Analysis of the Level of Complexity of Creating an Account - Essay Example

Task Group II Creation of Evaluation Tools for Program Development in Experimental Design Administrator, Academia-Research.com 01-13 04:32 In a broad-based experiment in Program Development in Experimental Design, two Groups were constituted to analyze, identify and evaluate the level of difficulty of setting up an account with three popular websites, namely Facebook, Second Life and Apple I-Tunes. Group I was tasked with designing the experiment. My Group, Group II has been tasked with creating a series of evaluation tools that will complement the documented experiment designed and conducted by Group I. The objective was defined in general terms as the evaluation of browser capabilities, web design, target audience, user experience, etc. (Report of Group I, Slide 3). The basic procedure was to follow standard guidelines for such an experiment, i.e., gathering sufficient data for assessment, analyzing and interpreting the data collated before submitting a report. Certain other mandates were also listed, like remaining dispassionate so that different techniques were neither emphasized or de-emphasized and that data (statistical or otherwise) and information were clearly differentiated (Ibid Report, Slides 4- 6). Before devising any tools, it was felt necessary that all three websites be accessed, even becoming a member if called for. This hands-on experience would then form the basis of conceptualizing the tools required for meeting the objective, such as such as user questions, observation methods or expert reviews. Accessing the Three Websites: This exercise assumed that the individual trying to set up accounts with the three sites was fairly net-savvy. With users of the World Wide Web growing exponentially with global reach at 25.6% of the world’s population of close to seven billion as of September 30, 2009 (www.internetworldstats.com), most new surfers are not overly familiar with the either the English language or the Internet. Many new issues were discovered, suggestive of the modus operandi in executing this task, as will be brought out later. Creation of Evaluation Tools: While devising the Evaluation Tools, a mini-survey of sorts was carried out. Views were culled from expert opinions and reputed websites. “Facebook serves two discrete audiences. The first, mainly college students, form the main body of the site. The second, an older post-college group is re-discovering Facebook, with an interest in Technical blogs”(Stutzman, Fred., 2007). He quotes a recent college graduate describing Facebook as a “time-wasting mode for stalking friends and potential romantic relations, rejecting its utilitarian value.” He counters this statement with another from Wired magazine’s writer, Fred Vogelstein, who claims that “the information we share, such as our likes and interests, is verified by our social network and is totally utilitarian.” Second Life is a free 3-D virtual world where users can socialize, connect and create using free voice and text chat (secondlife.com). It is also a marketplace where you can buy virtually anything, from cars, clothes, music, etc. Dan Costa, writing for PC Magazine, says “Of all the virtual worlds we visited, Second Life is the one we want to come back to the most. The people are friendly, and the environment is stunning.” Second Life, your avatar, is fully customizable, with umpteen variations of corporal features, apparel, shoes, etc. Operating in Second Life “relies on a series of menu-based scripts that take some time to master. Although commands will be familiar to anyone who has used a basic design or graphics program, they arent quite point-and-click. War games are available, but most players prefer to use the 3-D graphics to create an Eiffel Tower, rather than decimating the underworld (ibid).” “Apple has released the latest version of its media software, iTunes 9, which includes social networking features, a new iTunes Store interface, and, apparently, a way to break the Pres syncing capability,” says Ian Paul, in PC World; edition Sep 10, 2009. The iPod and iTunes are known to be a formidable combination in the world of music. Apple has dominated this arena, though it did have some competition from the Palm Pre. “Apple has now gone beyond the ‘verification of Apple devices’ phrase, in a statement issued to BusinessWeek: It also disables devices falsely pretending to be iPod. Newer versions of Apples iTunes software may no longer provide syncing functionality with unsupported digital media players” (Ziegler, Chris., 2009). The Basic Questionnaire: Having studied the three websites and understood their pros and cons, a questionnaire can be created to answer the following questions: 1. Login- How quickly can you access the website? 2. What is the purpose of the website? 3. How easy is the first registration process? 4. In case of login problems, is a troubleshooter available? 5. Is the Cookie clearance procedure explained? 6. Does the site ask you to upgrade your browser? If so, is a download link available so that you can download the latest version of the browser? 7. Is the site compatibility with multiple browsers, like Internet Explorer and Firefox? 8. Does the language used make for easy understanding? 9. What is the difficulty level/ ease of operation once in the site? 10. Does it require you to creating accounts using different screen names? 11. Does it offer Privacy/Security? 12. Does it offer point-and-click commands? 13. Does it explain step-by-step how to upload photos from your PC or Digicam, if required? 14. Does it have factors that could create confusion? 15. Does it offer free voice and text chat? 16. Does it require you to download and install specific software? 17. Are the capcha codes reasonably legible? Is an audio facility available in lieu? 18. What is the user experience like? Observation Methods The following factors may be grouped under the observation methods segment: 1. How comprehensive is the website content? 