Articles :: Web Development :: Formula for Internet Utopia
written by Toby Miller on March 18, 2008 March 18, 2008
Introduction
If there really was such a thing as Internet Utopia then any person from any place on any browser would be able to view any content at any time. Let's keep this simple:
- any person - cheap (or free) Internet connections exist all over the world
- any browser - browsing applications exist for every known physical limitation
- any content - every known language can be conveyed in text or text-to-speech
- any time - the Internet is open 24/7
It looks like we should already have Internet Utopia, so why don't we, and why should we care? Rather than ask why, let's ask how. I found this rather appropriate quote to help guide us:
"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them."~ Albert Einstein
Solution
Since this seems to be a difficult task, based on the fact that it's still being dreamed of, we need to focus on the low hanging fruit. Don't worry, we'll keep climbing after that's all gone. =) First, we split our content delivery up into its most basic parts. Next, we prioritize those parts from simple to complex. Finally, we build every web page with that exact order in mind so that basic communication always comes first followed by more interesting (i.e. cool) forms of communication.
Priority #1: Accessibility
Before our websites can get a message out to the world everyone needs to be able to access them. This includes people with disabilities such as impaired vision. The easiest way to do this is to ensure that all important content is available via plain text. Virtually every known Internet browsing application can interpret plain text either by displaying it to those with sight or by reading it, using a screen reader application, to those without. Try to imagine your website as nothing more than black and white text with hyperlinks. Remember, this initial step isn't about the design it's about the content. Make sure that it's strong enough to stand on its own and you will be setting yourself up for success. As a bonus notice that your website just became accessible to all mobile devices with access to an HTML to WML converter (i.e. Google Mobile Proxy).
Priority #2: Indexability
If you never believed in the phrase "If you build it they will come" then you were probably right, but I want to change your mind just this once. There are two ways to get people to visit a website. The first way is to tell everyone about it and hope that someone who is interested is listening. This way can work, but it can be very expensive and a huge waste of resources if you are targeting people who aren't really interested in your site. The second way is to make it indexable so that search engines can find it and deliver it to people who are actually looking for it. The second way is usually cheaper and quicker and the nice benefit is that all search engines care about (at least today) is plain text. This is great because the first thing you did was make all of your significant content accessible, right? I like to think of search engines as extremely intelligent website critics with eidetic memory that work at the Internet Information Desk and just happen to be blind. They have all of the tools to make you successful, but they can't help you until you help them.
Priority #3: Stylability
Now that you know how to share your information with the world and connect to people interested in what you have to say, it's time to crank up the visual experience a notch or two. Through the use of nothing more than HTML and CSS, it is possible to take a plain outline of content and render it as something beautiful. Now that your content is all ready, it's time to engage a professional designer to make it into something more. Empower the company brand, intensify your message with photography, drive focus to promotions with contrasting colors, simplify navigation with intuitive link treatments. These are just a tiny subset of tactics used by a professional designer. You may have noticed that we're not talking about "anything goes" websites yet. We're still working without JavaScript or Plugins (i.e. Flash) because, believe it or not, not everyone uses those technologies. For some, it's due to fear of viruses and for others it's due to company-driven security policies. But don't freak out because we're not done yet. Stop for a moment and think back to "any person from any place on any browser would be able to view any content at any time". Goal! Let's pack up and go home ... no wait. If you're reading this then it's probably because you're an over achiever (let's face it, nobody else cares about this stuff), so let's keep going. =)
Priority #4: Cool Factor
Congratulations! You now have a winning formula for success with a website that promotes Internet Utopia but something is still missing. Since we all just really dig technology and love pushing it to the limit let's think of this next step as a reward for a job well done. It's time to add in technologies like JavaScript and Flash. As long as we employ autonomous coding methods, which is a fancy way of saying "improve what you already have" instead of "do it all over again for this OTHER audience", then we can still meet our goals and geek out at the same time. Think of things like: mouseover effects, animation, in-page content loading, overlays, no page refreshes, video tutorials, real-time data, gps triangulation, and on and on. As long as you keep re-imagining the box you will be successful. Especially after Internet Utopia has been realized by everyone else.
Conclusion
There are a lot of websites that simply start and end with the Cool Factor. The downside to this is that they completely miss out on the benefits of Internet Utopia which we should all be able to enjoy together. The upside is that you can take this idea to them (presented however you wish) and show them how much better their website can be. So what's the end result of all of this hard work? Well, to the average user, the end result is pretty much the same. Oh, except for the fact that "any person from any place on any browser would be able to view any content at any time".
Formula #1:
1 part Accessibility + 1 part Indexability + 1 part Stylability = Internet Utopia
Formula #2:
1 part Accessibility + 1 part Indexability + 1 part Stylability + Infinite parts Coolness = Internet Uphoria
Formula #3:
1 part Stylability + Infinite parts Coolness = Internet Dystopia
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