The Complexity of Orthodox Judaism

When first going onto the Orthodox Union's website, www.ou.org, I felt like there a hundred things being thrown out at me.  It's not necessarily a clustered website, but it is one in which it seems like there could potentially be a little too much for one site.  I initially thought that it was just me overreacting about how much there is in such little space, but as I continue to think about it, I do believe in fact that the website does reflect the ideas of Orthodox Judaism.  Of the interaction I've had with Orthodox Judaism, they often tend to throw many ideas out at you at once.

The website is very different than the Reform and Conservative websites.  I have noticed a trend between the three - the Reform website has the least information, followed by the Conservative website having a pretty standard amount of information, and lastly there is the Orthodox movement - which has a website with an overwhelming amount of information.  For me, it's not easy to follow with so much information.  I feel like there should be a good starting point in terms of exploring the website, when in fact I have no idea where to begin.

Interestingly enough, one of the first things that caught my eye on the website was on the right side of the page - a link for "Kosher Alerts."  It amused me at first, but then I realized that for some people, this is crucial for their way of living.  Underneath, it listed recent food items, such as Pillsbury Sweet Minis and TRU Chocolate, the two newest items that have been deemed "not Kosher" by the Orthodox Union.  I realized that perhaps many people rely on this website for information on a daily basis, and for me to judge that is completely wrong.

I tried to learn more about Orthodox Judaism, but after a while I just got completely frusturated with the website and gave up.  I probably shouldn't have done that, but I do not think websites that do that to an individual are not helpful.  I do not completely know if this is a way of getting people NOT to be part of the Orthodox community or what, but there is a lack of communication between the Orthodox movement and the rest of society.