There are however, some disadvantages to using JavaScript to control certain elements of a website, particularly those elements that are essential to the core operation of the website (e.g. website navigation, contact forms, e-commerce etc.) These disadvantages stem from the fact that Javascript is a client-side scripting language that runs directly in the browser. This reality means if the browser is mis-configured or the user intentionally turns off javascripting (possible for security reasons), the intended effect on the website is rendered useless.

A Quick History of Javascript

While javascript has been around since the early days of the Internet, its use and the complexity of its implementation has increased considerably over time. This increase can generally be attributed to the insatiable demand for great interaction and website functionality from the many internet users and companies who use the Internet. Along with the increased use of Javascript among Internet users and the private sector, political parties have also increased its use on their party and campaign websites. Unfortunately, political party websites are not immune to the many problems associated with Javascript.

The Analysis

Below is a quick assessment of the use of JavaScript in terms of navigation for national party websites of the major political parties in Canada.

The Results

Looking at the results above, you can see the websites of the New Democratic Party and Green Party were the only sites that did not implement any javascript into the navigational elements, and thus avoided the complications that often rise with its use. In the case of the Bloc Québécois, Conservative and Liberals party websites, the website navigation was only partially affected, however, significant postions of the website were unaccessable.

The Consequences of Javascript Use

Considering available browser statistics list anywhere from between 5 percent to 10 percent of Internet users have Javascript turned off in their browser, a considerable portion of visitors to the Conservative, Liberal, and Bloc Québécois websites would be unable to use those party websites in an effective manner. It is also important to consider that many of the Internet search engines spiders, which are used to collect important information about the website, are unable to read javascript - which means a party website that uses Javascript in their navigation is not going to get the proper exposed in terms of search engine results.

Conclusions

No website - whether political or commerical - should use Javascript in navigational elements. Javascript has its place on the Internet, but it should only be used when the pros and cons have been carefully weighed. Political parties should remember that a website is more than just a communication outlet. In many cases, the party website is the only real interaction a party may have with a potential supporter. To provide a website that is not functional to 5 to 10 percent of users is a major oversight.

There are however a number of problems plaguing the weblog. The first problem is the lack of linkage between the numerous topics discussed on the weblog and the various other sections of the campaign websites. The author of the blog often discusses specific policies or issues, and yet s/he never bothers to provide the weblog reader with a link to more information.

The second major problem with the weblog is the fact that there isn’t an archive for the daily postings. If the visitor is interested in reading what was posted for a certain day of the campaign the readers is forced to manually scroll through a weeks worth of postings to find the correct date. In an eight week campaign this means scrolling through a considerable amount of postings. A lack of archives is also a problem if the reader is looking for information on a particular subject - without knowing what day an issue or policy was mentioned, most readers would not bother scrolling through all these postings.

The third problem is the author of the weblog is anonymous. Who exactly is the person behind the weblog? Without knowing who the person writing the postings is, the reader will undoubtedly feel disconnected from the author of the weblog.

Here is what I would recommend:

1. Design a weblog that conforms to the standard weblog format. Similar to the Liberal blog, the Conservatives seem to have chosen to ignore the many different weblog software packages that are available, and have built a weblog that is difficult to use. The fact that this weblog has no archives, permalinks, trackbacks, comments, blogroll, etc, means that it fails to provide the format and features visitors have come to expect from weblogs.
2. Link the discussions in the weblog to internal and external sources. There are already numerous policies and issues that have been discussed (GST tax reform, Child Care, etc) directly on the weblog, here is a perfect opportunity to link to positive media reports, weblogs and supporting policy documents. By not providing links to external documents, readers are unfortunately not given all the information they might be seeking. Trapping users on a website by not providing external links out of the fear they will never return is a poor policy and assumes users are easily manipulated and cannot be trusted. Also, by not linking to internal policy documents, readers cannot follow up for more information on the issues discussed. If you’re going to discuss a policy like child-care, provide a link to section of the site that states this policy clearly.
3. Invest more time and resources into the weblog. One posting a day, no matter how long that post may be, just isn’t enough considering the potential importance of the weblog. Successful weblogs often have a loyal readership that return more than once a day to check to see if anything new has been posted. Repeat users are often drawn to weblogs because their authors are not hindered by a complex publication cycle found in the conventional media outlets. This means the Conservative party could have a captive audience repeatedly returning to their website to check out the latest developments in the campaign.

The Conservatives have effectively missed the boat with their blog. They seem to understand the importance of having one, but underestimate the true power and potential of the weblog on their communication strategy.

Unfortunately for the visitors to this weblog, the content of the postings are generally flippant and devoid of any real useful information. While Scott has done an excellent job at injecting personality into his postings, too much personality without any substance means visitors leave the weblog with little more than inconsequential gossip from the campaign trail.

Another major problem is the way in which the postings are organized on the weblog. They have chosen to only place a title for each day of the campaign and then each individual posting has only a timestamp to differentiate it from another posting. This is makes it very difficult to refer to a particular post on the weblog via another weblog and is an unconventional way of assigning post titles. Interlinking between weblogs is a fundamental aspect of weblogging, and the primary reason most weblogs employ a feature called, permalinks. Permalinks allow other webloggers to link to a particular weblog post.

The third, and possibly the largest problem with this weblog is that it fails to encourage or facilitate any positive action by the individual visitor towards the campaign. No where on the weblog does Scott encourage supporters to contribute, volunteer, etc for the campaign. Basically, this weblog is Scott talking about his personal experience on the campaign trail and provides the campaign with very little, if any, positive results.

Here is what I recommend to improve the weblog:

1. Invest in commercial or open-source weblogging software to streamline the publication of this type of campaign communication. Weblogging software packages like, Wordpress or MovableType would allow far more features (permalink, comments, archiving, etc) to be implemented and would mean the weblog would be more accessible to users already familiar with weblogs.
2. Connect the weblog with all aspects of the campaign. Rather than describing frivolous things such as what everyone had for lunch that day on the campaign, use the weblog to bring attention to important campaign events as they happen. If the leader is going to be in a certain area, use the weblog to call attention to this event and to encourage people to contribute, volunteer and or attend the event. Engage your supporters at a deeper level and they will not only have a reason to return to the weblog, but also to return the favour election day.
3. Pay homage to the weblog community. A weblog that fails to link to and engage other webloggers will undoubtedly be a lonely and isolated island of obscurity. A weblog will only thrive if it becomes part of the larger conversation that is taking place in the blogsphere. A quick glance at Technorati shows that the Blackberry Blog has only been linked to 44 times since the blog was created.

Overall the Liberal’s attempt at using a weblog for campaign communication has been a bit of a disapointment. However, Scott has the writing ability to make this a success; he just needs to connect more with the actual campaign and make an effort to engage and interact with the weblog community.

Make sure to return tomorrow for the Conservative Party’s weblog review.

Look at the navigational scheme, the bar running the length of the page on the right-hand side, the “Action Center” box, etc. Considering the amount that was likely spent on this website, this is a rookie mistake.

See for yourself:

If the Conservatives want to avoid be compared with the Bush and the Republican party, they should avoid emulating their Internet websites.