Required Content and Features
Every page in your site should have an appropriate HTML TITLE tag; the TITLE tag is typically rendered in the title bar of the browser window. The title should contain the acronym USC and be concise and unique. Since the title is typically used as a bookmark's default description, consider how you would like a user to remember your page in a long list of bookmarks.

Prohibited Content and Features
As the flagship research university in South Carolina, USC's Web presence must be an example of professionalism, usability, and consistency. The following content and features are disallowed on USC Web sites:

• Frames--Frames corrupt usability and interfere with search engine indexing and bookmarks.
• "Splash" pages--A splash page (a branding page that appears before a site's home page) frequently adds no useful content to a Web site.
• Navigation which requires Flash, Java, or JavaScript to function--All pages in a site should be able to be reached with a browser than only understands straight HTML. For instance, many main University Web pages use JavaScript to enhance the navigation with rollovers and tool-tips. Although these extra features do not appear in browsers without JavaScript support, the navigation labels and links still work as expected. Enhancing an interface with JavaScript is allowed, but requiring JavaScript for a page to function properly is unacceptable.
• Hit counters--Hit counters typically do not provide accurate or useful content to users. Virtually all Web servers generate log files that can be processed to generate useful statistics about your visits.
• Blinking text--Blinking text in general is considered an annoyance.
• "Under Construction" notices--If a page is under construction, do not place it online until it contains useful, relevant content.