2. What type of audience is being targeted? 3. How much time is spent in getting to grips with the facilities of the site? 4. How fast is the website? 5. How easy is it to navigate within the site? 6. Does it have hyperlinks to associated sites? 7. What is the frequency of content update? 8. Does it have a search facility? 9. When filling in a form online, does it permit you to skip irrelevant factors? 10. How neat and convivial is its web design, particularly the graphics? 11. Does it have social networking features? 12. Is there any cost involved in accessing the website? Expert Evaluation: The following points may be placed in the expert evaluation segment: 1. Is the site fully accessible? Does it cater to the physically impaired? How does it help the visually impaired? The aurally impaired? Those unable to operate a mouse? 2. Is there scope for upgrading the site with time and advancement in technology? 3. Does it have a Glossary, in case of specific need? 4. Does it support or require support from other plug-ins? 5. Is it recommendable to others? 6. Are the Terms of Service easy to follow? Reviewing the Experiment Carried out by Group I: Every slide presented by Group I was revisited and data collected on the results using the tools collated. 1. Slides 1-4: N/A 2. Slides 5-7: Will be elaborated later. 3. Slide 8: Browser used Firefox-3, site accessed easily. Home page opened up rapidly. Troubleshooter available. Cookie clearance procedure explained. 4. Slide 9: Actioned without any fuss or delay. New Password created. 5. Slide 10: Security (capcha check) done. Capcha code over-obscured. 6. Slide 11: Skipped. Point exists in questionnaire. I am already a Facebook member. 7. Slides 12-14: Screen as described. Skipped. 8. Slide 15: Screen as described. Skipped. Point exists in basic checklist. 9. Slide 16: Screen as described. Action taken as required. Point exists in basic checklist. 10. Slide 17: Screen as described. Homepage came up quickly enough. 11. Slide 18: Screen as described. New page came up promptly. 12. Slide 19: Screen as described. Reason for new identity could be explained in more detail. 13. Slide 20: Screen as described. No problems faced so far. 14. Slide 21: E-Mail sent promptly and activated from own mailbox. 15. Slide 22: Account allotted. 16. Slide 23: Capcha codes better than for Facebook. 17. Slide 24: iTunes homepage found easily enough. Home page design is appealing. 18. Slide 25-27: Apple ID created. 19. Slide 28: Next page accessed and Login clicked on ‘Your Account’. 20. Slide 29: Signed in. E-mail seen on the screen and password entered. 21. Slide 30: Website entered successfully. 22. Slide 31: Confusing tasks related to personalizing one’s account in the websites identified. 23. Slide 32: Interactive User’s Analysis carried out. Collection of Output: Thomas Lewis, an evangelist who has a blog, http://visitmix.com/Opinions/Facebook-Love-Twitter-Hate, hosts the opinions of many contributors. The opinions show both faces of the coin, but the majority is ‘for’ the Social Networking Site, as seen earlier. Lewis allows a look at the flip side too. “People believe that Facebook is a dangerous place for opinions, drawing mean and distasteful remarks. Facebook discloses blatant identity, with pictures to match. But then Facebook has a built-in safeguard- Facebook is reciprocal (a ‘friend’ has to accept you). Most users are intelligent enough not to put information too personal on their profile, yet many students have already lost internships, jobs, and scholarships to carelessness in what they post or allow friends to post on their profiles.” “Facebook members need discretion. Your first priority should be personal safety. Protect yourself through use of Facebook’s privacy settings. According to cbsnews.com, many employers examine applicants’ Facebook profiles to study the applicants, including their character and personality” (Stricklin, Randall., 2008). A video on High School Students Opinions of Facebook shows that a very high percentage of High School students were pro-Facebook (www.youtube.com). In the case of Second Life, the negatives outweigh the positives by far. It is rated from “abysmal, in that it promises much but delivers next to nothing, to creative and mentally stimulating,” though the latter category is not easy to find. “If you are searching for a ‘game’ dont pick Second Life as a game because it isnt a convivial program. It is hard to learn, requires up to 40 hours to comprehend and the Bottom Line is: ‘Ambitious’ ‘Disastrous’ ‘Absolutely dreadful’. Another grouse is that you need to spend money in order to buy things” (www.gamespot.com). 113 out of 136 reviews are deprecatory. Its graphics are decried and eight out of nine players have called it a scam (ibid). Stephen. J. Dubner, in his blog has titled it, “Why Spend Time on Second Life?” with a quote from a reader, “All I can figure out is that they spend a lot of real money for intangible things in a made-up world.” Regarding Apple’s iTunes, Christian Zibreg, in his blog www.geek.com states,“It is high time Apple opened up the iTunes Store, allowing third-parties to sell their content as well. For example, why not sell Mac software through iTunes?” The “Apple iTune website has been assessed as exceptionally fast. Web site content features excellent graphics, design, language, etc. Layout and design, navigation, frequency of content update are also excellent. The search facility is rated as good” (www.ciao.co.uk). Additional Data Specific to Experiment: All three websites, which had distinctive names indicating their purpose, could be accessed speedily. Registration was standard and a troubleshooter available to assist in logging in. Only Facebook devoted some space to explain what Cookies were and how they were to be handled. The sites were compatible with most browsers and did not have a download facility to upgrade an outdated browser. Only Facebook used easily understandable terminology; Second Life, with its own currency, the Linden Dollar, was difficult