So here’s the story of what we did and how it worked and hopefully if your site has been affected by Panda you can use this as a template to bring it back up. Even if Panda did not have significant impact on your site, using these lessons will take your site to the next level.

The most significant lesson from the Panda – Is your site of use to the visitor?

It’s a simple but profound question. We usually get so caught up in our own development ideas, design tweaks and all the bells & whistles that we lose sight of the very reason we have created this site – to be of use to the visitor so that he/she can give us business. All our study on the Panda update brought us over and over to the same conclusion – make the site more useful.

Tackling Content Discovery – In how many ways does a visitor find information on your site?

We started with modeling the content discovery system of the website i.e. in how many ways can a visitor find the information he/she is looking for? We shortlisted and fixed on 3 methods of content discovery:

1. Site Search on top
2. Categorized Content in a left menu
3. ‘Also read’ articles and recommended search ‘tags’ along with each article. 

 We worked hard to make sure all three avenues were uptodate and easy to use.  This took a lot of effort as we had to break 8 categories into 26 as well as use a logical script to provide intelligent ‘Also read’ options to the visitors.

Revising Content – Beefing up existing content, removing duplicates, filling in the gaps.

After content discovery we tackled the actual content itself. The first major job was a cleanup operation – removing duplicates, redundant information and of course broken links. In terms of size the site is moderate i.e. about 600 pages. But due to the technical nature of the information it took quite a bit of doing.

So we got our content writer to review each page with the following mandate

• Write a fresh intro for each page of the site
• Write intelligent tags for each page of the site (not the normal SEO kind of tags but more indepth.)
• Check and remove duplicate and redundant content.

It was a slow and cumbersome task for the copywriter but the end result was a great set of meta-data for each page of the site. More importantly this was of a higher quality than that of normal SEO use.

I want to strongly point out here that this was not undertaken as a normal SEO rewriting exercise which many times barely scrapes the surface of the content. This was in-depth research and writing.

A new paint job with some web 2.0 finished the job in style.

Along with the above content work we redesigned the site to web 2.0 specifications. This helped by making the site faster to load, accessible on mobile devices and also gave a fresh breath of air in terms of colours and fonts. In the new design we went for simplicity over jazz. Although it was counter intuitive we played down the design aspect and played up the content discovery of the site.

 The results speak for themselves – a jump to and above pre-panda levels.

Not only did we reach the pre-panda levels but we also exceeded them by a good 30-40%. The rise was so astonishing that our client could hardly believe it himself (although he was quite happy!). Thanks to his support and patience we managed to pull of a really meaningful change to the site. We gratefully acknowledge and appreciate Dr.Malpani for this.

 In conclusion I would like to say that in order to beat the Panda you have to get to basics, forget the tech, forget the design, just focus on one thing only – make it a fruitful experience for the visitor.

Cheers,
Ron

I am not one of those people who can spontaneously make excel sheets that can give a marking to every factor and then come up with a complexity score. I am more partly a right brain-left brain combo type, i.e. I use part intuition and part facts to make evaluations.

But it did get me thinking about evaluating complexity and the various factors that affect a complex website. It also goes hand in hand with costing and budgeting of the website.

Complexity can be measured quantitatively in terms of the project size.

The size of the website can definitely impact the complexity of the website although the internal workings might be simple.

Size can be dictated by factors such as

• Number of database tables required
• Amount of data that is stored or would be stored in the database
• Number of distinct modules that need to be developed to complete the whole system
• Number of forms feeding into the database through the site

As you can see its more left brained number crunching but sometimes even size is not a good indicator.

Complexity in terms of the developer’s prior experience or lack thereof.

As I have mentioned above, complexity can be subjective. What might be very complex and daunting for a junior team might be much simpler and less complex for an experienced senior team. We usually combine juniors with seniors on projects (a kind of jedi apprentiship) to balance things out a bit. My above mentioned evaluation might be due to my vast experience in programming sites and could easily be a 8-9 for a less experienced programmer.

