Mackenzie Banks

5-18-06 Dian peer review

 

Site Appearance

            The pictures (and possibly videos and maps) shown in class and mentioned in your writing assignments are a great way to draw in the readers and give the site a personal feel.  I think that a section for media would be an effective technique because it would allow the photos and clips to be on the website, but not obstructing the information that needs to be shared. 

 

Content

            The sections on the history and conflict in Ambon will be vital as far as informing the reader, but I also think that having a site devoted to the children is more important.  I am not sure how you can find a balance between these two things, but I hope that description of the war does not detract from the children’s needs.  As we discussed in class, specific groups are likely to be touched by the site more than others, and I think you can increase the universal appeal by making it as much about the children (and as little about the politics) as possible.  In other words, an emphasis on the fact that the children are not responsible for the conflict; they are just unfairly affected by it.  Maybe short descriptions of the situation on initial pages can link to longer descriptions later on in the site for those who want to read in-depth.

            The statement made in one of the writing assignments, “The founders of RKB hope that they will return to Ambon as well-educated leaders of their generation,” is very important to the site, in my opinion, because it addresses an important question: what are the goals (general and specific) of the shelter?

            Writing assignments 1 and 2 provide great descriptions of the situation and the site’s purpose.  If they can be condensed or categorized, these will be great on the site.

 

Misc. Suggestions

-letters written by the children, school administrators, or shelter workers (and translated by you, of course) would establish credibility

-a detailed and specific list of what the money is needed for (i.e. rent, tutors, transportation, etc.)

-sample letters that people can send to organizations or companies requesting donations (stole this idea from Bryce!)

-a section about the site creator would, in this case, make readers more inclined to donate because of your involvement with and dedication to the organization