Multimedia Website Development - Assignment Example

The focus of this paper is the basic processes of the development of a fully interactive multi-media website. Actual execution of these processes will differ depending on the scope and nature of the site. Step 1: Deciding on the Purpose and Objectives of the Site A designer should aim to develop the ideas into a particular niche in one field instead of try to cover many things. In so doing, one can prepare a material that focuses on profundity, instead of breadth, in content. A designer should not spread the energy and work too thinly. One should create a site on a particular unexplored theme. Use background experiences to generate original concepts and not imitate previously explored ideas. Content is still the most significant aspect of a good website. No amount of technology or graphic artistry can substitute for poor content. In addition, just because technology can do many things nowadays does not necessarily mean that these things suit the needs of the target market or that these things should actually be done. Many times, simple design and tools will do the job (Garrand 2006: 3). 1.1 Determining Limitations One must have a wide understanding of things that are achievable online. It is also vital to set clear objectives. Two specific concerns include: 1. The technology necessary in creating a multi-media website (Garrand 2006: 5). 2. The target market's understanding and reaction to the technology (Garrand 2006: 5). 1.2 Limitations Webpage authors usually do not realize that many users still work on slow, older versions of computers and slow internet connections (Garrand 2006: 6). They often create multi-media content on sites mainly for high-speed connections without realizing that many users cannot view them. Designers should identify their audience. The potential visitors will influence how a website author creates the media content. A few questions to consider are: 1. Is the target market using high-speed internet connection, or from different countries that access the web via slow dial-up modems 2. Is the target market using Macs or PCs, and what operating system is installed on their computers 3. Does the website function similarly too on different computer browsers and platforms (e.g., Opera, Mozilla, Netscape Navigator, and Internet Explorer) 1.3 Users' Reactions to Technology After ample consideration on the technical questions above, the web author or designer may also ask, "How familiar are the users with computers and the internet" Too often, people miscalculate the limitations and complexities people encounter in using computers (Garrand 2006: 12). Hence, efforts are worthless when navigating the technology devours and surpasses actual viewing or listening time. Consider that users may often struggle with computer-related concerns. That could create uneasiness in deciphering how the website works. Websites must be sensitive to assist in making the target market benefit from the technology. One should consider the following: 1. Do the site's visitors need to download plug-ins or special software to use the site 2. If so, are they user-friendly, and are the words on the user-guide within the technological and linguistic reach of the potential visitors 3. Is the explanation of system requirements on the website (so visitors will know if the content will work for them) Considering such concerns will aid in producing a user-friendly and effective website. The resulting content should be easy to update and maintain regardless of the technology used. The technology to create such pages changes and the needs of users vary in time. Utilising technology should have a positive result, but considering the target market also vital. Step 2: Bandwidth and Web Space Requirements Analysis 2.1 Requirements Analysis Overview Identification of host web space requirements (disk space) and bandwidth allowance (web traffic) is important before one can accurately choose a host. Deciding on what web development software to use to develop the website is also crucial, as it will aid in determining whether it requires any special host accommodation (e.g., Macromedia Flash and FrontPage 2000 generate sites that require special host accommodation) (Drouin 2001: 17). In addition, if a database driven website is chosen, a decision should be made on what the database requirements will be in terms of the SQL scripting language that will be used to access it and the actual database that will be produced. The chosen host must be able to house these choices. 2.2 Web Space Requirements To identify the needed amount of web space (in Mb of disk space) from a host to accommodate the website is vital. The size should be adequate to house any server side database software, any server side scripts that may be used (e.g., Perl and CGI), web pages (e.g., multimedia files, graphics, and .html files), email accounts, and traffic logs. For websites without server side (backend) databases, the formula is "web space required = site size in pages + average page size x 3" (Drouin 2001: 21) where the parameters are defined as: 1. site size in pages - The number of pages needed to build and ultimately expand the website (Drouin 2001: 21). 2. average page size - Experts recommend a 60 Kb limit on page size though this can vary depending on the size of animations, images, etc. A larger page loads slower (Drouin 2001: 21). 3. 