Websites are finicky things. There are so many ways to use a website that most of the time the hardest part of building a new website, or redesigning a site, is figuring out the intent. I have posted before about how there are several different types of sites available. Typically the issue is that no one site is, or should be one type of site. There are many technologies that are put to use in an effective website. A site can be built using simply HTML and/or XHTML/CSS, and it can be very nicely done. However, this only creates a static site with very little interaction available for visitors.

I have learned through this site and others that it’s important to create new content to keep people coming to the site. The content doesn’t always have to be original. Linking to other content and other sites is also very important. Most corporate websites don’t like to link to other companies because they feel it detracts from their message. However, just as a business is rarely self contained, linking to other sites is very important.

The important part here is that just like in Field of Dreams, if you build it, they will come. Sometimes it takes a while, and you need good content. But in the end, that’s what most people are looking for. As a business who is interested in building a website for their business, it’s important to have a clear purpose and understand that websites are expensive. The reason they are expensive is because it takes skill to create a website that is useable, compatible, easy to use and above all else, easy on the eyes.

I have been linked to many sites over the past month or two from people who “Make Web Pages.” Almost anyone can make a function web page. My mother can make a functional web page. But it doesn’t stop there. That’s just the beginning. Making a functional web page is only the first step in building a “SITE.” I know many people who think that just because they know a little HTML or have purchased DreamWeaver or, heaven forbids, FrontPage, they know how to build a site. If you want to learn how to build a good website, you don’t need anything other than a text editor, graphics editor, web browser, and some basic knowledge about how to use a computer. I would go as far to say that the best web designers out there learned to build web pages in just this way. All major Operating systems include a text editor (don’t use WordPad in Windows, use notepad.) You need Firefox, you need IE, both free. You can download The GIMP from www.gimp.org for a graphics program, again, free. Then you need to know how to do it.

The how is separate from the tools, the tools only make your job easier. Tools like DreamWeaver do much of the heavy lifting for you, however, it’s important you know what they are doing to build a site that functions properly. The other major resources you need are links to good websites that can help you learn HTML. W3C is an excellent starting point. It will tell you everything you need to know to get started. Don’t kid yourself here, you need to “Know the Code.”

Here is my suggestion on how you should “learn to build websites.” First, you should build a site using just HTML. If you have some money to commit to building sites, you should buy a subscription to Safari. This is an online bookshelf that can really help you get some books inexpensively. Second, commit to doing something to help your skill daily. Read a book, article, blog or something that keeps you in the flow. You should work hard at learning the concepts and how to apply them. It doesn’t happen overnight and will take some time. But, if you commit to it, your skills will develop.

The next piece of advice is to FOCUS. That’s right, focus. Figure out what kind of websites you want to build regularly. You should be committed and dedicated to learning everything you can about these types of sites. You should not try to learn everything, chances are you will learn a little about everything and won’t be great at any of it. Find yourself a specialty and stick with it. Then the next piece of that is to find other people with whom to partner. I am not a great graphics person. So I have partners that I work with to help me overcome that deficiency. The reason is that they have 20 or 30 years of graphic design experience. It would take me 20 or 30 years to get that, and I don’t want to learn that, I want to code. I know how to do little things like crop a picture or change a color of something, but I don’t worry about the major things. I just push that off on someone who will be at least an order of magnitude better at it than I am or will ever be. So you shouldn’t try to do it all.

When I have graphic work that I need done I spec it out and then bill the client for the time. I make a little on it, but not much and that helps both of us out. If you are good at getting the clients, then be the interface with the client, find a good coder, and good graphics person, and use them to build the sites. Spend no time writing code yourself and just spend your time building up the client base. As a coder, I would love this. I would give my right arm if someone would go get me the clients and take care of all the billing and all I did was tell them what I would charge for it. So build yourself a team, or three if you can get the customers.

My point is that content is the king; it is the single most important thing you can do to build a website that people want to visit. But don’t think that it’s as easy as all that. Sites have to be maintained and updated and changed and such, it’s important that both clients and designers understand that building a website is a commitment in time, money, and energy to make it work the way you want.

The Great Keyboard Bath of 2007: ”

A few months back I read Scott Machella’s story, via BoingBoing’s post, about cleaning a computer keyboard by putting it in the dishwasher. From the little bit I know about electronics, it rang true to me but I didn’t feel compelled to actually try it. At least, not at first.

The thing about a dirty keyboard is that it’s only dirty if you notice it. I’m a touch-typer, so I rarely look down. But once the aforementioned articles caused me to examine my own keyboards, I was sorry that I looked. Yuck. Clearly, I had to do something about it.

Scott wrote about how he let his keyboard dry out for 5 days, and given my own impatient nature, I thought it best to wait until I was going to out of town before giving it a try. But I decided to go whole-hog and wash both my beloved Matias Tactile Pro Keyboard and my Apple Bluetooth Keyboard at the same time. (My Apple Bluetooth Keyboard is the original, white plastic model. Not the current slim metallic work of art.)

