Richard S. Croft
Associate Professor
Computer Science & Multimedia Studies
Eastern Oregon University
La Grande, OR
Current Classes
About Dr. Croft
Short Biography
Web Development Philosophy
Learning and Teaching
The viewer has probably noticed a distinct lack of bells and whistles throughout this site. My rationale is based on considerations of the message I am trying to convey and also bandwidth issues. I believe that a web site should employ those media which reinforce and clarify the message. Any extraneous media may cause distraction and interfere with communication. An additional concern is that every image, animation, and sound is that much more information the viewer must download. Users on a college campus served with high-speed connections may not notice the delay, but others relying on dial-up service certainly do.
In general, I also prefer not to use features which mandate specific browser software or monitors of unusual sizes. The web is a fairly egalitarian mode of publication--even people who don't own computers may have the ability to "surf" in public libraries. It seems contrary to the nature of the web to post a page which is "best viewed at 2560 by 2048 " or requires a half-dozen software plug-ins (which may take hours to download on a dial-up connection). I believe pages that download quickly and are easily viewable are the best bet for communication.
This doesn't mean that animation, video, and interactive components are completely off the table. If the message requires a Shockwave element, then it should be included; the problem is that so many developers confuse their own need to show off with the needs of the communication.