'Tis a Gift To Be Simple
By Dale Dougherty
Brothers and sisters, I want to convince you today that in matters of Web design and development, we are trying to do too much. Our work is not simple enough. We must learn to say "no," to set limits, to push back. We must temper our "can-do" attitude, our desire to push the limits and prove that this medium of the Web can do whatever anyone wants it to do. We will go crazy trying to use every new feature and please everyone. To what end?
Today, the Web has no shortage of believers who are invested in all the good press it's getting. The stock market rises on the success of Internet stocks, everyone now has an e-commerce story, everything is enterprise-wide, and buying and selling is the order of the day. Bosses believe. Clients believe. Consumers believe some of this. What do we believe?
Somehow, I liked it better when everyone was a little more skeptical about the Internet and the Web. People asked better questions. You had to spend time explaining what drives the Web, what makes it work, and that was an opportunity to form new insights. Now, you have a hard time just managing expectations.
For a moment, I want you to put aside all the external demands that seem to be driving the Web. Cleanse yourself of new, market-driven opportunities. Let go of dreams of Dynamic HTML and Java. Instead, look inside and rediscover your inner Web. Get back in touch with what made you first believe in the Web, what made you truly excited about it. If you can, take a minute to write down how you view the Web and what you believe about it.<>