Complexity in terms of  the nature of the algorithms and exceptions used in the website.

An algorithm is a series of programming instructions to process some input or display some output from the website. My team once worked on a project that was very simple concept but the complexity was skewed by the points structure (rewards for shopping) envisioned by the client. The convoluted logic resulted in convoluted algorithms which had tons of exceptions (a type of choice which changes the flow of the program).
Anyone who has been explained the reward structure of an MLM will immediately grasp this kind of complexity. I always advise my clients to keep it simple for this very reason.

 Complexity in terms of multiple inputs and reporting of collated data from different sources.

Sometimes a web design project can simply become complex by the number of sources from which data has to be collated or streamed. Websites   with data pouring from hundreds of forms is an example. An ERP system would be a good example of this type of complexity. Different consoles in different functions of the business need to piped to the correct database, processed and then piped back out as MIS (Management Information Systems). This also ties with the first point about the database size.

Complexity due to lack of documentation or planning

Like ‘the blind leading the blind’, a web development team with no idea about specific deliverables or with poor documentation can go around in circles. For the team members without clear deliverables and a road  map the project is complex because of the unknown. Decisions have to be made (and are many times avoided) at every turn. Some decisions lead to ridiculous complexities in the structure of the website which creates a negative spiral that demoralizes the team. Simply put, a poorly planned project is by default a complex project.

 My own evaluation of some common types of web projects and thier complexity levels

• ERP System – Extremely complex on all factors (9-10/10)
• CRM system – Moderately complex mainly due to the mulitple input and reporting factors.
• E-commerce website / Shopping site – Moderately complex in all factors i.e. database, algorithm and reporting. (6/10)
• Auction Sites – Very Complex expecially in the algorithm factor. (6-7/10)
• Job Sites/ Property Portals – Highly complex due to the database size and complexity. (8/10)
• Online publication/ Blog/ News sites – Moderately complex in terms of size of the site. (510)
• Social Media Sites – Highly complex due to all factors. (8/10)

In conclusion it can be a variety of factors that dictate the complexity of the web development project, mixed with the experience of the team, it can dictate the success or failure of your project.

Cheers,
Ron

We can handle any type of complex project. Do visit us at http://www.miracleworx.com

Although there are a lot of new young entrepreneurs joining business these days most businesses are still run by 1st or 2nd generation older business persons. Although they have a wealth of experience and savvy they hesitate or are unsure about using the online medium. On inspection a lot of thier fears are justified but can be tackled.

Below are some concerns I have come across when older business persons are reluctant to take thier businesses online.

Concern: We have been successfully running our business for so many years, why try the web now?

Sooner or later all businesses big or small will have to have a part of their transactions online. It could happen in 5  or 15 years but it will happen. Those who don’t will find a significant part of thier business taken up by web savvy competitors.  A good web developer must sit down with the client and explain in clear terms the benefits the business owner will get over the long term / short term from going online.

Benefits can be explained in terms of

• Demographic reach
• Untapped markets (like youth).
• Business process efficiencies (The cloud)
• Improved speed of doing business (ERP / CRM)
• Niche targeting and more…

Concern: I am afriad of hacking, stealing of Intellectual Property, unauthorized copying etc.

In this area the older business person’s concerns are very justified. The web is notorious for such activities. But this does not need to become a reason for not going online. Preventive measures and security protocols can be implemented to mitigate the risk from such threats.

Steps a business owner / web developer can take include:

• Purchasing hosting space from companies with good defensive protocols such as firewalls and antivirus softwares.
• Creating password protected areas on thier sites not available to general public.
• Using encryption technology such as Secure Socket Layer (SSL)
• Hiring security firms to do security audits to find out vulnerabilities in the website.
• Backing up data regularly
• Only maintaing essential data on the server and backing up / deleting all non-essential data.

As with our health – ‘Prevention is better than cure’.

Concern: The costs of adding an online function will add significantly to my yearly budget.

