Contents. Contents iii

Transcription

1 Contents iii Contents Topical Guide vi Preface xi Part 1: Web Writing and Design Principles 1 Comparing Online and Print Documents 2 Understanding the Writing Process 2 Writing For Your Audience 3 Providing Content 5 Chunking Information 6 Organizing Information 6 Emphasizing Important Information 8 Designing Pages 10 Layering Information 12 Orienting Readers 13 Directing Readers 15 Connecting Ideas 16 Using Effective Writing Techniques 17 Cutting Excess 18 Editing Common Web Page Errors 19 Part 2: Handbook 21 Abbreviations 22 Abbreviations: 23 Access to Information 23 Accessibility 23 Accuracy 25 Acronyms 26 Action Steps 28 Active Voice 29 Adobe Acrobat 29 Advance Organizers 30 Agreement: Pronoun 34 Agreement: Subject/Verb 35 Alignment 36 Alternative (ALT) Text 37 Analogies 38 Animation 38 Annotation 40 Announcement of Web Page 44 Apostrophes 45 Archives 46 Attention 47 Audience Analysis 50 Audience: Writing for Experts & Novices 52 Background Color 57 Background Image 57 Balance 58 Banner 58 Bibliographic Record 59 Biographical Information 60 Blinking Text 61 Blurb 61 Body 62 Bold 62 Book: Online 63 Boxes 65 Brainstorming 66 Branding 67 Browsing Options 68 Bulleted (Unordered) Lists 69 Bullets: Graphical 70 Buttons/Navigation Bars 71 Buzzwords 72 Callouts/Captions 73 Capitalization 74 Cascading Style Sheets 76 Catalog Page 77 Centered Text 79 Charts 79 Children: Writing Pages for Kids 80 Chunking 82 Clarity 85 Clichés 86 Colons 86 Color 87 Colored Links 88 Colored Text 89 Columns 90 Comma Splice 92 Commas 92 Comments 94 Community Features 95 Company Page 96 Concept Document 98 Conceptual Information 99 Conciseness 100 Confident Style 106 Consistency: Layout 107 Consistency: Style 107 Contact Information 109 Content 110 Context Independence 111 Contextual Clues 112 Contractions 116 Contrast 116 Copyright Issues 117 Copyright Notice 118 Course Offering 120 Credibility 121 Cross-References 123 Dangling Modifier 126

2 iv THE INTERNET WRITER S HANDBOOK Dashes 126 Date Stamp 127 Deep Linking 128 Definitions 128 Disclaimer 132 Domain Name 133 Download Menu 134 Editorial/Submission Guidelines 135 Educational Information List Information 142 Query 143 Emphasis 144 Examples 145 FAQ 148 Feedback 151 File Management 152 Flowchart 153 Focal Point 154 Font 155 Font Size 157 Footer 157 Footnotes 158 Form 160 Frames 161 Frames for Navigational Aids 163 Glossary 163 Graphics 166 Grid 169 Grouping 171 Handheld Devices: Designing For 172 Head 172 Header 173 Headings 174 Headlines 176 Home Page 180 HTML Editing Software 181 Humor 182 Hyphens 184 Icons 186 Image Map 187 Important Information 188 Indentation 190 Index 191 Informal Writing 192 Information Overload 193 Informational Page: Business or Service 194 Instructions 195 Intensifying Words 200 Interactivity 201 International Audience 202 Introduction: Site 205 Introductions 212 Inverted Pyramid 213 Italics 214 Jargon 214 Journal (Electronic) 215 Keywords 218 Large Initial Cap 220 Layering Information 221 Line Length 223 Lines (Rules) 223 Link Title 224 Links 225 Links: Embedded Text 227 Links: External 230 Links: Internal 233 Links: Lists 234 Links: Text 236 List Page 244 Lists 246 Location Identification 248 Logos/Trademarks 249 Long Description 249 Magazine or E-Zine 250 Margins 253 Marquee 253 Menu 253 Meta Information 257 Metaphor 258 Misplaced Modifier 259 Mission Statement 260 Monospaced Type 261 Multimedia 262 Navigation 264 Navigation: Types of 266 Netiquette 269 News 270 Newsletter 273 Next Links 274 Noise 276 Non-Sexist Language 276 Numbered (Ordered) Lists 277 Numbers 278 Objectivity 279 Organization 280 Organization Page 282 Page Length 284 Page Numbers 286 Page Size 287 Paragraphs 288 Parallel Construction 291 Parentheses 292 Patterned Information 292 Periods 293 Personal Page 293 Personal Tone 294

