Conclusion

I think that since most people rely on technology for information, the resources they use must be maintained and up to date. Several of the sites I was looking to use for information were very much out of date or completely down at the time of research. Other sites, like the plainviewtx.org site, had an extensive amount of information that was up to date. It was incredibly useful for finding information I was searching for. All of the city’s government boards are listed, parks and recreational services are listed, common services, business information, codes and regulations, visitor information are all listed in an organized manner, often with an extensive list of contact people/phone numbers. This city is a well-organized and connected community that is eager to reach out to others and invite them in.

Organization of information is also a key part of this. Some sites, like a site I utilized to look up demographic information and the like, were completely unorganized and almost a waste of time to try to pick through all the data that was randomly scattered throughout the entire page. Other sites like the Plainview Chamber of Commerce site, were excellently organized and user friendly. There were several tabs that one could search through for information, labeled according to resident, visitor, etc. Upon each tab were things that would be relevant to that person. Listings were all alphabetically and divisible by category. It was incredibly efficient to use sites like these. If I were searching for a place to live or to start a business and the site was unorganized and difficult to navigate, I would be dissuaded to pursue my goals there. However, Plainview reflects its welcoming nature and community bonds in its well organized and user friendly web pages. Also, all of the pages I visited seemed to have an extensive listing of people who were willing to answer questions. Each had several phone numbers and emails. Some of the businesses even had the owner’s cell and home phone numbers listed. That is how dedicated they are to their community and being a welcoming center for business.

Plainview is definitely headed in the right direction as a growing, thriving community. The only negative thing I found in my assessment of their sites is that some of them were not functional. I was very interested in the information these would hold and very disappointed that they were not usable.