The Best Of The Internets









Why Computer Programmers Should Stop Calling Themselves Engineers

I have been grappling with a lot of the concerns this fantastic article raises. In particular, this bit resonated with me:

Would-be “engineers” are encouraged to think of every project as a potential business ready to scale and sell, rather than as a process of long-term training in disciplines where concerns for social welfare become paramount. Engineering has always been a well-paid profession, but computing is turning it into a type of speculative finance rather than a calling.

It’s a generalization, but it’s also a trend I’ve been seeing. I’m also on the fence regarding licensure and continuing education credits. I think they could do a lot to improve the state of the Web without destroying the wonderful DIY nature of its accessibility.


Less content marketing, more quality content

I’ll just let Gerry say it:

If there has been a constant in my 20+ years of consulting with websites it is that most websites produce far too much low quality ego content. This is true for both commercial, government and non-profit websites.

  • Telenor of Norway deleted almost 90% of their pages. Conversions went up by 100%. Support requests went down by 35%
  • The Norwegian Cancer Society removed almost 90% of their content and saw extremely positive results.
  • The US Department of Health deleted 150,000 of their 200,000 pages. Nobody noticed.
  • Columbia University of Chicago deleted 97% of their pages. Student application inquiries went up by 80%
  • Liverpool City went from 4,000 pages to 700 on their website. Support requests went down and online reporting went up.

Clear, well-written content is appreciated (and actionable) by your users.