We’re All Safe

I’ve been working on my book for MS Press “Expression Web Step by Step” and as such, I’ve been using the software differently than I usually would. For instance instead of directly editing the style sheet I’m forcing myself to use the Interface to manipulate styles for HTML elements, etc.

Don’t get me wrong; Expression Web has GREAT tools for easily manipulating style sheets, classes, and other CSS elements but with any program you use to develop anything, you’ll have these instances where you just want to open the source and edit it directly. While for my current purposes it’s annoying, it IS for the greater part, job security.

I don’t think there will ever be a development tool that can outperform, or more concisely, not need a human being to run it and think about the bigger picture. The other side of the coin is this; as the programs we use to develop webs, web pages, and web applications get better and have higher level capabilities available at the GUI level, they become much harder for new users to come to grips with. It’s just another instance that reinforces the fact that there’s no tool, application, or GUI that can take the place of experience, knowledge, and understanding. Even more than that it seems that bringing these tool capabilities up to the GUI level also makes those three human attributes more important for the user.

The web is changing, tools are getting much better, but the need for a real understanding is only growing. The days of an absolutely unskilled user cranking out a site with a tool like FrontPage are gone. It’s not just because the technology is changing and becoming deeper, it’s that the tools themselves, in an attempt to capitalize on the new potential are getting “heavier” and the user actually is in a position where they need to know a little about what they’re doing just to do it.

If you’ve groused in the past about people buying a tool like FrontPage and making their own site, even a weak one, instead of hiring you, you’re going to be seeing a complete shift. Sure the user can still buy a tool but now they’re going to need to learn a significant bit about the underlying technology. I’m more than sure that the people who didn’t mind investing a dozen hours into learning FrontPage, then maybe a few more to make a site aren’t going to be able to justify investing hundreds of hours into learning both the editor and the underlying technology that it build upon.

I think we’ll all be seeing a greater demand for “small sites” that users too often made themselves.

Chris Leeds, MVP, WPD
Chris Leeds is a longtime digital photographer and Web enthusiast.

Chris has recently developed and released a software product that allows Webmasters to create Web sites that can be edited by their clients with just a browser.

Chris also maintains and operates Northeast Digital Photo.

Chris has additionally had “Tips and Tricks” and numerous articles published, on Microsoft’s site and other locations, regarding various facets of FrontPage and recently served as a technical reviewer for the O’Reilly Press “FrontPage 2003 the Missing Manual.”

His latest writing project is in the role of author for Microsoft Press’ forthcoming “Expression Web Step by Step.”

[tags]Expression Web, FrontPage, Developers, Web Sites[/tags]