Going online usually has a balancing effect on business i.e. where costs are increased due to going online there are also returns due to improved sales or increased efficiences. So the idea is to implement your online initiative in such a way as to offset any increase in costs with increase in profits/savings. Do read this line again as its very important and if you do this then the web initiative will pay for itself.

Examples of where the balancing effect of online initiatives occours:

• Costs of implementing a corporate website are offset by the need to print/reprint expensive brochures.
• Costs of implementing online newsletter is offset by savings in printing physical newspapers and postage/courier costs.
• Costs of Email/ CRM support teams are offset by reduction of phone based support saving your team’s time as well as better efficiences in problem solving.
• Costs of an ERP sytem are offset by improved gains in productivity and efficiency (if implemented correctly)
• Costs of implementing search engine optimization/ social media are offset by costs of hiring and maintaining large sales teams.

Adding online systems to your business need not be a one way street but can provide significant improvements in the bottom line as well.

Concern: I will have to rely on external web developers for my online initiatives instead of my core team.

Website design and development is best outsourced due to its cross functional nature i.e. it needs people of different skill sets to successfully create and run a site. But in a ‘Flat’ world of globalization outsourcing is an essential tool in any businesses arsenal and a fact that has to be managed. Of course care has to be taken during vendor selection to ensure you get the right partner firm. Sometimes you might have to go through multiple vendors to get that one vendor who fits into your business culture. I have some clients that we have been with for over 7-8 years (a long time in a web design company’s life).

In conclusion, the trick is to combine the older business persons experience, savvy and resources with a web developers knowledge and technology to create a team which takes the business to the next level. Initially web developers should be willing to teach and hand hold the business owners but in time there is a lot these business owners can also teach us young web designers.

Cheers,
Ron

Do visit us at http://www.miracleworx.com

The crossover took place sometime in August where at one point all three browsers almost had equal share at 33%.

See chart below 

Are we seeing the imminent demise of IE and the Google domination?

Cheers,
Ron

We design for compatibility on all browsers. See our designs at http://www.miracleworx.com/portfolio.htm

For the official Paypal take on it.
https://www.thepaypalblog.com/2011/10/great-news-for-our-merchants-in-india/

Cheers,
Ron

Thanks to the hard work of our intern Ms.Pratibha Suyal a list of web design courses and institutes has been compiled.

So here are the Web Design Courses & Institutes in India in no particular order. Please read the Disclaimer to ensure that their are no misunderstandings later.

–

Work Station Computer Education

• It is a division of Tasaa Infosolutions Pvt. Ltd.
• Established in August 1997.
• They provide application courses in the field of Print Graphics, 2D & 3D Animation, Editing , Composition & Special Effects, Web Designing and Programming Engineering & manufacturing architectural design.
• It has centers in Pune and Mumbai.
• Students get certificate after completing the course.

Website: http://www.the-workstation.net/

Email: wks@tasaa.com, query@tasaa.com

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Compufield Computer Institute

• ISO 9001:2008 Certified Institute.
• Working since 1985.
• Centers: Bandra(W) & Andheri(W).

Website: http://www.compufield.com/

Email: compufield@yahoo.com, compufield@gmail.com

Web Designing Courses:

Web 2.0 Courses:

Advance

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Karmik Institute

• Karmick Institute is a Kolkata based training institute.
• They offer four training courses to our students:Web Designing, ASP.NET, PHP/MySQL and Testing/QA.
• Students work on Live projects of Karmik Solution Pvt Ltd Company.
• Institute certification for students.
• Centers in Kolkata and New Jersey.

Website: http://www.karmickinstitute.com/

Email: enquiry@karmickinstitute.com

Web Design Course Content And Structure

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St Angeloes Computer Ltd

• Established in 1993.
• Has their center in Mumbai, Pune and Thane, Navi Mumbai.

Website: http://www.saintangelos.com/web_software_engineering.html

Email: ifo@saintangelos.com

Web and Software engineering.

