Now that you've got the approval from the CEO to create that Web site you've all been dreaming about, perhaps it's time to focus on the goals of your future Web site. Do you want to create a replica of that boring corporate brochure that's been gathering dust on the shelf for the last several years, or how about trying to recreate the company logo using a spinning globe? Or, then again, you could actually provide some useful information on the site to your customers...that'd really be something. Imagine that, a Web site that your customers could actually use.
This is the kind of debate that caused author Philip Greenspun to write this tome on effective Web design and publishing, and it's the eternal problem that most developers face on a daily basis. How do you avoid being yet another useless, brochure-ware Web site in a sea of such sites? Greenspun believes it starts with the initial concept. Does your company wish to publish, or provide a service?
Greenspun has obviously been at this for a while. He claims, though it's hard to believe from his picture, that he's had his phone number online for 20 years now (of course, back then so did the other six Internet users). He was an MIT programmer back then, but now he's carried his common-sense knowledge over to the Web. Oh, did I mention that the book is a good read?
Although it may seem like it if you read a lot of book reviews, not every book on Web design and programming is easy to read. Sure, you can find some helpful info if you dig deep enough, but you'll soon find your thoughts wandering to what you'll be having for dinner, the drive home, or other business projects. I must admit, with Philip and Alex's Guide to Web Publishing, though the title sounds like a TV sitcom, the book is funny, easy to read, and when you're done, you'll have a better than average chance of creating a Web site that users will find equally as interesting and informative...and yes, even fun!
If you're like me, you just won't be happy until you've taken a look at the book yourself. Fortunately, the author has been kind enough to provide you with an advance look at the book--online! Here's the list of chapters, and you can just go and read them right now! Remember, though, if you like the book, you owe it to Greenspun to actually purchase a copy at your local bookstore. It's folks like him that keep the Internet alive with the power of sharing your work so others can learn from your mistakes and successes.
This book is not about HTML, nor will it tell you how to develop a Web site in 24 hours. What it is about is showing you, through examples and explainations, what you should be trying to do when you create a site, and how you can do it. My list of "suggested books" is getting quite large these days. Now, thanks to Greenspun, I have to add another to the list--Philip and Alex's Guide to Web Publishing.
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