Have you ever visited The Hanyang University? (HYU) homepage (www.hanyang.ac.kr)? Have you ever experienced inconvenience while using the homepage? The first HYU's homepage was made by a private company in 1995 and it was not until 2002 that HYU was able to produce its own homepage.
Many Hanyangians visit the HYU's homepage at the beginning of the semester. Not only current students but also graduates and freshmen, and high school students visit the HYU's homepage. An average of 3100 people visited the HYU? homepage everyday in 2009. However, many Hanyangians complain about the homepage by writing on the Internet Bulletin Board.
Why are Hanyangians dissatisfied with the HYU's homepage?
The Present Condition of the HYU's Homepage
The HYU's homepage has not changed for three years. Because people wanted to put many information in main page before three years, the HYU's homepage has problem that one page has many information and categories. In addition, eZHub which many Hanyangians need to use is located in right edge in the main page of HYU? homepage. It is too small to see and difficult to log in. The process of logging in is also difficult and troublesome. students especially complain about the login system of eZHub.
"I always wondered why I should login twice as I switched from the main page to eZHub. It is uncomfortable to use HYU? homepage. eZHub also makes a lot of errors,"said Yi Hyung-taek, a Junior of the Division of Economics. The Hanyang mail also has low accessibility. Likewise eZHub, the Hanyang mail is difficult to find and use.
Students claim not only that accessibilities of menu in main page, the Hanyang mail system and eZHub is difficult to use, but that the Internet bulletin board was also left unmanaged. Though many Hanyangians use Internet bulletin board, useless information in Internet bulletin board is not eliminated and speed of updating is also a problem.
Like this, the main page of the HYU? homepage is cluttered with information thus making it hard to find the information one wants, compared to those of other Universities.
What Students Say About HYU's Homepage
Because of these conditions, according to a survey held by The Hanyang Journal to find out the opinions of Hanyangians towards the management of the HYU? homepage, about 70 percent of the survey? respondents thought that the HYU? homepage needed to be improved. Over 51 percent of the respondents said it was inconvenient and HYU needs to change the complicated main page and categories to enhance the accessibility of the homepage information.
"I do not know where information is and menu is located in. I want to receive more information except news existing now. And menu and main page of website need to arrange fairly,"said Jang Ji-young, a student in Major of Journalism and Mass Communication.
Another problem raised as a problem of the HYU? homepage was slow updating caused by careless management. "I felt uncomfortable because of the slow updating. The updating of academic information is slow. In my opionion, the reason for this is the poor management of HYU,"said Seong Jung-beom, a Senior in the Division of Business Administration.
Khim Du-ha, a Sophomore of the Division of Economics pointed out a problem on the Internet Bulletin Board. Khim said, "Where is too much unnecessary information and inconsiderate gossips on Internet Bulletin Board."
Ways to Solve Problems of The HYU? Homepage
According to an inter view with Jang Ik-sung, the chief of the Internet Strategy Team, the main reason for the poor homepage management is cost."The additional fees that need to be paid when updating the main page are expensive. It is difficult to secure the budget,"said Jang.
The reason eZHub and the Internet bulletin board were not revised was a security issue related to the login system of eZHub. The security problem is related to the intranet. Someone who is not a hanyangian is not allowed access to eZHub. eZHub is only accessible to professors, students and officers in HYU. Logging in once more to access eZHub is for the enhancement of security.
"In the case of the Internet bulletin board, I did not expect so many students to be dissatisfied with the Internet bulletin board. In truth, it is rather hard to come up with a complete solution to solve such complaints. We had thought of enforcing the real-name systems. But it contradicts the very purpose of the Internet bulletin board,"said Jang.
Students should also feel a sense of ownership of the homepage. A few seemed to think of the Internet bulletin board as their private memo board. Students seem to use the Internet bulletin board not knowing the real roles and powers of the Internet bulletin board. We have the power to change the Quality of the Internet bulletin board. Students should remind themselves of who the hosts of the Internet bulletin board are.
The Need to make efforts for Improving HYU's Homepage
The problems pointed out by Hanyangians were the slow speed of updating, complicated main homepage and unclear categories, unchanged and obsolete design, inconvenience in using eZHub.
The issue of poor homepage management is not new. As long as it has been addressed as problematic, we must hope it is soon improved.
"We knew other university's homepages are improved more frequently than our homepage. We always make efforts to develop the HYU's homepage. The design of the HYU? homepage will be changed soon. The homepages for foreigners will be improved gradually. I hope all students will wait to see the new and improving homepage,"said Jang .
"We have already arranged the budget to adjust the homepage. In the past, there was no budget to adjust the homepage. But in 2010, Hanyangians and many people will see the new HYU's homepage,"said a member of the Budget Team. So the inconvenience will be terminated and the design changed in 2010.
The budget for remodeling HYU's homepage is prepared and it will be good for all Hanyangians. So HYU should communicate with Hanyangians to make the correct changes, while the students should not only enjoy the given rights and freedom of the homepage but also accept their duties and responsibilities as hosts. These efforts will combine for the betterment of the HYU's homepage.