There are gender wars, and then there are casualties. It wasn’t until 2011 that the behemoth toymaker LEGO acknowledged girls’ desire to build with bricks, even though the company had long before made a seemingly effortless pivot to co-branding, video games, and major motion pictures. So it’s little wonder that girls face all-too-real obstacles when […]
Read moreFinding a sensible and sustainable way to provide web site visitors with fresh information is crucial.
 A mobile Guernsey, such as Minnie, is not a sensible way to distribute fresh milk. To be effective, educational projects need to find a sensible and sustainable method of disseminating fresh information to users. |
Educational projects have a wealth of valuable information to share with their target audiences. Because most people either have access to the Internet or know someone who does, disseminating information through a project web site can be extremely effective. Indeed, a project may even be judged by the efficacy of its web site.
While a web site is a crucial component of an effective educational program, the process of launching and maintaining a web site can be daunting.
 Project managers and authors often find web site development to be a confusing and illogical process. |
More often than not, project directors and content developers are not experts in the technical aspects of web design. Creating a web site can seem like an illogical and confusing process. Even when they have a solid outline and content for a web site, project directors must rely on technical experts for their hardware, software, hosting, design, and maintenance needs. When even the seemingly straightforward process of posting a new article to the site necessitates the involvement of a technical expert and a staff liaison, the development and maintenance of a web site can become a drain on the project’s financial and human resources.
Aside from the question of resource allocation, such a process means that those most intimately involved in the project do not have direct access to the site. Going through an intermediary, such as a Webmaster, can mean delays in posting information, which can negatively impact the delivery of fresh content to users. In addition, authors and project directors can feel disempowered and frustrated while waiting for critical content to be added to the site, and waiting again while changes or corrections are incorporated.
Over time, using the traditional approach to web design and maintenance can result in a site becoming overgrown with outdated or irrelevant content. Without constant vigilance, a web site can become difficult to navigate, links can become inoperative, and users can become frustrated when they can’t find the information they need.
In order to effectively disseminate educational information, projects need to find a sensible and sustainable way to provide users with fresh information. Content management software can provide a solution by giving content developers and project managers direct access to their web site.
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