How Do People Get Back to Information on the Web? How Can They Do It Better?
- William Jones ,
- Harry Bruce ,
- Susan Dumais
Proceedings of Interact 2003 |
In one study, people are observed to keep web information for later use through many different methods including the use of Bookmarks (or Favorites), self-addressed email, hand-written notes, and paper print-outs. Each keeping method realizes its own constellation of important features or functions. No observed method provides all desired functions. .A simple “Add Favorite 2” prototype is developed to support a “super” keeping method designed to realize more functions (reminding, context, multiple points of access) in a single effort. Results were mixed. A second study indicates that people may be increasingly returning to desired web sites using methods that require no explicit keeping behaviour. Especially popular are the use of: 1.) A search service. 2.) Partial completion of a site’s web address (and acceptance of a suggested completion to this address). 3.) The Hyperlinks from another web site. Implications for tool support are explored.