I too have helped with state agency web sites, and I agree with the printer-friendly point all the way. There is one other major concern that I have dealt with for the state: Browsers. Everyone wants their sites to run on all browsers, but when I tell them how to be 100%, the just cringe. Nobody wants to own a black & white (or whatever colors your browser uses) all text site anymore.
There are many solutions to this, but the one I like the most is running parallel sites. Now before you flame me about development costs, etc, hear me out. I don't mean have 10 different versions that are displayed according to browser. I mean have a text-only option that doesn't use tables and has few (if any) images. This takes care of the printer-friendly and browsers like lynx (because people who have them do use them when they want something specific and don't want to wait for images). Then use ONE other version that has all the images, tables, java, and all that other nice stuff.
Once you have solved how you want to design, you will need to implement it in a way that your information is easily accessible. You don't want to send someone on a 30 click trip when they don't want to be there in the first place (but have to) . Arrange menu systems that will allow the user to see exactly which path to take. Never use graphics as the only point of navigation because colors may render in such a way that the image is unreadable, or worse yet, the type may be too small for the user to read (trust me, it doesn't matter how big the type is, someone always wants it bigger)!
Oh gee, you're not done yet! You need to decide (the decision may have been made for you already) how you want your information. Do you want to use plain text files, html, pdf, ps, etc., or maybe all the above?
At any rate, these are just a few suggestions that I follow when designing govt sites because of my previous experience.
On a similar note, Bush had stated that he'd "put it all on the line" in a foot race with Gore on the Tonihgt Show with Jay Leno. That was before the election, so why hasn't that happened to save all of us (especially non US citizens) headaches - (and for those of us in the US - uninterrupted TV shows)! I'll take time out of my sitcom watching to see a one mile foot race, but breaking into my sitcoms to tell me that it's not over yet just irritate me.
Although it might be different if either one was actually worth having as president.
Slashdot Mirror
I too have helped with state agency web sites, and I agree with the printer-friendly point all the way. There is one other major concern that I have dealt with for the state: Browsers. Everyone wants their sites to run on all browsers, but when I tell them how to be 100%, the just cringe. Nobody wants to own a black & white (or whatever colors your browser uses) all text site anymore.
There are many solutions to this, but the one I like the most is running parallel sites. Now before you flame me about development costs, etc, hear me out. I don't mean have 10 different versions that are displayed according to browser. I mean have a text-only option that doesn't use tables and has few (if any) images. This takes care of the printer-friendly and browsers like lynx (because people who have them do use them when they want something specific and don't want to wait for images). Then use ONE other version that has all the images, tables, java, and all that other nice stuff.
Once you have solved how you want to design, you will need to implement it in a way that your information is easily accessible. You don't want to send someone on a 30 click trip when they don't want to be there in the first place (but have to) . Arrange menu systems that will allow the user to see exactly which path to take. Never use graphics as the only point of navigation because colors may render in such a way that the image is unreadable, or worse yet, the type may be too small for the user to read (trust me, it doesn't matter how big the type is, someone always wants it bigger)!
Oh gee, you're not done yet! You need to decide (the decision may have been made for you already) how you want your information. Do you want to use plain text files, html, pdf, ps, etc., or maybe all the above?
At any rate, these are just a few suggestions that I follow when designing govt sites because of my previous experience.
koivi
On a similar note, Bush had stated that he'd "put it all on the line" in a foot race with Gore on the Tonihgt Show with Jay Leno. That was before the election, so why hasn't that happened to save all of us (especially non US citizens) headaches - (and for those of us in the US - uninterrupted TV shows)! I'll take time out of my sitcom watching to see a one mile foot race, but breaking into my sitcoms to tell me that it's not over yet just irritate me.
Although it might be different if either one was actually worth having as president.