More Testing

This is to see if I can do this!!

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Evaluating Websites

Ops. Made a honey boo boo! I have gone back to one of the websites I used in Topic 1. It is called Bookseer.BookSeer is a 'literacy web project by Apt Labs'.
The latest blog on it is dated 21.10.09 so it is fairly recent. The site also has a list of its clients which include HarperCollins and Random House publishing companies. I think this goes some way in verifying its authenticity. BookSeer has a Twitter site for all those who feel so inclinded to contribute suggestions for books or for a good old moan! The latest Tweet is early Nov 2009 so is not used that regularly. There is a medium sized portfolio listed the contents of which mean not a lot to me! The expertise section of Apt Labs is impressive with the establishment of well known author websites.
'What should I read next' looks like it is part of Amazon Uk And USA.
Daily Lit has staff recommendations and forums and free excerpts for a month from latest books.
Evaluation of websites one uses is rather a personal thing. You either like a website maybe for its ease of use or comprehensiveness or you don't! Evaluating websites for books is not really about 'content you can trust' as it's up to you whether or not you read a particular book and thus form your own opinion of it. You can obtain guidelines as to which direction your reading will take but ultimately it's your own decision.
I have had a good look around at all these websites and have found them interesting to peruse. There are a lot of 'sites for readers and booklovers'. It is just a matter of choosing your favourite!

1 comment:

Webtraveller said...

I agree with you that it is more difficult to evaluate websites that contain mainly opinions (such as book recommendation websites), and not purely factual information. I think that trust is a major factor in evaluating these websites. (Do you trust or agree with the recommendations?) How does the website compare with other websites and printed resources that have a similar purpose? (This will give you a more objective view.)

The subjective part of evaluation lies in the ease of use and appeal factors. That would include factors such as easy to navigate the website, appealing layout and presentation, ease of reading and process the information. It is important that you trust and enjoy using a website as there are many to chose from.