Successful websites are typically powered by a symbiotic bond between content developers and an active community of users. Whereas developers and writers have an open channel to the users in the form of blogs, photos, and articles, channeling user information is not as straightforward. Simple websites may contain a link to a generic email inbox that is monitored by a company's webmaster (e.g., "For more information, click info@prettygreatwebsite.com"). However, when the volume of incoming data is significant, that solution is not scalable.

Most websites stem the tide of incoming data by identifying commonly collected information and designing online forms to collect it. For example, if your website required registration in order to receive a monthly newsletter, then a registration form that records your name, date of birth, email, and newsletter delivery preferences (daily, weekly, monthly, or instant updates, for example) is ideal. Rather than needing to siphon this data out of a massive collection of emails, the form delivers all of the required information formatted exactly the way the company needs.

To prepare for this Discussion:

Think about a form you could build to serve an important function on your company or personal website. Be creative-avoid common forms such as checkout or registration pages. Identify a situation for which a form that contains the following criteria would be useful:

At least two input tags

At least one checkbox tag

At least one radio tag

At least one select tag

At least one text area tag

One submit and one reset button

Explain what sorts of data you would collect using each type of tag and why that tag is the most appropriate choice for that data type. Remember, creativity is encouraged, and you can select an entirely different topic from the websites you designed in previous Assignments.