Home pages provide a sense of belonging and a returning point from worldwide cybertravel. Their personal authorship allows creators to use graphics, video, and audio files to create familiar and sometimes glitzy launch pads. These bells and whistles, although appealing, can become addictive. Their overuse impedes efficient Web processing. Productive home pages should reflect their purpose.
Usage then dictates the icons, images, and favorite links.
Often images are not necessary to a home page's primary function. This became clear to reference department staff at Saginaw Valley State University. Waiting for our browser's default home page to load was both time-consuming and frustrating. We also used search engines on Netscape's search page or elsewhere on the Web to locate resources. This took time since we had to browse through two or three pages to reach a search form.