Don't Call it a Comeback

I thought then of CNJ 442 would mean the end of this blog. But, as the spring semester began I realized that I still had several things to say.

So, here we are again, discussing online journalism.

This semester I'll be focusing more on Web production, design and industry standards. Hopefully, with several months of experience under my belt I'll sound a tad bit more informed as I discuss the dot-com world.

Let's jump right in there with one of my first assignments: Web Review.

Click through FastCompany.com. If you don't like business stuff but have a jones for innovative technology and social responsibility, you might find yourself spending some time with the dot-com version of the magazine.

The site has an elegant horizontal design which features the site tabs on the tap written in all capital white letters on a black background, or a reverse. The interactive features--photo galleries, videos and comment section--to the right.

What's really nice about the site, is that each link on the homepage is truly microcontent--clear and concise headlines with one sentence explainers underneath and a picture to the left. This feature gives Web users, who tend to scan rather than read, important information allowing them to decide if they wan to click and the read the entire article.

Speaking of scannable text, the site offers enough white space to allow the eye to hone in on key facts without doing too much work. It looks nice too.