Changing Technology Brings with It a New Bag of Tricks

Bob Dylan...Prophet?

When Bob Dylan famously muttered the phrase, "For the times they are a-changin'", on his 1964 Album by the same name, he couldn't have known how accurately he would be describing the technological landscape in which we currently find ourselves. In past decades, print media was the prevailing medium for the exchange of information between company or committee and individual. Whether it were a shoe company trying to inform the public about its new line of sneakers or a politician attempting to gain support for their campaign or agenda; print media offered them the only means of communication with the public, save for actual human interaction. There were obviously several problems inherent in this form of media that greatly limited creativity and overall effectiveness. Important news events, such as those of 9/11--as well as relatively insignificant ones like the trade of a favorite player--found themselves unknown to the masses until the next news cycle. The same went for individual responses to public issues, a company's new clothing line, or the latest sale at a favorite store. Enter the age of the internet.

Today, in the words of Dr. M Koganuramath and Mallikarjun Angadi of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences; "One does not have to wait for the next Television bulletin or for the newspaper next morning. All one has to do is log on to the net and get the latest news, views and much more information including an opportunity to comment on it and make his or her views known to others."( Koganuramath) The unprecedented growth of the internet--one research firm estimated that more than 70% of Americans now utilize the internet in their daily lives(www.internetworldstats.com) -created a new medium for the flow of information between company and the consumer now universally known as a website. Proper analysis of the effectiveness of a website requires a greater attention to detail than was necessary in print media because of the scope and depth of many of today's websites. In an attempt to show how this analysis is done, and its potential value in this new age of business, I have chosen to analyze the effectiveness of the website for the Political Action Committee "Straight Talk America", found at www.straighttalkamerica.com. According to Wikipedia Online Encyclopedia, a Political Action Committee, or PAC, "is the name commonly given to a private group, regardless of size, organized to elect or defeat government officials in order to promote legislation, often supporting the group's special interests"(www.wikipedia.org). In other words, a PAC exists as a legal tool for collecting and distributing political contributions in a manner that advances the cause or agenda of that PAC. The stated purpose of this PAC is advancing the reform agenda introduced by Sen. McCain during the 2000 election. The details of this agenda are located on the website, but the foundation of it is increased citizen involvement in the democratic process. Visitors to the website can make contributions to the PAC, which are then used to "give financial assistance and support to candidates for political office who will best reflect the reform ethic." (www.straighttalkamerica.com) In addition to contributions, the website offers the opportunity to volunteer for the cause in a variety of ways. The intended audience for this website is supporters of Sen. McCain and/or supporters of certain aspects of his reform agenda, but individuals not falling into those categories can still find useful information on contemporary political issues. Using a list of criteria--including a well-organized homepage, effective use of persuasive imagery, and reliable, as well as useful, links to additional content--I found that this website can be classified as effective.

The organization of a websites home page is crucial to that websites effectiveness. In this context, the term organization encompasses not only the basic layout of the homepage but also the effective clustering of related subject matter, a clear statement of the websites purpose, and a visually stimulating design. In the case of "Straight Talk America", each of these sub-criteria, if that word actually exists, is sufficiently met. The layout of this website is not extravagant by any means, but it serves the purpose of the website very effectively. The audience for "Straight Talk America" is comprised of politically active individuals--most likely Republicans between the ages of 18 and 35, as that age demographic most often utilizes the internet for political activism and because this PAC supports Republican candidates for office. That being said, it is not necessary for this website to utilize many of the bells and whistles commonly found on the homepages of consumer websites attempting to entice the visitor into entering. This website's use of a block style layout on its homepage, that is the organization of the websites main sections into distinct, clearly marked blocks --in this case we have latest news, videos, Sen. McCain's schedule, how to join the PAC, Straight Talk merchandise, and a side bar listing all of the additional content--greatly enhances the homepage's overall effectiveness. In addition, the top section, or block, immediately informs the visitor who is behind the creation of the website by featuring not only the PAC's name but also a picture of the man behind it, one Sen. John McCain. The block sections of this website also do an excellent job clustering relevant ideas together for efficient navigation. This is vital since, according to Andrea A. Lunsford and John Ruszkiewicz, a successful website must "consider how to cluster ideas so that they can retain their appeal"(Lunsford)

Images on a website have the potential to greatly influence a visitor's opinion or emotional state if used effectively. Websites have the ability to utilize images "not as embellishments but as persuasive devices"(Lunsford). This website does a commendable job following this advice. While "Straight Talk America" does not feature an overwhelming amount of images by any means, their limited amount works to enhance the effectiveness of the imagery it does use. In truth, many actually argue that websites should try to keep graphics to a minimum.(Lunsford) The most pronounced