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Web Site Development Policy
(Full Version)

Summary and Policy Home Page

Web Site Policy Document

INTRODUCTION: WEB SITE STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES
FOR INSTITUTIONAL AND PERSONAL PAGES

REQUIRED STANDARDS FOR PERSONAL WEB PAGES

REQUIRED STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES FOR INSTITUTIONAL WEB PAGES

SITE RESPONSIBILITY AND ENFORCEMENT OF STANDARDS

I. WEB SITE ENVIRONMENTS AND TOOLS
A. Server environment
B. Desktop development environments
C. Multimedia server environment
D. Web publishing tools
E. Graphic/image files

II. CONTENT ORGANIZATION/SITE ARCHITECTURE
A. Process for Organization

III. CONTENT TEXT – WRITING/STYLE/PRESENTATION
A. Common elements and conventions
B. Structure
C. Diction
D. Correctness
E. References

IV. UWRF BRANDING REQUIREMENTS
A.& B. Common page elements
C. Page size
D. Font style and size
E. Colors
F. Breadcrumbs
G. Content terminology and usage

V. WEB PUBLISHING CONVENTIONS
A. Navigation
B. Accessibility
C. Opening new browser windows
D. Limiting file size
D1. File Management and Naming
E. Optimizing images
F. Use of HTML
G. Use of publishing elements other than HTML
H. Use of layers
I. Use of frames
J. Naming of files
K. Addressing of files
L. Use of alt tags
M. Use of motion
N. Use of meta tags
O. Use of mailto tags vs. HTML/CGI contact forms
P. Use of “under construction” links
Q. Usability by search engines
R. Usability by various browsers/versions/technologies

APPENDIX A. TERMINOLOGY, USAGE, AND SPELLING

APPENDIX B. ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT

Campus Web Development Office
21 North Hall, 425-0661
webmaster@uwrf.edu

Appendix A: Terminology, Usage, And Spelling

APPENDIX A: TERMINOLOGY, USAGE, AND SPELLING

STANDARD: As much as possible, terms should be used and spelled the same way across the UWRF Web presence. The following list of standard usages may be adjusted and expanded as time goes on.

Correct uses of “University of Wisconsin-River Falls”
- UWRF: no hyphen
- University of Wisconsin-River Falls: No spaces before and after hyphen
- UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-RIVER FALLS
- UW-River Falls: No spaces before and after hyphen
- UW-RIVER FALLS

date format: avoid expressing dates as three numerals divided by forward slashes (e.g., 6/11/01); internationally, this format can mean November 6, 2001, not June 11, 2001. Use the name of the month wherever possible; for example: July 4, 1998, or Jul-4-98.

download: one word, no hyphen

e-mail: spelled with a hyphen

e-government: spelled with a hyphen, lower case “e” and lower case “g.” At the beginning of a sentence, spelled “E-government.”

e-services, e-commerce, e-voting, e-signature, and like constructions: same conventions as in
“e-government”

home page: two words

HTML: for hyper-text markup language; use capitals when using the term in a phrase or sentence; use lower case letters at the end of a URL, or if for some reason it is placed at the end of a hyperlink (e.g., “Find course listings [html]”).

interactive: one word, no hyphen

Internet: always capitalized (it is a proper name)

intranet: not capitalized

multimedia: one word, no hyphen

online: one word, no hyphen

PDF: for “portable document file”; use capitals when using the term in a phrase or sentence; use lower case letters when placed at the end of a hyperlink. If used at the end of a hyperlink, include the file size (e.g., “Find Course listings [pdf 10k]”).

phone number format: divide with hyphens or periods (international convention); do not use parentheses. That is, either of the following is correct: 888-555-1010 or 888.555.1010.

portal/channel: use “portal” to refer only to the UWRF home page (www.uwrf.edu). The opening page for other institutional sites should be called the home page of that site. Major paths of information on the UWRF portal (e.g., citizen, business, government) are called “channels.” Neither “portal” nor “channel” should be capitalized except at the beginning of a sentence.

site map: two words

state: the word state is spelled with a lower case “s” - for example, “Trenton is the capital of the state,” “state legislators.”

Web: preferred form is with a capital “W” when referring to the World Wide Web.

Web-enabled: hyphenated with upper case “W.”

Web enable: two words

Web page: preferred form is two words with upper case “W.”

Web site: preferred form is two words with upper case “W.”




 

 

 


 

 

 


 

 

 

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