Week 4 – Blog #4

(A.1) Lest We Forget: The Triumph Over Slavery (NYPL):

http://digital.nypl.org/lwf/flash.html

STRENGTHS: 

• The historical narrative of the slaves’ experience was well delivered. I enjoyed how the website speaks on the profoundly important difference between the slave mana and women. How the price of the enslaved person was determined by their “assets”. Any of these assets could be their skill as laborers or their youthfulness.  
• What often goes unnoticed is the impact the Trans-Saharan slave trade. How religion and culture were exchanged on the trade route, besides just gold and salt. How the import of dark-skinned African came from the south of the Sahara who served as domestic servants.  Also how the need for human beings gradually became items of exchange as the need for manpower grew during that time. 

WEAKNESSES:

• I did enjoy that the website covered multiple topics on the culture, experience, and duality of the life of a slave parent and their children. Though for as long and taxing slavery went on for, it gave a relatively  short and condensed summary for each topic. 

How the information is presented: 

• The information is very concise and to the point. Each category provides a general synopsis of the different arches in an enslaved persons experience.
• Another weakness I believe is having no audio, to give the audience a more enticing experience. Pictures do a  good job but even having a narrator to speak on that time period, or any audio would have made the audience experience more captivating.   

Accessibility to readers:

• The text of the information was not appealing to the eye. It was also very small (the text) when it came to absorbing the information, which made it difficult to read. 
• The website is fairly easy to navigate through because there is one general display page. By having all of the sub links to the different content the website offers, it makes it easy to switch back-and-forth. 

(A.2) Slavery in New York (New York Historical Society): 

http://www.slaveryinnewyork.org/

STRENGTHS: 

• The exhibit on the time lapse of slavery and its emancipation in New York is well structured. Of the nine galleries on the website, each gallery provides well documented information on what was occurring during each century. Gallery two provides detailed information on how the economy and financial capital New York blossomed. How the promise of “half-freedom” was used as a tool to boost the economy. 
• If one didn’t want to go in between each gallery, the website under the “About The Exhibit” provided a lengthier synopsis of how slavery was in New York, and the ramifications that came later when it was eventually abolished.
• The shades of sepia or yellow brown that is used for the background for the font, adds a nice touch that gives you this feeling of being present during that time. 

Weaknesses: 

• The only weakness I found with this website was when I am navigating from different display pages the text is relatively small. I often had to zoom in to read most of the information. 
• Another weakness was their choice to use small pictures to match the text. Not having a tool to enlarge the images was irritating. 

How the information is presented:

• There are seven tabs, each having its own subsets with other hyperlinks. Each tab is very structured and the website is very easy to navigate. Scrolling through the website each tab has a plethora of pictures that give a great visualization of that era.  
• The content is well structured where each section of the websites provides a basis of information that is easy to follow. The content also flows well from paragraph to paragraph, and tab to tab. 

Accessibility to readers:  

• The website is easy to enter by having large texts on its display pages. Also having multiple tabs by the corner window of the main website, allows users to navigate to the multiple link that provide separate information about the history of New York and slavery. 
• A big strength of this website is the relatively easiness that the writer exudes when expressing his or her points. The writing is easy to understand, so gives off the impression of a relatively easy book review.