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Posted by on Sep 29, 2016 in Archive

Review: Don’t Make Me Think

With today’s technology rapidly advancing before our eyes, having a website that is quick and easy to use, but is able to display your brand effectively is extremely important. Although it’s an important thing for everyone to have, it doesn’t mean that everyone has a website that achieves these goals. In fact, most people don’t, because they do not know what makes for a good website. I have had my own website for about a year now and I can tell you that after reading Don’t Make Me Think by Steve Krug, I have some work to do on my site. Krug explains how we can make our websites effective and usable, but more importantly, your website should be easy to use.

Krug highlights the term “usability” in this book. Although it seems like common sense, many people have websites that are aren’t exactly usable. The concept is as simple as making sure your pages should be clear, making sure links are accessible to click if any were used, and keeping your content simple. Having a website that is hard to use can turn people away from your site. In today’s world, it isn’t realistic to believe that every person who visits your website will read every word on every page of your website. So no matter if you are a multimedia journalist who is trying to share their stories with the world, or if its are a clothing company who wants their customers to be able to buy clothes easily on their website; Krug’s message is as making sure your website is easy to use, or “usable.”

As for the layout of your website, it should be designed like a billboard. What that means, is that your website consists of clear headings, with short paragraphs or even bulleted lists. These little details are what makes your website appealing for whomever is browsing your site.

Not only is it important for your website to make your website appealing for the average browser, but also making your websites message is clear. When someone visits your website, they should be able to know exactly what to do while they’re browsing and where to go to do so.

As a multimedia journalist, no matter if I am writing for news or sports, I know that the main goal is to grab the attention of the audience, while producing reliable content for them to see. Whether its using creative titles to catch the readers attention or having teases on your homepage to entice the reader to look throughout your site, I always want to make sure that my site is usable and that my content is accessible.

All in all, Don’t Make Me Think taught me many of the important characteristics of what makes up a good website. Not every user is the same and not everyone will agree on what makes for a good website. As a journalist, I know that not everyone will like the way I share my brand with the world, or the content I produce, but I can do the best I can to make it appealing to the average browser. The same goes with creating a website. I can only do my best to make it easy to use, accessible to anyone, while providing reliable and accurate information.

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Posted by on Sep 22, 2016 in Archive

Preview: No 19 Florida at No 14 Tennessee

Preview: No 19 Florida at No 14 Tennessee

The Florida Gators will travel to Knoxville this Saturday to take on the Tennessee Volunteers. The highly anticipated matchup between two ranked SEC East teams will be on display in Neyland Stadium at 3:30 p.m. Not only that, but the College Gameday crew will also travel to Knoxville to preview the games from around the country.

Florida’s early season success has a lot to do with their defense. The Gators have allowed less than 10 points on the entire season, and are coming off a game where they allowed only 53 total yards. Florida is also one of two teams who have yet to let an opposing team score through the air.

Tennessee is looking to change that this Saturday. A Volunteers team who is led by Senior quarterback Josh Dobbs, came into the season ranked inside the Top 10 and were the rumored favorite to win the SEC East. After pulling out an overtime victory against Appalachian State in Week 1 and late starts to Week 2 and 3, Tennessee has dropped to 14th in the rankings.

In order for Tennessee to win, Dobbs will need to make an immediate impact on the game, whether its through the air or on the ground. In Florida’s first three games, they started off slow in two of them, but their defense made up for it.

Florida will be without starting quarterback Luke Del Rio for this game. Del Rio suffered a knee injury during the North Texas game and will be out the next 2-3 weeks. That means graduate transfer Austin Appleby will get his first start under center for the Gators. Appleby, who originally played for Purdue University, has plenty of in-game experience.

If Florida can establish the run, open up the play-action game for Appleby and play half as good of defense as they have all season, then they could come out on top on the road.

Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m.

