Jeni S. Sigmon Wake Forest University
Sean G. Morgan's
RMS Titanic Web Page http://morganscorner.online.bc.ca/titanic
Having searched the Internet for many hours looking for
an interesting and informative historic web site about the RMS Titanic,
I found Sean Morgan's RMS Titanic Web Page. The site is informative,
interesting, and easy to navigate. These qualities are all incredibly helpful
to both those Internet users who are searching puposefully for information
as well as those who are simply "surfing" the net for pure amusement.
There is no great mystery as to what Morgan is trying to accomplish through
his web page. As a matter of fact, he offers a clear and succinct statement
of his purpose , as well as a list of other helpful resources for anyone
interested in investigating the "greatest marine disaster ever."
However, while one might assume that the author used these same books as
sources, there is no positive evidence to back up that assumption.
Morgan's page is purely factual. There are no statements of the author's opinion. There is simply the history of the legendary Titanic, organized in thematic units. The second page of the site offers a table of contents which lists topics such as Construction, South Hampton, and The Aftermath. Each of these subdivisions consists of a brief, yet complete, historical review of the relevant facts, along with a vast array of photographs and/or newspaper headings. The information is presented in clear terms, and is broken into pieces that are small enough to be processed easily without overwhelming the reader.
This is among the easiest sites to navigate that I have found on the Internet. There is no doubt as to how a reader gets from one section of the page to another. The opening page is mainly a graphics page to get the attention of the web surfer. This is the only "aesthetic" page that one encounters throughout the site. All of the others are linked directly to the rest of the site. Once past the "cover" page, one finds the table of contents, from which you can go to any section of the site that you wish. Also, at the bottom of eage page, there are arrows that can take you to either the previous page or the next one. Not only is it easy to find one's way around the site, but it is also very easy to read. The background looks like the dark metal hull of a ship like the Titanic, and the text is white. It doesn't fade into the background, and as I have said before, it is not presented in a straight, text-book fashion. It is divided into paragraghs, which are then arranged around photograghs. Blank space is kept to a minimum, and the page is not overly busy. It seems to me that the page combines information and good design to produce an enjoyable website to visit.
I found very few weaknesses in Morgan's work. The main thing that I noticed was that the one audio clip that was included was not explained. The viewer can choose to listen to a song on the "cover" page, but there is no explanation as to what song is being played and how it is related to the Titanic. Others who are better versed in their music and/or Titanic knowledge than I am may not need this information. But, it is probably safe to assume that the average visitor to this site won't know why the song is included either. Including this small bit of information would only strengthen an already impressive site.
I would gladly recommend this website to anyone. If you are searching specifically for Titanic information, then this is quite a useful site. Not only does it provide a great deal of information, but it also suggests other avenues for further research. If you are simply taking a pleasure cruise on the Internet, and stumble across this site, you are in for an enjoyable visit. I think anyone, frankly, regardless of why they are using this site, would enjoy checking it out. It is certainly a worth while use of their time.