I. Get Real: Introduction
A web site is a wonderful thing. It has connected people with similar interests, delivered important information to consumers, shared good and bad news, helped unite civilization as a whole, and apparently also brings a false sense of progress.
The on-going drive for webmasters seems to be “testing the envelope,” with such features as Flash or Java. While they can improve a site's appearance when used appropriately, they also filter out a good number of visitors. These “bells-and-whistles” offer visual entertainment at a great price to the company or person creating the site. The current estimates aren't bright for the future of accessibility. A survey of web sites of Fortune 500 Companies has shown that only around 21% of corporate companies maintain accessible web sites.
The arts is also another field where sites suffer dramatically. Most movies feature web sites that are totally inaccessible without high speed internet and a new computer. Musicians and recording artists use streaming media on their main pages, unaware that they can be losing many fans while their material takes time to load. Photographers, sculptors, and individuals in the visual arts may also fall into this bracket if there isn't a clear indication to visitors that the site features images or photographs.
The web is amazing for Appalachian residents, perhaps more than most. It can bring you business, networks, and a host of other data that isn't available for hundreds of miles otherwise. Web companies can be started without cost to state or community. Profits can be made, revenue generated, and overall, the internet can benefit most.
If you had a new restaurant or boutique, you would want a pleasing storefront or atmosphere, there's no doubt. You would want every inch of the facility neat, polished, and free of useless clutter. You would want easy access, efficient service, and an appreciation for the hard work you have put into your “baby.”
Now, imagine that gorgeous, professional facility is at the top of a one-hundred-feet tall cliff. You visitors must use a ski lift to access it. How many would visit your facility? What if you constructed a twelve-feet-tall chain-link fence around it and only allowed those who could climb it to enter your place? How much of your potential clientele would this absolutely obliterate? In all honesty, you would lose the majority of your business and most likely go bankrupt without some heavy duty PR work.
The reason so many web sites go under so quickly is a lack of attention to detail in some fashion. They may lack content, substance, design, or any other necessary detail that is so often overlooked in today's web design community.
These articles are directed towards the Appalachian webmaster, but the majority of the content will be as applicable to any webmaster. The web is a wonderful place, but you need to be able to access it first.
“Realistic” web design hinges on the primary purpose of the internet. It is simplistic, straightforward, and doesn't require extensive programming. It is common sense for a virtual world that is open to anyone.