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TGC animation and multimedia

• TGC, an ISO 9001:2000 company, incorporated as digital design institute since 2000.
• TGC is tied up with UGC approved Punjab Technical University & Manomanian Sundernar University to provide Degree programmes to its students in Multimedia and Animation art.
• Centers: New Delhi (3),Gwalior, Bangalore, Chennai, Trichy

Website: http://www.tgcindia.com

Email: info@tgcindia.com

Advanced Certification in Web Design & Interactive Multimedia

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Edit Institute

• Their courses include implementation of latest concepts – social media design, online ad designs; latest technologies – XML, FBML, PHP
• Edit’s students have been placed in Birla Associates, School Net India Ltd., CNBC, Lycos Asia, LNT ITL, ONGC, Reliance, Godrej, Hungama.com, Rediff.com, Star TV, Ebay.com, Kanbay, Cybage, Aptara Corporation, IL&FS, Lion Bridge, Sharekhan.com, Dunn & Bradstreet etc.
• Centers: Mumbai (Dadar (W),Andheri (W), Thane (W), Dombivali (E), Vashi, Opera House) & Pune (Mahatma Gandhi Road, Law College Road)

Website: http://www.edit.co.in/courses.html

Email: learn@edit.co.in

Web Designing With Social Media And Online Marketing

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MACC

• Is a part of Aptech
• MAAC is India’s leader in high-end 3D animation & VFX education
• Centers: Andheri (W), Andheri (E), Navi Mumbai

Website: http://www.maacindia.com/Courses.aspx?eid=2

Email: info@maacmail.com

Graphic and Web design Course

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Practical Creative Media Education

• Was set up in October 1976 by engineer/producer Tom Misner.
• International online Institute.
• Provides Online course certificate to students.
• Centers: Bangalore, Chennai/Madras, Mumbai, New Delhi

Website: http://www.sae.edu/en-gb/course/452/Web_Design_and_Multimedia

Email: oxford@sae.edu

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NIIT

• Centers: All over India
• NIIT certification for students.

Course content:

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Arena

• 14 years of experience, 250000 students trained till now.
• A part of Aptech.
• Certification of Arena is given to the student.
• Course is divided into 2 semesters.
• It has its centers all over India.

Website: http://www.arena-multimedia.com/courses/web-designing.html

Email: customercare@aptech.ac.in, arena@aptech.ac.in

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CABA Innovative

• Established in 1994.
• Avails Institution certificates to student.
• Centers in North India(Gurgaon).

Website: http://www.cabainnovatives.com/

Email: study@cabainnovatives.com

6 Months Diploma in Web Design & Web Hosting Course

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Website Designing Institution.co.in

• Established in 2006, It is a company(part of business world) that teaches you web designing
• Centers in Delhi. Gurgaon, Noida

Website: http://www.websitedesigninginstitute.co.in

Web Designing (4 months)

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Disclaimer: The information displayed here has been picked up from the websites of the respective institutes to provide a snapshot of overall training options in India. Details including fees and curriculum might vary over time and is subject to changes from the institute. MiracleworX is also not liable for any losses, damages or fraud that might occour due to enrollment in any of the institutes listed above. MiracleworX is providing this information in good faith as a listing only and has no tie-ups with any of these institutes. Usage of this information is at your own risk.

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The monopoly of Flash and the problem with proprietory software.

Flash technology earlier used to be owned by Macromedia and now by Adobe (who bought Macromedia). This put a lot of power and responsibility into the a single software company. Anyone whose Windows OS has crashed will agree with me that relying on a monopoly company to provide good software is not a good idea.

The majority of Flash used is for routine animation effects that Jquery handles efficiently.

If you view usage patterns of Flash on websites you will notice that the majority of applications are for routine tasks such as slide shows, minor effects and navigation effects. These can be handled just as easily now using Jquery scripts. There have been many sites I have visited and been wowed by the effects only to find that the effects are actually through Jquery.

