Earl Daniels

Web Development

Web development differs from other media production in that, in most cases, design, content and technology are not (yet) separated into separate functions. In the early days of printing, the actual process of setting the type elements into the printing press brought the content and sytle right to the technology. Now, graphic design and page layout are completed at a great distance from the prinitng press, with very little limitation imposed by the technology or the prinitng process. The same evolution holds true for video production where editing, computer-generated special effects and other sophisticatd post production processes makes the actual filming process easier.

Web Site Content Managements Systems (CMS) are programs that run on the web site server to retrieve requested information and place it into a template for display on the visitor's screen. Through this dynamic method of creating pages, the content and presentation are separated, making it much easier to change either element.

Possibilities Abound

With dynamic web development, the technology is only beginning to mature to the point where presentation and content are being separated, and information can be conveyed in varied ways. For example, information might be grouped by event date, geographically, or by the visitor's interests. This may require the content developer to provide category assignemnts when the information is entered, but more often it a simple case of organizing the content. This organization may be no more than separate input areas for data, ZIP code or other identifying information.

There are also new opportunities afford by the technology, such as accomodating people with disabilities and preventing information overload by organizing and filtering the information delivered to the consumer.