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Q: Are there any real advantages to having a LINMO-type site rather than a bunch of independent articles scattered around the web? A: Yes, there are several. They include (1) saving users time searching for particular topics, (2) covering topics or subtopics that might not be covered, or are not covered well, by individual sites, (3) being well suited for classroom use, (4) providing a simple, consistent visual appearance similar to that of hard copy (i.e., printed on paper) books, which is something that many people desire, and (5) providing an alternative (which is what the Internet is all about) to the content and designs of existing, conventional sites. Q: Would it not be easier to just incorporate all of this into the Wikipedia? A: No. The Wikipedia1 is a very different type of project. Its goal is to cover every possible topic rather than to focus on a single topic. In a way, it is like saying that the publishing of ordinary hard copy books should be abandoned and all content be placed in the Encyclopedia Britannica. Also, there are differences in the basic philosophies of the two projects, in the way they are produced, and in design. For example, the Wikipedia places much less emphasis on consistency and is not designed to conform to the optimized module principle of the LINMO model. The Wikipedia is a useful project, but just has a very different approach --there is certainly room for both. Q: What value do LINMO-compatible sites provide that the Wikipedia does not already provide? A: Because LINMO-compatible sites focus on just a single topic (although it may be a very broad one with numerous subtopics), they can treat that topic in far more depth than can an encyclopedia-type site. Also, they have the advantage of a much higher level of consistency, because there is a single author, or at least a single editor with total control; very often readers prefer a book written by a single author to one that is a collection of writings by various authors. In addition, they are designed to consume much less bandwidth, which can be an important consideration in the many parts of the world that still do not have highly developed Internet infrastructures. Moreover, the content can be kept unique by avoiding use of licenses that allow it to copied on numerous other sites and crammed with advertising (what might be referred to as the copied content proliferation problem). Q: Do LINMO-compatible sites provide advantages only for their users, or do they also provide advantages for their developers too? A: There are also some important advantages for their developers, who, perhaps should more appropriately be called authors. These advantages ultimately translate into benefits for the users as well. Particularly important is the fact is that the dynamics are very different from those for creating hard copy books in that they give an author much more flexibility. For example, pages (which are very different in nature from pages in books) can be created and published in any order and whenever is convenient for the author because the linear arrangement of information in printed books is replaced by an associative arrangement. Thus, an author can start making pages available to users right away, which also benefits users. Likewise, pages can be corrected, updated or expanded at any time, rather than having to wait for a new edition of a book to be printed. Q: Why is this type of site well suited for educational use? A: There are several reasons that, taken together, make LINMO-compatible sites well suited for education, both in classrooms and by individuals. They include their comprehensive nature, high standard of writing, book-like design (including consistent margins and absence of advertisements and other unnecessary images), explanations of all terms and concepts, suitability for people with widely divergent levels of knowledge about the topic, and immediate availability at no cost anywhere in the world that an Internet connection is available. Q: What is to keep a site that conforms to LINMO from becoming biased and reflecting the opinion of its creator? A: Several things. One is the tremendous amount of time and effort involved in creating such a site. Thus the author would typically want to provide a high quality factual work rather than an editorial, as is the case with hard copy books. Users are generally much more interested in facts than in opinions, and thus a factual site will likely receive far more visits (which can be a measure of usefulness). A second is that feedback from users can help keep a well-intentioned author on track. A third is that a biased work will make it more likely that a competitive, less biased, work will emerge.
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Created May 8, 2006. |