3 Contents v Platform-Independent Terminology 296 Position/Placement 298 Positive Language 298 Preformatted Text 299 Press Release 300 Print vs. Web 301 Printing 302 Privacy/Privacy Policy 302 Procedures 303 Process/How Things Work 308 Product or Service Information 311 Promotional Language 312 Pronoun Errors 313 Proximity 315 Publication Information 316 Pull Quote 316 Punctuation Marks 317 Purpose/Objective 318 Questions/Question Marks 319 Quick Reference 320 Quotation Marks 322 Readability 323 Redirect Page 324 Reference Information 325 Repetition 326 Research 326 Resume 327 Run-On Sentence 329 Sales & Persuasive Sites 329 Scannability 333 School Web Site 334 Scope 334 Scrolling 336 Search Engine 336 Search Engines: Writing For 337 Semi-Colons 337 Sentence Fragment 338 Sentences 339 Seven Plus or Minus Two Rule 341 Shifts in Tense, Person, Number 341 Shortcuts 342 Signature 343 Simplicity 344 Site Guide/Site Help 344 Site Map 347 Spamming 349 Spatial/Temporal References 349 Special Characters 350 Spelling 350 Splash Page 352 Stickiness 353 Storyboard 353 Structure 353 Style Guide 357 Style Sheets (Editorial) 357 Summary or Abstract 358 Support Information 360 Support: Technical 361 Table of Contents 363 Tables/Grids 366 Tagline 369 Telegraphic Style 370 Template 371 Tense 372 Testing 372 Theme 373 Thumbnail Graphics 373 Title 374 Tone 377 Topic Sentences 379 Training/Tutorial 380 Transitions 383 Transparent Writing 387 Troubleshooting 387 Underlining 390 Updated Information 391 URL (Uniform Resource Locator) Format 393 Usability Testing 394 Usage: Computer and Internet Words to Watch For 394 Usenet/Newsgroup Posting 396 User Guide 396 User Options/Personalization 398 Verbs 399 Visual Cues 401 Weblog 402 White Paper 403 White Space 404 Word Choice 405 Words: Errors to Watch For 408 You Orientation 408 Appendix 411 Glossary 412 Useful Lists 417 Suggested Reading 421 Review Checklist 422 Index 427

4 vi THE INTERNET WRITER S HANDBOOK Topical Guide Writing Process Audience Analysis 50 Brainstorming 66 Concept Document 98 Content 110 Copyright Issues 117 File Management 152 Flowchart 153 HTML Editing Software 181 Organization 280 Purpose/Objective 318 Research 326 Storyboard 353 Structure 353 Style Guide 357 Style Sheets (Editorial) 357 Testing 372 Usability Testing 394 Web Page Elements Banner 58 Contact Information 109 Copyright Notice 118 Date Stamp 127 Disclaimer 132 Domain Name 133 Feedback 151 Footer 157 Header 173 Introduction: Site 205 Purpose/Objective 318 Signature 343 Scope 334 Navigation Access to Information 23 Accessibility 23 Alternative (ALT) Text 37 Browsing Options 68 Buttons/Navigation Bars 71 Colored Links 88 Cross-References 123 Deep Linking 128 Download Menu 134 Footnotes 158 Frames for Navigational Aids 163 Image Map 187 Index 191 Layering Information 221 Links 225 Links: Embedded Text 227 Links: External 230 Links: Internal 233 Links: Lists 234 Links: Text 236 List Page 244 Location Identification 248 Menu 253 Navigation 264 Navigation: Types of 266 Next Links 274 Page Numbers 286 Scrolling 336 Search Engine 336 Shortcuts 342 Site Map 347 Structure 353 Table of Contents 363 Thumbnail Graphics 373 User Options/Personalization 398

