How hard can it be?
February 28th, 2009
Have you ever watched Top Gear? If not, it's a humorous BBC television series about motor vehicles, primarily cars. In the show, there is often some odd challenges like "How hard can it be to build stretch limousine", "How hard can it be to present a drive time radio show" or "How hard can it be to drive car to north pole". Some of the challenges end up somehow disastrously.
Over the last few weeks I have thought how hard can it be to create, write and update a homepage or blog. It's such a simple task: 1) choose CMS or blog engine, 2) create layout, 3) write a few pages and that's it. Or is it?
1) The Internet is full of free CMS or blog engines. And almost all of them are based on same philosophy: The more the merrier: Features, features, features... But I don't want features, I want simple content management. So I wrote it: Three small php-functions, about hundred lines of code in total.
2) Layout is often bonded to CMS or blog engine you are using. In some cases it's quite hard to customize it. On the other hand there are also many free layouts which you can use, although the basic structure is rarely individual. This current layout is fourth iteration of my 5-year-long though process. It has some flaws, but I like it.
3) But then there is the main thing: Content. Why am I creating homepage? What I want to say? Have I anything to give to audience? Who is my audience anyway? And in the name of privacy, what I am revealing about me and my personal life to the world?
So how hard can it be? Content is the key! After that, only time will tell if your website or blog is great success or another disaster.