 

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Posted by on Sep 22, 2016 in Archive

Gators Lose Starting Quarterback in Win Over North Texas

Gators Lose Starting Quarterback in Win Over North Texas

The Florida Gators improved to 3-0 on the season and moved to No. 19 in the AP Poll after defeating the North Texas Mean Green by a score of 32-0.  However, the Gators can’t help but feel that they lost in a way. Starting quarterback Luke Del Rio suffered a left knee injury, and is expected to miss the next two to three weeks. The Gators will turn to backup quarterback Austin Appleby to lead the Gators to victory in Del Rio’s absence.

Despite the injury to Del Rio, the Gators posted their second shutout of the season, four different running-backs got into the end-zone, and Appleby was able to get some more in-game experience under center for the Gators.

Notable Statistics

  • Mark Thompson (UF)- 11 carries, 85 yards, 1 TD
  • Jordan Scarlett (UF)- 11 carries, 63 yards, 1 TD
  • Luke Del Rio (UF)- 14 for 25, 186 yards, 1 INT
  • Jeffery Wilson (UNT) 10 carries, 30 yards

The Gators defense continues to amaze, as they allowed just 53 yards of total offense last weekend, the lowest in school history. The Gators have also held their first three opponents to under 10 points combined, which is the first time since the team has done that since 1988.  The Gators look to bring the same defensive intensity to Knoxville this Saturday as they square off against SEC East rival No. 14 Tennessee.

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Posted by on Sep 15, 2016 in Archive

Game Preview: North Texas at Florida (23)

Game Preview: North Texas at Florida (23)

After putting on an offensive-showcase against the Kentucky Wildcats, the Florida Gators look to build off that momentum as they square off against the North Texas Mean Green. Both teams are coming off victories where they scored over 40 points each.

If Florida comes out against North Texas like they came out against Kentucky, then the Mean Green are going to be in for a long night in the Swamp. Luke Del Rio is coming off a performance that put him in the conversation with Gator greats such as Tim Tebow and Rex Grossman, so Florida might look to air it out early.

However, the Mean Green have only allowed 245 yards through the air this season. For Florida, establishing the run will be important and could be the better strategy, as North Texas has given up over 400 yards rushing to opposing teams. Offensively, North Texas’ run game is their team’s strong point, rushing for over 400 yards in the first two games of the season. Although the numbers might not show it, Florida had its struggles last week against the run. Granted, Kentucky only threw the ball 13 times so most of their offense had to come from their ground-game.

If Florida comes out like they did against UMass then North Texas will need to take advantage of the opportunity while it lasts. But, if the Gators come out like they did against Kentucky then North Texas could be in for a long night in the Swamp

 

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Posted by on Sep 15, 2016 in Archive

30 Years of Dominance

30 Years of Dominance

1986:  The year the NFL adopted instant replay, the year Michael Jordan set a record for points scored in an NBA Playoff game with 63, and the last year The University of Kentucky beat The University of Florida in football.

After last Saturday’s 45-7 thrashing of the Wildcats, The University of Florida football extended its current 29-year win streak to 30. After struggling offensively the week before against UMass, the Gators combined for a total of 564 yards of total offense, their highest total in SEC play since 2001. Jim McElwain’s high power offense was on display in the Swamp last Saturday; here are a few notable statistics from the game:

Florida Offensive Numbers

  • Luke Del Rio 19-of-32 passes for 320 yards, four touchdowns and one interception.
  • Lamical Perine rushed for 105 yards on 17 carries
  • Antonio Callaway posted a career-high in receiving yards with 129
  • Florida had 13 third-down conversions, 10 coming in the first half

Florida’s defense has come out this season looking strong as well. The Gators have allowed just seven points over the first two weeks of the season, the fewest since 2011. Kentucky’s starting quarterback Drew Barker, who threw for over 300 yards in his first game, threw for a measly 10 yards on 2-of-10 passes. The team as a whole only had 55-yards through the air. Here are a few notable defensive statistics from the game:

Florida Defensive Numbers

  • Four forced turnovers (3 interceptions and 1 fumble)
  • Jachai Polite had his first career forced fumble
  • Jalon “Teez” Tabor had his first interception of the 2016 season.

The Gators have a long season ahead of them, but if they play anything like they did against Kentucky for the rest of the season then the Gators will have a very successful 2016 season.

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