to understand at the outset. It required a lengthy download of software for installation prior to making it functional. iTunes was also on the difficult side, but not as much as Second Life. Apparently synchronizing downloaded songs with the iPod could be difficult, as seen in a plaintive cry for help on Yahoo Answers of 29 December 2009 (answers.yahoo.com). Facebook and Second Life required different screen names and passwords, whereas iTunes needed only a password. Of the three, Facebook offered multi-layered security, with its recent update. The capcha codes on Facebook were overly distorted. All sites have free text chat; free voice chat features in Second Life and is in Beta testing on the former. Only Second Life does not offer point-and-click commands. All three have lengthy Terms of Service, with the usual legal jargon. All in all, from the basic user’s point of view, Facebook was the easiest to handle, with Second Life the toughest. Going by Observation Methods, the websites were state-of-the-art, with Second Life the most appealing. Content was satisfactory, though Second Life and iTunes took some time to comprehend. Since all three had Social Networks in place, there were no specific targets in terms of ethnicity, gender or age. However, a major portion of Facebook and iTunes was found to be used by the younger generation. Facebook had a Skip option while registering; the others did not. All sites had hyperlinks where necessary. Finally, all sites were free to access. In the expert evaluation segment, Second Life had a major flaw in terms of accessibility, as those who could not handle a mouse could not operate within the site. No site had any special aid for the visually impaired, other than the zoom facility, except in the capcha code where an audio fallback was available. Each site had room for upgrades, in keeping with the times. iTunes had an iGlossary, which was needed in the early stages, and would not operate with unsupported digital media players, which could be interpreted as a hegemonic stance. Of the three, it is felt that Facebook could be recommended as is, iTunes with some modifications and Second Life could be offered to a discerning clientele. Summary: Given the primary task of evaluating the level of difficulty of setting up an account with three websites, FaceBook-http://www.facebook.com/login.php; Second Life- http://secondlife.com and Apple I Tunes- http://store.apple.com/us, an exercise was undertaken to create a set of evaluation tools and apply them to an experiment that had been devised by a group of trainees. A number of drawbacks emerged while conducting the exercise, as listed in the preceding paragraphs. It is felt that Facebook does not have major drawbacks. However, it could include a para or two about the criticality of knowing what to write, where and when. Now that more and more social networking sites are springing up, Facebook will probably self-introspect on its own and apply remedial measures, if any. It should expedite its Beta testing with free voice chat. It could also consider making its capcha codes less difficult. Second Life has a lot of work to do, if it wants to improve its image. Its menu-based scripts must be simplified for ease of use. Its commands could be reviewed to make them a set of simple point-and-clicks. Its Marketplace transactions in artificial currency as well as actual currencies should be explained in the simplest of terms. It should also try to make its ambience conducive to operations within, which will probably increase sales. A concerted drive must be launched to simplify all operations and solve the problems of the physically impaired. It is also felt that the website is ahead of its time. There is a likelihood of the cognoscenti lapping it up in the near future, an inference from the odd encomiums it received. iTunes, which should have become an automatic block-buster, considering that the largest chunk of its pie lies with the younger generation, must immediately figure out ways of making it as simple to operate as possible. It should find a remedy to its long-standing problem of synchronization with the iPod if it is to cash in on the high sales volume in the music industry. Apple may consider a re-look at its policy of not operating with unsupported media players. Apple should also consider opening up the iTunes Store, allowing third-parties to sell their content as well. It could also sell Mac software through iTunes. References Cited Costa, D., PC Magazine; http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,1306196,00.asp accessed on 12 January, 2010. Dubner, S.J., Why Spend Time on Second Life? Extracted on 12 January, 2010 from http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/08/07/why-spend-time-on-second-life/ Lewis, T., as reported in http://visitmix.com/Opinions/Facebook-Love-Twitter-Hate accessed on 12 January, 2010. Paul,I., in PC World; edition Sep 10, 2009; as reported in http://www.macworld.com/article/142728/2009/09/presync.html reprinted from the Today @ PC World blog at PCWorld.com Stricklin, R., in EXPONENT. ONLINE extracted on 12 January, 2010 from http://www.uwpexponent.org/2008/02/07/facebook-members-need-discretion/ Stutzman, F. extracted on 12 January, 2010 from http://chimprawk.blogspot.com/2007/10/opposing-opinions-of-facebook.html Zibreg, C. as reported in his blog www.geek.com= http://www.geek.com/articles/mobile/opinion-apple-should-open-up-the- itunes-store-2009086/ accessed on 12 January, 2010. Ziegler, C. as reported in http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/15/itunes-8-2-1-brings-pres-music-syncing-capability-to- a-halt/ accessed on 12 January, 2010. Other Websites Cited http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats3.htm http://www.ciao.co.uk/iTunes Music Store Review 5793744 http://answers.yahoo.com Answers 29/12 http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/secondlife/review.html http://secondlife.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYdft4D_5Lg Read More

