The Answer
What are we exploring here?			Here are some examples of the kinds of audiences for web sites:
Web Sites for Self Expression, with No Specific Audience			Sometimes the creator of a website doesn't think about audience, and just designs the site for someone like him or herself. In this case, the site may be an act of self-expression. Such a site can be useful if the creator's goals and interests match those of the person browsing the WWW. Example:
			http://heartcorps.com/subversive/just_for_fun/hotlinks.htm
Educational Sites			Discussion of Melanie's World: This site reflects Melanie's personality and interests. The items detailed will be of greatest interest to those who share these interests. Exploring the site actually reveals that Melanie also offers a product to consumers, but a focus on it has not taken over the site. Some sites are intended to provide information or educational materials. These may be aimed at an audience of a specific age, education, or background and experience. Example:
			http://www.euro.net/mark-space/Cyberpunk.html
Working Sites			Discussion of the Cyberpunk page: This site is designed to provide information about Cyberpunk to anyone who searches on the word. It is aimed primarily at those with an interest in science fiction, and aims to show that cyberpunk represents an important contribution to this genre. Many locations on the WWW are "working sites" designed to help a specific group of people perform a task. Such a site may contain specific information familiar to members of that group. Example:
			http://coas.drexel.edu/humanities/faculty/thury/maps.html
Sites That Sell a Product or an Idea			Discussion of the "maps" page: This page was developed for a Freshman English class which meets in a computer class. The page was an easy way for class members to share each other's "mental maps" for discussion. The class had been studying mental as a way to think about how their ideas develop and change as they do research on their paper topics on unrelated topics. The mental maps are unlikely to be meaningful to those who have not done the class readings on mental mapping. They reflect various degrees of familiarity with the television shows which are their subject. A WWW site may have a commercial or political purpose, to convince its audience to buy a product, or to adopt an opinion or point of view. If this is the case, you may want to see if there is "another side" to the issue. Example: http://www.negativland.com/nmol.dispepsi.html
			Discussion of the Dispepsi page: This page represents both a product and a political position. Negativland is a group that produces music, and Dispepsi is their latest CD. However, the CD is not widely available, and the site is designed to parody commercial themes and values.
Bon Voyage!			This rapid overview of sample sites concludes this introduction to critical thinking and the World Wide Web. The best way to learn more about the Web is to do your own surfing and to think carefully about what you find. If you aren't sure of how to find things on the World Wide Web, you might want to look at the Tips for Searching the Web available on this site. If you already know how to search the Web, you can start right away to apply the skills covered in this tutorial, and to broaden them. There are plenty of other useful sites that can help you hone your critical thinking skills as you evaluate Web-based materials. Happy surfing!
Main Sections