The Changing (Internet) Landscape

My daughter and I were recently walking our dog and were a little surprised to see that about an acre of nearby woods had been cut down. Logging trucks and construction vehicles were scattered about, parked for the night. The smell of cut wood was heavy and the once thick landscape was stark. We lamented the loss of the wooded area and wondered what was coming to this quiet neighborhood. The landscape is changing.

The Internet landscape is constantly changing. Websites and web developers have to be adaptable. A huge percentage of people use their mobile device for internet use, so websites need to be mobile friendly. Websites have to constantly take security measures to fend off the relentless attacks from hackers all over the globe. They have to adapt to the latest search engine trends and best practices for social media, and they have to keep up with the Kardashians. Well, not really, I just threw that in there. But maybe someday.

15 years ago sites were mostly developed by professionals. Web building programs have adapted to accommodate people with little-to-no background knowledge of web design. Anyone can build a website using a Content Management System (CMS) such as Wordpress, and maintain it themselves. Of course, not all clients want to develop or maintain the site themselves so I had to change my tools and skills so I could be of more value to my clients.

Sometimes we really don't want to adapt to the changes around us. We want things to stay right where they are. Change is sometimes difficult. But usually, if you try, you find the good in the progress. You can see that it was good for the community, by bringing in construction jobs. Or you can see that it was good for the Internet community by giving people a safe and enjoyable web experience. So no matter what website project, update or latest greatest program is before me, I’m going to adapt. I'm going to adapt to the changing needs of my clients, and grow from the experience. I’m not going anywhere.