Geek & Mild by Sean Sperte

April 24, 2009 Why “Gracebook” Is a Terrible Idea

Let me explain something. The reason something like a “Gracebook” will never get my support — and the reason I sarcastically remarked about it — is because it’s a regurgitated idea.

So, just so we’re clear, here are some guidelines for creating a social network:

1. Don’t create a network/service for a single demographic.
2. Don’t charge money.
3. Don’t name it anything stupid.

We clear?

5 Comments

April 23, 2009 Ads

If you visit my website you’ll notice a new feature: Fusion Ads. I debated accepting the invitation from the Fusion Ad Network for a long time — mostly because I’m not a big fan of web ads. What finally convinced me was my own interest in the ads as I saw them appear on all my favorite blogs (and now even software).

When I realized how compelling the ads were to me, and how many products and services advertised I actually used or owned, I figured they would be beneficial for readers of Geek & Mild. And since I can’t always feature great software or services in posts or links, the ads will help augment that limitation.

2 Comments

April 15, 2009 On Catering

I’m a caterer. Some of the people I make food for are sitting at a lopsided table — which makes for an unpleasant eating experience, no matter where they get their food.

The question is this: Is it worth it for me to create a customized menu, equipped with plates and utensils that compensate for the table’s lopsidedness, for this segment of eaters?

I say no.

Motherfuton no.

2 Comments

April 8, 2009 Comparing Ourselves Among Ourselves

A List Apart has published the results from their survey of people who make websites. The data, which includes answers from over 30,000 respondents, is very clearly presented in web page format (meaning XHTML, tables, and CSS); a clever method, if you ask me.

What concerns me about this, as well as other surveys of similar vein, is that it fuels the fire of comparison inside this new and diverse industry. One of the reasons I so passionately do what I do (as a web designer/developer) is the organic feel of the web. You can approach design for the web with a clean slate and open mind and still be accepted. There are guidelines, yes; standards that we voluntarily submit to. But ultimately the web is an open platform wherein design autonomy is celebrated.

Comparison among those who make websites is helpful only as much as it contributes to the expansion of the medium itself. I fear, though, that comparing incomes, biases, and experience will result in over-inflated egos and mistuned motivations.

At the risk of sounding overtly self-absorbed, I’ll use myself as a clear example of this. When I first discovered that the survey results had been posted, I immediately checked to see if my salary was on par with the median. I skipped past the introduction, the demographics, and everything else that preceded the subject of money.

That’s not the kind of person I am. Why did I do that? Would the results — good news or bad news — somehow change the way I make websites?

This is an industry of Whoever, Wherever, Whenever (WWW), but if we let market norms dictate the direction we go, we’ll find ourselves in a spot we don’t want to be: where the great openness we celebrate is closed, and we’re all competing for the best seat in the house.

3 Comments