Southern Hospitality Part 2

This is a continuation of my last blog post...

Another instance where I realized I was no longer in the south and missed the hospitality I was accustomed to took place last winter break. I took the Amtrak home with a very heavy suitcase and a carry-on bag. I was fine getting on the Amtrak with my luggage because the workers helped. Once I got off at my stop in Washington DC 14 hours later, I had to take the metro into Maryland. I traveled by myself and as I mentioned before I had a heavy suitcase. No one offered help (not that I expected them to) but instead they impatiently passed me on the escalator and on the platform. I just thought it was simply rude. Nonetheless I survived and felt accomplished that I could haul all my stuff by myself.

Southern Hospitality

In one of my earlier blog posts I pointed out the differences I noticed since attending school at the University of Florida. Here is yet another post about it:

I must say that I've gotten used to the southern hospitality of North Florida. I've gotten used to people opening doors for me, saying "hello" when they don't know me and replying "my pleasure" when I say "thank you". These gestures may not sound like a big deal but believe me it is. Coming from the Washington DC area, people aren't always the friendliest. Being down here has made me kind of forget how ruthless people up north can be. I regularly ride the bus on campus and it is customary to greet the driver when getting on and to say "thank you" as you get off. Recently I went to visit my best friend at the University of Maryland and as we were getting on their shuttle, I greeted the driver. She [the driver] was caught off guard and as we took our seats, my best friend looked at me and asked if I had greeted the driver. I looked back at her confused that they didn't do so on her campus. She replied that they only say "thank you" sometimes as they got off. After this incident is when I noticed I had picked up some of the southern hospitality.

Florida Animals

I have talked about how Florida's physical environment is different than Maryland's. There's warm weather and palm trees. Well those aren't the only differences. Florida is known to have alligators hence the Florida "Gators". They are abundant in Lake Alice which is on campus.

Another animal that is unique to Florida is the anole. The ones here are brown and range in size. They don't get too big unless its a pregnant female anole. It took awhile to get used to especially when they manage to get into bedrooms. 

My Roommate Erin Tells Me Some of The Changes She's Noticed

Erin has lived in Virginia which is very close to Maryland and we share a lot of similar culture. She tells me some of the different things she's noticed since moving to Florida.

Don't Make Me Think By: Steve Krug

“Don’t Make Me Think” by Steve Krug is a great read for teams looking to get great web design tips and improve their websites. I would absolutely recommend it to beginners like myself and people who just started venturing into web design. It’s a short read with basic concepts that are very easy to follow. The book incorporates real life situations making the tips easier and more logical to follow. It’s not only for beginners. Every member of the team from managers to web designers can get great information and suggestions from this book.

What makes a good website based on what the book recommends?

·      A good website should have short precise, straight to the point topics, stories, themes.

·      A good website should be self-explanatory, meaning it shouldn’t have instructions to follow. And if they do, make sure they are well thought out and thorough.

·      Test the website by having people visit it. After you’ve created it you are likely exposed to it many times and are desensitized. Have someone else look at it and offer feedback. Fresh eyes will help in catching details that your eyes have missed.

·      Great visuals such as pictures, videos, slideshows, galleries.  These need to instantly grab the users attention. Bold, eye-catching words and big banners across the page or on the sides also catch user’s attention.

·      A great website should have content that improves the user’s life in some aspect.  Whether it is something they didn’t know or how to fix something. New information should be presented to better the user’s life.

·      Put time and commitment into the website. The time put in will show in the quality and success of the site. Make sure you do a good job and if that requires spending a lot of time then so be it. It will pay off.

·      The users should be able to make mindless choices hence, “Don’t Make Me Think.” They should not have to think twice before clicking a link or a page.

·      A website shouldn’t demand a lot of time from users.  It is less likely to be used if it is time consuming.

·      The site should be simple enough to use that people of average ability or below average can figure out without difficulty.

·      Comment box should be available to allow opinions to be shared and discussions to start within users. This increases chances of creating a community amongst users.

·      Search box and FAQs link should be included as well to guarantee the users find exactly what they are looking for.