5 Topical Guide vii Web Page Design Alignment 36 Animation 38 Background Color 57 Background Image 57 Balance 58 Banner 58 Blinking Text 61 Bold 62 Boxes 65 Bulleted (Unordered) Lists 69 Bullets: Graphical 70 Callouts/Captions 73 Capitalization 74 Cascading Style Sheets 76 Centered Text 79 Charts 79 Color 87 Colored Links 88 Colored Text 89 Columns 90 Consistency: Layout 107 Contrast 116 Emphasis 144 Flowchart 153 Focal Point 154 Font 155 Font Size 157 Frames 161 Graphics 166 Grid 169 Grouping 171 Handheld Devices: Designing For 172 Headings 174 Headlines 176 Icons 186 Indentation 190 Italics 214 Large Initial Caps 220 Line Length 223 Link Title 224 Lines (Rules) 223 Lists 246 Logos/Trademarks 249 Margins 253 Marquee 253 Metaphor 258 Monospaced Type 261 Multimedia 262 Next Links 274 Noise 276 Numbered (Ordered) Lists 277 Page Length 284 Page Size 287 Position/Placement 298 Preformatted Text 299 Print vs. Web 301 Printing 302 Proximity 315 Pull Quote 316 Readability 323 Repetition 326 Scannability 333 Simplicity 344 Special Characters 350 Splash Page 352 Tables/Grids 366 Template 371 Theme 373 Thumbnail Graphics 373 Underlining 390 Visual Cues 401 White Space 404

6 viii THE INTERNET WRITER S HANDBOOK Types of Web Writing Announcement of Web Page 44 Archives 46 Bibliographic Record 59 Biographical Information 60 Book: Online 63 Catalog Page 77 Children: Writing Web Pages for Kids 80 Community Features 95 Company Page 96 Course Offering 120 Editorial/Submission Guidelines 135 Educational Information List Information 142 Query 143 FAQ 148 Form 160 Glossary 163 Home Page 180 Informational Page: Business or Service 194 Instructions 195 Journal (Electronic) 215 List Page 244 Magazine or E-Zine 250 Mission Statement 260 News 270 Newsletter 273 Organization Page 282 Personal Page 293 Press Release 300 Privacy/Personal Information 302 Procedures 303 Process/How Things Work 308 Product or Service Information 311 Publication Information 316 Quick Reference 320 Redirect Page 324 Reference Information 325 Resume 327 Sales & Persuasive Sites 329 School Web Site 334 Site Guide/Site Help 344 Summary or Abstract 358 Support Information 360 Support: Technical 361 Tagline 369 Training/Tutorial 380 Troubleshooting 387 Updated Information 391 Usenet/Newsgroup Posting 396 User Guide 396 Weblog 402 White Paper 403 Web Page Writing Techniques Action Steps 28 Advance Organizers 30 Analogies 38 Annotation 40 Attention 47 Audience: Writing for 52 Blurb 61 Branding 67 Chunking 82 Conceptual Information 99 Context Independence 111 Contextual Clues 112 Definitions 128 Examples 145 Important Information 188 Information Overload 193 Interactivity 201 Introductions 212 Inverted Pyramid 213 Layering Information 221

7 Topical Guide ix Web Page Style Accuracy 25 Active Voice 29 Buzzwords 72 Clarity 85 Clichés 86 Conciseness 100 Confident Style 106 Consistency: Style 107 Credibility 121 Humor 182 Informal Writing 192 Information Overload 193 Intensifying Words 200 International Audience 202 Jargon 214 Netiquette 269 Noise 276 Non-Sexist Language 276 Objectivity 279 Paragraphs 288 Parallel Construction 291 Patterned Information 292 Personal Tone 294 Platform-Independent Terminology 296 Positive Language 298 Promotional Language 312 Readability 323 Search Engines: Writing For 337 Sentences 339 Seven Plus or Minus Two Rule 341 Spamming 349 Spatial/Temporal References 349 Stickiness 353 Style Guide 357 Style Sheets (Editorial) 357 Telegraphic Style 370 Tone 377 Topic Sentences 379 Transitions 383 Transparent Writing 387 Verbs 399 Word Choice 405 "You" Orientation 408 Editing Abbreviations 22 Abbreviations: 23 Acronyms 26 Agreement: Pronoun 34 Agreement: Subject/Verb 35 Apostrophes 45 Capitalization 74 Colons 86 Commas 92 Comma Splice 92 Contractions 116 Dangling Modifier 126 Dashes 126 Hyphens 184 Misplaced Modifier 259 Numbers 278 Parentheses 292 Periods 293 Pronoun Errors 313 Punctuation Marks 317 Questions/Question Marks 319 Quotation Marks 322 Run-On Sentence 329 Semi-Colons 337 Sentence Fragment 338 Shifts in Tense, Person, or Number 341 Spelling 350 Tense 372 URL (Uniform Resource Locator) 393 Usage: Words to Watch For 394 Words: Errors to Watch For 408