Presenting Mathematical Concepts on the World Wide Web
Think Big: Designing a Web Site
Assist Your Audience:
Basic Faculty Information
I am going to recommend that the U O'Swamp Math Department's
webmaster set up and maintain a very simple "official page "
for each faculty member. All of these pages should have the same
basic information for each member of the department, mostly
"administrative" data that is not likely to change very
frequently:
My model is that the departmental webmaster will maintain those
basic pages for all members of the department. Individuals will
be permitted (and, if necessary, assisted) to
maintain their own "personal pages"
(next),
which will be used for the more detailed information that they will
likely want to maintain and update themselves.
[1]
Some web sites include photos with the basic information, while others
do not. Some people resist having photos included, citing
"security" concerns. My own personal opinions are that:
- There are risks to daily life. The web is not unique in that
regard. While there is some very personal information that I would
not put out on the web, if someone is out to get me, simply not having
my photo on the web is not going to stop them. On the other hand,
having it there can serve other useful purposes.
- If you think it's ok to have photos on a physical bulletin board
as many departments do (of course, some don't, and in some settings it
certainly would be ill-advised), then having them on the web is not
all that different.
- Having photos available makes a place seem more
"hospitable" (although some may prefer not to convey that
sort of image).
- If you have a standard procedure of including photos, then you can
also have some standard means of permitting exceptions for those who
do have serious problems with having their own likeness represented.
And that's usually easier to implement than the other way around.
Next: More Faculty Information
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Think Big: Designing a Web Site
Presenting Mathematical Concepts on the World Wide Web.
Copyright © 1997 by
Carol Scheftic.
All rights reserved.
(This course is based on a workshop originally offered at
The Geometry Center
and adapted with permission.)
Please send comments on this page,
or requests for permission to re-use material from this page, to:
scheftic@geom.umn.edu
Page established 1-Jun-97;
last updated Sunday, 13-Jul-1997 19:37:43 CDT.