Bad Site: Mike William's Google Maps API Tutorial

Viewport

The viewport page is dynamically set to 60% of the screen, which is not necessarily a good choice for people that use a high screen resolution. In fact, on large screens, like widescreens, the text floats somewhere in the middle of the page without any real connection to the related material. This may be a good approach for interface programming, but for the web not exactly ideal.

Owner Identification

Thankfully, the owner's copyright information are directly underneath the site header. This makes it easy to identify Mike as the page designer and maintainer, but is somewhat untraditional. Typically, this information goes somewhere in the footer of the page... or into the masthead as part of an image or so.

Site Structure

Clearly, the site structure is the biggest issue of the site. Even though the linked site is a reference page only, and is supposed to only list all items of the Google Maps API, this page cleary needs more structure. The site is hardly equipped with any navigation - just a table at the top and the content underneath it. Without the browser's search function, all hope would be lost.

Top Level Navigation

Top Level Navigation is clearly not present. A large table with anchor links can be considered such, but does not allow for a well ordered, easy to understand structure.

Interfaces

Except of links and some marginal images (GIFs...), there aren't any interfaces to the user. Just a plain list of all content.

Content Structure

The content is structured by simply listing all items alphabetically. While this may be sensible for a reference page, it makes finding stuff rather hard. Again, only using the search function built int the browser can help here.

Images

Except of a Paypal donate button and an ad at the bottom, there are no images. And both of those are placed rather badly, but are easy to ignore.

Secondary Navigation

Only some links at the bottom allow for secondary navigation. Those allow to leave the site, but don't seem to help in the internal navigation of this huge reference page.