Hitomi Kayama's Webpage! - Written Assignment 1

Hitomi Kayama
gt ID# gtg603w
LCC 2700
Ian Bogost

Written Assignment 1

The two websites I visit on a regular basis would probably be Allakhazam.com (ffxi.allakhazam.com) and Animenation.com, the first being a site dedicated to the massively multiplayer online role-playing game Final Fantasy XI, and the second one a webpage which sells imported goods from Japan. Both sites establish themselves as a place in various ways. First of all, they both have their own individual webpage address which is the only address that is associated with each site. Secondly, the two sites creatively display their originality through the way the page is set up. Both sites welcome the visitors and make them feel comfortable by making the design of the pages colorful and welcoming. They also display the latest updates to the site at the top of the page so that the visitors can immediately become aware of any changes they might have missed while away. The conventions of the web are used effectively by both sites to further better establish themselves as a place. The two sites differ in that Allakhazam.com is a site where people who play Final Fantasy XI can post on the forums to share information, ask and answer questions, and “communicate” to the other FFXI players, while Animenation.com only offer a shop of imported merchandise which the visitor can browse through as if they were walking around in a store. The only way of communication offered in Animenation.com is via e-mail, which is used to make or cancel and order. A similar use of the web between the sites is that they utilize a Search function to assist the visitor in locating the object which they wish to find on the page. An obvious use of the computer by both sites is that these “places” are only accessible through the computer. In my opinion, both sites set up their spaces very well and effectively. They are easily navigable, and helpful and interesting in many ways, which I believe are important factors in giving a visitor a good impression of the page, which leads to more potential visits in the future. I think a website which receives many visitors a day and has positive feedback has proven itself as a good “place” in the virtual world.

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