Apple drives a spike through the heart of Flash - is Apple’s justification valid

Perhaps the biggest blow to Flash’s credibility comes from Apple. Apple has stubbornly refused to support Flash on its Ipads and Iphones instead promoting support for HTML 5 and Jquery. Apple argues that Flash applications drain device batteries faster than any other application and are not worth the cost to the device battery life. Apple also makes a sideways swipe at Flash by saying that many Flash websites are just plain ugly and over the top. I tend to agree with this. If you have had to go through as many garrish Flash sites as I have you’ll understand.

What about those web designers that create fantastic sites using Flash.

Although Flash has been delivered several body blows its not going to dissappear overnight. It is still a pretty awesome tool in the right hands and some Flash sites are beyond brilliant in design and functionality. However now designers cannot take support and tolerance for Flash for granted.

The assumption that users will automatically download the Flash plugin everytime they encounter it may not be valid anymore. Now users might choose to skip viewing Flash sites by refusing to download the Flash plugin unless the site content or brand is very compelling.

The right to use Flash on your site will have to be earned. Professional Flash designers will have to take care to make sure their design and content is worth the cost Flash content usually takes in terms of plugins and download time.

Flash was poison for Search Engine Optimization – Jquery has no such hangups.

As a SEO expert you usually avoid Flash sites as they are notoriously difficult to optimize and promote. Although there are techniques to optimize Flash for search engines its not as effective as an HTML site running Jquery. Jquery merges seamlessly with the site content providing a lot of scope for the SEO expert. Although excessive scripting can hurt a site’s indexability its not as bad as Flash.

Here’s a quick head to head on Flash versus Jquery

In conclusion it seems Flash is heading for a diminshed and specialized role in web design with Jquery taking over the bulk of the routine effects. Designers looking to create Flash site will no longer be able to get away with mediocre effects and gaudy designs. They will need to justify their use of Flash. As in many other areas this is a battle which only time will tell.

Cheers,
Ron

We have both Flash and Jquery in our portfolio of work. The client gets to choose. Check out both at http://www.miracleworx.com/porfolio.htm

However it still remains a disorganized industry with each company operating in its own silo with its own standards and practises. We do encounter each other in some industry related conferences or while pitching on a common client but other than that we all mind our own business.

Why does the web designer and developer community need an association?

This industry has grown and matured. It is no longer a part timers job. Many highly skilled and professionally run companies have successfully established themselves against great odds. With an association this industry can find power and safety in unity. Some of the benefits that could flow from such an association

• Web design agencies do not adhere to any one standard of design or development. The association can draft standard rules and guidelines to create a roadmap which we can follow.
• There is virtually no sharing or cooperation between agencies. Best practises are never shared or divulged and a scarcity mentality exists. The association can give us all a place to connect, cooperate and share good ideas. Cooperatively all our businesses can grow.
• Sooner or later we are going to require to lobby the government for somthing or the other. A unified front would prove immensely beneficial for such a need.
• Young professionals entering this industry do not have clear roadmap of what  career opportunities exist withing this field. The various options and specializations that they can do.
• The quality of web design training in India is abyssmal. Institutes are teaching software skills without the training and mindset need to create with them. Most freshers in our industry are practically unusable. An association can pressure such institutes to improve the quality of training as well as provide new entrants a clear roadmap. 
• Currently there is virtually no barrier for anyone to enter the industry and call himself a web designer. An association can create a system through which only the professional ones are given web designer status. Certain benchmarks must be adhered to acquire this level.

A pipe dream? The barriers to a successful association being formed and maintained.

Success in the web design industry is difficult. Very few firms survive and thrive in this industry. This is because of the very nature of it. Most web design and development companies are preoccupied with survival and growth. They are scrambling for funds and investors at the same time trying to acquire customers in a very very competitive industry.

Every time I speak to any industry colleagues about such an association I hear stories about back biting, client stealing and generally unethical behaviour by others. The trust level in the industry is very low and it will take a mighty effort to get everyone on the same page.

The industry has matured over the years and has thrown up several ‘seniors’, people who have inspite of all odds established a successful web design practise. They need to take the lead and create something.

It won’t be easy but we have to start somewhere.

