Comments on: Hartnell College - higher ed web rickroll http://ericstoller.com/blog/2009/05/14/hartnell-college-higher-ed-web-rickroll/ | social justice | higher education | technology | Sat, 20 Mar 2010 02:44:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.7 by: Andy Shaindlin http://ericstoller.com/blog/2009/05/14/hartnell-college-higher-ed-web-rickroll/#comment-33850 Fri, 15 May 2009 16:24:27 +0000 http://ericstoller.com/blog/2009/05/14/hartnell-college-higher-ed-web-rickroll/#comment-33850 As a Brown University alumnus and higher ed professional, I find other schools' theft of Brown's code less appalling than their interest in copying such an unfriendly design and navigation scheme. I avoid the Brown homepage whenever I cruise to a brown.edu site (3 to 6 times/month), because I find it counterintuitive, and it slows my ability to find what I am looking for. Also, the Brown web admin's statement that it's not their concern whether others have stolen the CSS code is interesting. If they're not concerned about that, why have a copyright statement at all? Also, do we know whether it was original to Brown, or did they get the idea/inspiration somewhere else. I do give Brown credit for doing something new that others (as far as I know) have not done before. Too many of the sites on EduStyle look like each other. As a Brown University alumnus and higher ed professional, I find other schools’ theft of Brown’s code less appalling than their interest in copying such an unfriendly design and navigation scheme. I avoid the Brown homepage whenever I cruise to a brown.edu site (3 to 6 times/month), because I find it counterintuitive, and it slows my ability to find what I am looking for.

Also, the Brown web admin’s statement that it’s not their concern whether others have stolen the CSS code is interesting. If they’re not concerned about that, why have a copyright statement at all? Also, do we know whether it was original to Brown, or did they get the idea/inspiration somewhere else.

I do give Brown credit for doing something new that others (as far as I know) have not done before. Too many of the sites on EduStyle look like each other.

]]>