The Tactile Pro’s USB cable can’t be removed, so I wrapped it up tightly with a twist-tie. For the Apple keyboard, I removed the batteries and left the battery door cover off. I decided not to remove the keycaps on either of them, having done that in the distant past (while replacing the keyboard springs on my Atari ST) and found it to be too nerve wracking and tedious. But on the whole I followed Scott’s process. The hardest part was figuring out how to turn off the drying cycle and suppress the rinse-chemical additive on my dishwasher.

After the washing was over, I shook out as much water as I could, then propped-up the keyboards so they’d drain. (See the photo. The other item pictured is an extension cord that I also washed; it was impulse add-on.) Both keyboards dripped like crazy for a long time, but by the next morning there was only a slight fog of moisture visible inside the clear parts of the Apple keyboard. I resisted all temptation to plug them in, and then left town for 7 days.

Upon my return, both keyboards were completely dry, of course. They were also sparkling-clean and—the moment you’re waiting for—functioned perfectly. Hurray! A time-efficient and effective path to cleanliness. What a great feeling. Hey, this mouse looks a little dirty too…

”

(Via 43 Folders.)

Ok, this Kindle thing is getting out of hand, first, the thing is just a disaster. Secondly, it’s ugly has hell. Then there are the functionality and size. This is not how most people read a book. It’s not how most people read a newspaper either. It’s completely unnatural.

First, it’s too big. Well it isn’t, but the way it’s put together is all wrong. Most people who read a book don’t read a hardcover book, they read paperbacks, that’s the target, not that hardcover. So you need to shrink the device. I’m thinking of a device that is folded like a book. This has two advantages, the first being it will work more like a real book and second it will be protected from having the screen damaged, scratched, or otherwise made unreadable when it’s “closed”. When closed the device should have dimensions of about 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 inches across and between 6 1/2 and 7 inches tall. Could even be as big as 5 1/2 long by 8 1/2 (equivalent of a 8 1/2 X 11 sheet of paper folded in half) When the device is opened it should have two screens, one on the left and one on the right. Each screen being about 4 inches wide and 6 inches tall.

Next the interface; hint: MOST people don’t write in books they read. They don’t care. So the interface, oddly enough, and this means only Apple can build it, it needs to be a touch interface. Using a swipe motion with your finger to “turn the page.” This will give it a BOOK feel, and makes it more acceptable for users to adopt. Most people are scared of all the buttons, makes the device feel too complicated. If you Need the ability to “write in it” then you need to add some functionality, like a paper day planner and use a stylus with handwriting technology like graffiti. I’m sure that Palm could use someone to buy their stuff now that they are getting smacked around by the iPhone.

It needs a backlight. I often want to read in bed, or somewhere lighting is an issue or where it would disturb other’s, airplane, car rides, etc, so the things has to be back lit in some way. Yes, I’m aware this will create battery life issues, but no more so than having a cell phone built into it. And that’s the next thing, it needs WiFi, not cellular connectivity. That’s assuming that it needs connectivity at all. Connect it to the computer, who cares, as long as you provide for both Windows, Linux and Mac compatibility.

The problem with this format, and the format of the Sony eReader, is that they go against how humans have been using books for about 1500 years. (Yes the first mention of a “codex” was in like 4th century b.c.e or something but it wasn’t really adopted then) 1500 years is a long time to try to replace history with one device. At least with one device that goes against the natural feel of how people are used to using its predecessor.

Lastly, read my post to the studios yesterday about pricing. You can’t expect people to pay MORE for something because it’s “digital.” They won’t buy it. Books will need to be cheaper, and if they aren’t using paper they can be, they use nothing but TIME to create. Most publishers require that books be submitted electronically anyway, so just don’t print it. And that brings me to another point, the market for the book should be open for anyone. I should be able to write a book put it into a format (PDF or HTML or whatever) and then sell a copy of it in the store without much trouble. Sure, without the major marketing of a large publishing company behind it, it probably won’t sell very well, but if I sell 1,000 copies via word of mouth at 2.99 each, I’ve done okay for myself. And by God, as an Author, I would want people to be able to “Share” my book. More people who read it, the more word of mouth there is. Again, can’t get around the fact that eventually, whatever DRM system is put into place will be stripped out or hacked anyway, save them the trouble. Not to mention that with a physical book, if I get done with it, I could sell it online, to a 1/2 price bookstore or whatever. Don’t change the rules about how I do what I already do. You can’t expect me to pay MORE for something, and then restrict me from using it in a way that I’m used to. That’s like saying, hey we will sell you this shiny new car, but you can only drive it to work and the grocery store and it’s going to cost you 15% more than your current care and if you want to go anywhere else, you have to buy this car also. I’ll honestly tell you to go to hell, and I’ll go buy a “normal” car. If you make it more complex, charge more and reduce the way people can use it. They will not buy it.

There has been a tons of rumors about Apple creating movie rentals in iTunes. Let me tell you what I think about this mess. I think it’s a HORRIBLE idea. The problem isn’t with Apple, it’s a problem with the Studios and Networks. It’s also a major league issue with economics. Anyone who has taken an economics course should be able to figure this one out, but the studios are missing it.

