PBS Online
By Sharon Cumberland
This massive site, with over 85,000 linked pages covering all of
its programming on 400 public broadcasting stations, is made manageable
for the viewer by its "localizing" function, which allows
the user to enter in their own PBS station, which then conforms the
index to that city and its programming. Also available are supports
for teachers and adult learners, parents, filmmakers and producers,
potential donors and sponsors, as well as links to particular shows
and related activities. I explored the "Barney" links, for
instance, and found games, messages to parents on how best to use
"Barney" for early childhood education, and show schedules.
After watching a program about computer hackers on "Nova"
I explored the links and found a very rich amplification of the program:
the complete interviews of those excerpted on the show, essays, discussions,
and links to related sites. The strength of PBS Online is clearly
its content, which amplifies the television programs and makes them
truly educational. The sites are attractive but not flashy, and therefore
load quickly. The user can also see video clips using realplayer 8.
In general, the material offered is effectively focused on education,
information, and research, but there is little evidence of long term
stability--the core problem for all educational resources on the internet.
If I were to use the interviews on the "hacker" links for
a research project, for instance, how long would the material be available
to the public on this site? Though their FAQ section is quite thorough,
I could find no policy on this point.