Thesis (M. Tech.: Information Technology)-Dept. of Information Technology, Durban Institute of Technology, 2005 xiv, 170, [20] leaves / This study examines the efficiency, ease of use and ease of understanding of user interface designs implemented in current e-commerce websites. Four South African based e-commerce websites formed the test cases of this study. Selection of the test cases was based on the results and conclusions of previous surveys conducted by an independent research institution. The outcome of that survey identified the most popular e-commerce websites among South African internet users.

Presently in South Africa, a large number of companies are developing an online presence. For established companies whose brands are already well entrenched in the minds of their consumers, the challenge lies in developing an online site that matches the expectations that consumers have come to rely on from that brand. It is interesting to analyse whether or not top companies employ similar web site design criteria as compared to the runner-up companies. This investigative study researches the application of web site design criteria by 102 leading consumer brand manufacturers in South Africa. Thirty-four objective, marketing-related site design sub-criteria were chosen and subsequently organised into 9 broad categories. These 102 leading manufacturers' sites were separated into leader sites (n=53) and runner-up sites (n=49), with the aim of identifying criteria (if any) that are specifically applied by leader sites as compared to runner-up sites. A quantitative approach was applied in this study. These web sites were checked for the application of each criterion and sub-criterion using content analysis, the results of which were recorded on a data sheet. The generated data was analysed using statistical software and specifically the statistical techniques of t-testing, cluster and discriminant analysis. The cluster analysis showed no difference in the application of web design criteria by leader and runner-up sites. However, the t-test revealed that the navigation and customer support criteria showed the most significant difference in its application between leader and runner-up sites. Discriminant analysis confirmed that navigation and customer support criteria were the most discriminating criteria, and also identified a third criterion of advertising/promotion/publicity. Additional research was undertaken to determine to what extent these three discriminating criteria were actually applied. This involved analysing the mean differences between the 'top 10 vs bottom 10' sites and 'top 30 vs bottom 30' sites. This additional effort further confirmed what was previously determined, that navigation, customer support and advertising/promotion/publicity are the three criteria which demonstrate a significant difference between leader and runner-up sites. This implies that most of the web sites of the top consumer brand manufacturers in South Africa clearly demonstrate application of these three criteria in the web design strategy. / Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, 2003.

The central contention of this thesis is that an increase in image-focused or pseudo-event-focused hyperlinked-headlines is occurring on online news sites. This central contention contains at least three implications. First, holding that the newspaper is the epitome of traditional journalism, a crisis in the news industry is underway. The crisis began as a result of newspapers’ financial challenges posed by electronic media, but the growth of online news sites has accelerated and worsened conditions. Second, as a result of this dire financial situation, news outlets, collectively, are shifting focus from traditional journalism’s concept of news to a 1830s-era Penny Press sensationalism style, marked by human-interest pieces, entertainment fluff and celebrity gossip. Third, news is shifting away from the ironic reporting method and theory of detached observer to a more personally connected style of narrative storytelling, which, together with the aforementioned implications, signifies a cyclical cycle and consequential return to the colonial roots of the American press and its definition of news. / The evolving crisis in the American news system -- Literature review of related topics -- Methodology -- Results : the news shift from event to image-based -- Discussion, limitations and recommendations for further study. / Department of Telecommunications

This study presents an overview of how community managers, a title encompassing all moderators of online discussion, handle their position in the discussion areas of a news website, whether that is embedded comments connected to stories or on message boards. The primary evidence, gathered through a structured interview, suggests that community managers are spending the majority of their time dealing with spam, off-topic comments, and harmful comments, typically either inappropriate language or personal attacks on other users. The prevalence of community managers as a position was found through the use of a survey to high-ranking members of newspapers across the United States. The survey showed that while most news organizations have sections that allow users to have their voice be heard, many of the sections are not being moderated for content. Many times, comments sections can turn inappropriate if left unchecked. The thesis contains some suggestions that community moderators should consider as they look to develop the most effective, open, and welcoming forum for user-generated content. / Department of Journalism

The purpose of this master's thesis is to examine how the public library communicates with young users through the library web sites. Four Swedish public library web pages for children are analysed. In the analysis the web pages are treated as a combination of semiotic resources that, communicating as a whole, hold a meaning potential. In order to identify the underlying meaning of the whole I have applied the tools of Kress' & van Leeuwen's visual social semiotics to the chosen web pages. The information value, the framing and the salience of each composition is examined and analysed, as is the size of frame, the perspective and the vertical angle of a selection of images from each web page. The results of the semiotic analysis are then discussed and related to Jochumsen et al:s four space-model and the notion of ”child perspective” and ”empowerment”. The results show that the child perspective is strongest on the web pages that represent the performative space as dominating and that empowerment is mainly represented as ”doing”, ”participating” and the ”free choice”. The representation of adult presence often contradicts the child perspective that the overall layout communicates. Another finding is that part and whole tend to convey the same message. This is a two years master's thesis in Archive, Library and Museum studies.

The Canadian language training sector is a booming industry for those interested in capitalizing on the worldwide demand for English, such as private language schools. Thus, this study analyzed the websites of two Montreal-based private language schools to elucidate how these schools use discursive and visual resources to advance their ideology. Defined as a form of social practice (Fairclough, 1992; Pare, 2002), ideology is the way in which the schools are acting discursively in order to serve their for-profit interests. Specifically, the study investigated how both schools manage the tension between their claims to educational legitimacy and their business concerns. The study used analytical strategies from Fairclough's (1992, 2003) Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and Kress and van Leuuven's (2006) visual grammar. Findings revealed that the schools further their ideology by positioning and legitimating themselves as educational institutions, and commercializing non-educational services (e.g., sightseeing tours) promoted as having second language (L2) developmental value.

Thesis (M.S.)--State University of New York at Binghamton, Department of Computer Science, Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Illinois State University, 2006. / Title from title page screen, viewed on February 4, 2008. Dissertation Committee: Dent Rhodes (chair), Tom Crumpler, Cheri Toledo, Bobb Darnell. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 107-113) and abstract. Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Toronto, 2005.

Thesis (M.S.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 2008. / Typescript. Accompanying CD-R contains PDF version of the thesis. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 29-31).