English 101 - Eric Switzer

Web Site Analysis (Part 1)


2/23/99 Objectives:
  • To learn some basic approaches to evaluating information on the World Wide Web.
  • To learn how to send mail on OldPueblo MOO.
  • To experiment with collaborative learning.
Tasks:
  • Make sure folders for Unit One Final Drafts are complete.
  • Brief introduction to Unit Two.
  • Reading and writing assignment on Old Pueblo MOO, due by midnight Wednesday.
Reading Assignment:  For class today, no additional reading is required. 

Writing Assignment:  For class today, no additional writing is required.  In class, however, please do the assignment posted on the MOO; to read it, first go to the Mt. Lemmon Classroom in Old Main, then look at the blackboard there (type [look blackboard]--without the brackets) to see which group you're in.  I've copied a generic version of what's on the blackboard in the classroom here: 

  • Starting today, we'll be spending a good chunk of time every Tuesday on the MOO.  Every Tuesday for the next three or four weeks, you'll come to class, look at the blackboard on the MOO to see what the assignment is, and then spend most of the rest of the period working on it.  The objectives for these assignments will be two-fold:  first, you'll be working on different techniques for analyzing data; second, you'll be learning new ways to manipulate information on the MOO.  Though there is much "help" available on the MOO already, you should be sure and take notes on what you learn about the MOO in class so that you will have ready access to it later in Unit Three.
  • Today's assignment has two objectives:  first, you're going to learn how to analyze websites; second, you're going to learn how to send mail to someone else on the MOO. 
  • In order to facilitate that process, I've divided you up into groups; please check on the blackboard on the MOO  to figure out what group you're in, then go to the workroom with the corresponding number and check on the blackboard in the workroom for further instructions.  To read the blackboard there, type [look blackboard] in your command line.   (DON'T type the brackets—that's just to show you what you need to type.)
  • If you need any help, my character—entelechy—will be in the office in our classroom on the MOO, so just come there and ask me whatever you need.  Alternatively, you can page me with a message so you don't have to walk around looking for me; to page someone on the MOO, just type:  [page charactername message text].  For instance, if you wanted to page me to enquire about where to send your project when you've finished it, you'd write:  [page entelechy where do we send our projects when we've finished them?].  If that doesn't make sense to you, type:  [help page] for further information.
Once you get to the workroom for your group, you'll find your assignment written on the blackboard there.  Though the assignments differ for each group, the generic assignment is as follows: 
  • First off, I should point out that you're being recorded on the MOO—so don't say anything you don't want showing up on a transcript somewhere. 
  • Secondly, your work today is being graded.  You'll need to send my character, entelechy, a final copy of what you do in order to receive a grade, so you'll need to work hard to complete the assignment on time and then mail it when you're done.  The assignment is worth five points, as usual; you have until midnight tonight to send it on MOOmail, so if you don't get it in class you'll need to hop on the MOO this evening between 8 and 9 and catch our assistant—Annie—on the MOO for further help.
  • Thirdly, I should also point out that you've been assigned to groups so that you can collaborate on this assignment.  If you wish, you can attempt to do it all on your own (there are parts of it that everyone will need to do anyway); the assignment is fairly large, however, so a more efficient way to do it might be to assign some of the later parts to the various members of your group, do each individually, then compile your work as a group when you're each finished with the individual parts.  You'll need to decide how to allocate the parts—if at all—by speaking amongst yourselves here in your workroom.  In either case, you'll be evaluated on the work that I receive from you through the mail on the MOO—NOT on the basis of work that your classmates have or haven't finished.  Each of you MUST turn in a final project, whether it's similar to the others in your group or not.
  • Now, for the assignment.  As you'll recall from the blackboard in the main classroom, you have two objectives for today's class:  1) to learn how to analyze and evaluate information on the web, and 2) to learn how to send mail on the MOO.  For the first objective, please read the (entire) page on evaluating web resources, at the following citation.  You should just be able to click on the link below, and a browser will open up to the appropriate page.  NOTE:  You'll want to either take notes on this source, or write down the URL for later reference or—best of all—both; in any case, you'll need to refer to this page later in this assignment (you should try to finish this part of the assignment in 20 minutes or less):  (URL follows)
  • Next, use the criteria spelled out in this page to analyze a website in a short essay (the assignment differs according to which website you're looking at--see the rooms for specifics).
  • Finally, mail me your essay.  To see how to mail things on the MOO, go to the Information Desk in Old Main and read the note on the noteboard titled, "MOOMAIL."  This may be a little tricky, so save 10 minutes at the end of class to figure it out.
  • Final essays are due by midnight tonight; you must send it via MOOMAIL, so if you haven't figured it out by the end of class and still want to receive credit, you'll need to log on the MOO between 8 and 9 tonight to get help from Annie. 
  • IMPORTANT NOTE:  IF YOU HAVEN'T SUCCEEDED IN MAILING YOUR ESSAY TO ME BEFORE THE END OF CLASS, MAKE SURE THAT YOU SAVE IT ON DISK SO THAT YOU WON'T HAVE TO RETYPE THE WHOLE THING AT HOME.
Your assignments are due by 12 midnight, on Wednesday, February 24.  Please make every attempt to mail them on the MOO; if you absolutely cannot complete that portion of the assignment, however, send me what you have completed through regular email (eswitzer@u.arizona.edu) instead. 

Additional Links or Materials of Interest: All of this assignment is on the MOO. 

  • You can reach OldPueblo MOO by clicking here.  Once you get there, you'll see several options for how to log on to the MOO.  The easiest MOO interface is with a program called Pueblo (not to be confused with OldPueblo, the name of the UofA's MOO environment), but you'll have to download it in order to use the MOO.  If you're comfortable with downloading, by all means use Pueblo.  If you AREN'T comfortable with downloading, however, probably the easiest of the remaining alternatives is MOOca Java, which you can also get into by clicking on the link here. 
  • Once you've opened the window for MOOca Java, click on the button that says "connect," then type:  [connect username password] as you've usually done to log in at school.
  • This probably won't happen, but there's a slight possiblity that you might log on to the MOO and be unable to see the ASCII depictions and accompanying descriptions of rooms--instead all you'll see are a bunch of web addresses.  IF this happens, just type:  [@client off] and you should be fine. 
The citations for the Web Evaluation pages used in this assignment are as follows:  There are also a number of search engines you might want to use for this assignment.  There are three basic types of search engines, each of which is represented here:  Finally, for an additional bibliography of materials on evaluating websites, you might want to consult the following: