Design Challenges

Print, Web, who cares, just be informed

Recently I had a friendly discussion with a colleague on the topic of print versus digital publishing. The mediums are very similar in that they provide information.

That is were the similarities end.

When an individual sits down to read a newspaper or magazine, they do so as a leisure activity, a way to pass time, which yields knowledge. At the same time they are limited to the information provided by the author/writer. If the user has questions, they cannot interact or find a quick answer within the same media vehicle. The reader is left to ponder and resolve their own thoughts and ideas on the piece. Readers usually find themselves reading the piece two or three times looking for clues that will help them come to a conclusion.

When a reader opens a browser, it is done with the purpose to satisfy a hunger for knowledge. They seat at this dinner table and start with a search, one or two key terms. They dive into the topic at hand and quickly find themselves jumping from one topic to the next, all trigger by the information they are receiving. Like in print, one topic leads to questions, the difference, the reader has a quick satisfaction. The need to think is drastically diminished. A reader simply needs to turn back to the search box and be ready to face a multitude of choices and options for an answer.

This medium is able to provide a great deal of information to be consumed. The hunger never seizes, but merely a level of satisfaction is achieved that allows the reader to walk away from the table empower with applicable knowledge.

The bottom line is that there is a need and room for both mediums. Writing for the Web is a whole different art form than that of print. The Web is a medium of collaboration where a reader is provided a multitude of opinions and ideas that lead to a conclusion. Where as Print is a medium for those seeking one experts opinion allowing the reader to either accept the conclusion or form their own with at their own capacity.

Labels: Blogger, brand, Freedom of Speech, Google, Politics, reuters, Search Engine, SEO, Web Searches

Google Chrome

Web designers faced many challenges, among them the compatibility across all browsers. In 2004, I downloaded Opera, and it became my rule of thumb that if it worked and looked good in Opera, it would be fine in all other browsers.

Then came a new version of Opera, and my rule went out the door. I know was creating sites and testing in three different browsers. I was testing in Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Opera. I could care less about Safari or Mac browsers because at the time Apple was in the toilet and most were using PC.

Since 2004 many things have changed. Most households have adopted some flavor of computer and some sort of broadband. Each of the aforementioned browsers have evolved and have required many more band-aids across the board. CSS has also evolved and with it many more problems have followed. In June of this year (2008), I wrote a post alluding to Google putting all these broswers to shame with some standards.

Well the Google browser is now here. As with all Google products is a beta release and shall remain so for the upcoming years to follow. I download the savior last week and have been playing on and off with it. Test driving it if you will. As with most Google creations, it is simple, yet powerful enought to calculate your most visited sites and minimizes the crashes. Although it provides a lot of features, it somehow lacks flare.

I opened a few pages that have tweaks and patches and for the most part it looks like all sytems are a go.

The bottom line is that with the release of Chrome I hope to be able to diminish the patches, but the future looks gloomy thus far, I spoke with a few friends in the space and most had yet to hear of the browser, let alone taken it out for a test drive. Hopefully our Savior has come, but only time will tell.

Labels: CSS, Google, Search Engine, SEO, techniques, test

The pretty colors of fall

Summer is quickly coming to an end. One of the things I miss about the north is the change of seasons. We have been in Florida now for a year, as such, we have experience all four seasons: fall, winter, spring, and summer.

Up north the seasons are drastically different, leaves change, trees come in and out of live and the landscape changes. In Florida we have really only two seasons, hot and hotter! No matter where you go in Florida it all looks the same, flat and green, with the occasional water spot.

Today, I can officially consider my self a Floridian as we been visited by a snake. This evening my wife went to get the mail after returning from a long workout and a bit of grocery shopping. As I'm putting the last of the groceries away, I hear her scream my name. I quickly ran out to the garage where she was standing to the side of the garage door ranting about some snake, I look over to the right and in the corner was a small and colorful snake.

One thing you don't want to mess with is snakes, they can be quite dangerous and poisonous, although most statistics will tell you that only 17 bites a year in the US turn fatal. We don't want to become a statistic. Needless to say, I quickly reach for a broom and swung the snake a few feet over to the garden where it quickly faded away into the evening. My wife, the obsessive researcher that she is, wasn't able to find a picture of a snake like the one we had, but I'm pretty sure it was not poisonous. The small thing was maybe two feet long and a couple of inches in diameter, but being that it had multiple rings of color, she wanted to be in the know.

The bottom line is that if you come across an unknown your best bet is to be cautious and not to panic. Quickly find a long object to put some distance between you and the creature and shut the door as quickly as possible. Most snakes, like all animals, are usually seeking food and shelter. They are probably more scare than you are. After all you are much bigger than they are. My one regret is that in my rush to rid of the creature I didn't snap a photo, perhaps next time I'll think more clear.

Labels: digital photography, Florida, Jacksonville, snakes

Cuil

Cuil is officially launched and the buzz is in, the word, Google should be afraid. I don't think Google has anything to worry about as of yet. So what if the founders of Cuil where key engineers at Google. So what if Anna Patterson orchestrated the latest algorithm that Google is supposedly currently using.

I test drove cuil, I think they offer a great interface for the results, but I don't see where their claims that their algorithm is much more sophisticated than that of Google's. I found it to be quite inaccurate. Don't get me wrong, I'm far from being Google's fan. I think Google is quite sophisticated and offers great search tools that have been gamed and manipulated by scammers and skeemers to skew results. I'm still able to find solutions via my queries, that which I tried on Cuil and was unsuccessful.

I recently read a book that stated that just because you have the technical know how on performing a specialized task, does not mean you have the skills needed to run a company. Anna was the architect of Google’s large search index, but is she simply a search technician and coder or does she carry the ability to run the business while having other create and manifest her vision?

The bottom line is that many more powerful companies have try to take the Giant down and the giant is yet to loose. The numbers don't lie, Google has 50% of the search market share, while Yahoo possesses 20%. These numbers sound familiar, they should, think Coke and Pepsi. Others like MSN, AOL, LIVE, ASK carry the difference in the search engine space. Another search engine that had a big debut was Mahalo. It came out with an interesting concept of taking the machines out of the equation, but the buzz quickly ceased and I doubt that it will ever produced or come to full fruition. I won't hold my breadth on Cuil, but I'm glad to see competition as it will only make Google come out with a stronger search product. My prediction is that Cuil will be cool for a week or two.

Labels: Design, Google, Search Engine, SEO

Are you in a pyramid scheme?

Next time you find yourself sitting in a business meeting, instead of zoning out, pay attention to how things go down. Someone comes up with a new idea, the executive thinks the idea is brilliant. Together they identify who is going to perform the task, the executive will leave the meeting and head over to the CEOs office and present the idea. He will take full credit for the idea or he will say it was a collaboration from the originator and himself. Some lowly man down the totem pole will put in over time, they might even put in a weekend or two to accommodate this brilliant idea into their already full plate of tasks. Once compile and completed the sales person will bring in new money to the company where the CEO will congratulate the executive on a brilliant thought and a great job well done, while the lowly individual will get to put in many more extra hours and keep delivering product for another 20 years and perhaps one day get noticed and promoted to head janitor.

Wikipedia describes a pyramid scheme as a non-sustainable business model that involves the exchange of money primarily for enrolling other people into the scheme, usually without any product or service being delivered. It has been known to come under many guises. In other words, the lowest man in the bottom does all the work while the ones above gets all the glory.

The bottom line is that you want to get yourself out of the bottom of the pyramid and march up the diagonal. In order to do so, you need to identify what makes you unique and sets you apart. What do you bring to the table? You must enjoy doing something that others don't. You enjoy doing because you are good at it. Take your talent and find the right place where you will now be able to sell it as the commodity. You, my friend, will not longer be at the bottom putting in the extra time and effort into tasks that other dreamt up for you; you will now be delegating to others and only performing the tasks which you enjoy.

Labels: demonstrations, Features