Why Write a Webpage?
by
Nathanael Smith

What reasons are there to write a webpage? From my experience, I divide it like this: some people will put up a webpage because they have a product to sell, some do it because they feel that a message needs to be available to the general public, and others do it just because it's considered "cool". There are also hybrid pages, used for more than one reason.

A large number of webpages are dedicated to selling a product or products. These e-commerce pages are generally are very sharp looking, easily navigated, but relatively cluttered with links. They are also usually linked to a database of the products, and are overloaded with visitors, which makes the visit slow and often quite tedious. Back on the upside, however, is the fact that there is no need to leave your home to find exactly the product you desire.

Many more webpages are dedicated to a message or ideology. Message pages like these are more commonly made by someone who has a two-fold purpose: First, to make their ideas available to the world, and secondly to have fun and brush up - or learn - HTML, the coding language that makes up the web. These sites are often sharp and clean, and just as often, they're dull and uninspired. They are also commonly full of plain, unadorned information, unbiased and unusual.

There are also webpages created for the sole purpose of "being cool". These "cool sites" are almost always shabby and full of mistakes in the HTML. Very often they have no useful information, and few links. This kind of website more often than not resides on free public servers and is rarely visited.

The greatest number of webpages have multiple purposes. An example would be my own website, which has both my own personal information, and a list of information - poems - found in few, if any, other places in the world. Most commercial webpages also have a dual purpose: first to convince you of your need for their product, and second to provide the information neccesary to purchase the product. Without a doubt, the conglamorate style of webpage is the most commonly visited, and the best in all areas, especially in their look and load time.

All of these styles have one thing in common: their location. They can be found on any computer with a connection to the internet. Because of this, and because people feel naturally insecure, more and more people are putting up websites, almost as minurature shrines to themselves. And more and more businesses are creating gigantic monsters of websites from which to sell, and information is continually being created and stored on the internet.