Ferrari's without engines dont go!

UPDATE:
It appears in my rush to catch up with some of the bolters in the group (Fiona) I now realise I have missed a few bits in the tasks.

The HTML task asked what was the difference between HTML and blogging, to me that question is like asking whether you want your Ferrari with or without an engine. HTML drives the web, without it... no blog, and a very slow Ferrari.

My blogging is very path of least resistance stuff:
• Went to blogger.com
• Picked a template I liked
• Read the tasks
• Combined small amounts of facts with a large amount of non-sense and… hey presto.

I am certain serious bloggers would regard my attempt with contempt.

Same with HTML, I will learn enough to enhance my What You See Is What You Get editor skills but that is it. As above, I'm sure a lot of hardcore designers would regard my attitude to learning HTML as an abhorrence, but they are living in the 80's...man.

The five rules or writing for the web?

As this task is ‘optional’ I’m only going to list the 2 that I think are most important, this is a view formed entirely from my experience with the NET11 blogs.

1. Titles are important, I have been very busy lately and have not had the time to cruise around everyone’s bog’s like I used to. What I have found I that when I see an update with a title that tells me that the author has injected a little personality into, I cannot help but click on it and read it.... for example Eliza's "chit chat time" gave me a hint that there would be bit of personality in the post so I couldn't, help but check it out, and I wasn't disappointed. My point is that I may have missed other great posts simply because the title didn't attract me...

2. You should write what you want to read... that way, even if others think it sucks, you can still enjoy it. Even if your only posting because its a course requirement (as we are) I believe you should put in a little effort to make reading it as effortless as possible... Look at the NET11 blogs, we are all posting similar information but the ones I really enjoy reading, are by people who obviously put a little effort into presenting the information in a fresh way

Web Reading...its not just for Arachnid Psychics

Thats right... what I thought would allow me target insecure daddy long legs for profit, instead taught me how I should lay out my web pages. As a would be psychic... I suppose I should have seen it coming.

What people want:

• 'Meaningfull' sub heading, not 'clever' one's, fortunately I have a head start on most here... I am not clever enough to write clever sub headings. TICK
  

• People like to scan pages so use highlighting to catch the eye. TICK
  

• Limit to one idea per paragraph... are you serious? I can do better than that... one idea a year is my current rate. TICK

• Use bulleted lists and cut down the word count. TICK
  

• People like language to be objective, rather than my usual exaggerated style... I must have read that sort of thing a MILLION times. TICK
  

• Credibility is important. Just as the addition of egg, flower and breadcrumbs can transform a humble chicken breast into a delectable, golden schnitzel; so to can the addition of cool pictures, working links and good writing make a bland, relatively uninformed web site author seem somehow more palatable. TICK

All those TICKS must mean this is the perfect page. Thankyou NET11, It appears I have it mastered.

I found the whole F shaped reading pattern thing very interesting, I personally read things in a Q pattern and thus have found myself the victim of a new type of discrimination... lets not stand for it. Say NO to reading pattern bigots.

After reading all the suggested links (I will not bore you by commenting on all of them) I think it is important for people building web sites to be aware of the techniques that encourage visitors to read their sites. But it's also horses for courses, a site specialising in high end technical description is hardly likely to be easy reading, but those that want the information will persevere. Even in blogs, if people enjoy reading it, I don't think the layout would stop them, unless is was particularly dreadful! Commercial sites are where I think this stuff is of most relevance.