South African web development companies

brad — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 11:15:07 +0200

Vincent Maher wrote quite a nice post about Are web development companies still the best place for web advice?. He speaks about how the South African web development/design companies are a bit off the mark (in general) about how websites should work, and how users should interact with the site. Once when chatting to a local company they spoke about how “We need to own the customer and to do that we need to block off all points of exit from this website.” I think they push heavy crack, and I don't think they ever actually learnt about the web, they figured it was an interesting way to put billboards up for higher margins. I suppose it is the same attitude that sees us embroiled in yet another format war, the same market practices that exclude rather than include. These are the same people who don't understand why Amazon, et al work as well as they do, they don't understand that the web is about the people. It all comes back to jealousy and greed really...the jealous and greedy person tries to control the situation so they can milk it for everything, the pragmatic person works with the situation, moves and flows, and benefits the most in the end. This attitude of greed and control kind of works in the real world (but ultimately the greedy are brought to their knees), but on the internet the best players are the ones who fit into the neighbourhood, the ones who let you put your lemonade store on their front lawn because they know you will tell your friends to come buy lemonade, and maybe catch passing traffic (instead of kicking you off when they see your success, and starting their own lemonade stand which fails dismally). I think a few examples are in order: how come people put google search on their website long before they would put yahoo? Google is a nice neighbour! google recognises that helping you make money helps them make money, they facilitate and help you grow, while they grow (and they grow because you grow). It comes back to the Google Code of Conduct which basically says Don't be evil. Being evil is trying to steal or control revenue streams (as opposed to dipping into the stream, or making the stream bigger so everyone can play). The point of this ambling warble? The South African web industry needs a serious shake up, companies need to start waking up to the w3c and it's recommendations (it goes beyond just code - the w3c thinks about accessibility, etc.). The industry needs to start understanding the web as a community, and the fact that the play ground is so big it doesn't make sense to try and cordon of your corner of the web, spin some razor wire around it, and force people to use the intercom to come and play on your swings. In a related thing I have always been boggled when people talk about catering for mobile media, and reaching mobile phone browsers, etc. They build specialist websites and engines, just to make the site usable from a cellphone (don't get me wrong, I am all about sites making tweaked versions which remove stuff that is irrelevant or complex to use from a phone), when all they actually need to do is follow web standards and produce proper XHTML and CSS, and suddenly your site works on a mobile phone, looks good, and is usable for anyone and any browser. I suppose it is the hype train, and when you can charge more money to get your clients on the hype train, then greed wins. Vincent touched on the recent spate of flash only websites (and how making flash only websites is a lot like shooting yourself in the foot, because you basically trade the power of the web - hyperlinking - for a bit of glitz). Vincent didn't name the sites, but I will (I am crazy like that):

E-TV is the local free to air broadcaster. Does it make sense that I cannot link to an episode, day guide, etc. from a blog post? no, it doesnt. Their website is a wonderful testament to the white elephant (in the box, at the back of the cupboard in the basement, that can only be reached using the stairs).
Ster-Kinekor is another site that probably implemented an entire toolkit in flash, just to do what html was designed for. Updates are probably a whore for some lowly paid minion, and again, how can I link to a movie I want to see? How do I put a widget on my sidebar that tracks the movies I have watched (maybe even pulled from my ster-kinekor card)? oh, right, not possible.
Entertainment Africa is TelkomMedia's little jaunt (at a cost to the tax payer, and anyone who pays telkom for anything) into becoming an entertainment hub for ZAers. Luckily no one can actually link to any sub-section of the site, so they won't get too much additional traffic from their users. The flashing "loading" text makes me bring up a little

Any surprises that they are oldmedia houses and they clearly got sold the whole hook line and sinker? Two of those sites were made by a local company called (lol) Prezence. No surprises that they are a flash house (probably copy-pasted directly from the 90s). I guess they really have a solid prezence (sp?) on the internet. They certainly make their prezence (sp?) felt. I hope I am going to get nice prezence for my birthday (which is just around the corner). I know I am a minimalist, and the sites could look worse than they do, but when I see all the glitzy flash, and sliding things all over the place, it makes me mock charge a bit, but maybe that is related to feeling like the sites are alive and trying to attack my eyes. So, shake and bake SA, you have been warned.

Television websites in South Africa

brad — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 03:51:00 +0200

This is the first in a series dedicated to poor website design, the thumbs-down from Me, self-declared web critic. When I visit one of the free South African Television channel websites I think to myself "How would I not develop a television website?" and "What technologies would I not use?", then there on my screen I see websites designed exactly not how you should design a television website. I rate the websites from worst to best: sabc3, sabc1, sabc2, etv. To me a television website is simple. You have a lot of content, yes, and it changes daily, yes, but the principle is simple. People want to find out what shows are on either: now, today, or this week. They want to find out information about the shows: what the show is generally about, what the episode on today/tomorrow/next month is about, and maybe what episode number is on show. There are very comprehensive information websites (fir example tv.com lists just about every episode of every season of every show around, and the internet allows you to link to the content if you don't have your own content. It is that simple, basic interface, comprehensive information, easy access in the way 99% of people are going to want to access it. Then add fluff, have the good stuff once your navigation and site structure are done. SABC3 website is so unbelievably bad (the navigation does not appear everywhere, and they use flash badly). I mean, if you are going to make a bad website, may as well make it badly in flash to keep your ends covered. My best is that when you try pull up the programme for today it produces tomorrow's programme. SABC1 promises a new website, after a protracted wait with a blank page where JAVASCRIPT forwards you to the correct URL. let me repeat that, JAVASCRIPT forwards you to the new address. Because HTTP headers are dumb, and rather make sure people who don't run javascript are not forwarded to your website (and make sure you give no indication that anything is happening. wtf.). Once you finally get the website (after a blank javascript forwarding page, followed by a flash presentation that promises a new website. Site is okay looking, but seems unhinged from SABC1's branding, and target market. SABC2 is reasonable, in that the info is available at a glance, but it is the equivalent of printing the schedule out and sticking it up everywhere, i.e. utilitarian and boring (but better to err on the side of utility than SABC3). Does not provide any rich information, no carrots, nothing. To be honest the etv one is a lot better than the others, but they are here because it is a flash based website. They did not get the memo about 100% flash websites being 90s. Their information doesnt reach out and touch people because they are using interfaces which look bling, but don't carry, suffer from potential incompatibility problems, and increase client and server load. That ends my rant, there will be more, so stay tuned.