Web Credibility Assignment

Content

The purpose of this assignment was to critique a site by meticulously analyzing its content. The name of the website that I evaluated is titled, “The Titanic Casualty Figures,” a site created by Chuck Anesi in 1997 that overviews the number of casualties that occurred when the Titanic sank. Overall, the website appears to be finished, providing a fair amount of information in reference to the Titanic’s casualty figures; however, the website does not show when it was last updated. In regards to the site’s targeted audience, the content does not seem to be aimed at a certain audience, nevertheless the content does show some sort of bias in reference to the survival rate of the Titanic’s passengers.

As for the external links of the site, some of the them trouble shoot or send you to a general site where you can search for particular information (i.e. Encyclopedia Titanica). For instance, the hyperlink “Titanic,” does not show the preview of the Titanic movie; instead, it previews a video of “Captain America.” Additionally, the hyperlink “The Telegraph Office” appears to malfunction because it provides viewers with a blank page. Thus, the web creator should consider updating his external sites in an effort to provide accurate information.

Authority

In reference to the credentials of the web creator, little is known about him. The only information that is provided is his name and an additional hyperlink (i.e "Back to Chuck Anesi's Home Page”) that takes you to his main website where you can only obtain his e-mail. Furthermore, the website does not offer any form of information in relations to the web creator’s associations or affiliations. Additionally, no form of sponsorship is portrayed throughout the site. Also, the site’s domain name appears to be a .com page, which may derive from a personal site (i.e. http://www.anesi.com/chuck.htm). The site also appears to be non-traceable, the user is unable to find additional information in reference to the site’s information; however, the site does offer a hyperlink that takes you to the web creator’s contact information.

In general, the site appears to be coinciding with outside sources with the exception of the exact number of passengers and recommendations from the British inquiry. The Encyclopedia Titanica affirms that there were 2, 207 passengers, while Anesi indicates that there were 2, 224 passengers aboard the Titanic. Also, Anesi specifies that the British inquiry blames the Titanic’s speed for the disaster, while the document never links the Titanic’s accident to high speed, the only recommendation that the British inquiry give is to be prudent while navigating around ice.

Presentation

In regards to the aesthetics of the site, the web page does not look professional and lacks interest; instead it appears to portray an immense amount of information with graphs that are oversaturated with material and dated. As for the writing style, the site creator could be more proficient by eliminating the word “outta” and re-writing the majority of the paragraphs to sound less biased and more professional. Also, the web creator needs to spell check his information before placing it online, the word encyclopedia is continuously misspelled throughout the site. The site also lacks proper headings to adequately divide the information. The web creator should also consider adjusting the images of the site; the tables seem to be cluttered and provide more material than the information discussed in the content. Additionally, the site is accessible by using the keywords “Titanic casualties.” In reference to advertising, no advertisements are portrayed on the site.

All in all, the website is in need of an overhaul in terms of its layout design and content. The information provided by the author needs to be more professional, grammatically correct, and in conjunction with its references. Also, the graphics need to be updated and the site creator’s contact information needs to be provided. With these proposed changes, I believe that the site would be more credible; nonetheless, this site at its current state lacks credibility.