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Afghanistan the violent frontier

• How well does the site use navigation?

I found the navigation for this site simple and easy to follow. The website is divided up into a number of section covering the main issues and topics relating to the war in Afghanistan. You can navigate to the different topics/sections using the links on the top of the page, or the body of the main page in which readers are provided with one to two lines on what the topic/section is about.

• How effectively is it designed?

The website is professionally laid out, with the use of a number of photographs and images of both Afghanistan locals, the taliban and Australian Defence Force and Coalition soldiers. Its easy to navigate between the pages.

• How effectively does it use photos, graphics, broadcast and interactive elements? List the elements that are present.

The site uses a number of photos of person involved in the conflict. When you click on the link to the Taliban it is interlaced with images of Taliban fighters, as well as uses video al-qadea training video. Each navigation link has at least one video on each page, and is interlaced with small written article, on the current situation in Afghanistan. Viewers are given the option of reading a story or clicking on a link to video of Paul McKeogh, and hid travel through Afghanistan.

• How well are the stories written/presented/packaged?

I found the site provided a basic overview of the situation in Afghanistan and the numerous challenges and issues being confronted by Coalition forces on the ground. The use of video by Paul McKeogh to report on his  travels through out Afghanistan, and coverage of the overall issues relating to Afghanistan, also added creditability to the website providing a first hand experience, of the situation on the ground.

• What did you love about it? Hate about it? Why?

I liked the website as it provided an overall account of the situation in Afghanistan. While the information on the website is not earth shattering or ground breaking, news on the conflict, it provides a starting point, for readers seeking to develop a broad and general understanding  about the current military/security situation.   I suppose a little bit more in-depth coverage may have been good, but then I don’t think that this is the audience that this website is being targeted towards.