This is my first post. I am only a novice, so hopefully people will like it. Eventually I'll get the hang of it.
I was exploring the BarackObama.com and JohnMcCain.com websites, and I noticed something different about each of them. Obama’s is Internet friendly, McCain’s is not.
Compare Obama’s Iraq page to McCain’s Iraq page. Notice the "At a Glance" section at the top of the Obama page. It quickly links down to various portions of the article, much like we who use Wikipedia are accustomed to at the beginning of encyclopedia entries. McCain’s site has no such shortcut.
Furthermore, the text on the Obama page is smaller, making it easier to read. Your eyes don’t have to move as often, and you can see many words in one area without the need to squint. McCain’s site looks like it was made to be read by people about as old as he is.
Also, there are more headings on Obama’s page. That simply makes it much easier to find a topic when scrolling through the page.
Another aspect of Obama’s site that will help him on the Internet is its similarities to a blog. The layout is more cluttered than McCain’s, a good thing when it comes to younger people who access his site. Not the text, mind you—the text is laid out fine. But the boxes and links to the other parts of the website are stacked on top of each other.
Remind you of anything?
How about the old Facebook profile?
Yes, Obama’s website is reminiscent of the Mark Zuckerberg production we’ve all come to know and love. That is why there is such a backlash against the new layout of Facebook—there is not enough clutter. And that is why web surfers will love Obama’s website more than McCain’s.
Notice, too, that McCain's site has a blue background now. This is different than the previous black background that conveyed a sense of violent militarism. Obviously, the blue is a sort of plagiarism (albeit unprovable) of the Obama website's color scheme and the general theme of the Facebook color scheme. McCain's website even looks more cluttered.
As the month of October rolls onward, many Facebook users will be frustrated about the changes that keep occurring to the formatting of the social networking site. They will view it as an irresponsible action not accepted by the people’s will.
Obama’s website, just like Obama himself, offers a change to that dreadful status quo.