Gerry's fixation that the web is for text-based content reminds me off the railroad barons who failed to see they really were in the *transportation* business.

Text is only one type of content -- and the web is about content, form and behavior in various mixes. There is no One True Best Way to present these, there are only ways that are more or less appropriate to given contexts.

Many times text is appropriate way to present content. Sometimes form is. For example, try to describe a spiral. And, no, you can't use your hands... See what I mean.

Posted by: George Olsen on April 16, 2002 01:36 AM

 

"Watching a webpage download quickly is such a cool treat."

CNN.com - 146K (158 hyperlinks!)
Computers.com - 100K
Amazon.com - 89K

What the f*** is he talking about?

Oh, and he also throws in the "people always scan-read" myth.

Good design is about communicating, yes. It's not necessarily about communicating information.

Posted by: MadMan on April 16, 2002 05:31 AM

 

I was not impressed with the article simply because it was a run-on thought of what Gerry considers to be "cool." It's too bad the article did not stick to the lead sentence. e.g., discussing communication of text-based content.

Posted by: Jack Schonchin on April 16, 2002 11:13 AM

 

M. Olsen, in the article, the author never say content should always be text-based. He only says great fonctions is cool. Did he express this point of view in other articles?

Madman, fast download don't mean small file size. Because CNN and Amazon mainly use Html text instead of gif text, it appears to download fast even if the home page is in fact heavy.

Also, why do you proclaim that the user scan-read is a myth?

Posted by: Richard Lehoux on April 16, 2002 11:14 AM

 

Oups, sorry M. Olsen! Just saw the text-based comment in the article. Forget what I said.

Posted by: Richard Lehoux on April 16, 2002 11:19 AM

 

I think his arguement is flawed in the opening sentence. The web is not just for text communication....that is an extremely narrow-minded view of what the web is and can be.

Posted by: JB on April 16, 2002 11:40 AM

 

Am I reading the same article? I read no assertion in the article that the web is for text-based content or that text is the only way to convey content. He just says an essential focus is "effective communication of text-based content." I agree with that, but was disappointed he gave such poor examples.

Posted by: Jack Schonchin on April 16, 2002 12:09 PM

 

The word "cool" is used 23 times in this article. Remined me of the goof-offs in the movie "3 Ninjas" who said nothing but "dude". After while, the repitition fails to communicate clear meaning.

Posted by: mcw on April 16, 2002 04:12 PM

 

Surely he used the word 'cool' so many times to make a point? We constantly hear about 'cool' websites, and the sites usually turn out to be clever Flash-based monstrosities. What the article is trying to say is that all of these straightforward features can be cool too. At least, that's my reading of it.

Posted by: Alan Fisher on April 17, 2002 07:52 AM