3 - Triple the exact estimates: once for the accumulated page total, once for miscellaneous overhead (mails, log files, etc.), and once for safe measure and room to expand (Drouin 2001: 21). An example of a website I once created: Web space requirement is 8.64 Mb where the expected site size is no more than 48 pages and the average page size is 60 Kb. The 48 pages only take up 2.88 Mb (60Kb x 48 = 2.88 Mb) yet according to the host, the actual storage utilization is 5.38 Mb. The difference of 2.5 Mb came from the website's traffic logs (0.5 Mb) and email (2 Mb). This illustrates the need for incorporating the factor of 3 to catch up on expansion and miscellaneous overhead. 2.3 Bandwidth Requirements To know the required amount of web traffic (in Gb monthly) from a host is also crucial. Derive this from the expected number of monthly page views. Every page view adds to the running total by the pages' size monthly. The formula is "web traffic required = monthly page views anticipated + average page size x 2" (Drouin 2001: 23) where the parameters are defined as: 1. monthly page views anticipated - Assess the number of page views expected monthly (Drouin 2001: 23). 2. average page size - As stated above, a 60 Kb limit on page size (Drouin 2001: 23). 3. 2 - Double the exact estimates for safe measure (Drouin 2001: 23). Another example from the website I once created: Web traffic requirement is 3.168 Gb where the estimated monthly page view is 26,400 times and the average page size is 60 Kb. Since the hosting plan has a monthly traffic ceiling of only 2 Gb, an upgrade to a more robust plan is needed as popularity demands for the site increases. 2.4 Web Authoring Software Decide on the development method that meets the design specifications for the website. Listed below are three options in ascending order of cost (Drouin 2001: 19). 1. Host-provided website builder. - Most hosting services provide this option. Disadvantage: feature and design options are limited to the selection of templates that they offer. Advantage: Easy and free. 2. Code it yourself. 3. Hire a consultant - Expert knowledge of HTML, etc. is not necessary unless option 2 (code it yourself) is chosen --- and then only if you go with a non-WYSIWYG editor. However, the opposite is also true that if it is self-coded with an ASCII or HTML editor, at least basic HTML knowledge is required, as well as some JavaScript and CSS knowledge. 2.5 Server Side or Host Side Software Requirements As it was mentioned above in the overview, it is important to know whether the web development software will require host side accommodation (e.g., Macromedia Flash and FrontPage 2000 generate websites that can only be housed by specially qualified web hosting services). In addition, if a database driven software is chosen, the selected host should be able to generate an instance of this type of database (e.g., empty MySQL database produced in your own area for you to populate). It should also be able to process any SQL scripting language utilised in the web pages to access the database (e.g., PHP) (Drouin 2001: 17-18). Step 3: Encoding the Media Files for the Internet Possible issues on slow and unreliable internet connections have to be considered carefully even if the files are small. Usually, high-speed internet connections are used to generate and test media files without consideration on how these files will play on slower connections and modems. It is also important to know that potential visitors may have a 56 Kbps (kilobytes per second) modem but it does not necessarily mean that the actual data transfer will be at 56 Kbps as well. At times, "packet loss" (e.g., data, being sent in packets, failed to travel from the remote server to the player) may cause RealPlayer to freeze or stop playing. Sometimes, audio data is collected or buffered in the player before it plays (Garrand 2006: 12). Many factors may cause this congestion, and some of these are beyond one's control: 1. The load on the file's remote server location (Garrand 2006: 13). 2. The load on the local server used to connect to the Internet (Garrand 2006: 13). 3. The geographic distance between the remote server and the user's computer (Garrand 2006: 13). 4. The connection speed of the local computer-to-modem (Garrand 2006: 13). 5. The communications software used (Garrand 2006: 13). With these in mind, one of the many "codec" (compression-decompression settings) that are part of some recording or editing software to produce the media files for different connection speeds may be used. Quality of the audio output depends on the codec used (Garrand 2006: 15). It may range from AM radio quality to near CD playback quality. Codec creates media files for a specific data transfer rate or bandwidth. For instance, a RealAudio clip encoded with a 32 Kbps codec uses 32 kbps of bandwidth as it plays. In addition, a file encoded with a 64 Kbps codec (for LAN) would play using 64 Kbps of bandwidth. With these considerations, these questions may be asked: 1. What type of internet connections does the majority of the potential visitors use (e.g., Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), Local Area Network (LAN), or a 56 Kbps modem) 2. How reliable are the internet connections in that country or area 3. Are the visitors paying their Internet Service Providers (ISP) based on the amount of data transfer they consume in visiting the website 4. How much does the hosting company charge for data transfer Using various codec, some of this mentioned recording software has the ability to encode source files directly into Real Media format. Real Networks also provide production tools including Real System Producer Basic, which is free, and Real System Producer Plus, which is commercial (Garrand 2006: 17). Both tools can create media files, but the commercial version has the following additional features: 1. Can encode media files that can play on older versions of RealPlayer. 