Web Analysis

One website that I frequently visit is MySpace.com, which is a social network directory similar to Facebook; however it possesses several features that make it a much more powerful tool. MySpace has the standard features of Facebook, like messaging, adding friends, joining groups, and sending event invitations. However, on MySpace all of these utilities are strongly enhanced and supplemented with other capacities.

One feature of MySpace is that it allows the user to create a personal page with information about the user, multiple pictures, contact information, a blog, and links to other friends on MySpace. Similar to Facebook, through MySpace you are connected to a social network of people that attend your school, both alumni and current students, but "groups" are not limited only to the students at your school. Someone from another school can be in the same group so you can communicate with people from other schools on the same message board. In fact, MySpace is not limited only to college students and caters to people of all ages. Anyone can post classified ads on MySpace as well. I use the message board feature of MySpace to communicate with both professional photographers and amateur photographers to get feedback on my photos, as well as instructions for new techniques and advice for purchasing new equipment.

Another aspect of MySpace I use frequently is a directory called MySpace Music that is integrated with the personal directory. A majority of the bands and musicians out there are on MySpace Music and on their personal pages will have a few of their songs streaming for page viewers' listening pleasure. This is especially helpful for new groups that want to reach a larger audience. MySpace Music accommodates all forms of musicians whether they are rock stars that need an effective fan base or just hobbyists that want to have a personal page where friends can hear their music. The best part about MySpace Music is that it is easy for the user to find great new music he or she hasn't heard before with no charge at all, regardless of the genre which the user is interested.

Another website I frequently visit is Photoblogs.org. A photoblog is essentially a web log in which the author posts photographs on a regular basis. Photoblogs.org is a resource for "photobloggers" to bring more traffic for their website by adding their blog to the site's listings. The site is designed in a manner that makes it easy for people interested in photography to find photoblogs they may not have been able to find otherwise. Photoblogs.org holds many listings for blogs from all over the world and in many different languages.

The main feature of Photoblogs.org is to find various photoblogs based on the user's interest, and this site has a few mechanisms to ensure this can be done efficiently. It has several sorting processes including by name, language, or country. Additionally, you can browse by the top 100 photoblogs, top newcomers, and other photoblogs recently added. There is a random blog link as well. As the capability to browse by popularity suggests, users can vote on which blogs they like. Photoblogs.org also has their own blog that discusses various issues of photography and another section with links to other photography related websites. The site has a discussion forum as well where users can post comments and have conversations with other individuals interested in photography.

Both MySpace and Photoblogs.org effectively draw a large number of users to their site on a daily basis. One aspect that they have in common is that they are both regularly updated. The blog on Photoblog.org is updated on a semi-daily basis and the photoblog lists and popularity rankings are updated instantaneously with the corresponding blog additions or popularity votes. MySpace regularly updates with featured new users and featured new groups. The rest of the updates are handled externally by the users themselves on their personal page. These techniques of outsourcing updates create and environment that is constantly changing so that there is always something new for the user to see, while simultaneously lowering the required staff maintenance.

Both websites allow other forms of user interaction as well. The presence of discussion forums, for instance, makes the user feel like they are in place where they are welcome to participate and visit on a more regular basis. If a user comes across an engaging conversation and would like to take part in it the individual is likely to return to the site. Both sites have blogs that allow comments as well. This capacity implies that user interaction is encouraged. Enabling the user to interact with the website on multiple levels is a strong mechanism that can be used to keep individuals coming back to a website.

One obvious difference between MySpace and Photoblogs.org is the groups of people to which they appeal. Photoblogs.org is clearly tailored for people interested in photography and probably more specifically people interested in viewing photoblogs. MySpace on the other hand has users from a large spectrum of interests. People who are not interested in photography or do not know much about it do not feel as comfortable participating on Photoblogs.org. This creates a smaller group of users but the users are specialized and the amount of spam on the site is smaller also. However, MySpace has the advantage of having larger numbers of people in all groups of various interests because the site is not for a special interest.

Both sites follow multiple conventions as well to increase user friendliness. Both sites have a logo at the top of the page so you know where you are and a menu bar across the top or along the left side of the page. This ensures that the site is easily navigable and can be explored without interrupting the users' flow through the web. Each site also has advertisements in locations that are clearly viewable but not overly distracting. The two websites also have conventional color schemes that are pleasing to the eye and easy to read. Links on both sites are clearly distinguished and titles read clearly and distinctly as well.

In addition to layout and scheme, MySpace and Photoblogs.org both follow web convention by allowing a moderate level of activity without having to login, even though they operate primarily on a member basis. This enables new users to explore the site and discover if it is really something they would invest time into to become a member. A search bar is found at the top of each homepage that could potentially help new users find what they are looking for and a frequently asked questions page is also available to enhance the new users' experience.

Each site uses a few conventions of the material world as well. Each site allows users to have a picture that appears by messages/comments. This helps instigate proper introductions and creates discussion that is more intimate by reminding the user that they are talking to a real person with an identity. MySpace and Photoblogs.org follow conventions of print media with sidebars that contain additional pieces of information as well. An important feature of both websites is that they can be used with little familiarity of computers and do not require programming of any kind. Creating a personal page or message is very much like cutting and pasting in the material world.

Both MySpace and Photoblogs.org effectively capture a large audience. If one were to judge merely by shear numbers, MySpace does this more successfully, claiming approximately 30 million users. Given the nature of the content, however, this is the natural result. MySpace involves people of many different interests while Photoblogs.org is intended for only one specific group. As mentioned previously, this is not necessarily a negative feature though. One aspect of Photoblogs.org that could possibly be improved is the layout of the links on the page. There are links all over the page and a lot of them go to the same place. There could be a more efficient way to order them that would be easier for the user to view. The discussion for Photoblogs.org is also hosted externally and it is difficult to view because the format differs from the main site and the layout is not as clear. A shortcoming of MySpace is that there is no section on the homepage that clearly describes the purpose of content of the site in any manner. This would make it difficult for people to grasp the site material if they are not familiar with online networking. Overall though, both sites are quite effective for their intended purpose.