Don’t be the next version of outdated

by Tyler Hayes, October 18, 2009

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IMPORTANT: Disqus, my comments provider, has been acting weird lately. If you see strange comments below, it’s likely because they’re randomly being imported from other posts. Sorry about the weirdness, we’ll get this tackled ASAP!

I often get contacted by young web designers, typically in their 20s-30s, asking me for advice. To answer them best, I solicit the basics, and usually the first thing I ask them is “What do you do?” It’s not surprising how many just say they design web sites. Really, what kind? Small business? Microsites? Wordpress? Quick delivery? Do you charge retainer or per project? If you’re a designer, who does your development?

Okay, so I don’t ask all the follow-up questions. That would be cruel and awesome unjust. My point: three out of four times, their last project was “just redesigning some website from the 90s.”

Is this responsible? I would say it isn’t. It’s simply the next version of outdated. These websites need a face lift now, because it’s the same thing they got in the 90s: a temporary fix, that lacks true leadership and vision.

I know this because any website that was keeping pace in the 90s would have been run by people who were keeping pace, too. If they were keeping pace then, they would be now (if they weren’t caught in the Bursting of the Bubble). Hence, they wouldn’t need a website update, because it would have been consistently updated for the last decade. But it isn’t, so we know that they weren’t keeping pace.

Working with clients who don’t keep pace is a drag, physically and emotionally. It’s a waste of your time and theirs. Instead, work with clients who not only keep pace, but have foresight.

If you’re a web professional, find a niche, find 1-2 clients who need someone more talented than you, and then convince them you’re even better than what they need. Work your ass off every waking hour, and use it as an opportunity to better yourself. It will pay off 10x more than even a dozen one-time 1990s face lift projects will. Dare to be great and do something profound.

My name is Tyler Hayes, and this is my blog.

I make websites and have strong opinions on the user experience. You can learn about me by going to the About page.

You should follow me on twitter here.

emerywebster

You would like http://tweetingtoohard.com

RepRelations Rep Management

I respectfully disagree about reputation pruning- if you are a business or a public personality I would highly recommend that you prune anything negative out of your search or social media profile - what people see when they search you.

Not doing so is like going out of the house with some food on your chin and not removing it once you discover it. It doesnt matter who put it there - if you can control how people see you and do so to your advantage - you would be an idiot not to do so.

Sam Michelson
RepRelations.com

Stuart Foster

Is reputation pruning garbage? Absolutely.

It's a crime that this has even become a business in of itself. "Reputation management" should be "don't do stupid shit". It sucks that everything is documented these days in that sense...because I speak from experience: I've done plenty of dumb dumb things. Most of it has found it's way to digital mediums in some way or another.

However, do I do it? Yes. go look at my sanitized and incredibly boring facebook profile. It's boring...but I want to maintain my consulting business, livelihood and respect. I don't drink anymore because of it's potentially damaging effects to my reputation. (Which trust me is a good thing.)

I hate myself sometimes for doing this self censoring because I want to be freer and more open about a lot more aspects of my life...however I don't think an HR person doing background on me would be.

Ari Herzog

Speaking of outdated, how come comments here are months old?

Tyler Hayes

I just noticed those comments when I woke up this morning, and put a notice in to Disqus (my comments provider). They're actually from another post, so some functionality got messed up with a recent Disqus update it seems. Should get it figured out soon!

jenniewhite

I have to disagree. I'll admit I "prune" a little bit here and there, not as much as I've seen some other people do. I agree with being transparent, no one should have an entirely different identity online, that's misleading and unfair to their network. But, I am not perfect, I make decisions that I don't want or need publicized on the Internet because evidently those imperfections shouldn't define me on the Internet.

Though my life outside of the Internet is constantly blending with my life on the Internet, people don't need to see me at things like my sister's wedding or family reunion. Not only am I protecting my privacy, I am protecting theirs as well. I am the same person I am on the Internet as I am in real life, but there are some things that I'd prefer to leave out. That's one of the reasons why I don't use Geo-Location apps like Foursquare because I don't want people knowing where I am at all times. I am not hiding anything, I am probably just at Starbucks, but why do my Twitter followers need to know that?

As for pictures go, your right I "untag" or choose to leave unflattering ones unpublicized, primarily because I am Gen Y and I am little self-conscious (maybe a little vein too). I am not creating and image, I am choosing my best aspects to being publicized online. Tyler I give you a lot of credit for strictly managing your reputation, definitely made me think about how I manage mine.

Tyler Hayes

I think you and I might agree more than you imagine. I wrote this post 5 months ago and, while I still hold to its premise, I realize now that some of the examples may not be as appropriate as they once were. Strange how social media changes so quickly eh?

Thanks for the props. Would you mind just clarifying what it is that you disagree with? Was it the whole post or just certain parts?

jenniewhite

"Social media is not about creating an image for yourself. It’s about creating a realistic extension of your real self, just online for people to see when they aren’t around you."

Sorry I wasn't clear about where I disagreed, I kind of got on a train of thought and just went with it. I prune my online identity because there certain aspects of "my real self" (offline) that I don't want my online network to see (when they're not around me). Like I said before, I don't think my Twitter followers need or want to see my sister's wedding or my exact location at 11pm on a Friday night.

So that being said, I think it's ok to "prune" pictures, exclude certain pictures on Facebook and delete wall posts because I want people to see the best side of me. I still take responsibility for my actions, I just don't broadcast them on the world wide web. I do however agree with you on deleting blog comments, they should be left untouched.

I hope that was clearer. What I am saying is I agree with you to a certain extent, but I also believe there's a gray area and that we need to prune in order to protect our privacy.

Tyler Hayes

Very cool, thanks for the clarification :)

I wonder if someone took the time to list all the potential activities for management & pruning, and then place them in either category, how much disagreement would there be on which category these things belong to?

I'd be willing to bet our parents have a slightly different take on all of this!

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Don’t be the next version of outdated

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