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Q: What is the purpose of the model? A: The purpose of the model is to describe the essential qualities for a content-rich web site about a specific topic that maximizes usefulness and convenience for the largest possible audience. The latter includes people (1) with highly divergent levels of knowledge about the topic, (2) with varying levels of quality of Internet connections, (3) who might access the contents by means other than a standard personal computer and (4) for whom the language of the site is a second or third language. The existence of the model makes it possible to develop a set of relatively simple and largely intuitive guidelines that facilitate the creation of web sites that maximize usefulness and convenience, thereby helping to move the web closer to its still largely unexploited potential as a high quality information and educational resource. Q: What is the problem with other web sites that the LINMO model tries to correct? The web is characterized by a number of major differences in technology from traditional hard copy (i.e., printed on paper) media, and such differences provide a far greater array of choices in the way that information is organized and presented. As would be expected in such a situation, there has been a tremendous amount of experimentation, and this has certainly been a good thing. However, this great plethora of choices has often led to the development of sites that, on the one hand, do not fully exploit the potential offered by several of the most fundamental differences in web publishing technology and, on the other hand, use some technologies just because they are available for use at essentially no cost and not because they provide any net benefit. LINMO (linked information modules) is distinctive in that it is based on a systematic examination of the technologies of printed books and web sites and that it clearly states which features of each should be used, and which should not be used, in order to maximize the usefulness of content-rich web sites. Q: What is the relationship between the model and an associative arrangement of information? A: An associative arrangement of information is one in which there is no linear (i.e., sequential) ordering as is characteristic of hard copy books (e.g., a logical progression of chapters or parts of chapters). Rather, units of information are linked to other units of information by some logical relationship, such as being a definition or explanation. The human brain uses an associative arrangement rather than a linear one because it is clearly much more efficient in dealing with large volumes of information. A main feature of the web is that it provides the potential for such linking through the use of hyperlinks. However, in many cases this potential is not fully exploited or used as efficiently as possible. This is probably in largely the result of the lack of awareness on the part of web site developers as to what might be the most efficient use of this capability. Making full use of the associative arrangement of information and removing linear relationships, except in those situations in which their is a clear-cut benefit, is fundamental to the LINMO model. Q: This sounds logical, but how does a site developer know how to carry it out in practice? A: Like every other aspect of the model, it can be implemented in practice by following the guidelines that come with the model, some of which are already indexed on the LINMO Guidelines page. In brief, the associative arrangement of information can be optimized by providing every subtopic with its own, dedicated page written with an inverted pyramid structure and linking the first mention on that page of each specialized term or concept to the page dedicated to that term or concept if and when it exists on the site. An inverted pyramid structure is one in which the most basic and general information is provided first and other information follows in descending order of importance. Q: In what situations is it beneficial to maintain a linear relationship? A: This is mainly within individual pages rather than among pages. That is, there is often some type of linear arrangement that is most efficient for explaining some narrow subtopic that constitutes a LINMO-compatible page, but there would rarely if ever be a need for a linear relationship between that page and other pages. Q: Why does the model not mention anything about search mechanisms, which are one of the greatest advances with regard to the efficient finding and utilization of information? A: This is one of the most frequently asked questions and one of the biggest misunderstandings about the model. Search mechanisms are certainly a marvelous invention from a technology point of view. However, much of their perceived need is a result of the fact that web sites, particularly large ones, are often created with confusing navigation and other usability problems, and thus it is difficult for users to know whether certain information exists on the site and, if so, its location. At the same time, there are often problems with search mechanisms, particularly the fact that they sometimes return a lot of irrelevant results. LINMO has a very different philosophy. It is that the structure and navigation of the site can be made so intuitive that conventional search mechanisms are not only not necessary, but may even have a net negative effect on a site. This is accomplished through the optimization of associative linking. It is also a result of the fact that each subtopic has its own page, which can be accessed from a variety of locations, including various types of carefully crafted indexes (both general and specialized). Because each subtopic has it its own page, the most complete information about that subtopic on the site is on that page, and all other mentions of it on other pages are redundant (although they are beneficial redundancies from the point of view of usability of each page)1. Q: Are there some advantages to not having an on-site search mechanism? A: Yes, there are several benefits to eliminating any need to be concerned about such mechanisms. Perhaps the most important is that it helps simplify the job of the site developer. The site developer is really an author, one who is a highly skilled writer and an expert in some topic and who might otherwise be writing a hard copy book. Such people usually do not have advanced computer skills that might be necessary for constructing search mechanisms, even those that are created with so-called content management systems, and they rarely have much interest in learning them. The LINMO model keeps things so simple that all that is necessary for an accomplished author to know about web programming is some very basic HTML (hypertext markup language) and a very small amount of CSS (cascading style sheets). Q: Is the model complete? A: It is likely that there is further room for refinement in the model itself and particularly in the expression of it. The guidelines are even less complete. Q: Which was developed first, the LINFO web site or the model? A: It was basically simultaneous. Although it superficially might have appeared that The Linux Information Project (LINFO) was being developed merely as a means to provide information, that was only half of the true purpose. The other half was an attempt to determine what would be the most efficient and effective way to provide a large amount of information about a complex topic on the web. This attempt was made as the result of an examination of numerous web sites and the realization that there was substantial room for improvement in the organization and presentation of information. Q: Why bother to make every page into a self-contained article, given that hyperlinks can be used to lead the user to explanations about every unfamiliar term or concept? A: A self-contained article is a page about a subtopic in which all terms and concepts that would likely be unfamiliar to ordinary readers are defined or explained, at least briefly, so that the article can be understood by readers with varying degrees of knowledge about the topic rather than by just experts. It is important to include definitions and explanations directly on the page being read for several reasons: (1) LINMO-compatible sites are likely to be developed page by page, in contrast to hard copy books, and thus many pages that would be needed to explain terms and concepts would likely not be available for some time (e.g., months or even years), (2) it minimizes the need for users to click on links, which is part of the usability goal of such sites, and (3) it makes printouts of particular pages, which are sometimes used in a classroom setting, much more comprehensible. Usability refers to the efficiency, comfort, safety and satisfaction with which a wide range of people and under a variety of conditions can perform their tasks with a product (i.e., a good or a service). Q: But doesn't it just take up a lot of space trying to make every page into a self-contained article, especially since one of the goals of LINMO is to make every page as small as possible in terms of byte size? A: No, actually the addition to the byte size of each page from making it self contained is generally very small. Moreover, it should be kept in mind that even with such redundancy, the byte size is typically far smaller for pages on LINMO-compatible sites than for pages on sites that are not LINMO-compatible. Q: The model is said to be an optimized combination of characteristics of traditional books with those of the web. What are those characteristics of books that are included? A: They include the elegant visual simplicity, the high level of consistency and the high standard of writing. These are characteristics that have endured for centuries because they maximize the credibility and usability of books. Unfortunately, many web sites are lacking in these attributes, as attaining them can require a great deal of skill and effort. Q: What are the characteristics that are different from printed books? A: The most immediately apparent are the use of variable page lengths, hyperlinks, an inverted pyramid writing style, vertical spaces to separate paragraphs (instead of indentation) and unordered, self-contained articles (instead of chapters). Q: Can LINMO-compatible sites be considered pure content? A: It is difficult to know exactly what pure content means because some extent of formatting is always necessary to make content usable. LINMO-compatible web sites feature the use of only as much formatting as is necessary to maximize usability (e.g., headings, paragraphs, margins and hyperlinks) and make no attempts at superfluous decoration, and thus they could be considered to be very close to pure content. Q: Would it be better to express this model in a more formal way, such as in mathematical terms? A: Perhaps, but a primary purpose of the model is to be understandable to large numbers of people, particularly potential authors of LINMO-compatible web sites, many of whom might not have a background sufficient to understand a mathematical model. Q: I find the model somewhat confusing, but I like the LINFO web site. Is it possible to create a web site that conforms to the model without fully comprehending the model? A: Yes, that is the purpose of the guidelines. Q: Are the guidelines fully consistent with the model? A: Yes, the guidelines are consistent with the model. However, they are more comprehensive than the model in that they address additional aspects of usability that are not covered by the model. The model itself is designed to be as simple as possible in order to express the most fundamental properties of optimized web sites. Q: Why is it that this model focuses only on the most basic of web technologies and ignores the more advanced and more interesting technologies? A: It is because the most basic web technologies are the most useful but are still underutilized. To give a simple example, the web could not function without hyperlinks, but it could manage to work very well (or perhaps even better, in the opinion of some people) without javascript or Flash graphics. A tremendous amount of room remains for improving content and its presentation using just the most basic web technologies, and fortunately these technologies are sufficiently simple that they are easy to use by people who have the skills to develop high quality content but who might not have the skills or interest in learning more complex web technologies. Q: Can a web site benefit from conforming to just part of the model? A: Yes. However, the more closely it conforms, the greater will be the benefits. Q: Why is the stated goal to maximize usefulness and convenience for the largest number of people rather than the conventional business goal of maximizing profits? A: This goal is consistent with the original purpose of the Internet, which was to develop a universally useful information and educational resource. Although the Internet has become an excellent tool for making profits, there are still many people around the world who are interested in further enhancing its value as a quality information and education resource. A tremendous demand exists for such resources, and the Internet has a vast and still largely untapped potential for fulfilling it. There is certainly nothing wrong with the goal of maximizing profits, and there is no reason that the two types of sites cannot coexist on the Internet.
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Created May 8, 2006. |