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D. R. Green and S. D. King
the Internet. Not only do they allow for simple navigation of the Internet, but they also
allow for on-screen customisation e.g. colours and fonts, and can be used easily by
nearly anyone with little background in computing or information systems.
Relatively standard menus, terminology, screen layout, colours, and functions
provide users with a basic shell that is well suited to the casual or the frequent user.
Adherence to the Windows style by software developers means that most software
appears familiar, in the most general sense, to the user. Internet browsers e.g.
Netscape, Mosaic, Internet Explorer, developed to run under Windows retain the ‘feel’
of any MS-Windows software, but in addition provide a ‘customised’ and very specific
interface which is application-oriented; that is the interface is designed to offer the user
a set of tools specifically for the task of information retrieval. In this sense the browser
provides an additional interface for the user that is task specific. The interface is
simple, easy to grasp, and easy to use. Individuals can of course customise the interface
with the aid of the tools provided.
But, beyond this, there is also another level of interface, that of the actual
Internet pages. The appearance and control of the interface - the information delivery
interface - is controlled by the HTML, Javascript, or JAVA applets which make up the
Internet pages. Within the Internet browsers, navigational tools are provided via
HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) links established between the WWW pages.
HTML also provides the means to structure data and information, and to implement
the design layout of each page. Through the use of CGI scripts it is also possible to add
in links e.g. email, forms, and multiple choice questions. A more recent development
has been that of JAVASCRIPT (an extension of HTML), and the JAVA programming
language. JAVA applets offer the information system developer more tools to enhance
overall information delivery through, e.g. animation, interaction etc. The HCI (Human
Computer Interface) is an important component of any information delivery system.
Such information can be a static delivery, taking the form of text, images, or
graphics. In the case of e.g. the background, colour or enhanced wallpaper can be used
to provide aesthetic appeal, identity and continuity between the many links. Text can
be sized, coloured, aligned, and the fonts altered to maximise the visual impact of the
screen. Highlights and breaks in structure can be provided through the addition of
spacing lines and graphics. Small graphics and thumbnails can be added to make the
screens more aesthetically appealing, eye-catching, and informative. Beyond this, text
and graphics can also be linked (hot links) to other text and images. But information
can also be delivered in a much more dynamic way e.g. as a video clip, or through the
use of animated graphics. These may be simple animations that enhance the visual
appeal of the screen, or animations that deliver information in a way that could not be
so effectively delivered in any other way. Inclusion of Java applets can be used to
extend the delivery of information in an interactive fashion.
The Interface provided by the browser provides a multiple-level entry
interface for the user. At the first level is the MS-Windows interface. At the second
level is the Browser interface, and at the third, and in this case perhaps the most
important level is the Internet Information System interface which focuses the user on
D. R. Green and S. D. King
the Internet. Not only do they allow for simple navigation of the Internet, but they also
allow for on-screen customisation e.g. colours and fonts, and can be used easily by
nearly anyone with little background in computing or information systems.
Relatively standard menus, terminology, screen layout, colours, and functions
provide users with a basic shell that is well suited to the casual or the frequent user.
Adherence to the Windows style by software developers means that most software
appears familiar, in the most general sense, to the user. Internet browsers e.g.
Netscape, Mosaic, Internet Explorer, developed to run under Windows retain the ‘feel’
of any MS-Windows software, but in addition provide a ‘customised’ and very specific
interface which is application-oriented; that is the interface is designed to offer the user
a set of tools specifically for the task of information retrieval. In this sense the browser
provides an additional interface for the user that is task specific. The interface is
simple, easy to grasp, and easy to use. Individuals can of course customise the interface
with the aid of the tools provided.
But, beyond this, there is also another level of interface, that of the actual
Internet pages. The appearance and control of the interface - the information delivery
interface - is controlled by the HTML, Javascript, or JAVA applets which make up the
Internet pages. Within the Internet browsers, navigational tools are provided via
HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) links established between the WWW pages.
HTML also provides the means to structure data and information, and to implement
the design layout of each page. Through the use of CGI scripts it is also possible to add
in links e.g. email, forms, and multiple choice questions. A more recent development
has been that of JAVASCRIPT (an extension of HTML), and the JAVA programming
language. JAVA applets offer the information system developer more tools to enhance
overall information delivery through, e.g. animation, interaction etc. The HCI (Human
Computer Interface) is an important component of any information delivery system.
Such information can be a static delivery, taking the form of text, images, or
graphics. In the case of e.g. the background, colour or enhanced wallpaper can be used
to provide aesthetic appeal, identity and continuity between the many links. Text can
be sized, coloured, aligned, and the fonts altered to maximise the visual impact of the
screen. Highlights and breaks in structure can be provided through the addition of
spacing lines and graphics. Small graphics and thumbnails can be added to make the
screens more aesthetically appealing, eye-catching, and informative. Beyond this, text
and graphics can also be linked (hot links) to other text and images. But information
can also be delivered in a much more dynamic way e.g. as a video clip, or through the
use of animated graphics. These may be simple animations that enhance the visual
appeal of the screen, or animations that deliver information in a way that could not be
so effectively delivered in any other way. Inclusion of Java applets can be used to
extend the delivery of information in an interactive fashion.
The Interface provided by the browser provides a multiple-level entry
interface for the user. At the first level is the MS-Windows interface. At the second
level is the Browser interface, and at the third, and in this case perhaps the most
important level is the Internet Information System interface which focuses the user on