2. Allows designers to crop, combine, and edit files that were already encoded in Real Media format (including the clip information). 3. Has a bandwidth simulator for testing files to check how they would run under various network conditions. 4. Provides total control of the codec for modifying the encoding process of files. The first point is very essential since numerous site visitors may use older computers and are not able to upgrade to newer players even if they would like to. Per experience, Producer's basic version only encodes for newer versions of the RealPlayer. However, other products such as SoundForge offer the option of encoding for older players. Based on the website I created, since the anticipated visitors of the site have extremely slow internet connections, I encoded the files using a range of codes from 20 Kbps below. So, let us take for instance a visitor is accessing the site with a 56 Kbps modem, and the media file was encoded at 20 Kbps; part of it is dedicated to playing or decoding the media file, leaving 36 Kbps of bandwidth for visitors to make up for a poor connection or surf between pages. There is certainly a trade-off between sound quality and size. Files encoded using codec for slow internet connection tend to sound muffled compared to files that were encoded with higher codec that sound crisp and clear. However, visitors would rather have "something" than "nothing at all." This is the reason why it is imperative to know the nature and scope of the website to anticipate the type (demographics) of the potential visitors. Step 4: Making the Media Available to Users Online 4.1 Hosting the Files Find a server. If access to a corporate or university server where files can be uploaded is not available, a hosting company is may be hired to store the files online. Hosting companies provide clients with space on their servers so users can access the website. Web authors have two basic options for this: a dedicated server, or a virtual or shared server. A dedicated server is "one server per site." This gives website owners complete control over the management of the website (Drouin 2001: 27). However, it can be costly. If the website expects a lot of traffic and contains a large number of media files, the dedicated server is the best option. A shared or virtual server is "sharing one server with up to 250 other sites." By sharing computer resources with other sites, this service is usually offered by companies at a cheaper rate (Drouin 2001: 27). However, if some sites on that server are heavily accessed, other websites that share the same server may be affected. Companies that offer unlimited bandwidth usually have a clause stating that this may be acquired for a certain fee. Unlimited bandwidth offers does not necessarily mean they are free. One suggestion here is to start with a shared server since they are free or cheap. It will also provide web owners with the necessary experience once web owners decide to expand afterwards. 4.2 Selecting Web Hosting Service The following should be included in host requirements analysis (Drouin 2001: 16-19): 1. Monthly traffic and disk space requirements 2. Software accommodation a. Authoring Software - Depending on the web authoring software decision in Step 2.4, the website may require a special host. b. Server Side Scripting - Server side scripting embedded websites (e.g., ASP, Server- side JavaScript, PHP, CGI, and SSI) require a host that offers the facility free. c. Streaming Media - Websites that offer streaming video or audio require a host that can accommodate this. 3. Database accommodation 4. Statistics Tool for Web Traffic - Most hosts will provide statistics service free of charge. It will provide details on the number of hits the website gets. It may also provide specifics about the website visitors (e.g., location, age, etc.). These data are available for the client at any time. 5. Control Panel - Most hosts provide site management "Control Panel" facility at no extra cost. This will allow clients to easily check statistics, check resource usage (monthly traffic and web space), manage email accounts, etc. 6. Host platform or operating system (OS) It is still important to remember that the success of a website has nothing to do with the financial resources and technology invested in it. Instead, a website's success is based on the objectives and scope of the project (Buyers Guide 1998). Web designers should make the technology work for their ideas. Bibliography (1998). Buyer's Guide: Development Tools for Web Applications. Byte. 23, 112K. DROUIN, M. (2001). Web hosting and Web site development: a guide to opportunities. The library of e-commerce and Internet careers. New York, Rosen Pub. Group. GARRAND, T. (2006). Writing for multimedia and the web: a practical guide to content development for interactive media. Burlington, MA [etc.], Elsevier Focal Press. Read More