Many younger people don’t even remember the days before the Internet matured and became a glitzy global interface known for mammoth social media platforms like Facebook, highly sophisticated Google algorithms driving companies to invest in analytical research, and glossy, modernistic-looking websites created by graphic designers. But that’s not always the way the web was – and in some ways, the old way was much better.
A certain generation now turning middle-aged remembers a time when Internet communication was brand new. There was a certain magic to it – users of all ages became intrigued with the idea that they could talk to other people remotely over a computer. Retro enthusiasts often cite the bulletin board systems that predated social media forums – where you could be completely anonymous and talk to random people all over the country, or all over the world.
Fast-forward a quarter-century or so, and we now have a system where everything about us is known and tightly controlled on platforms like Facebook, which has recently introduced a mandatory program for new profiles that links your personal image to your name, to make sure you’re the “right person.”
The idea of chatting with strangers has also vanished from our Internet lexicon – we can live chat with our Facebook friends, but for most of us, that’s about it – although avid retro aficionados can still hook up via Telnet.
What’s this all about? Why pine for those old chat rooms and command-line interfaces and all of that retro computing?
One reason is that consumer trends and fashions tend to go in cycles. Right now, we are in the age of fully digital music, fully digital image and social media interactions, but now is not forever. There’s a value in realizing that a certain segment of consumers are going to eventually want something a little different.
Some of the best companies in the world got where they are now by innovating and moving beyond the current trends. You can call them trailblazers. They didn’t do what everyone else was doing – they did something different, and it paid off big time.
Maybe your company has the same standard web interface that everyone else does, but some of your executives or someone writing to the suggestion box realizes that you could have a better web footprint by thinking creatively or thinking out of the box.
If you need a web provider that’s able to work with you on customized designs, talk to WebSubstance. We understand the visionary approach – that some of our clients will want to do something different from time to time. We’re excited to work with free thinkers and creative geniuses and the people who are going to drive the new trends 10 or 20 or 30 years down the line. Talk to us about setting up a fully functional website – as a one-stop shop, we offer graphic design, photography, natural and compelling web content for thought leadership, and much more. Go with a firm that’s made waves in “Web 2.0” and built a client list based on our own innovation and tech savvy – and let’s imagine the future together!
