Web developers hold the power

Wed May 30

I read somewhere recently how web developers (designers, usability people etc) are far more important that they are given credit for. I’m not going to disagree ;) The thinking is that in this increasingly web-centric world we live in, the people building the web are the ones who hold the power.

That isn’t so hard to understand. After all, the people who held the power during the Industrial Revolution were the ones developing steam power. Back a few more millennia and the ones holding the power were the ones developing fire. Power isn’t just about physical brute strength, power is about knowledge. And without the knowledge of the increasingly numerous ranks of web workers the Digital Revolution ain’t going to change a thing.

Which makes Patrick Kennedy’s article all the more true. We do hold the power to shape the future. The web is changing everything, this web we hold in our hands and shape with our fingers. It’s changing politics, fashion, entertainment, commerce, communication – hell, it’s changing what it means to be one human in a world of other humans.

So the question is, how wisely are we using our power?

This ain’t no disco

Mon May 28

Andy Budd, one of the Cool Guys of the web design world, recently brought my attention to this. It’s a collection of photos of the offices of design agencies around the world. As you can image, there are some pretty cool places to work.

My home officeIt reminded me that I’d taken a picture of my own creative space to show you all (yes, all three of you). So here it is. I’d like to draw your attention to four things I think you’ll agree every home office, especially one for a world class web dude like me, needs.

  1. Bread bin (green circle). This contains the ends of loaves that no-one wants to finish (generally cheap white bread, yuk) but occasionally yummy treats such as cinnamon and raisin bagels or even lemon cake.
  2. Bananas (yellow circle). What more do I need to say?
  3. Selection of onions and peppers (red circle, middle tray). I could have bigged-up the fruit (top tray) and potatoes (bottom tray) but the onions and peppers have the right kind of spicy kick for a creatve space.
  4. Cat’s dish (blue circle). I’ve accidentally dipped my toes in this more than once, but that’s the price that I pay for my art.

So you see, the right kind of ambiance is vital for ensuring that top-quality work is produced by yours truly. And long may it continue.

I’m so POSH

Fri May 25

Plain old semantic HTMLMy wife accuses me of being posh all the time. And now, in a way, it’s true.

Diago – church management

Tue May 22

There’s a neat-looking new web application been released specifically for church management. While it’s aimed more for the US market, it’s still got some neat features as well as a pile of Web 2.0-goodness. So take a look at Diago if you’re one of the 4 people worldwide who need to manage a church.

Announcing BeatsBase – Community site for DJs

Sat May 19

Finally I can announce with a great deal of joy, that BeatsBase is live. It’s been a lot of work, but every bit has been enjoyable and Robbie has been the most fantastic client.

I’ve spoken about BeatsBase quite a bit before, so I just recommend you take a look yourself to get the lowdown. Suffice to say we’ve still got loads of ideas for the site so the work has really only just begun, but for now I’ll crack open a bottle of beer and eat this final chocolate eclair.