Digital downloads of movies, tv shows and music does not follow a physical model of sales. And it never will. The studios want to sell the content online for the same price as they do in a physical format. The problem is that they haven’t figured out that they could make MORE money by lowering the price for online content. Here are the facts. A physical DVD requires PHYSICAL resources to create, these physical resources to manufacture. I’m sure we aren’t talking about a ton of money here, but it is a cost. Factor in shipping, labor and packaging, I’m sure the cost is minor, in relation to the cost of retail price of the DVD. But lets say that it’s 10% of the retail price. I am in NO way an expert on these costs, I’m just making a generalization and guess.

Ok, so here is my thinking on the topic. In economics there is an equilibrium of supply and demand. As supply increases, demand decreases and there are downward forces applied to price. As supply decreases, demand increases and upward pressure is applied to price. We aren’t talking about anything earth shattering here. This is Econ 101 stuff. So… A physical DVD requires resources to manufacture. Labor, Materials, Shipping. Both Human and physical materials. This is part of the reason that DVDs take time to go from theatre to retail store shelves. If a DVD costs 15.00 on the retail store shelf and it costs 10% of that or 1.50 per disc for manufacture and they sell 100,000 of them then it costs 150,000 do make those discs.

On the other hand. Let’s say that they distribute a movie in digital format only. They make the copy ONCE, and then can copy the item infinitely at no cost. Want proof of this, copy a file on your computer and see how much it cost you. So here’s the economics. Following the logic of as supply increases it applies downward price pressure these means that a Movie’s price should be approaching 0. Because a Digital copy can be reproduced at no cost means that supply is infinite. Infinite supply would apply downward price pressure with a limit of 0.

As of April 9th, 2007 Apple reported that they had sold the 100 millionth iPod sold. That was almost exactly 9 months ago. iTunes is a free download for both Windows and Mac. You don’t have to pay for it. Don’t have to build a website, don’t have to do much of anything to get it to the user. Additionally, guess what, they USER pays for the distribution of the tool, just like with at TV. Anyone with a computer, (Sans Linux users, sorry guys) can download and install iTunes. Let’s just take the iPod numbers as a base, at 15.00 per movie let’s say you sell 500,000 “copies”. That would net you 7.5 million bucks. 500,000 is 1/2 of 1 percent of iPod owners. Now, let’s flip that around, what if you could sell 25,000,000 copies, or 25% of the iPod market, at 1 dollar each? Doesn’t cost you any more to make them, but you make $25,000,000.00. Um, that’s more than 300% more and it didn’t cost you anything more to get. If I were the stock holder of a major studio, I would be SCREAMING for them to lower the price and sell MORE content on iTunes. Market to the iTunes user, it costs you NOTHING and you can make HUGE amounts of profit.

You can’t fight the invisible hand. The fact is that people instinctively know what something should cost. And most people think that a movie shouldn’t cost 15.00 bucks. It’s already starting to cost that to GO SEE IT AT A THEATRE. Want to sell MORE, lower your price. Want to make it so that you have so much money you don’t know what to do with, make it so easy and so inexpensive for people to get the content on their iPod that they PREFER IT. Try this for 6 months, sell Songs for 33 cents each (DRM FREE), TV Shows for 66 cents an episode and movies for 99 cents. A few things will happen and none of them will be your problem. Apple will be upgrading the infrastructure of the iTunes store, hard drive and blank media dvd sales will go through the roof and Cable/Satellite companies will SERIOUSLY start complaining. Don’t get me started on Walmart. iTunes is the platform, make it work FOR YOU. Quit limiting users with fake and arbitrary limitations that mean nothing. Do something that the consumer will like and they will reward you for it.

I am a HUGE proponent of digital content because I can watch it when I want, where I want and how I want. If you cut the price and the volume goes way up, what’s the difference? if you cut the price and the volume is such that you make MORE money you will be scene as a genius. You will also know EXACTLY what your market is for a show or a movie based on your downloads. If a show is getting 10,000,000 downloads of the episodes each week, that’s 6.6 Million per episode at 66 cents per episode. If you can’t make quality content for 6 Million an episode, stop making content. If you keep increasing the price to keep up with “Physical Media” sales, people aren’t going to do it, but if you make it EASIER and CHEAPER than downloading it illegally, why in the world would you NOT want to? I’m not saying that every show will get 10 million downloads, but I’m sure it will be more than you are getting now and it will more than make up the difference.

Studios, it’s up to you, if you want to survive and not upset more people than you already have, you need to embrace the new technology and figure out how you can leverage it. You shouldn’t be alienating your market. The consumer is showing you EXACTLY what you should be doing, you need to listen and pay attention. If you could get 1/2 the people to buy the content versus downloading it illegally wouldn’t that make you happy? Keep in mind, the market for this stuff is limited, because you have already aired it on TV for FREE.

So I’m browsing around the TV this morning and I stop off at Fox News. I don’t spend much time there as they are well, anyway, but, what do I see sitting on the desk in front of two of the anchors? Two MacBook Pros. They look like 17″ MBPs but I’m not sure as the TV distort that sort of thing, and I’m not sure what they are running, but there they were, large as life.