EXPERIENCE THE 'NET!

MEATBALLS IN INTERNET SPAGHETTI...

I remember the good old days.

The days when a man who called himself a man meant it. When a man called himself a machinist, he actually knew how to run a machine, not just pushed a button. When a man called himself a webmaster, he actually knew HTML, not just typed words.

You'll pardon me if I go ahead and join the 21st Century but we have reached the official age of the "cookie cutter" website. And I have fought that trend for years, evidently in a losing effort. You see, a longtime client of my old Web Design business has moved into the 'Net twilight zone of the cookie cutter junkyard.

I tried to warn them. "Don't go there. You'll get lost in the millions of other online sites. You'll lose your individual taste and become meatballs in internet spaghetti." They, sadly, did not listen. Even as I type this their new website flounders in the sauce.

Perhaps the times are passing ME by. I have a "My Space" page and admit it was simple to get and do. And you can spice it up some but there is still that "sameness." That lack of...."me." Perhaps this is the wave of the future that I can't surf. I know my price wasn't too high for this client. I was doing it for free. AND paying for their domain name every year! Maybe my idea of a well designed, thought out, and artistic website just got to be more than they wanted. Or maybe they wanted more.

More what though? More slop. More clones. Less artistic content. Then it hit me. Square in the forehead. Everybody is doing it. A branch of this client is located in California and they swear by this cookie cutter website host. Never mind that this branch's website is a webmaster's list of faux pas'. Never mind that this website doesn't break any rules, doesn't make any rules, it just follows the rules.

And, most of all, it's easy. Brainless. Routine. And it will, sadly, sink into the muck of the Internet. Eventually. They all do. "Hey, the best part is that it's free!" the newly appointed webmaster e-mailed me as he was asking for advice that he would not listen to, "and it's SO easy!"

It might not cost money to make a meatball but if you aren't careful, you'll get gas. "Nothing is free," I e-mailed the new webmaster back, "ever. And the best never comes from easy street." Sadly, my words of Internet wisdom fell on meatball filled ears.

So I'll just keep hunkered down here at cobra74 Creations and we'll continue to try and save the Titanic by using a tin cup to bail out the ice cold water. One day, though, even we will sink beneath the waves to an unmarked Internet grave. But not without a fight.

After all, even when it's HTML, it's better to die on one's feet than live on one's knees.

	"Having children is selfish. It's all about maintaining your genetic line at the expense of the planet."
	Really? Better look in the mirror, "Mother" Earth.
	"In Iran we don't have homosexuals like in your country..."
	Really? Better look in the mirror, Papa Immadforjihad.
	"You have to stop. You can ask a question but you can't just blather on your opinion."
	Really? Better look in the mirror, Mom Lezbo.
	"The American people are tired of liars and people who pretend to be something they're not."
	Really? Better look in the mirror, Mom Lefto.
	"The biggest terrorist is George W. Bush."
	Really? Better look in the mirror, Mom Wacko.