Five relatively timeless web design books
On multiple occasions the topic of “Where to start” with web design has come up. There are many blogs out there covering the topic of web design/frontend development, here is a good start to creating the ultimate web design bookshelf.
- Designing with Web Standards
- CSS: the Definitive Guide
- Dom Scripting
- Web Standards Creativity
- CSS Mastery
Virtually OK
I just attended a Social Media Club Meeting where David Hinds gave a lecture titled “How to Grow Vibrant Virtual Communities”. Hinds has definitely spent some time thinking about social behavior on the web and some of the things he said really got me thinking. I’m not sure how often he presents, but if you get an opportunity to hear what he has to say on the subject, I would recommend giving him your ear (especially if you are new to the subject). Just be sure to think critically. Here’s my two cents on this particular talk.
Before the presentation started, I made the assumption that “Virtual Community” would be referring to the fact that the community in question is not one of geographic proximity. I was all ready to defend against the contemptuous use of “virtual” to lessen value of relationships based on physical distance. However, this turned out not to be what Dr. Hinds was talking about at all. What he discussed was at most virtual and barely a community. The definition of Virtual Community in the context of this presentation is this: Population of individuals with shared or complementary interests who interact across a host platform. By this definition, ebay buyers and sellers qualify as being in a virtual community. Multiple times, it came up that Hinds accepts the fact that members of a Virtual Community do not and shall never know much of anything about each other. To me, this lack of intimacy seems like a challenge that needs to be overcome, not a characteristic that should be accepted.
Hinds listed 7 types of virtual communities with examples:
- Socializing (Facebook)
- Gaming (Everquest)
- Content Sharing (youTube)
- Knowledge Sharing (wikipedia)
- Activism (Move On)
- Development (Linux)
- Exchange (ebay)
When inquired from a viewer about a community embracing more than one of the above listed characteristics, Hinds advised against. Stating, a virtual community should only strive to address one of the seven. In my humble opinion, the communities that thrive the strongest are the ones that incorporate most (if not all) of these realms. One instance of this is open source software. Most successful open source projects have a strong evangelical user base that helps each other succeed. At a glance you can see development, activism, knowledge sharing, content sharing, and socializing. There’s 5 without even really needing to think about it too much. Not to mention if you count aggregating street cred/good karma as having a bit of a gaming aspect. Additionally community members could sell their services to complete the virtual community bingo cover all round.
Hind’s presentation was certainly not a step by step system for growing a vibrant community, but there was plenty of food for thought. To me, it seems, if you want your community to really shine, you should work hard at removing the virtual parts.
Posted in Left Brain | No Comments »How to be #1 on google
- Write a blog post called “How to be #1 on google”
- Count your money
This Whole Productivity Thing Is Just A Fad.
I like the concept of productivity as much as the next guy (assuming the next guy isn’t David Allen). That said, I have recently returned from the torpor of spending large quantities of free time reading about productivity instead of actually getting things done. If you’re into reading about productivity, I recommend you check out what Merlin Mann has to say about it on 43 Folders.
Personally, paralysis by analysis is my biggest hurdle to getting things done. As such, productivity blogs/books/systems to ponder are probably not where my salvation lies. Furthermore, spending time researching productivity to get more time is like trying to get rich by clipping coupons. I’m not exactly arguing that productivity is a bad thing, just that I’m not sure it should be such a high priority. For creative workers… doubly so.
If I’m always working on scratching higher priority items off my todo list, I’ll never purge all of the fun stuff that is buried down on my someday/maybe list. Those are the excursions that often times spawn unique solutions for many would be mundane challenges. I’m not relinquishing my trusty moleskin, I’m just going to start filling it with creative bits instead of priorities.
Posted in Right Brain | No Comments »Fold: enclosure for sheep
Let’s talk about the fold. I have previously lobbied rather firmly that the fold does not exist on the web, but as of recent I am starting to come around… somewhat. There is a fold, but most people are doing it wrong.
To the uninitiated, “the fold” is an allegory binding websites to newspapers. In newspapers, the most succulent and seductive of stories needed to appear in the bit of the front page that was visible once the paper was folded. This is mostly due to the fact that, in an honor box, this snippet was all you could see to decide whether or not the rest of the paper was worth a purchase.
With regards to the web, “the fold” is the contemptuous concept that all internet people have such a low attention span and lack of coordination that nothing requiring the determination and dexterity of scrolling could ever be seen. Like myself, some have stood up against the absurdity of “the fold” on the web, but to little avail. Recently I made a realization that may very well help us push our anti fold agenda.
To those claiming that you need to cram as much advertising above the fold as you can — simply because that is what you feel has been decreed from the newspaper gods — I ask you, “How many ads appear above the fold in your newspapers?”
If you feel it is necessary, in the name of the paper gods, to delineate this intangible ground as sacred… at least do so by making the top 800 or so pixels the best possible representation of your site. If you honestly feel your visitors are incapable of scrolling beyond the first screenful of your website without bouncing off to lolcats, perhaps you need to reevaluate the quality of your content (or at least do a deal with Vyvanse).
Posted in Left Brain | 3 Comments »