Open a Z-mail window and address it to mick@rpi.edu; you may copy it to yourself if you wish. Answer the following questions as quickly and efficiently as you can -- you have up to 30 minutes and can earn up to 58 points (out of 50) Please number and letter your answers clearly!

Relax! If you're not happy with your score, you will have plenty of chances to make up the points elsewhere! This quiz is intended to simply gauge where the class is at this early in the semester!

Part 1
1. Questions about class ... Easy points!
1 point each:

  • A.) What is the address for the class list?
  • B.) You are no longer eligible to pass this class after how many absences?
  • C.) How does a "late" factor into the attendance equation?
  • D.) Name two other instructors, anywhere in the world, teaching writing classes with a web focus this semester
  • E.) Your attendance and participation is what percentage of your grade in this class?
  • F.) What kind of professional workplace atmosphere will this class be emulating later in the semester?
    2. Short essay. Answer at least three -- you may, as time permits, answer all of them!
    A. 5 points:
    Collins discussed the importance of three "axes" of web construction: relevance, usability and control. In a few sentences, describe what these terms mean and how they are related.

    B. 5 points:
    LeMay introduced the idea of "storyboarding" as a means of planning a website. What is it, and why might it be useful?

    C. 5 points:
    What is this "hypertext" thing, anyway? How's it different from a regular old book or magazine?

    D. 5 points
    In "What Matters ...," Lunsford, Rickly, Salvo and West construct a web discussing issues of "ownership" of text. One of the striking refrains in this web is the idea that "even when we seemingly write 'alone,' we are writing with others." Discuss your reaction to this idea -- what does it mean? Does the idea itself matter?

    E. 5 points
    (Open ended question.) Nancy Kaplan writes about "e-literacies," which she points out could also be interpreted "elite-racies." What could this distinction possibly have to do with a class like this one?

    3. Identification: each of the following describes a term we will be using in class this semester. Provide the term. One point each.
  • A.) An area within a the content of a node which is the source or destination of a link; tend to be highlighted in a special way.
  • B.) A link in one direction implied from the existence of an explicit link in the other direction.
  • C.) A program which allows a person to read hypertext; gives some means of viewing the contents of nodes , and of navigating from one node to another.
  • D.) A computer on a network; use this term rather than " node," which is often used for a document in a hypertext web.
  • E.) Adective describing a link to a node in the same database.
  • F.) The process of moving from one node to another through the hypertext web . This is normally done by following links.
  • G.) A unit of information. Also known as a frame or card.
  • H.) The allowable connectivity between nodes, anchors and links.
    4. Coding. 10 points each.

    A. Write a few lines of code that, if you were to place it on the web, would contain your name in bold face; on another line, your class rank (junior, senior, etc.) and major in italics; on another line, your hometown and an automail link to yourself. At the bottom of this "page," include an active link to our class syllaweb. Be sure all your headers and closing code are in place!

    B. Go to this link and click on "View Source" in the menu bar of your Netscape window to see the code. There are at least four specific errors in this code -- name as many as you can.

    Quick Access:
    RPInfo * Yahoo * Infoseek * Comserve * WWW Broker * Lycos * Worm * Nikos * Crawler * Jewels * Knowbot * Kairos  * RPI Writing Center