Content-type: text/html Downes.ca ~ Stephen's Web ~ Report Slams Web Personalization

Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community
This is very interesting. Althouigh personalization has been the mantra preached by consultants over the last year or more, a new report suggests that users would benefit more from better site design. "Given flexible, usable navigation and search, Web site visitors will be more satisfied with their experiences and will find fewer barriers to the profitable behavior sought by site operators. In fact, good navigation can replace personalization in most cases." According to the report, personalization is not only less effective, it is also much more costly. Moreover, personalization requires the obtaining of information from readers, something which in these spam-filled days breeds suspicion and mistrust. I think that the report has a point, but my response is more in tune with broadview's Richard Hughes: "Anything can be done badly and expensively," including personalization.

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Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
stephen@downes.ca

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Last Updated: Nov 23, 2024 5:25 p.m.

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