The scope of such an organization. Whom to include and whom to exclude? Making it meaningful for all.

When I say ‘web design and development association’ what kinds of companies and professionals come to mind? I would include the following:

• Web designers – those who make websites from corporate to ecommerce
• Web Marketers / SEO professionals – Anyone associated with marketing a company in the online space.
• Web Hosting Companies – India based hosting companies who register domains, provide email solutions and give us servers.
• Social Media Specialists – A new category which is rapidly filling up
• Web Training Institutes – Any institute that has a web design or marketing course as part of its curriculum.
• Associated Professionals – Such as content writers, photographers, illustrators and other professionals without whom we cannot work.

This whole lot can easily give us thousands of professionals and firms across India.

Big brothers NASSCOM, IAMAI and ABCI can pitch in. There is a lot of mutual benefit for these associations.

Associated Industries have thier associations such as The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM), Internet And Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and Association of Business Communicators of India (ABCI) should support in the creation and support of such an association. Its to their mutual benefit to have a strong vibrant web design and development community.

These organizations are lead by open minded and dynamic teams and we can definitely learn a thing or two from them.

What it means to me personally and what it could mean to the scores of web designers across India.

Doctors, lawyers and accountants get automatic respect. Not because they are brilliant or excellent (which they might or might not be) but due to the respect that is accorded to their profession and industry. Web designers do not work any less or are not any less smarter than any other profession, quite the opposite in fact, we are always grappling with the latest technology and trends in the world today.

An proactive association to which I belong would mean recognition of our industry as a valid, vibrant, safe and respected. It would mean that every professional working in this industry has the same status and respect.

A little too much you think? Well, try spending 13 years in an industry without getting sentimental about it.

The day when parents will give their daughters (or sons) hand in marriage to a web design professional as if he/she was a doctor or lawyer?

Thats the Indian in me speaking. We are so used to the typcal dialogue ‘beti ki shaadi koi doctor ya engineer se karao’ (Get our daughter married to a doctor or engineer). I hope one day parents will have enough faith and security in our field to give thier daughters/sons hand to a web design professional.

I’m happily married mind you, so its too late for me. But I think it would be nice for the younger generation to have that kind of respectability.

In conclusion I would say its time. The industry elders should get together and form the association our industry sorely needs.

Cheers,

Ron

Newly designed MiracleworX website is a treat to see – http://www.miracleworx.com

The principle difference in ‘gamification’  has to be built into the DNA of an online initiative instead of being added on as an afterthought.

Gamification is now added right at the development stage of the project and is built into the DNA of the website. Earlier it used to be like an afterthought added onto the site by some enthusiastic marketing manager. The fact is gamification will only work if it is intrinsically built into the functioning of the site and rewards users at many different areas and fucntions of the site.  The reward systems have to be internally linked to the functioning of the site at a very fundamental level.

You cannot re-jig an existing website to add ‘gamification’ in a superficial way – the effort will be wasted.

A common reaction among businesses and website owners would be to try and add a gamification component on top of their existing site to try and leverage this new concept. It rarely works out in such cases. The rewards offered may not motivate users or the system will not be interesting enough for users to repeatitevly use the service. To add a ‘gamification’ component to your website you require to change your website at a very deep level right from the concept to the functionality.

Indian websites used to orthodox designs will have to adopt a more creative strategy to improve engagment with customers.

In my experience Indian businesses and managements are very risk averse in terms of design and concept of their websites. Even when web designers come to them with innovative concepts, most times these are shot down in favour of more conservative designs. In the new world where everyone is searching for competitive advantages this will not do. Companies will have to increasingly adopt innovative measures and ‘gamification’ is going to be an important initiative.

‘Gamification’ is not about gaming but about making routine tasks and processes much more interesting and rewarding.

A common misconception of ‘gamification’ is to add games to website to give users some ‘timepass’ in between tasks. This is counter productive and useless. There are thousands of game sites and turning part of yours into one makes no sense. ‘Gamification’ works when routine tasks are made more interesting and fulfilling by the addition of an interesting rewards system. You cannot keep your tasks and the gamification system seperate. It is surprising how even mundane and boring tasks can get an edge when used with ‘gamification’.

