decisions. Different Ways to Deliver Content. Real-Time Delivery Tools. Web Pages versus One-Stop Documents. Online Forms. E-Mail Broadcasts. Print-Out and E-Mail Buttons. Build Up Your Tech Vocabulary. More File Formats. Scripting and Programming Languages. Making Sites Visible: Web Searching. Web Search Engines and Directories. Titles, Links, Metatags, and Meta Descriptions. To Sum It Up. Resources for This Chapter. Chapter 9: Keep CALM: Content and Logical Management. The Many Faces of Content Management. Managing for Users. What Is Information Quality? User Interface Economics. The Content Management Process. Building the Team. Developing a Strategy. Making Plans. Good Policies from the Get-Go. Accessiblity Policies. The Long-Term View: Rebuilding and Maintaining. Big Site Basics. The Evolution of Knowledge Bases. Time for More Technology? Think Global; Act Local. What Is Localization? When Going Global. International English or ?What's in a Word??. Culturally Correct Design. Translation Techniques. To Sum It Up. Resources for This Chapter. Chapter 10: The Business of Web Writing/Editing. First Steps. ?Where Do I Start?? ?How Can I Break In?? Freelance Pros and Cons. Being Business-Wise. First Meeting Qs and As. Setting Your Fees. Invoices and Payments. Proposals and Contracts. Make-It or Break-It Relationships. To Sum It Up. Resources for This Chapter. Chapter 11: After Words and For Words. The Wireless Web. . Convergence. Virtual Reality. Personalization. The Semantic Web. Internet 2. To Sum It Up. Appendix: HTML Codes for Special Text Characters. Glossary. Bibliography. Index.