The Deep Web

For this assignment I had to scan the “deep web” for an obscure site on my topic, and evaluate it using the criteria set forth in the article Evaluating Web Pages: Techniques to Apply & Questions to Ask by the Berkeley librarians. The site I examined is called the East Lansing / Lansing Area Bar Review, and it’s written by Paul and Mike Hernacki, formerly of Michigan State University.  Paul and Mike are two gentlemen who feel that good beer is an experience, “I believe beer is wonderful. It's what Zeus drank when he got thirsty, I'm sure of it. And I'm not talking about Budweiser or Busch Light. I mean Beer.”

I used Google, and my search looked like this: user review “sports bar” site:.edu.  The East Lansing / Lansing Area Bar Review is the number one result.

The first step in evaluating a web page is to examine the URL.  The URL can tell you if you’re looking at someone’s personal page, an educational page or a commercially owned website.  I searched for .edu because I wanted to avoid promotional materials and advertisements. I ended up with a personal page from an educational institution, and even though there is no publisher vouching for the information, I believe the authors' opinion is unbiased. However, one problem with this website is that it's outdated; the page has not been regularly maintained since the proprietors left MSU in 2000. This site is not a reliable guide today, but it still has practical value as a reference. I don’t live in East Lansing or plan to visit soon, so the site has not lost any particular relevance for me. I just enjoy reading other people's thoughts about what defines a great sports bar, and the fact that Paul and Mike let me know their site is out-of-date with a disclaimer tells me they care, and suggests that their opinions are still reliable. Plus college students know bars, and purporting to be lovers of real beer is the only credential these Hernackis need in my book.

I am very impressed with the quality of this website.  The reviews are brief, concise and visual, and I absolutely love the ratings scale!  Sports bars receive a score from one to five beer mugs: one beer mug means send your friends from the University of Michigan, three means it’s worth skipping a lecture, and five means you’re in the bar of Zeus!  This site is extremely scanable; I saw the special note under the Beggar’s Banquet review that says bottles of wine are half-price on Wednesday and I salivated a little. The information is all first hand, which I appreciate because it keeps things consistent. There are great links to other resources on the topic, including beer-of-the-month clubs and places to buy your own home-brew equipment.  There isn't much data available regarding the type of traffic the page generates, but a search for Paul and Mike Hernacki on Google yielded lots of results!  Paul graduated from Michigan State in 1998, he is now the Chief Technology Officer for a company called Definition 6.  Paul has a Google Profile which he updates frequently.  Mike is Paul's younger brother.  He remained at MSU until 2000, and is now an IT manager in Atlanta; he got his MBA from Georgia Tech.  I think I’ve stumbled upon some excellent role models upon whom to build my own critical beer voice. The East Lansing / Lansing Area Bar Review offers reliable opinions and intuitive design from folks who really know their stuff!