Criteria for PlacesOnLine Sites
We select sites for PlacesOnLine with four criteria in mind. Sites should:
Provide original quality content about place(s). The sites listed here are "primary" sites as distinct from "secondary" sites, or portals, whose main purpose is to direct users to other sites.
Contain substantive, geographic content with a focus on specific places (neighborhood, town, city, region, route, field site, field trip, etc.). Map-based sites are especially favored.
Provide the viewer with a good place experience, as if she or he is actually present observing the human and/or physical environment. Effective use of images, including maps, is especially important.
Employ interesting and user-friendly formats. Sites should be well organized and easily navigable, and must not take too long to load nor have many outside links that could die or lead our users astray. Sites should be largely free from commercial or other distractions such as flashing lights, moving banners, and pop-ups.
For some alternatives to sites as described above, see this list of sites with general information about countries and other resources for the geographically curious.
