The first website (http://www2.vcdh.virginia.edu/gos/) I decided to review had a plethora of pros and cons. Regarding weaknesses, I think the overall appearance of the website is very poor. It was slightly compressed on my screen and I didn’t like the overall layout of the home page; it felt uninviting. Slavery is without a doubt a difficult topic to speak about, so making an approachable website is crucial in urging people to educate themselves. I thought the information, too, was weak. There also wasn’t a lot of information per page and there were minimal photographs, which made me not want to engage. Everything is decently accessible, I suppose, but I wish there was more on the website.
As for the second website (https://freedomonthemove.org), I would argue this one was significantly better. This website has a database (which we LOVE), which makes me feel as though it is a bit more credible. The website also has a variety of pictures to make it feel more engaging. I thought the information was presented in a very palatable way, which I enjoyed. I really like this website comparatively. It is very accessible. Everything you need is right there.
Overall, https://freedomonthemove.org is a WAY better website than http://www2.vcdh.virginia.edu/gos/. It is much more digestible.
These websites stand out to me for the way they are similar in scope, but far different in terms of delivery. I completely agree that the first website is not visually appealing, although it is interesting how deeply organized and detailed the information is once you find it. The navigation could have been smoother, but the information is so “nested” within itself. For instance, one would have to click Browse the Ads > Browse Ads by Decade > Select Decade> Select Month > Select the specific publication, to finally open a new window that presents the text of the advertisement plus a photo. That kind of flow, although impressive in terms of organization, is not really user-friendly.
The second website catches my eye right away and feels so much more immersive. Even though both are “databases”, presentation is very important, as you suggested. Thank for your thoughts on these!