Rewards are the key – rewards targeted at a users self esteem are the best ones. Find the psychological hook.

‘Gamification’ systems have to be well thought out. There is a tendency to make rewards monetary or physical prizes. But these will not work as well as those targeted at user’s self esteem. All of us have a deep deep desire to be acknowledeged and if ‘gamification’ can tap into this need the results can be spectacular. Winning the title of ‘grandmaster’ or ‘top dog’ can sometimes be more rewarding then winning a toaster or a mobile phone. Psychology plays a big part in this and should be taken into account when planning a ‘gamification’ initiative.

My favorite rewards are the ones I get when i play Gin on Yahoo Games. The rewards are as simple as colour boxes that you get in front of your name ranging from grey (for newbies) to red (for top players). I hate to admit it but what colour I am does affect my self esteem and creates a powerful motivation to play more and win more. No tangible reward is given to me but I still fight for that little piece of colour.

Apply ‘gamification’ selectively. Not every site and task is suitable for it.

There is a saying ‘when all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.’ Web developers and business owners have to be careful about applying gamification to their sites. Not all tasks are suitable and some tasks will never be interesting no matter what amount of gamification you apply to it. Analysing whether gamification is suitable for your site can save you a lot of time and money in the long term. Maybe some other initiatives are more suited to your website.

Don’t be the ‘Big Brother’. Gamification is a motivational tool, not a tool for performance measurement and punishment.

Always leave a ‘way out’ for those who don’t want to play. Don’t humilitate and punish those who don’t play or are not ‘buying into’ your gamification plan. Some people like to do things their own way and at their own pace and no rewards or systems will change that. Allow them to take their own path by allowing the gamification to be turned off or simply ignored. Reward the enthusiasts but don’t belittle the ones who don’t take active part. Every game must have losers but you don’t need to brand them as such.

In conclusion – Gamification can be a wonderful tool for adding stickiness and bite to your site but like any tool it must be used carefully and only where it is best suited.

Cheers,
Ron

We love the game of web design and play it every day – to see our score board do visit – http://www.miracleworx.com/portfolio.htm

I got a Blackberry.

If you have one too, you’re probably sniggering or nodding your head in understanding. I mean, I’ve turned into an unblinking, zombie-like, crazy person who behaves like her entire life is in her handheld, attached to the end of her arm. I’m awed and wonderstruck by what this little device can do and the kind of apps that are available to make your digital experience more ….errr….enriching (ok…fun!)

Suddenly, my social life has turned on its head! I’m simultaneously online on the Blackberry messenger (oh you magical little software….I’m going to write a poem on you sometime soon), Yahoo, MSN, Gmail and another miracle of mankind – Whatsapp! And of course, any important email is delivered to me on my shiny new BB in a snap. I wonder how I ever functioned without this little gadget.

On the downside, my personal life has taken a beating. I’ve found myself spending way too much time checking my friends’ mostly useless status updates on Facebook, some partly read books are lying in a dustpile somewhere, and my daughter (all of 14 months!) has started shaking her head in disgust the moment I pick up the phone and start playing with it.

I had been hanging in this state of indecision about whether all of this is good or bad for a long time but I got the answer this morning when I asked my husband.

“You know what they say about life – that it’s not just black or white and that it’s all the shades in between.  I realised its true even for digital technology when I started getting interested in quantum computing. You ask anyone about the digital age and they will tell you it’s all about 1s and 0s. If you’ve heard anything about Quantum Computing you will know that even electronic life is no longer about 1s and 0s. It’s going to be about everything in between.”

Frankly, I haven’t really understood what quantum computers are and why they are going to change our lives (I read somewhere that even a grain of sand can potentially be a quantum computer) but I think I still found my answer somewhere in what my husband said.

Life is not about 1s and 0s only. It’s about everything in between.

(Sent on my BlackBerry® from Vodafone)