Evaluating Web 2.0

at SP

Finishing off my writing about Flickr has made me think of how you might evaluate a Web 2.0 app from a user perpective. So I've come up with this list and realted questions. They draw on, adapt and extend Lisa Harper's work, which you can see here.
• attractiveness: what attracts users to this site? Once it has been ‘found’, how does it encourage you to become more engaged?
• use value: how clear are the benefits of this site? Can you see how it could be used for enjoyment, learning, or in conjunction with other on-line or off-line activity?
• signing up: how easy is the sign-up process? Are there any hidden catches? Does it feel safe?
• clarity: is the on-screen design helpful. Are the navigation tools intuitive? How is exploration facilitated?
• trust: how can you gauge the trustworthiness of the provider and the community? How are you and your material protected? How easy is it avoid or block inappropriate material or behaviour? Does it seem fairly easy to leave the community?
• invitation and participation: does the site encourage participation and uploading of your own material? Is this relatively easy to do?
• interactivity: how is interaction and communication encouraged and controlled?
• customisation: does the site allow you to personalise your own page? Is this easy to do? How can you manage and update your own profile?
• updating: what sorts of updates are provided and to what extent do users have control over updates?
• user feedback: what are the different kinds of user feedback? What sorts of feedback from other users or the site operators can be expected?
• interoperability: how might the site, your profile identity, or material from the site be incorporated into other online spaces?