The iPod and iTunes are known to be a formidable combination in the world of music. Apple has dominated this arena, though it did have some competition from the Palm Pre. “Apple has now gone beyond the ‘verification of Apple devices’ phrase, in a statement issued to BusinessWeek: It also disables devices falsely pretending to be iPod. Newer versions of Apples iTunes software may no longer provide syncing functionality with unsupported digital media players” (Ziegler, Chris., 2009). The Basic Questionnaire: Having studied the three websites and understood their pros and cons, a questionnaire can be created to answer the following questions: 1.

Login- How quickly can you access the website? 2. What is the purpose of the website? 3. How easy is the first registration process? 4. In case of login problems, is a troubleshooter available? 5. Is the Cookie clearance procedure explained? 6. Does the site ask you to upgrade your browser? If so, is a download link available so that you can download the latest version of the browser? 7. Is the site compatibility with multiple browsers, like Internet Explorer and Firefox? 8. Does the language used make for easy understanding? 9. What is the difficulty level/ ease of operation once in the site? 10. Does it require you to creating accounts using different screen names? 11. Does it offer Privacy/Security? 12. Does it offer point-and-click commands? 13. Does it explain step-by-step how to upload photos from your PC or Digicam, if required? 14. Does it have factors that could create confusion? 15. Does it offer free voice and text chat? 16. Does it require you to download and install specific software? 17. Are the capcha codes reasonably legible?

Is an audio facility available in lieu? 18. What is the user experience like? Observation Methods The following factors may be grouped under the observation methods segment: 1. How comprehensive is the website content? 2. What type of audience is being targeted? 3. How much time is spent in getting to grips with the facilities of the site? 4. How fast is the website? 5. How easy is it to navigate within the site? 6. Does it have hyperlinks to associated sites? 7. What is the frequency of content update? 8. Does it have a search facility? 9. When filling in a form online, does it permit you to skip irrelevant factors? 10. How neat and convivial is its web design, particularly the graphics? 11. Does it have social networking features? 12. Is there any cost involved in accessing the website?

Expert Evaluation: The following points may be placed in the expert evaluation segment: 1. Is the site fully accessible? Does it cater to the physically impaired? How does it help the visually impaired? The aurally impaired? Those unable to operate a mouse? 2. Is there scope for upgrading the site with time and advancement in technology? 3. Does it have a Glossary, in case of specific need? 4. Does it support or require support from other plug-ins? 5. Is it recommendable to others? 6.

Are the Terms of Service easy to follow? Reviewing the Experiment Carried out by Group I: Every slide presented by Group I was revisited and data collected on the results using the tools collated. 1. Slides 1-4: N/A 2. Slides 5-7: Will be elaborated later. 3. Slide 8: Browser used Firefox-3, site accessed easily. Home page opened up rapidly. Troubleshooter available. Cookie clearance procedure explained. 4. Slide 9: Actioned without any fuss or delay. New Password created. 5. Slide 10: Security (capcha check) done.

Capcha code over-obscured. 6. Slide 11: Skipped. Point exists in questionnaire. I am already a Facebook member. 7. Slides 12-14: Screen as described. Skipped. 8. Slide 15: Screen as described. Skipped. Point exists in basic checklist. 9. Slide 16: Screen as described. Action taken as required. Point exists in basic checklist. 10.

Read More